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Your Policy
Making a claim
How do I make a claim?
Being involved in an accident – no matter how small – can be stressful. That’s why we’re here to help.
We want to make it simple for you to report a claim.
What you need to know
- Always report an accident to us within 24 hours of it happening, regardless of who is responsible or to blame
- Call us any time, any day of the year. Our 24/7 claims lines are:
Motor Trade Road Risks: 0800 195 4905
Taxi: 0161 874 4180
For all other claims: 01625 400205
If possible, please let us know:
- Your policy details
- Details of other parties involved (their registration number, name and contact details)
- Crime reference number, if applicable
- Witness details, if applicable
What to do if you’re involved in an accident
Firstly, don’t panic. Make sure you stop at the scene of the accident, and that anybody else involved does the same. Then follow this 10-step guide if you’re unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident:
- Do not admit liability (that you are at fault) at the scene of the accident.
- Get out of the way of other traffic, moving to the side of the road or the hard shoulder of the motorway wherever possible (i.e. if the vehicle can be driven safely). Any passengers must be moved to safety.
- If anybody is injured, call emergency services to attend the scene immediately.
- Be sure to exchange name and address details – and insurers and policy numbers if known – with any other party involved in the accident.
- Get the contact details – name, address, and telephone number – of any witnesses.
- Note the registration number, make and model of other vehicles involved.
- Take as many pictures as you safely can. Photograph the scene of the accident; damage to any of the vehicles involved; the registration plate of other vehicles; and passengers.
- Call 101 to report any accident involving damage to other people or their property, including parked cars.
- Even if you don’t intend to make a claim, you need to make us aware of the accident. When you’ve followed the advice above – and it’s safe to do so – please contact the relevant ChoiceQuote claims team on the number above.
- Sit back and let our claims team do the work.
How long will it take to settle my claim?
No two accidents are ever the same, so timescales can vary. Whatever the circumstances, our dedicated claims teams will help you to resolve your claim as quickly as possible.
They will work on your behalf to establish the circumstances and give you estimated timescales. We stay in touch with insurers, claims management companies and other parties on your behalf, to keep you updated with progress. To keep track of your claim, you can call our teams on the numbers above for an update.
Will my premium increase if I claim?
Your premium depends on several factors, including whether you lose your no claims discount or not. Statistically, making a claim can mean you are more likely to be involved in future accidents, even if it isn’t your fault. Some insurers may adjust your renewal premium to reflect this.
ChoiceQuote will always look for the best quote we can find from our panel of insurers, so speak to us if you have any queries when your insurance becomes due for renewal.
If I make a claim on my motor trade policy, am I best to call my broker or my insurer directly?
Making a claim on your motor trade insurance is the last thing you want to do. But that’s what it’s there for.
Whether you have an accident on the road or have tools stolen from your premises, you’ll want to recover any losses and sort things out as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, making a motor trade insurance claim can be a complicated process. There are often lots of different people and companies involved. These can include:
- Your insurance company
- A third-party insurance company (for example, the company insuring a vehicle you collide with)
- Claims handlers
- Loss adjustors
- Body shops
- Repairers
- Courtesy car/credit hire companies
- Vehicle recovery companies
- Third-party property companies
- Police and law enforcement
- Personal injury solicitors and lawyers
…and more.
With all these different parties potentially involved, what starts out as a simple incident or accident can quickly become complicated.
We therefore recommend speaking to us first. Our 24-hour claims line is open all day, every day on 0800 195 4905.
Why speak to ChoiceQuote first?
ChoiceQuote takes the stress away from handling insurance claims.
- From the moment you report a claim, we’ll guide you through the process.
- We deal directly with all the service providers mentioned above, to make sure your claim is settled as quickly and effectively as possible.
- Our experts will make sure that everybody you deal with is working in your interests. This includes your own insurance company.
- We’ll manage the claim on your behalf, cutting out the need for you to deal with the middlemen wherever possible.
- We’ll keep you updated and informed of the progress of your claim.
Our sole aim is to get you back up and running as soon as we can – restoring you to the place where you were before you needed to make a claim.
As we are authorised and regulated by the FCA, we only deal with quality insurance providers to get the best outcome we can for you.
How do I follow up on the progress of a motor trade claim?
If you speak to us first, we can manage the whole process for you. Call us on the correct number for your type of claim below, and we’ll let you know how your claim is progressing.
Motor Trade Road Risks: 0800 195 4905
Taxi: 0161 874 4180
For all other claims: 01625 400205
We’ll also keep you updated wherever possible throughout the process. It’s the hassle-free way to make sure your claim progresses successfully.
When my vehicle is in the garage, am I entitled to a courtesy car?
Whether you receive a courtesy vehicle will depend upon the terms of your insurance policy, and the type of policy you have. For example, motor trade road risks policies will not include access to courtesy vehicles, but a taxi insurance policy could include this. If your insurer does offer access to a courtesy vehicle, there will still be circumstances where this might not be available, e.g. if your vehicle is written off or stolen.
Call your insurance broker to confirm the cover you have in place or speak to our claims team in the event of an accident.
What is a policy excess?
A policy excess is an amount you must pay towards the cost of repairing your vehicle. This amount is shown and agreed up-front when you take out insurance with us. A policy excess is applied for each individual claim you make.
Can I protect my no-claims discount?
Protected no-claims discount (NCD) or no-claims bonus (NCB) is optional on some insurance policies. It protects your no claims status in the event of an accident for which you are at fault, allowing you to retain some (or all) of your NCD when your insurance renews.
Protected NCD can be purchased at a modest cost with some insurers. ChoiceQuote can advise where this option is available when you first take out a policy with us.
Changing Your Policy
With ChoiceQuote, it’s easy to make changes to your insurance policy.
How do I amend or change my policy?
You can contact our teams to adjust your policy. For example, this could be:
- A change of business premises
- Change of vehicle(s)
- Additional drivers
To make changes to your policy, contact:
Motor Trade Road Risks – 01625 854310
Courier – 01625 886868
Taxi – 01625 854158
Commercial Property & Liability – 01625 348676
If you have a motor trade road risk policy, you can add and remove vehicles on the Motor Insurance Database (MID) – see the section below for more information on this.
Who do I contact to change my policy – my insurer, or my broker?
Contact ChoiceQuote. We can make any changes needed, including processing any additional fees or refunding money due to you, and we will then notify your insurer.
We can also look for different insurance providers if your circumstances change and you require additional cover not available with your existing insurer, for example.
If I move premises, do I need to change my policy?
You should always notify us of a change of address. Your insurance may not be valid if you move premises and the address on your policy is incorrect.
Whether it’s moving home or business premises, let us know. Not all areas can be covered by all policies (e.g. taxi insurance), so make sure you speak to us first. We can either look to amend your policy or find you an alternative insurer if needed.
Do I need to tell you if there are changes to my business?
We recommend calling us before you make any changes if possible, so we can look at your individual needs. Depending on what the changes are, there could be an impact on your insurance policy.
If in doubt, the quickest way of finding out what changes affect your policy is to call us. However, some examples of where you might need to speak to us are listed below.
Motor Traders: Changing your policy to expand your business
If you currently buy and sell a few vehicles but are looking to expand, you might need additional motor trade insurance cover. Consider some of the scenarios below to see when you might need to change your policy.
Motor Traders: Moving to business premises
If you currently have a road risks only policy and you’re looking to expand, you might need to upgrade your policy.
It’s normally straightforward to upgrade your policy mid-term from a road risks policy to a traders combined policy with ChoiceQuote, to get the extra cover you need.
You can change your policy mid-term to include cover for:
- Buildings (unless your landlord already provides this).
- The stock of vehicles stored on premises
- Tools and machinery.
- Money stored on-site.
- Public liability (to protect against claims from the public on-site).
- Employers’ liability (a legal requirement if you employ staff).
- Vehicle recovery.
- Vehicle collection and delivery.
You may already have stock of vehicles cover, but you might be planning on buying and selling more. That’s fine – just let us know the level of stock you need cover for and the type of vehicles you plan to insure. We’ll adjust your policy accordingly.
You can add cover for any of the above during the term of your policy. Before doing so, though, speak to us and let us know your plans. We can make sure your insurance continues uninterrupted and offer advice on what you need.
Other changes you can make to your motor trade policy
- Additional business use – you can add a vehicle you use in another profession (e.g. a van used for work as a builder) to your motor trade policy. This could save you money if you work part-time in the motor trade, keeping your insurance in one place.
- Company status – if you move from being a sole trader to a limited company, you need to let us know.
- Trading name – this is a simple change on a policy, but an important one to make sure your business is covered.
Courier insurance: Buying extra vehicles or moving premises
You may wish to expand your business with extra vehicles and/or take on employed drivers. If this is the case, contact us and ask if courier fleet insurance might be a cheaper option for you.
Courier fleet insurance allows you to insure 3 or more vehicles (and different drivers) on one policy. You can also purchase employers’ liability and public liability alongside your vehicle insurance.
Courier insurance: Carrying different goods in your courier van
If the type of goods you carry as part of your work change, or their value increases, get in touch. We can make sure you have the right level of courier insurance cover for your vehicle, and goods in transit cover for the goods you are carrying.
Taxi insurance: changing policy type
If you are looking to change from a public hire driver to a private hire driver – or vice versa – let us know. You will need to be insured on the correct basis.
Taxi insurance: Buying a fleet of taxis
If your business is expanding, you may wish to insure 3 or more taxis on one policy. Speak to us about taking out taxi fleet insurance, including employers’ liability and public liability cover. This could save you money, rather than taking out individual policies for each vehicle.
Taxi insurance: Insuring your taxi office
If you buy or rent premises for your taxi business, speak to ChoiceQuote about cover for your taxi base. We can cover your business premises as well as your vehicles.
If you move address to a new taxi base, please let us know.
Can I reduce the level of cover I have?
If you’re struggling in harder economic times (for example, as a result of the coronavirus crisis), you might want to reduce the level of cover you have.
We’re here to help – so let us know your circumstances. You might want to continue with reduced insurance cover, so you don’t lose your hard-earned no claims bonus. When business picks up again, you’ll be ready to go.
Motor Insurance Database: What Motor Traders Need to Know
What is the MID? How does the MID work?
The Motor Insurance Database (or MID) contains information on every vehicle insured in the UK. The database is maintained by a company called the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB).
The MID can be accessed by authorised parties, including the DVLA and police, to check the insurance status of a vehicle.
Insurers normally update the database for private motor or single commercial vehicle policies. Motor traders buy and sell vehicles on a regular basis, so your insurance policy allows you to update the MID with details of vehicles yourself. According to the Department for Transport (DfT), you should do this ‘immediately’ when buying or selling vehicles; however, there is normally a ‘grace period’ of up to 14 days to do this on a motor trade policy.
How do I update my MID details?
There are two ways to update the MID:
- Many insurers offer online portals, where you simply login and add or remove vehicles where necessary. If you are unsure of the process with your motor trade insurer, or don’t have login details, please contact us on 01625 885046 for more information.
- ChoiceQuote can add or remove vehicles on your behalf, for an additional fee on your insurance premium. To take advantage of this service, please call us on the number above.
When do I need to update the MID?
You need to update the MID with details of:
- Trade plates registered to you/your company
- All vehicles registered to, owned by, or leased to you, and any other vehicle in regular use that needs to be covered by your motor trade policy
- Any taxed stock vehicles
Simply put, whenever you purchase a vehicle, you should add it to the MID. Whenever you sell a vehicle, you should remove it from the MID.
If it is deemed you have not updated the MID in an accurate and timely manner, you could face fines of up to £5,000. Additionally, if a vehicle is not registered on the MID, it could be impounded by the police. ChoiceQuote always recommend carrying your motor trade insurance certificate with you, to avoid the likelihood of this happening.
If you sell a vehicle and do not remove it from the MID, you remain responsible for it. This could be costly, e.g. if the vehicle is involved in an accident, or its new owner commits a motoring or parking offence and the vehicle is traced back to you.
Note that untaxed stock or SORN vehicles do not need to be added to the MID, but it is a sensible precaution to do this to avoid any issues.
How do I amend vehicle details?
The vehicle details displayed on the MID are stored by the insurer. You can update details yourself by logging into your insurer’s MID portal. If you still have difficulties, contact your insurer to amend the details, or speak to us to see if we can help.
How long do I have to update the MID after buying or selling a vehicle?
Motor traders are generally allowed up to 14 days to update the MID.
However, we recommend updating the MID as soon as possible, as police can still impound vehicles that are not on the MID. And, if you don’t remove a vehicle from the MID after it’s sold, you may be liable for insurance claims, parking tickets and motoring offences committed by the new owner!
Do I need to register my trade plates on the MID?
Yes, you should register any trade plates in the same way as you would register any vehicle under your ownership.
If the vehicle is SORN does it need to be on the MID?
No, you don’t have to register untaxed stock or SORN vehicles on the MID. However, the Motor Insurers Bureau do recommend this.
What happens if my vehicle isn’t on the MID?
If your vehicle is not on the MID, ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras will deem the vehicle as uninsured. This means police could stop the driver and issue fines or impound the vehicle.
For this reason, we recommend updating the MID as soon as you can when buying and selling vehicles.
If I have a customer vehicle in my possession for a long time, does it need to go on the MID?
No. The customer is responsible for insuring their own vehicle. You should never add customer vehicles to your motor trade policy, unless you purchase them yourself.
Can I log vehicles with no location code?
Yes. This is only for your information – if you have more than business location, for example – so you know where the vehicle is. It is not required information.
What does ‘Derivative’ mean on the MID?
Derivative refers to the vehicle model suffix (e.g. GTi, SRi, L, XL).
What information is needed to update the MID?
Information recorded on the MID for each vehicle includes the registration number, make, model, body type, and engine size or gross vehicle weight. Please have these details to hand when updating the MID.
Can I add a vehicle to the MID for just one day?
It is possible to do this for temporary vehicles. Remember, you should only add vehicles to the MID that are registered to you, owned by you or leased to you. Bear in mind that there is normally leeway for motor traders to update the MID of up to 14 days.
We advise to use your trade plates if you are driving a temporary vehicle on the road. You must also make sure your trade plates are registered on the MID.
My vehicle update is showing as a ‘late notification’. What does this mean?
The Department for Transport allows up to 14 days for motor traders to update the MID. This notification appears when the update you have processed had more than 14 days between the date you entered the information (current date) and the on/off date on the MID.
Remember to update the MID within 14 days of buying or selling vehicles to avoid this message appearing.
Your Policy
If I don’t contact you, does my policy auto-renew?
Not all policies auto-renew.
We will contact you prior to your insurance renewal with details of your new premium. This communication also explains whether your policy will auto-renew, and/or what payment(s) will be required.
If you are unsure of anything, please contact us before your insurance renewal date to ensure cover remains in place.
Why is my insurance premium higher?
Increases in insurance premium can occur for a number of reasons. These include motoring claims or convictions, increased mileage, increased risk in the industry generally, and many other factors.
ChoiceQuote will always seek the best renewal terms from our panel of insurers. Every policy is priced individually. Please contact us if you have queries about your insurance premium, and we will help to tailor a quote to your current circumstances.
How do I send proof of no claims?
If you have proof of no claims from your existing insurer, please contact the relevant team to discuss the best, most secure way of sending this to us:
Motor Trade Road Risks – 01625 854310
Courier – 01625 886868
Taxi – 01625 854158
Commercial Property & Liability – 01625 348676
What if I can’t find my policy documents?
Give us a call on the numbers above. We can reissue documents where required, though there may be a small fee for doing so.
How far in advance can I get a quote or renew my policy?
You can normally get a quote within 28 days of your renewal date, which will be valid up to the date of renewal.
You will be issued with a quotation prior to renewal. To accept the terms and renew your policy, call us on the number displayed on the renewal invitation, or contact us using the numbers above.
Can I transfer my no-claims discount?
Yes, no claims discount can be transferred to most policies.
Motor traders can transfer no claims discount from another motor trade policy, or from a private motor policy. Private motor no-claims can also be mirrored on some motor trade policies. There are pros and cons to this. Speak to us for further details.