Insurance Mileage Question

[Fdhadi]

My insurance is coming up for renewal.

How do insurance companies work out your annual mileage.

Ok, I understand they could look at your MOT details, but, my MOT is only due in 6 months time.
By this time, my insurance will be 6 months in.

Do I have 6k miles from start of insurance renewal date.

Does the mileage for insurance purposes start at insurance renewal date or date of the MOT.

 

[bigtwin]

Does the mileage for insurance purposes start at insurance renewal date or date of the MOT.

Renewal date.

Provided that a policy holder didn’t completely take the Mick, the insurer would struggle to accurately ascertain how much mileage had been completed between each renewal.

Ian

 

[PlacidoD]

Mileage plainly must start at insurance renewal date. That is the date from which your 6k starts. I inform my insurers of mine so that there can be no argument later but that is me telling them. It is not backed up by any document. (Having said that I might now go and take a photo which will have a date stamp).

If you make a claim they will ask for the recorded mileage and I dare say will check past MOTs. If they are suspicious they may ask further questions.

I upped my annual mileage from 4k to 6k on renewal in May. I actually did about 4.25k the previous year. I asked what they would do if I had made a claim having done 4.25k. They said they would knock off my payout whatever the extra mileage would have cost to insure that year - so £75-80 for an extra 1,000 miles or similar. That seemed fair enough to me. Plainly if I had been many thousands of miles over they might have refused to pay out as they would reasonably be entitled to a request from me to amend the policy.

 

[1967bowesj]

Renewal date.

Provided that a policy holder didn’t completely take the Mick, the insurer would struggle to accurately ascertain how much mileage had been completed between each renewal.

Ian

Especially over winter if user was to stop using in bad weather etc, then cane it in warmer months.
They could look at past 12m mots to get a rough gauge but again that's over 12m
I just challenged my insurance as they had not updated the current mileage from the original start date, even though I had advised at renewal.
Imagine that conversation should I have had a claim

 

[Richard n Ann]

On mine I had to do a mileage declaration. You don't have to show proof of mileage at the time but you can't lie about it or you're not insured

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[AJM2]

If it’s a big claim you can be sure they’ll check off mileage as it would be an easy way out for them, after all they’ve only agreed to cover you for the miles you asked for. Personally I always go for a couple of 000 more just to cover myself, as if you ask for it later they’ve got you over a barrel.

 

[KASPAR]

Do they refund pro rata if you do less miles? Only equitable/fair surely

 

[AJM2]

Do they refund pro rata if you do less miles? Only equitable/fair surely

Have a guess

 

[varaizian]

In France, with re-badged Aviva insurance, I took a photo when the contract started and any spare is rolled over to the next year. I get a letter each year telling me what my kilometrage must not exceed that year. Swapping suppliers each year is not common here.

 

[The Wino]

Do they refund pro rata if you do less miles? Only equitable/fair surely

It depends how much reducing the mileage or increasing it affects the premium for example the theft element will be the same for both. It would also be perfectly reasonable to have an admin charge after all it's the customer who has insured for the higher mileage. I suspect the premium refund would be then next to nothing.

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[swemmy666]

Mileage plainly must start at insurance renewal date. That is the date from which your 6k starts. I inform my insurers of mine so that there can be no argument later but that is me telling them. It is not backed up by any document. (Having said that I might now go and take a photo which will have a date stamp).

If you make a claim they will ask for the recorded mileage and I dare say will check past MOTs. If they are suspicious they may ask further questions.

I upped my annual mileage from 4k to 6k on renewal in May. I actually did about 4.25k the previous year. I asked what they would do if I had made a claim having done 4.25k. They said they would knock off my payout whatever the extra mileage would have cost to insure that year - so £75-80 for an extra 1,000 miles or similar. That seemed fair enough to me. Plainly if I had been many thousands of miles over they might have refused to pay out as they would reasonably be entitled to a request from me to amend the policy.

I'm guessing there is no refund for doing 4.25, when you stated 6k

 

[Puddleduck]

Do they refund pro rata if you do less miles? Only equitable/fair surely

Probably charge more due to inexperience in that vehicle.

 

[Rick@62]

When I insured my MH I was asked what my declared expected annual maximum mileage would be.

I explained that I hadn't a clue but I expected to be running down to Southern Spain via France a couple of times a year plus separate jaunts around France itself, a few trips down to Devon and around the UK etc so I guessed around 15k, maybe a bit more. The nice lady then paused for a second then said, and I quote...."oh you probably wont need anything like that, most people dont"!!

I explained that I was only guessing but that I didnt want to make a false declaration so opted to play it safe and opt for the higher and therefore more pricey, mileage declaration.

I asked what their policy was if I found myself getting close to exceeding the declared mileage amount and she said that I should contact them with regard to how many miles I would be expecting to go over the mileage amount by and they would charge me an additional adjustment fee accordingly.

I also asked that if I renewed with the same company after the year was up and hadn't exceeded that amount, indeed, or if I was a few thousand miles short of that amount (unlikely) then would I get a discount? That was answered with a polite and amused "NO".

So far, I have put 10.5k miles on it since collection last August bank holiday weekend. that includes one trip down to Almeria via a meandering route down through France, several trips to Devon and the west country and few a UK overnighters. Next month im going to go back to France for a week running down to Provence then following the Med around to Perpignan then home so there will be a few more thousand miles added before the renewal date this coming August Bank Holiday.

 

[manners]

I take a photo every renewal day, but without offering this information if I had to claim I don't know how they could prove my mileage as renewal and the MOT are six months apart.

 

[PlacidoD]

In France, with re-badged Aviva insurance, I took a photo when the contract started and any spare is rolled over to the next year. I get a letter each year telling me what my kilometrage must not exceed that year. Swapping suppliers each year is not common here.

An interesting idea which I might employ if sticking with the same insurer next year!! Dangerous were I to try and overstate my mileage by say 2k but if I am 5.5 k into my 6k allowance with a trip booked very soon after renewal that has some appeal but only if with the same insurer.

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[bigtwin]

If it’s a big claim you can be sure they’ll check off mileage

How would they do that?

Unless the policy inception date aligned with the MoT date they’d be on very shaky ground trying to claim you had exceeded the mileage.

Ian

 

[fionah]

Be careful if you have a tracker installed. I don't know what data insurers are able to access, but the app associated with mine shows every trip with associated mileage along with the current odometer reading. I've just had to enquire about upping my mileage and as previously suggested, 'over the barrel' is spot on.

 

[Headrush]

OK, this was my car but when I upped my mileage from 5000 to 10000 it cost an extra £12.77
Hardly worth worrying about.

 

[pappajohn]

If you declare say 3000 miles but they suspect it's more they can soon check a few years MOT mileages
If they come back consistently far higher then they've got you.
My car had 32000 on the clock at 22 months old when I bought it . ..ex rental.
Today it has 67000 at 8 years old.
35000 in 8 years (4375 per year) but I still declare 6000 miles per year.

 

[PlacidoD]

If you declare say 3000 miles but they suspect it's more they can soon check a few years MOT mileages
If they come back consistently far higher then they've got you.
My car had 32000 on the clock at 22 months old when I bought it . ..ex rental.
Today it has 67000 at 8 years old.
35000 in 8 years (4375 per year) but I still declare 6000 miles per year.

It will make them suspicious but use patterns change both by choice and force of circumstances. Illness, bereavement and work overload are but three examples that come immediately to mind.

It will have them making high demands of you for disclosure looking to catch you out I am sure and they have broader shoulders financially than you or me and as soon as they have some evidence they will refuse point blank to meet your claim leaving you to risk your home to meet legal fees.

The biggest "gotcha" will be your tracker which you will of course have declared to get your 25% or whatever reduction in premium!!

A true story - Following an RTA the innocent driver (Let us call him Jim) made claim for all sorts of injuries and long term consequences. The insurance company on behalf of the guilty driver admitted liability but challenged the damages claim saying Jim had made a full recovery after 12 months and challenging claims that Jim could no longer walk more than a few hundred yards, could no longer enjoy playing golf etc, etc.
Jim was forced to take the matter to trial. There the insurance company at Court on the day triumphantly disclosed a video showing Jim walking miles, playing golf etc, etc. They were perplexed when Jim did not look troubled. He made one phone call and 20 minutes later his identical twin brother turned up at court. He was even wearing the same clothes shown in the video!!! The private investigators had been following the wrong brother!!! So payment in full to Jim was ordered by the judge with reluctant agreement on behalf of the insurance company.

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[The Wino]

OK, this was my car but when I upped my mileage from 5000 to 10000 it cost an extra £12.77
Hardly worth worrying about.

On our car I added an extra couple of thousand miles and they didn't charge anything! I think some seem to think it's half the cost for 6k miles compared to 12k miles but I doubt it makes a really huge difference.

 

[The Wino]

It will make them suspicious but use patterns change both by choice and force of circumstances. Illness, bereavement and work overload are but three examples that come immediately to mind.

It will have them making high demands of you for disclosure looking to catch you out I am sure and they have broader shoulders financially than you or me and as soon as they have some evidence they will refuse point blank to meet your claim leaving you to risk your home to meet legal fees.

The biggest "gotcha" will be your tracker which you will of course have declared to get your 25% or whatever reduction in premium!!

A true story - Following an RTA the innocent driver (Let us call him Jim) made claim for all sorts of injuries and long term consequences. The insurance company on behalf of the guilty driver admitted liability but challenged the damages claim saying Jim had made a full recovery after 12 months and challenging claims that Jim could no longer walk more than a few hundred yards, could no longer enjoy playing golf etc, etc.
Jim was forced to take the matter to trial. There the insurance company at Court on the day triumphantly disclosed a video showing Jim walking miles, playing golf etc, etc. They were perplexed when Jim did not look troubled. He made one phone call and 20 minutes later his identical twin brother turned up at court. He was even wearing the same clothes shown in the video!!! The private investigators had been following the wrong brother!!! So payment in full to Jim was ordered by the judge with reluctant agreement on behalf of the insurance company.

Interesting story but I do think there are plenty out there claiming permanent disability fraudulently

 

[PlacidoD]

Interesting story but I do think there are plenty out there claiming permanent disability fraudulently

I am sure you are right on that. I think most of us know or know of somebody playing the system. My point was (as well as to tell an amusing story) that the insurance companies can afford to take things down to the wire and if you play fast and loose with your mileage estimate then make a claim that might be what happens to you!

 

[scotzsue]

Our first van we had to up the mileage twice, we were told they wouldn't increase it again. Following year we insured for similar mileage and did a bit less. Need to check my car as have done a few more longer distances this year, and now i have reconnected with my chorley friend may well end up doing more.
Just not worth the risk of having insurance or a claim declined.

 

[Brains]

I always pay for at least 2,000 miles per year more than I use.

It's such an obvious 'Get out clause' for the insurance company that come the day they may need to use it, I don't want them being in any position to even question it.

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[The Wino]

I am sure you are right on that. I think most of us know or know of somebody playing the system. My point was (as well as to tell an amusing story) that the insurance companies can afford to take things down to the wire and if you play fast and loose with your mileage estimate then make a claim that might be what happens to you!

I think it also goes to show that it's sensible to double check everything before going to court!

 

[PlacidoD]

Being a new policy with zero NCB they were quoting me just over £100 to up from 4k to 6k. Hence going for the lower figure and I got it (almost) right. This year 6k will give me more freedom.

 

[Lenny HB]

How would they do that?

Unless the policy inception date aligned with the MoT date they’d be on very shaky ground trying to claim you had exceeded the mileage.

Ian

But most MOT do line up with insurance renewal and date of registration apart from Covid when we had 6 month grace on MOT's

 

[Lenny HB]

With our last van we asked our insurers about going over the mileage, they said if you go over by more than a 1000 excess would double the excess. That was Comfort I don't know if that is there current policy.

Now with NFU I only insured for 8000 as they don't charge for amendments so no problem changing it.

As it happens van is a year old now and we only did 6500 miles as we had to cancel our spring trip so we are OK for next year now. Being a new van mileage can only be checked from new.

 

[bigtwin]

But most MOT do line up with insurance renewal and date of registration apart from Covid when we had 6 month grace on MOT's

Perhaps, that’s true for folks who buy from new and keep the van past three years. Not so sure about otherwise where it would soon go out of step when folks change their vans/ buy used vans (that will have random MoT dates in relation to the date of purchase).

Ian