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Car insurance quotes way higher after 1st year of driving?!

I'm very confused and not sure why I'm suddenly being charged way more!

I only got my license in April 2016, but had my car since January 2016.

I'm 26 years old. My insurance expires in December so I've been browsing to see if I can find a cheaper deal. I currently pay around £1100 a year. I have both my parents listed down as drivers.

My car is a 2002 honda civic 1.6 and I'm with Aviva insurance.

I've never made any claims since I've had my license. The only thing that has changed is my employment, which is now Self-Employed. On the compare websites the cheapest policy I'm being offered is around £2500!!! Over double what I paid last year! I tried changing my employment to Part-time exactly how I had it last year just to see, and the lowest deal is £1350 but thats for some unknown company, but then after that everything is 2k and above! But even so this is way more than what I paid last year!!

Is it normal for car insurance to go up after your first year? I thought it would become cheaper as long as I never claim!

I was looking at new cars, but if I suddenly have to pay double what I was paying monthly I can forget about looking for a new car :frown: Maybe I can try and ring my current provider(Aviva) and see if they can give me the same/similar deal I'm currently on??
Okay so new bit of information.....

When I bought my insurance I was still on a provisional driving license. I had that license for 4 years, so that's what I put down on the form: License type - provisional, length 4 years. I passed my test 4 months later. Was I supposed to alert my insurance that I now passed my test? In doing so I would have had to change years held license to 0(because it's now a Full license, which I just got) which I now see makes my offers way more expensive.

Did I make a massive cock up by not telling my insurance I passed my test? Was I not supposed to say I had my provisional license for 4 years? Is the year thing only supposed to be for Full Licenses? So if you're still on a provisional you should always put 0 years or something??????

Really bloody confused, I hope my insurance doesn't think I tried to commit fraud....it's a genuine mistake on my part. I did the form online but I probably shoulda just called in....I'l just ring them tomorrow and see what they say, but if I understand correctly I messed up and I really should have been charged a lot more than £1100 for my 1st year of driving...
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 2
Original post by chupacabraconcadabra
Okay so new bit of information.....

When I bought my insurance I was still on a provisional driving license. I had that license for 4 years, so that's what I put down on the form: License type - provisional, length 4 years. I passed my test 4 months later. Was I supposed to alert my insurance that I now passed my test? In doing so I would have had to change years held license to 0(because it's now a Full license, which I just got) which I now see makes my offers way more expensive.

Did I make a massive cock up by not telling my insurance I passed my test? Was I not supposed to say I had my provisional license for 4 years? Is the year thing only supposed to be for Full Licenses? So if you're still on a provisional you should always put 0 years or something??????

Really bloody confused, I hope my insurance doesn't think I tried to commit fraud....it's a genuine mistake on my part. I did the form online but I probably shoulda just called in....I'l just ring them tomorrow and see what they say, but if I understand correctly I messed up and I really should have been charged a lot more than £1100 for my 1st year of driving...


Of course you should have updated them...

You have for all intents and purposes committed fraud, but it's highly unlikely they would retrospectively do anything now providing you change insurer ASAP.

For the record, it anything ever changes from what you noted when getting the policy, update the insurer, otherwise they can just refuse to pay out. It should have been obvious to you to update from learner insurance once passing your test though....
(edited 7 years ago)
Might seem like common sense but it literally just never occurred to me to be honest and no one ever mentioned it to me, even my instructor...I was just happy to pass I never even thought about my insurance(which I already had for 4 months so I kinda just forgot about it) I know I'm an idiot for not realising.

I was going to call my insurance tomorrow to explain to them the mistake I made, but maybe to avoid being screwed for fraud I should just forget that. Then once my insurance expires I just renew it with another company for a much higher price, but screw it...better than being done for fraud
Original post by chupacabraconcadabra
Might seem like common sense but it literally just never occurred to me to be honest and no one ever mentioned it to me, even my instructor...I was just happy to pass I never even thought about my insurance(which I already had for 4 months so I kinda just forgot about it) I know I'm an idiot for not realising.

I was going to call my insurance tomorrow to explain to them the mistake I made, but maybe to avoid being screwed for fraud I should just forget that. Then once my insurance expires I just renew it with another company for a much higher price, but screw it...better than being done for fraud


Be aware that you are technically not insured if you don't inform them, because usually cover will stop once you've passed and it's a legal requirement to be insured, which if you're caught, can result in 6 points which will make you lose your license, and your care being seized.
(edited 7 years ago)
Bloody hell can't believe I've been driving uninsured all this time...thank god I've never had an accident or stopped by the police. I've done so much motorway driving as well. What a bloody idiot.

Honstly what would you advise I do? Tell my insurance how I messed up so that they can amend my policy as someone with a full license for the last month of my policy? Will they take legal action against me? Or should I just try and get out of Aviva and move to a new insurance provider and pretend this whole thing never happened?

I would honestly appreciate any advice you can give to me. I have to do a lot of long distance driving for the next few weeks for work so it's not like I can just try not to do any driving until I get a new policy...
Reply 6
Original post by chupacabraconcadabra
Bloody hell can't believe I've been driving uninsured all this time...thank god I've never had an accident or stopped by the police. I've done so much motorway driving as well. What a bloody idiot.

Honstly what would you advise I do? Tell my insurance how I messed up so that they can amend my policy as someone with a full license for the last month of my policy? Will they take legal action against me? Or should I just try and get out of Aviva and move to a new insurance provider and pretend this whole thing never happened?

I would honestly appreciate any advice you can give to me. I have to do a lot of long distance driving for the next few weeks for work so it's not like I can just try not to do any driving until I get a new policy...


Tell your insurance you passed your driving test and don't mention the date. Just scan your driving test photo card (it shouldn't have date passed on it). It's really wrong to drive without insurance, just make sure you don't do it next time. From your post and the way your commenting, you seem like a genuine person and just made a mistake. You've been a safe driver from what it looks like.

How long have you been driving without insurance? (Technically you did have it but provisional version).

My advice tell them you've passed your test, just don't mention the date. Yes, your insurance would be more expensive I think anyway. Just double check :smile:

EDIT: just checked your post, wow! It's been 6 months and you didn't think to update them? :s-smilie::eek:
(edited 7 years ago)
Call me stupid but I just assumed it would automatically update on their system, assumed it was linked to dvla or something since they had my license card number. Didnt know you got charged more once you pass either.

Should I just log onto my Aviva account and change my license type from provisional to full, then contact them saying ive now passed? Do they definitely not look for proof of the date you passed? I dont wanna get caught lying
Reply 8
Original post by chupacabraconcadabra
Call me stupid but I just assumed it would automatically update on their system, assumed it was linked to dvla or something since they had my license card number. Didnt know you got charged more once you pass either.

Should I just log onto my Aviva account and change my license type from provisional to full, then contact them saying ive now passed? Do they definitely not look for proof of the date you passed? I dont wanna get caught lying


You'd probably be better off moving to another insurer so no questions get asked, not only that, but I doubt Aviva would give you a competitive rate as a new driver.

You are TECHNICALLY insured, however as you failed to declare new information, the policy could be considered void if you or a third party tried claiming. The insurer would pay out to a third party, but likely claw any payout back from you. Get it updated ASAP, and I doubt anyone will be any the wiser.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Ishax
(it shouldn't have date passed on it).


But it does have the issue date on, which, on your first issued licence, will be the day you passed


As for the OP, you're better off telling them ASAP, if they notice that you passed a while ago... Ehh... You're probably better off being honest. I can't really see them contacting the police when you're willing to fork over a couple grand for them.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 10
Original post by TheMcSame
But it does have the issue date on, which, on your first issued licence, will be the day you passed


As for the OP, you're better off telling them ASAP, if they notice that you passed a while ago... Ehh... You're probably better off being honest. I can't really see them contacting the police when you're willing to fork over a couple grand for them.


I would be very careful about disclosing it to a current insurer after this long; odds are they will cancel your policy, which will leave you with a black mark on the MIB database. To save OP a lot of money - SWITCH INSURER NOW.
Original post by TheMcSame
But it does have the issue date on, which, on your first issued licence, will be the day you passed


As for the OP, you're better off telling them ASAP, if they notice that you passed a while ago... Ehh... You're probably better off being honest. I can't really see them contacting the police when you're willing to fork over a couple grand for them.


Oh, I didn't know that.

OP, l would personally switch insurers just in case they call the police etc or you could just be honest and see the consequences.
Okay so should I call my current insurer and say I want to cancel my policy? What excuse should I give them? Say I've sold the car?

The cheapest insurance I've found is MoreThan which is offering me £1931.10 if I pay monthly....so much more expensive, I don't get why it's such a big leap from my £1165 with my provisional license. I tried entering my details into my current provider as if I was anew customer and they were quoting me 5 grand!!!!
Original post by chupacabraconcadabra
Okay so should I call my current insurer and say I want to cancel my policy? What excuse should I give them? Say I've sold the car?

The cheapest insurance I've found is MoreThan which is offering me £1931.10 if I pay monthly....so much more expensive, I don't get why it's such a big leap from my £1165 with my provisional license. I tried entering my details into my current provider as if I was anew customer and they were quoting me 5 grand!!!!


With a provisional license, you have to be accompanied by a driver over 21, and aren't allowed on the motorway. Once passed, you can drive on the motorway, and without any supervision, which increases the risk of an accident - hence they charge more.
Reply 14
Original post by chupacabraconcadabra
Okay so should I call my current insurer and say I want to cancel my policy? What excuse should I give them? Say I've sold the car?

The cheapest insurance I've found is MoreThan which is offering me £1931.10 if I pay monthly....so much more expensive, I don't get why it's such a big leap from my £1165 with my provisional license. I tried entering my details into my current provider as if I was anew customer and they were quoting me 5 grand!!!!


You don't need an excuse. Just tell them you wish to cancel. Simple.

Its obvious that a newly qualified driver will have to pay more for insurance than a learner... you seem to be missing a lot of obvious facts here

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