When you first arrange insurance for your van you know what to expect. You’ll have to give personal details, along with information about your new work vehicle. It’s all straightforward stuff and completed quite quickly. So that’s it, is it?
Well not quite, because there are plenty of things that you need to keep in contact with your van insurer about, during and at the end of your policy year. During the course of a 12-month contract you take out with an insurance company, there could be any number of changes to your circumstances, both personal and work-related. And insurance companies like to know about these things – no matter how insignificant they might seem to you.
Moving house or work premises, modifying or sign-writing your van, allowing colleagues or workers to get behind the wheel – these are all important notifications, and not keeping your insurer up to date with events could have a serious impact on your policy. That can result in you not getting the level of compensation you were expecting if anything was to go wrong.
Here is our list of things you should tell your cover provider – and when. The insurer will get all the initial information they need at the time the new policy begins, but these are factors you should share with your underwriter during the policy’s term or, in some cases, at the end when you come to renew.
Whatever happens, being completely transparent and upfront with the insurer is the best way forward. It means everyone knows what’s happening and it ensures you get the right level of cover, should you ever need it.
Tell your insurer as soon as possible about these events:
1. You have been involved in an accident. No matter how big or small or whoever’s fault it was, let the insurer know. You might not even want to claim, but someone else could be planning to do so against you, and your insurance company needs to be forewarned. Damage, or repairs to damage, could also affect your van’s value.
2. You sell your van. Hundreds of vehicles are sold every day and telling your insurer is easily forgotten because you have moved on to new wheels. But you need to sever insurance ties with the van to avoid being liable for anything that could happen to it later.
3. You’re moving to new premises. This doesn’t appear important at first, but different postcodes attract different premiums depending on how much of a risk their area is considered to be. So it’s important to alert your insurer immediately you move home, factory or shop. You never know… your premium might go down. Additionally, the insurer also needs to be able to contact you, so the same goes if you alter your email address or phone number.
4. You change where you park the van at night. Insurers always ask where a vehicle will be left overnight: in a garage, secure car park, a driveway or out on the street. There are varying costs for this as the risks are different. But if the insurer thinks your van is safely locked in a garage and it gets damaged during the night while parked on the road, they won’t look too kindly on that.
5. Your annual mileage changes. More miles means a higher likelihood of an accident or damage so if you suddenly find your work is taking you on longer or more frequent journeys than you agreed with your cover provider, best to let them know. If you don’t, it could nullify your policy and any cover you thought you had.
6. You change your name. It’s simple really. If your name has changed, due to marriage, divorce or any other reason, let the insurer know so that your documents can identify you properly and easily.
7. You change your job. Just like mileage, parking places and what you use your van for, your occupation will attract its own premium. ‘Van drivers’ generally are considered a safe bet and feature lower down on the list of risky occupations, but hairdressers, for example, are higher up the scale – especially if they are ‘mobile’ and frequently leave their vehicle on customers’ side streets. Insurers put occupation high up the list of details they want to know.
Inform your insurance company before you do any of these:
1. Modify your van. Thinking of adding shelving inside the van to improve its usefulness? Going to get some sign-writing done, telling the world what you do and what might be kept inside the vehicle? Let your insurer know first – you could invalidate your cover if you don’t. The same goes for a respray, an engine power boost or any other alterations. The insurer might not even cover these latest additions but, in any case, a modification could mean an increase in premium.
2. Change your van. It’s the van that’s being insured, so if you change your transport it’s just like starting all over again. Inform the cover provider and negotiate a new price. It might be cheaper than the one you already have.
3. Change the use. If your premium is based on low-mileage, local work, you’ll have to let the insurer know if you suddenly start using your van for longer distance or much heavier tasks, or if you are regularly towing a trailer (which might only get third party cover). Some insurers don’t cover all professions so it’s worth telling them exactly what you do.
4. Let someone else drive. It’s fine to add work colleagues as named drivers to your van, but do make sure you do it. Regular users need to be added to the policy or you might not be covered.
5. Change the registration plate. The registration or number plate is the van’s identity. If you are thinking of changing the original marking for a personal one, tell your cover provider.
6. Drive abroad. Motoring in another country can be stressful and take time to get used to, especially when you’re swapping to the right hand side of the road. You need to make sure you are fully covered for this so let your provider know where you’re going with your van.
Declare these at renewal time
1. Penalty points. Your driving history has a bearing on the premium you pay – or even whether or not a provider is prepared to insure you at all. If you have received penalty points, you should declare this usually at renewal, although some insurers want to know immediately. And in the rarer event that you have been banned from driving, your insurance will become invalid anyway, so let your provider have the bad news.
2. Claims. Insurers like to know about any claims made for accidents, loss or damage, whether it was your fault or not, and even if the claim was made through a different insurance company. Let them know so it can be recorded.
