I was astounded to hear on the regional news yesterday evening that a local mother had been refused car insurance after she moved a few doors down the lane from where she had lived for years. Clare Blackwell says she was told it was because she was now living in a ‘crime hotspot’. She was told she had moved to a high-risk postcode and the underwriters would not insure her at her new address which was just 10 doors away from her old home.
Mrs Blackwell admits she should have informed Tesco of her move in advance but thought her policy could just be updated at her new address.
A Tesco spokesman said that all customers are required to notify them of address changes to their policy details prior to moving home and that as Mrs Blackwell had already moved she was correctly advised that her policy was no longer valid. He also added that at no point whatsoever was the area described as a ‘crime hotspot’ however the postcode was deemed to be a higher insurance risk and would prevent them from offering cover.
So if you are planning on moving home – even just across the street remember to add your insurer to the long list of people to inform or you could find yourself with no insurance.
By road traffic accident expert, Sam Ord
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