Insurance with driving history

[spiller]

I have some pending court charges as I got hoon lawed back in July. The charges are for reckless driving (alleged street racing) and I may be looking at up to 12 months suspension. However, my driving record previously has been very good but for a couple of minor speeding fines. I am using a lawyer and think I may be looking more at 3-6 months.

My main concern is in regards to insurance following the presumed conviction. Will companies (e.g. Shannon's who currently insure me) flat out tell me they are no longer prepared to cover me or are they more likely to jack up the premium and excess?

I am looking at purchasing a car in the next month or so and wondering if I should hold off...

[darwinschops]

Eh, I'd give them a call and check. in my experience, they'll insure almost anybody, just for a ridiculous enough price to make it no worthwhile... You'll pbly find cover somewhere, it just might not be worth your while. only way to fiund out is get calling as the policies change quite often.

if by car you mean anything besides a cumry, which would make you more uninsurabloe again, let alone the fact you wont be driving, I'd hold off.

sympathies anyway mate.

[yohoes]

Pretty sure a reckless or dangerous charge will stop shannons from insuring you

[old_geez]

Two licence 'reductions' in 3 years will mean they will elect 'not to offer you coverage'
After 5 years clean, they will accept you again.

[Rorz de Puniet]

Pro tip: Don't ever tell an insurance company about priors or driving history.

[Rdyno]

Pro tip: Don't ever tell an insurance company about priors or driving history.

So when they audit your policy after a claim they can black list you for ever good idea.

[darwinschops]

Rorz, don't they have access to that information? Wont come out in the wash later after you've smashed you car or had it stolen?

[67rce]

Told Shannons my full driving history. With other companies, if the question wasn't asked, it didn't get answered. Shannons covered me for 3x value (all mods listed, covered at 75% of cost) at 2x price. With a much lower excess. Cheering given I'm 24.

[Southo]

Dumb tip: Don't ever tell an insurance company about priors or driving history.

Fixed.

If you do this, and have a claim which they decide to investigate, and discover that they would not have insured you, then haha - sucked in to you.

[Rorz de Puniet]

Blah blah blah, heard it a million times. Also know of a million people with shitty driving histories not disclosing them and making claims no problem. One of them might even be myself.

Or you can tell them about every time you didn't look before crossing the road and get skinned alive on your premiums. Choice is yours.

[Southo]

read the following bit..

"which they decide to investigate"

If you are happy to pay premiums and take the risk that if you fuck up and they decide to investigate (there it is again) and they say sorry, you didn't disclose stuff and we would not have insured you if you did, then you have nobody else to blame.

Personally, I don't give a fuck if you do it, but when you promote it as being the "right" thing and someone else gets fucked over - then are you going to cover them... nope, didn't think so...

[Rorz de Puniet]

How sure are you that an insurance company actually has the right to do a full police record check on you without your knowledge/permission? They are a private company, they can't just call up and say "Hey, we want to know everything about old mate" and the rozzers hand it over.

They can ask you to disclose it but as far as I know, you would have to give your express written consent to the police for them to hand over that info. I doubt they can do it against your will.

How different is it to when you start a new job and they ask for full disclosure on your workcover history knowing full well they can't actually ask that as it is your private medical information? If you don't disclose it, they don't actually have any recourse to find it out.

[Rorz de Puniet]

Also, if they do cancel your policy, would they no have to refund all premiums/excesses paid?

[PLAYA]

Also would like to know how they can know your history, thought about this many times.

[Southo]

How sure am I ?? - 22 years of experience in the industry sure...

Here is a hypothetical situation....
Ok, so you take out insurance and you fail to disclose your previous 2 licence loss or your previous fraud charge etc
You pay your premium and 6mths / 11mths or whatever later you have a claim where you total a brand new merc worth $150,000 (or write your own $30,000 car off)

It gets investigated, (for any number of reasons) and through existing legal checks they can do, they decide that something is not right.
They request you get an RTA/VicRoads etc driving history to confirm / clarify your history.
You refuse.. They can then say that you are not co-operating with the claim etc and refuse on the basis.
end result, - you're screwed for non-disclosure

Go and read your PDS,
here are the wordings from just two....

You must assist us with your claim. This means give us all the information and assistance with your claim which we may reasonably require. If you do not we may not pay your claim or provide cover.

you must co-operate fully with us, even if we have already paid your claim. This may include:-
providing us with all the information, documents and help we need to deal with your claim.
If these responsibilities are not met, we may not pay a claim in full, or at all.


And yes, If they decline your claim and treat the policy as null and void, you will get a full refund.. - I am sure that $800 or whatever will be a huge help towards your $150,000 bill you now have directly with the other person/insurance company, or the fact you used to have a $30,000 car, now you have salvage worth $5,000.

As for what information they can legally obtain, there is a few checks they can do ( you agree to them when you accept the policy - once again - read before you sign) - what they can't get automatically, they can ask you for (as above) - sure, you can decline to provide, in they same way they can decline to cover......

As I said, if you want to take that risk, Go for it, just don't tell others that it is the right thing to do, just because you have gotten away with it....

Look up "Duty of Disclosure"