I Forgot My Current Car Insurance Provider - How to Find out?

Ok, I don't even know how to begin to explain this major lapse in memory. Quite embarrassing.
I was with Budget Direct for years, and at some stage in the last year or two, I switched to another provider, but I cannot find any current records in my email about any car insurance policies.
I logged into Budget Direct and it is confirmed no current policies with them, it only supports the explanation I switched companies as they all just automatically renew.
I searched for "policy, car insurance' car, insurance" in my email with attachments only etc..

No luck in finding out any info.

I used SA registration website to check rego and insurance but it only gave me my rego (CTP) insurance, not comprehensive.

Any idea how to find out? I might double it and register again?

I didn't have any accident or anything like that but I need to sort this out asap. any help is appreciated.

Comments

  • +38

    Credit card statements?

    • +1

      Don’t worry
      They will send you a renewal notice when it’s time to “reassess” the situation
      Hopefully you won’t need to contact them before then …..such as needing to make a claim

  • +34

    Try searching for "PDS" in e-mails.

    What about bank statement payments?

    Maybe you don't actually have any comprehensive insurance?

  • +13

    Check your direct debits in your bank statement.

  • +25

    Call every one of them

    • +3

      This is the only way to be sure

      • +3

        I thought the only way to be sure is to nuke it from orbit.

    • 30+minutes on wait per provider…going to be a while

    • After thorough investigation, I am pleased to inform you that I am actually the insurer.
      Please send through your annual payment to my bank account.
      Thank you.

      • Will transfer it to your Nigerian Royalty account

  • it only supports the explanation I switched companies as they all just automatically renew.

    only if you opt-in for direct debits auto-renewal

  • +53

    Get into a crash and let the other driver's insurance figure it out for you.

  • +6

    search emails for your registration number.

  • -2

    You're in SA.
    Is this CTP or fully comprehensive that you're after?
    Will your local driving records department have that answer for you? You could go in and find out.

    • Op included:
      "I used SA registration website to check rego and insurance but it only gave me my rego (CTP) insurance, not comprehensive."

      • +2

        True, true. This is what happens when I skim read at 2 am.
        😅

        • +2

          I did the same thing with a different post last night after a long day.

        • +1

          lordra 23 hours 42 min ago
          You're in SA

          It was around 4.30pm when you replied?

  • +12

    Any idea how to find out? I might double it and register again?

    If you can't find any emails, and can't find a charge on your bank statements in the last 12 months, then highly likely you don't have any insurance. So take out a new policy!

  • +8

    Imo won’t have insurance, please report back to prove me wrong tho

  • +13

    I'm pretty sure you have no insurance.

  • +5

    Hi,

    Ring BudgetDirect, explain you were with them, quote your Policy Number.

    Explain you are thinking of switching back…

    Ask them when Insurer #2 called them to verify your prior Insurance who
    they confirmed it with.

    Then ring Insurer #2.

  • +34

    OK so I am now with CGU apparently they do not like to send anything via email. Just paper.
    That was an interesting example on how much I rely on email searches to get the info I need.

    I have a document filing cabinet but I never kept it updated with all documentation because…lazy. Always relied on email search.

    Thank you all for your help and funny comments.

    • +15

      Great detective spy work KGB

      • I thought K G B would call home to FSB… lol

        You can always ask for a quote from Philby, Burgess and Maclean. :+)

    • +2

      I've had the same issue with my parents insurance - I used to shop around to get the best prices for them, but it's sometimes easier to just stick it all in one place.

      You'd think buying insurance online would result in you getting emailed your policy but not always the case!

    • +3

      It's a habit from before everything was digital, but I still scan the little hard copy stuff that comes into my mailbox for anything that might matter. I do go the trouble of OCR-ing it all then save it in a folder. This way I can search that to find things.

      Interestingly I have the reverse problem, I search my folder and can't find things so have to remember to go search the folders instead :P I do try and save out a copy of the main things into my folders since that's still my first place to look… but lazy too :P

      Who doesn't want to know what was on their land line phone bill from March 2004?

      • +2

        Tip: If you upload images to Google drive OCR is run over them for you automatically

  • In NSW you can search a number plate to see who the CTP is with. That may help as a starting point if you bought comprehensive with the same insurer.

  • Are you my SIL in Adelaide? She’s been done twice for forgetting to renew rego, $1300 a pop or so down there lol, Mexicans.

    • +1

      You must live in the Northern Territory.

  • -6

    if you need to ask a question like this you probably shouldn't be driving.`

  • Search again for the best deal on your car insurance and maybe the result will give you a lead.

    • He found out mate. Job done!

  • +3

    OP, did you also forget you owe me $1000? When can you pay me back? :)

  • None?

    If so, don't drive until you purchase some.

  • Just purchase anything right away. You get 14 day off cooling off period so if you find out later you do have it can just cancel it but you want to covered immediately

    • Could you just do that 26 times a year, and never pay for insurance?

      • Yeah might find it hard to insure yourself after that though…

  • Hit someone and exchange details, your insurance (if any) would get in touch with you

  • nice try putin

  • Call each of them one by one and ask "Are you my provider?" until you get a hit

  • This sounds exactly like something that might happen to me. It's hard when you ozbargain and look at 50 different insurer's quotes… How are you supposed to remember which one of the 50 you actually went with?!

  • +1

    This was me last year! Between rego, CTP, comprehensive and roadside assistance of two cars I had a tough time last year where I almost came to the conclusion that I missed a comprehensive renewal after days of searching. Realised later that I went with Virgin and gave a different email id and backup phone number for some reason! Started tracking everything in notion since then.

  • Doesn't match ops username

  • +1

    As silly as this sounds it happened to me. I need to make a claim and called up X company to make the claim they said the policy had lapsed 12 months ago (needless to say I shat myself) went back through emails to work out I had changed to another company…….

  • As others have said, I could definitely see this happening to me, so don't feel bad OP. I change providers every year, so I usually forget who I'm with until a renewal notice turns up in my inbox. I started maintaing a list of providers, but it was wrong the one time I referred to it, so I'm obviously not great at remembering to update that either. Try searching emails, and if that fails, search your bank/CC transactions. Gotta be in there somewhere…

  • Nice try stalker

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