Car insurance cancelled? Don’t worry. All is not lost – some insurers will still be willing to work with you.
At Insure 2 Drive we often insure people who struggle to find cover elsewhere. Get in touch to discuss your insurance options with us.
But before we explain how our policies work, first let’s explore why insurers might cancel policies, and the implications this might have.
Why Do Insurers Cancel Policies?
There are a few reasons why an insurer might cancel a policy:
- Non-Payment – Obviously, if you don’t keep up your premium payments, your insurer’s going to cancel your policy.
- Fraud – Insurance fraud doesn’t have to be an elaborate scheme to cheat people out of money, however, if your insurer believes fraudulent activity to be taking place your policy may be cancelled.
- Non-disclosure – You don’t just have to tell insurers about any incidents you’re involved in, you also have to tell them about any changes to any details listed on your policy. Omitting important information from your insurer can cause problems with your insurance if you need to make a claim.
As well as cancelling policies, insurers can also “void” policies. If they do this, it means your policy was never valid in the first place.
An insurer will usually void your policy if they find you deliberately or recklessly provided incorrect or misleading information on your insurance application in order to gain a pecuniary advantage, e.g., to lower your premium.
How Long Does a Cancelled Insurance Policy Stay on Record?
There is no official record when it comes to cancelled car insurance policies. So technically, cancelled insurance policies will stay with you indefinitely.
During the application process, insurers will sometimes ask you if you’ve ever had any cancelled policies in the past. As we’ve seen, lying on an insurance application can later result in a voided policy. So if an insurer does ask you if you’ve ever had a policy cancelled, you must tell them about it – no matter how long ago it occurred.
But not all insurers will ask to see your full insurance history. Some insurers will ask for details for the past five years, for example. If this is the case, and your policy was cancelled more than five years ago, then you don’t have to declare it.
Insurers can also rescind a cancellation if they realise they made a mistake. You do not have to declare rescinded cancellations when applying for new insurance.
Can I Get Car Insurance If I Have Had a Policy Cancelled?
Yes, you can still get car insurance if you have a policy cancelled. But you may struggle to find an insurer willing to cover you, and the cover you get may depend on the reason your policy was cancelled in the first place.
A cancelled policy might mean you have to pay more for cover. It might also determine how an insurer allows you to pay for the cover. Some insurers might insist you make an annual lump sum payment, for example.
Some insurers do not accept customers who have had a previous policy cancelled or voided. Others are happy to work on a case-by-case basis. So if you’ve had a policy cancelled in the past, you just need to find an insurer who’ll take all of your circumstances into account when reviewing your application.
At Insure 2 Drive, we regularly insure customers who cannot get cover anywhere else. For more information, read our policy wording document.
Struggling to find the cover you need? Get in touch to discuss your insurance options with us.
