ARGH! Elephant!!

Confused · 24 Oct 2006 at 16:03

I had an accident in my car on Sunday (no I'm not going into details), and my GF's got a car that she hasn't used since christmas last year due to illness. So, simple, I thought, call up insurance company, change policy to her car, and drive it until I can either repair mine, or get a replacement.

No such luck. Elephant won't insure me on it because I'm not the registered owner.

So, I need to either transfer it to my name, then back to her when she's better, adding 2 existing owners to the registration documents and possibly deterring potential buyers in the future, or buy another car now to transfer my insurance to.

So that means I'm without my car, and we've got a car that isn't usable by either of us. GF doesn't have a policy on the car because it lapsed in February, and is not driving, so obviously is not paying out for a policy she's not going to use. There's no need for insurance on it while it's sitting, as it's safely locked up in a garage, battery disconnected etc.

They have turned something that should be so simple into something much much more difficult.

Anyone got any ideas on what I can do?

Ring Peace · 24 Oct 2006 at 16:09

Erm just get your girlfriend to insure the car and have you as named/main driver.

Third Opinion · 24 Oct 2006 at 16:11

I found Elephant excellent until somebody reversed into my car. Then I just found them difficult to deal from then on. It was a total non fault claim. On renewal they just gave me a ridiculous quote. Glad to see the back of them really.

Confused · 24 Oct 2006 at 16:15

Ring Peace said:
Erm just get your girlfriend to insure the car and have you as named/main driver.

That's exactly the point. I don't want to do it. I'm not driving my car any more, she's not driving her car at the moment, I have an active insurance policy, she doesn't. We're not going to pay out for a new policy when I've got one already, but just want to transfer it to another car that we already own but aren't driving.

Ring Peace · 24 Oct 2006 at 16:22

Seems quite an effort to find out who Elephant use as insurers.

Seems they are part of the Great Lakes UK insurance company which is a subsidiary of Munich Reinsurance Group who have an inhouse underwriters called Munich-American Risk Partners.

My advice would be to go through an intermediary/broker, get them to do the work of looking round lots of insurance companies.

Ring Peace · 24 Oct 2006 at 16:28

ConfusedTA said:
That's exactly the point. I don't want to do it. I'm not driving my car any more, she's not driving her car at the moment, I have an active insurance policy, she doesn't. We're not going to pay out for a new policy when I've got one already, but just want to transfer it to another car that we already own but aren't driving.

It is your girlfriend, the concept of "we" doesn't exist until you get married or one of you has a sex change and you enter into a civil partnership.

Just cancel to policy on your car and get your girlfriend to take one out on her car.

Capt Doufos · 24 Oct 2006 at 16:48

My Girlfriend drives my car on an Elephant policy. She is the main driver.

They had no problems with her doing it.

paradigm · 24 Oct 2006 at 16:58

Do they ask you to be the "registered keeper" or the "owner", as these are two completely different things. You can be the "owner" of a car without being on the V5

If they want you to be the "owner" just say you are.

alexthecheese · 24 Oct 2006 at 17:23

Elephant is just a trading name of Admiral, isn't it? Whoever that is in turn I don't know (if anyone).

Skiddley · 25 Oct 2006 at 10:02

If your girlfriend's car is already insured by her, it cannot be seperatly insured by yourself. I believe that would be illegal.