Skip to main content

I can fly a plane but my insurer told me I was too old to renew my car cover

57 shares 26

View comments

Elderly customers looking for car insurance are still being denied the right to drive based on their age rather than the risk they pose, according to age campaigners.

And in the case of one This is Money reader, securing motor cover insurance proved a struggle  despite him holding a valid pilot's licence and flying insurance.

Insurers are not obliged to provide cover for customers of all ages but an agreement between the government and trade bodies the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) and the Association of British Insurers is supposed to ensure that elderly drivers who are turned down for cover because of their age are pointed to brokers who can help arrange insurance.

Rejected: Harry Fox, 86, pictured with his great-grandson Milo Martin was told his was too old to renew his policy. His insurer, Allianz, has now apologised for the error.

Just two weeks before the first anniversary of the 'signposting' agreement, Age UK told This is Money that thousands of older people are still being denied the right to drive and are being deprived of their independence, purely on the basis of age rather than risk.

  More... A million drive damaged cars because they are scared of being hit with insurance hikes if they report a prang How to battle for your pothole payout: 'I bagged compensation for my Army pilot son's wrecked car ' Do you want cheaper car insurance? Compare prices

Gordon Morris, managing director of Age UK Enterprises said: 'Age UK has long argued that the arrangement of “signposting” does not go far enough and older people still face discrimination when they try to buy car insurance - particularly when last year our mystery shopping research found that 21 per cent of people aged 80 plus were refused car insurance because they were too old.'

Age UK added that its research showed 85 per cent of those aged 80 plus who were initially refused motor insurance were not referred on to other insurers or the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA), as is supposed to happen under the agreement.

 

Graeme Trudgill, head of corporate affairs at Biba, said: 'Since the agreement started in April last year we have helped 40,000 older people find insurance.'

Harry Fox, 86, is one senior driver who fell through the gaps of the new system.

Harry has flying insurance and a pilot’s licence but when it came to renewing his Allianz car insurance policy earlier this month he was told he was too old.

The retired engineer, who lives in High Wycombe, had been a customer of Allianz for more than ten years when he was rejected.

Harry Fox, said: 'I'd been a happy customer of Allianz for more than 10 years and it was a bit of a shock. I'd only had my aviation medical the week before. I suppose customer loyalty doesn't count for much nowadays.'

Allianz have now apologised and a spokesman said his refusal was due to a 'computer problem'. They said existing customers are usually able to renew their policies regardless of their age.

Old banger: Harry with friends and the first car he built as a teenager in the 1940s.

A spokesman from Allianz said: 'Allianz comply fully with the appropriate legislation. This means that for new business where a customer is over 85 we provide sign posting and direct the customer to the British Insurance Brokers Association and to a list of 4 aggregators. For existing customers we have no upper age limit.'

After being rejected by Allianz, Harry went on to use a comparison website to search for alternative cover and, happily, was able to take out a policy with LV= which was £110 cheaper than his old policy with Allianz, which had cost £660.

Allianz maintains that it does signpost customers in this way and that a computer error resulted in Mr Fox being rejected.

An Allianz spokesman added that it would like to keep Mr Fox as a customer and said it would be happy to renew his premium at £662. On top of this, the insurer offered to pay any cancellation fees from Mr Fox’s new LV= policy and offered a £50 gift voucher as a gesture of their sincere regret.

Mr Fox turned down this offer stating that his was happy with his new insurer and instead requested that Allianz donate the £50 to charity.

A spokesman from Allianz confirmed that the company would do this on his behalf.

HOW TO GET CHEAPER CAR INSURANCE by Amy Andrew

Compare prices

Use an online comparison service to do the hard work for you. Put in your details and check the prices that come up. You can alter the excess that you are willing to pay and the mileage you will drive and get new quotes.

Also check the insurers that don't feature in comparison sites, the big two are Direct Line and Aviva. This is Money's car insurance search is powered by MoneySupermarket and will search more than 130 insurers for you. Try it out here.

Haggle!

The car insurance market is notoriously competitive. Once you've been on This Is Money's comparison and found your cheapest price, get on the phone and start bargaining!

Avoid paying monthly charges

Direct debit installments generally come hand-in-hand with high interest rates.

Think outside the box

An accelerated no-claims bonus, such as Admiral's Bonus Accelerator, could give you a year's no claims bonus after just 10 months.

Or, if you've previously been insured as an additional driver on another policy, see if you can transfer a no claims bonus to your own insurance coverage. Some insurers do this, including Direct Line.

2 becomes 1

Try for a discount by insuring two or more vehicles between friends or family members with the same firm.

Read more: Find out how to cut the cost of your car insurance with our guide.


Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o