Insurance For Driver With Points, Options?

[Pulse]

Been helping a friend recently trying to sort insurance, however she got 6 points just over 2 years ago for driving without insurance (wasn't technically her fault). Her Ex cancelled the insurance which was in her name after they split up and she got caught the day after and didn't know he had done so.

Cue now when she is trying to get back into driving and she's sorting a car as they took hers and she hasn't needed it until now. The problem is clearly the points which is really pushing her premiums up, most commonly on comparison websites to about £3-£3.5k, now when I've had a look there have been a few with black boxes, but reviews have been far from good, however they have bought her insurance right down to £1200. The thing is from all the reviews I've read, it's a stupid option with loads of hidden costs and it's all too easy to be fined, like for innocently over taking, people have been fined upto £100 and others have curfews, which won't help as her job requires her to start at 4am and if she does lates she can be there till gone 11pm so she'll get 'fined' or increased premiums for that.

Is there any other options people can suggest or have used? Maybe specific experiences with black box insurance or just good insurance companies to apply with for drivers with points that don't charge you stupid amounts?

 

[bainbridge]

Have you run a quote through without the points to see how much the premium is being loaded by? There may be other increasing factors too.

Only the policyholder should be able to cancel a policy in order to avoid the scenario you describe.

 

[Pulse]

Yeah it came down to about £1400, so adding a £2000 premium, which seems a little harsh. And she equally couldn't understand how he managed it, he was named on the policy and he knew all of details, but as they had already split up I don't think she chased him to find out the ins and outs and didn't get anywhere when she tried to contest the points, hence why she gave up driving for 2 years.

 

[Snookums]

I can't vouch for all blackbox insurers but DirectLine I've had insurance with for the past two and half years since learning they have always been the cheapest so they are worth a shot. They aren't te cheapest now I've got my ST but it's not worth the hassle of canceling a policy so I'll just take the high cost on the chin.

But their blackbox policy is excellent. Although I haven't checked my online review in months, when I last did the only thing wobily was my acceleration but even then it was only jsut out of the green. In the two and a bit years I've had a box, I've never been fined or anything. Even if you're driving is poor they do not increase your premium you just don't get an added deduction for good driving when you renew.

long story short, directline don't add any costs with there telematics box. Whether or not it's cheaper for your friends she will have to find out. But I've had several friends I've recommended them too and on bog standard first time drivers 1.2's etc they have been cheaper for them.

Just read into whatever company she is looking at's telematics box policy, a lot of them just use them to fetch driving data and poor driving won't effect premiums or incur any fines.

 

[Pulse]

Well she said that it was with Tescos so we'll have to read into their policy and find some reviews for them, but she was put off having also heard bad things about telematics.

 

[Gaygle]

Have you been using all the insurance tricks to bring it down. For example - adding on additional named drivers who would be classed as a low risk, tweaking job titles, not over estimating annual mileage etc etc

 

[bledd]

Nothing to add, but jesus that's rough :/