BAD insurance co

[tamaranth]

Am buying new second-hand car.
Was due to pick it up tomorrow.
Got insurance co to switch insurance tomorrow 12:30.
They did.
Car will not now be ready for pickup 'til Tuesday.
Asked insurance co to extend cover on current car so I can drive.
"No, you can't be insured for two different cars."
Asked insurance co to issue temporary insurance for current car, and never mind the cost (which garage said they'd pick up).
"No, you can't get temporary insurance on a car you own."
Asked insurance co to amend insurance so that insurance on new car started Tuesday not tomorrow.
"We won't be able to get the paperwork to you on time because of the postal strike so you won't be insured."
Asked insurance co to kindly eff off and die. (But I had already put down the phone.)

Garage, after initial disbelief of this INCREDIBLE INANITY, may be able to sort me out with a courtesy car. Maybe. I will find out some time tomorrow morning. When I will have driven to werk, but may not be legal to drive home.

Grrrr.

Comments

[del-c.livejournal.com]

"We won't be able to get the paperwork to you on time

The whatwork? They should just give you the insurance over the phone!

[ivory-goddess.livejournal.com]

Somehow I'm not remotely surprised...

At least the garage are sympathetic and helpful. Pity they don't do insurance...

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

The garage may be able to put you on their insurance for the afternoon to cover your outgoing car. Mine did this after a similiar mix-up when I last changed cars.

[marypcb.livejournal.com]

BTW - name and shame the insurer.
there's an insurer who does an animated advert about being a sekrit agent and needing your policy document faxed to the office/emailed to the island hideout so you can ski off before the doomsday machine explodes; this is obviously better tv than dealing with everyday delays but underscores the fact that a competent insurance company in the 21st centure can email you a valid policy and give you coverage and if I could a remmeber the name and b remember if I saw the ad in the UK or the US I'd suggest them ;-)

don't use Admiral though; they're awful when it comes to claims

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

"No, you can't be insured for two different cars."
what? the idiots!

I bought my "new" car in February and transferred the insurance across from the old Merc (for a slight extra fee as the new car was worth more) ... then I needed to have the old Merc insured for two weeks before I could get rid of it, and the insurance company charged me about 40 quid to add it on as a temporary second car (which I owned).

I use Allen and Allen (www.quotea.co.uk 0800 091 2472 is their Hyperformance arm, don't know the number for their standard brokerage)