Insurance Companies and Speed Awareness Courses

Soldato
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My car is up for renewal and going through the usual Confused.com etc I have good some (initially) good prices ~£275 for a 2010 A5 2.0 TFSI (211) S Line

All is ticketty boo until im just about to pay and I get

QixUpyX.png

Now, when I did the speed awareness course back in September they made it explicitly clear that as we had chosen the course (over points and a fine) then we had committed (in the eyes of the law) no offence and did not need to disclose this to our insurance companies.

They even advised if asked to try another company and admit nothing as they (the police) would never release any details to insurance companies and the Insurance Regulator was "advising" insurance companies not to even ask the question.

I rang Admiral (who were the lowest quote) whom I now understand own / are part of the same group that own / run confused.com and they want to add £50.88 to my policy for the speed awareness course.

I explained what the course facilitator had said around they shouldn't even be asking the question only to be blanked and told "perhaps we can get that reduced if you take a multi car policy"

I basically told her she can forget any policy from me and hung up.

So, apart from views on whether you should disclose attendance on a speed awareness course, does anyone know of any companies who DON'T ask or do not apply a premium for people who have attended a speed awareness course ?
 
Caporegime
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I think the course facilitator has been telling you porkies, maybe he misunderstands the concept of insured risk. You were still going over the speed limit and were caught, Admiral deem this a risk even after attending the course. And have every right to ask you questions of what you have/haven't done.

Specialists like Sky, Brentacre and Chriss Knott don't care when they quote.
 
Soldato
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I think the course facilitator has been telling you porkies

A number of people I know who have attended (different) courses have all been told the same thing - its even in the printed literature from the course

In 2011, 770,000 people completed a National Speed Awareness Course (NSAC). These drivers were under no obligation to inform their insurers

http://www.cii.co.uk/media/4048082/..._courses_-_the_implications_for_insurance.pdf

Looks like things have changed or may be changing as insurance companies try to change this ..........
 
Man of Honour
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Rightly so really, the courses are a complete joke - you are as much a risk as those who didn't take the course and instead took the points?
 
Caporegime
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A number of people I know who have attended (different) courses have all been told the same thing - its even in the printed literature from the course



http://www.cii.co.uk/media/4048082/..._courses_-_the_implications_for_insurance.pdf

Looks like things have changed or may be changing as insurance companies try to change this ..........

You we're under no obligation to tell them (in 2011) but if they ask you a question you cannot lie. I haven't had an Admiral Policy in 3 years so I have no knowledge if there's a line in the policy that you have to inform them during the policy, but I imagine there now is.
 
Soldato
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I honestly thought the course did make you think about what you had done and what risks you put yourself and others at if speeding

More so than taking the points and fine

You we're under no obligation to tell them (in 2011) but if they ask you a question you cannot lie. I haven't had an Admiral Policy in 3 years so I have no knowledge if there's a line in the policy that you have to inform them during the policy, but I imagine there now is.

Indeed and when I took the course last year it was still the same.

Looks like its not just Admiral but a few others (and looks like most if not all through confused.com as well) are now specifically asking the question - hence my post of people knowing companies who aren't
 
Soldato
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I was told exactly the same thing, that I didn't have to inform my insurer.

I did anyway (Admiral) and they didn't load the policy.

They did however load the policy when they sent my first quote back and the muppet on the phone entered into the system as an SP30 not an SAC.
 
Associate
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I honestly thought the course did make you think about what you had done and what risks you put yourself and others at if speeding

But you're still a higher risk than someone who doesn't speed.

If they don't ask the question then don't tell them IMO. If they ask the question and you lie, then they find out, that's probably an express route to having your policy cancelled. Then you have to tell your next insurer that you've had a policy cancelled, which will cost far more than just admitting to the course in the first place...
 

Ev0

Ev0

Soldato
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Way I see it it's not information you have to offer up if not asked (i.e wouldn't have to ring them and declare you've done it off your own back), but if they ask you just as with any other question an insurer asks I'd have thought your obliged to answer.
 

Hxc

Hxc

Soldato
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The SAC I went on was an eye opener.... to the lack of knowledge a lot of people have about the roads. Literally about 5 people in the room knew that the NSL on a motorway was 70, and not 60?!
 
Soldato
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The SAC I went on was an eye opener.... to the lack of knowledge a lot of people have about the roads. Literally about 5 people in the room knew that the NSL on a motorway was 70, and not 60?!

Same.

Only a handful of people on mine knew a dual carriageway was defined by having a central reservation. They were probably all caught speeding at 70 thinking they were on dual carriageways when they were in 60 limit single carriageways. :p
 
Associate
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Same.

Only a handful of people on mine knew a dual carriageway was defined by having a central reservation. They were probably all caught speeding at 70 thinking they were on dual carriageways when they were in 60 limit single carriageways. :p

Most people seem to think a dual carriageway is any one that has two lanes in each direction.
 
Soldato
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Were Admiral still cheaper than anyone else even with the £50 hike?

Nope, there were about 5 or 6 within £10 of each other ~£275 - with the hike Admiral went to ~£325

ALL the quotes through confused had the "advisory" (in my first post)

Just tried Money Supermarket (no mention of SAC) and Zenith quoted within a few quid (~£275) and again no mention of SAC
 
Soldato
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When you rang them, how did you phrase it?
Essentially they cannot assume you know to tell them anything, e.g. have you had any claims. They have to ask the question, and if they don't ask it, they cannot cancel/modify your insurance etc if they later find out something they don't like.

I just renewed my insurance with Admiral and changed quite a few bits but they didn't ask me about speed awareness courses. Of course they might have if I were a new customer.. :confused:
 
Soldato
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I initially was going through an online application until the message I posted in the OP

So I rang with the quote reference and after the security / ID checks she said she had to check the policy details to progress.

The basics were run through and she got to convictions, including SACs and I said "well that's why I'm calling" and said I didn't think they could ask, against industry guidelines etc

So I was "asked" online and verbally on the phone
 
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