Adding business cover

[Kier]

I've been told that I need business cover to claim my expenses from the Police. Not needed it before, but hey ho.

I phone up my insurers (Admiral) to get this added. My insurance runs out in September, so 9 months cover. When I've had to add it on in the past (with Tesco I think) they did it for free, no admin charge (work with them, so don't know if thats why).

I was expecting to have to pay £20/£30 for it. They wanted to charge me £92!

Decide to double check that I need to have it, but in the mean time get a quote with Admiral for a new customer with and without business insurance. Sadly I can't do this online, so give them a ring and make something up about wanting to cancel my current policy and get a new one.

Turns out that due to my main job (delivery driver for Tesco), I can't get business insurance incase I decide to use my own car for work .

After being on hold for 20 minutes they come back and say I can have it, as long as I promise not to use it for work (I mentioned that I will be using a works van for it, yet they seemed to keep forgetting this) and that I can have business cover for travelling to and from the station. The price including business cover? £709. The price without business cover? £704. £5 difference, yet before they wanted to charge me £92 for 9 months cover.

Needless to say, I wasn't impressed with this and got put though to a manager in the renewals department. They come up with some rubbish about how they do better deals for new customers, for some reason they didn't like it when I questioned why they treat new customers better than current customers.

Again, I have to explain that I wont be using my car for delivering peoples Tesco shopping, and that it will be only to and from the police station.

I get put on hold again, and they decide that I can be insured for £17.50, just the admin fee.

What I don't understand is, I'm doing the exact same journeys as before, I only need business cover to claim my petrol money back. I can't work out how my risk is any higher than before.

No real reason for this post, other than a bit of a moan about Admiral.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Tbh this is what you get with certain companies. Nice to see they had the balls to admit they give new customers better deals, because they know your tied in (so to speak) when an existing.

Re the police and petrol claims, what are you using the car for to be able to claim fuel if you don't mind me asking

Is it the same station you're always at

 

[Kier]

Tbh this is what you get with certain companies. Nice to see they had the balls to admit they give new customers better deals, because they know your tied in (so to speak) when an existing.

Re the police and petrol claims, what are you using the car for to be able to claim fuel if you don't mind me asking

Is it the same station you're always at

Its just travelling from my home to my station. Once I'm booked on duty, I don't use my car. I'm at the same station most the time, but can work from a different one if I want.

Because I do it for free, we are given petrol money so we aren't out of pocket (40p a mile).

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Its just travelling from my home to my station. Once I'm booked on duty, I don't use my car. I'm at the same station most the time, but can work from a different one if I want.

Because I do it for free, we are given petrol money so we aren't out of pocket (40p a mile).

Check with your insurance company, but you shouldn't need business use for that, as long as you've commuting, which that is. Your not traveling in 'working time' in connection with work.

Ask the police why they say you need business use.

 

[Kier]

Check with your insurance company, but you shouldn't need business use for that, as long as you've commuting, which that is. Your not traveling in 'working time' in connection with work.

Ask the police why they say you need business use.

Thats were it gets tricky. Although I'm not on duty, if I crash on the way to or from duty, it is classed as a Polac.

For £17.50 its OK, wouldn't have been impressed at having to pay nearly £100 though, but then I do claim £200/£300 a month from them, so can't complain too much, can about insurance though .

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Polac (short for Police Accident I assume )

Getting to and from work is your responsibility isn't it? I can't see how thats polac.

 

[Stu DemonD]

I am confused as well, I would have thought it would come under the Commuting rules.

EDIT - but I suppose if they are paying you mileage [at a 40p rate, even though the HMRC authorised mileage rate is 45p] - this isn't supposed to cover commuting. So maybe they are not deeming it as commuting because you could be sent out to various places, with your home being your start point. So if an accident did happen on route, it would be treated as business and therefore if you did crash, it would be a POLAC :chin:

 

[RossAB]

What I don't understand is, I'm doing the exact same journeys as before, I only need business cover to claim my petrol money back. I can't work out how my risk is any higher than before.

Because it's not your risk specifically. It's the combined risk of all those that have had business cover beforehand.

 

[Kier]

Polac (short for Police Accident I assume )

Getting to and from work is your responsibility isn't it? I can't see how thats polac.

I am confused as well, I would have thought it would come under the Commuting rules.

EDIT - but I suppose if they are paying you mileage [at a 40p rate, even though the HMRC authorised mileage rate is 45p] - this isn't supposed to cover commuting. So maybe they are not deeming it as commuting because you could be sent out to various places, with your home being your start point. So if an accident did happen on route, it would be treated as business and therefore if you did crash, it would be a POLAC :chin:

No idea why it is classed as a POLAC, someone getting paid a lot more than me makes those choices I guess.

Because it's not your risk specifically. It's the combined risk of all those that have had business cover beforehand.

I know, still annoying.

 

[LeighJet150]

This is an easy one, Commuting is to a SINGLE place of work (as in a building not a company), where as business covers your to work at any location you wish to travel for work

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

This is an easy one, Commuting is to a SINGLE place of work (as in a building not a company), where as business covers your to work at any location you wish to travel for work

So what's happens if you've more than one job

 

[LeighJet150]

So what's happens if you've more than one job

You need business use.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

You need business use.

Never had the need before, always explained my circumstances and insurance have been happy with commuting. Same applied when at college and working weekends. The advantage of always checking I suppose.

 

[LeighJet150]

Never had the need before, always explained my circumstances and insurance have been happy with commuting. Same applied when at college and working weekends. The advantage of always checking I suppose.

Depends on if the insurer is advisory or not will make the difference, a non advisory company has to put down with what you tell them and cannot advised on what cover to have. So if you say commutting they have to accept that. Whereas an advisory insurer can do this. I would definatley double check, insurers have a nasty habit of having employees who will tell you anything for a sale.

Could also check your paperwork in the general terms for commuting too.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Could also check your paperwork in the general terms for commuting too.

Yeah, probably best.

EDIT: Just checked with my current insurance company, and you're indeed correct. I wonder how many people are not aware of this! Luckily it doesn't affect me though as I've only the one job now.

 

[Kier]

Something that did make me laugh...they kept going on about not using my car for delivery stuff. Never mentioned that I can't use it for the Police....

 

[Kier]

Well this is fun...I've been looking at getting a bike, instead of my car.

Insurance is around £700, I go to add business use, and it goes up to £2,000! Takes the ****.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Well this is fun...I've been looking at getting a bike, instead of my car.

Insurance is around £700, I go to add business use, and it goes up to £2,000! Takes the ****.

Cos your defo going to be using it as a bike couior innit

 

[Kier]

Cos your defo going to be using it as a bike couior innit

Of course . Doesn't help when I say that I'm a delivery driver either .