Insuring with Direct Line - "Where is car kept overnight"

PeterNem

PeterNem

PeterNem

Soldato
Joined
15 Feb 2003
Posts
8,327
Location
NJ/NY, USA
For the question "Where is your car kept overnight", most insurance websites give loads of options...

*In a garage
*On the drive
*On the street
*Residents only parking
*Residents only parking with CCTV
*Residents only parking with Barrier

etc etc etc

The direct line website only has three options:

*In a garage
*On the drive
*On the street

I'm soon to be moving into a block of 18 appartments, which has a private carpark for use by residents only. The carpark is well lit and right off a main road.

From the direct line website it is possible to tell that oddly they give the same quote for both on street or on the drive, with only garaged attracting a (very small) discount.

Would you therefore expect that if I put "on the street" (as a worst case scenario) that this would be ok?

When I get round to actually sorting it properly (in a month or so) I'll actually phone them to ask, but don't want to take out the policy on the phone as I'll then not get the few % online discount.
 
In all the years i have insured my car i have never found putting garaged to make any difference to me atall, only this year have i put garaged for my car and bothered to garage it, there was no diff in quotes though if i left it on the street.
 
You can guarantee that even if it made no difference to the premium, if you put it incorrectly and your car was knicked that they'd probably tell you your policy was null and void as you'd lied about material facts.
 
I like it when they ask you were its kept during the day. It all depends really, not decided were i am going most days. Never heard such a stupid question Lol
 
I renewed my policy with DL today as it happens... I also live in a block of flats and park in a private car park. You're right, it makes no difference what so ever to the premium.

I asked them the question last year (upon renewal) what I should put, and they said on the street. As it makes no difference, I reckon that the best call with regards to invalidating the policy etc.
 
MadFruit said:
As it makes no difference, I reckon that the best call with regards to invalidating the policy etc.
Click to expand...

As I suspected. I'll ask them the question too for my own piece of mind, but that's reassuring. It did cross my mind that perhaps they'd just not be interested in my business as they see it as a risk they aren't particularly fond of or something.
 
PyroboyUK said:
I like it when they ask you were its kept during the day. It all depends really, not decided were i am going most days. Never heard such a stupid question Lol
Click to expand...

Most people go to work at a static workplace though rather than bum around ;)

Hence "work carpark" would suffice.
 
Maybe where the car is kept only really comes into play when combined with certain postcode areas?
I mean, leaving a car on the street in my area would be absolutely fine, but doing the same in say a high risk area of Manchester would be a little more worrying.
 
paradigm said:
Most people go to work at a static workplace though rather than bum around ;)

Hence "work carpark" would suffice.
Click to expand...
Actually I think the daytime location is a far more pertinent question.

I'd imagine the theft risk would be far more affected by it spending all day in a side-street round the corner from the office compared to a dedicated company car park than it would by being garaged overnight compared to sat on your drive.
 
PeterNem said:
You can guarantee that even if it made no difference to the premium, if you put it incorrectly and your car was knicked that they'd probably tell you your policy was null and void as you'd lied about material facts.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. Knowing what insurance companies can be like in the event of a claim you can be sure if you said it was kept on the drive and one night it happened to be parked out on the road when the incident (say theft) happened they would almost certainly void the insurance. Be careful with them.
 
With my car most companies want it garaged, I think that option really depends on the car you are quoting for.

I'm living in apartments with secure keypad entry underground parking and CCTV. The company I am with were happy to enter that into their system as being garaged. Other companies saw it as more of a risk as there tends to be 'a lot of scrapes and bumps' in these car parks and some would only quote me if it was garaged overnight.

Work is even safer, infact its probably impossible to get it nicked from work
 
Jonny69 said:
Absolutely. Knowing what insurance companies can be like in the event of a claim you can be sure if you said it was kept on the drive and one night it happened to be parked out on the road when the incident (say theft) happened they would almost certainly void the insurance. Be careful with them.
Click to expand...

Most policies that cover "garaged" cars have a clause on them that states that from the hours of 10pm till 6am, if the car gets stolen and is not garaged at the time then an excess of £500 extra applies ;)

Insurance companies arent stupid, most realise that there are times that punters will tell them what they think the insurance company wants to hear in the attempt to get cheaper insurance (i was even told by an friend in the industry to tell them that mine was garaged anyway as it does make a difference to my policy).

But at the same time, even a car in a garage is not safe so they put the responsibility on the owner to try to minimise the chances of the theft, penalising you if you dont keep it where you say it should be at the time (night).

The daytime question is very pertinent these days though, there is as much chance of getting the car lifted during the day as there is at night now, especially if at night you tell them that the car is garaged, but then, me telling them that my cars or my bikes were kept during the day in a crypto security complex that only key pass holders given access to Top Secret were allowed in, made no difference whatsoever :D
 
I was with Direct Line a few years back when I lived in a block of flats with a private car park.

I was told that I had to put my car as 'On The Street' as because there were other cars that could be driving around in the car park there was the same possibility that one might hit my car as if it were parked on the street!
I would phone them and see what they say for you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom