FAQs – Car Insurance

Service people’s personal vehicles will still be covered while on active duty abroad, provided the vehicle remains in the UK.

We only provide cover for vehicles officially imported into the UK that are coded by the Association of British Insurers. If you are unsure if this applies to your car, please contact us.

Yes, we can cover cars that have been converted to run on LPG for an additional premium.

Your car should remain insured when towing either a trailer or a caravan, providing you are not being paid to do so. Please refer to your policy documents to make sure this is the case. If you want you trailer or caravan to be covered, you will need to purchase a separate policy for this.

Yes, but we will only accept long–term hire agreements of one year or more.

Yes, we will.

A modification is anything that has been added to your car that is nonstandard. This could be tinted windows, alloy wheels, spoilers, or something similar. You should inform your insurer now if you think your vehicle has any modifications to ensure you have adequate cover.

We have a modifications list to select from when doing an online quote. You can select a maximum of 5. If you have more than 5 modifications or are not sure it’s best to call us to discuss this on 0344 776 8382.

You don’t need a registration number to get a quote. You will need one to buy a policy though.

Yes, we will provide cover to drive to a MOT test centre, or to drive from the MOT test centre to an authorised repairer, providing that the MOT and or repairs were pre–booked.

Legal cover is a type of insurance that protects you from any unexpected legal costs and for a panel of solicitors to assist you for the following:

• If you are in an accident that wasn’t your fault, it can help to recover any money you’ve paid out.
• It can provide cover for legal costs to pursue damages if another driver has caused you injury or death, or you’ve had to pay your policy excess or any other expenses.
• It can help cover legal costs to defend against prosecution. Where you have committed an offence while using your vehicle (where there is a reasonable chance of a successful outcome).
• It can cover legal costs to protect you where your vehicle’s identity has been cloned by someone else.
• It can provide a 24-hour legal advice helpline so you can talk to one of our experts at any time about any legal concerns you have.

Standard policy exclusions apply, full details are available in the policy documents.

Policyholders and additional drivers must be aged between 17 and 75 on the date the policy is purchased or renewed. This is subject to the terms of your policy.

There are three main classes of use. Social, Domestic & Pleasure (SDP), Commuting for Private Use and Business Class. Business class is split into 1 and 2.

1. Social, Domestic and Pleasure

This is the most common class of use and is applicable to virtually all policies. Cover includes use of the vehicle for things like shopping, the school run or visiting relatives.

2. Commuting for Private Use

In addition to the above, cover includes commuting to one fixed place of work, or educational establishment in the case of persons in full time education.

3. Business Class 1

This permits the policyholder (and/or spouse only where stated on certificate) to use the car for travel. This travel must be between multiple fixed places of work in addition to social domestic and pleasure use. Common occupations that might require such class of use would include a supply teacher, a care worker who drives to see various patients, or any person who might have to work at more than one location. This cover excludes use of the vehicle as a tool of trade.

4. Business Class 2

This class will extend the cover under Business Class 1 (above) to any named drivers on the policy. Most insurance companies will require both the policyholder and the named driver to use the car for the same business. For example, the insured and the named driver cannot use the vehicle in connection with different businesses. As above, this covers excludes commercial usage including delivering goods or selling products.

You might have noticed on comparison websites, that you get different prices depending on the insurance company. This is because all insurers have different prices for things such as where you live, what car you own, your age etc. For example, if you live in a big city, your insurance may be more expensive than if you live in the countryside. This is because of the risks involved – the increased possibility of theft and busier roads in a city meaning more potential for accidents and so on. Differing prices can also reflect what’s included in your insurance cover. Check that your policy includes everything you need before agreeing to the terms.

Yes, providing you can supply all the information we need to insure you, you can specify today’s date for your cover to begin.

The security endorsement is triggered when you state on your policy details that your car is fitted with a factory fitted alarm or immobilisers. These must be in full working order for this to be applicable.

If your car is parked in a lockable garage, as stipulated in your policy, you are eligible for a garage endorsement which could mean lower premiums.

We aim to email your documents within 48 hours. We will also advise you of your online portal access which offers you 24/7 access to your documents.

If you haven’t received them, please start by checking your email junk folders, just in case they have been sent there by mistake.

No. We will ask for your expected mileage up front but unlike some insurers, there are no mileage limitations on our polices.

Yes, you do, regardless of whether you want to claim, we need to be notified of any accident or loss.

Failure to report an incident to your insurer might result in the cancellation of your policy or problems if you do want to claim later.

Any incidents, accidents, claims or losses that were made or occurred on a previous policy need to be disclosed at the quote stage of your new policy. If you don’t do this, you could be charged an additional premium or have your policy cancelled or voided.

This applies even if the claim was made by a named driver who is not on your new policy. It also works the other way, so if you had an accident when you were a named driver on someone else’s policy you would also need to disclose this on your new policy.

Insurers have access to online databases that have information on all UK claims. When a new insurance policy is taken out, insurers may check driver details against these databases. This could then result in policy cancellation, being made void or additional premiums being charged if claims or incidents have not been disclosed.

You should be honest about this with your insurer from the outset by letting them know. If you fail to disclose any previous voided policies or cancellations, your policy could be voided or cancelled again. The best thing is to call the insurer to discuss your options.

There is no set number. It’s important that you advise us of all convictions you have, so we can ensure you are paying the right premium and your cover is valid.

All information provided to us needs to be accurate so that you are properly insured. Most websites will allow you to enter the exact date you got your licence, so it’s always best to do that. However, some will only ask for the amount of years you’ve held your licence.

If you have held your licence for 3 years 10 months, you’ll need to put this down as 3 years, even though it’s closer to 4. Only full years count.

These are medical conditions or disabilities that may affect your driving and it’s a criminal offence not to notify the DVLA and your insurer. Notifiable conditions can include, but are not limited to:

• Epilepsy
• Strokes
• Other neurological and mental health conditions
• Physical disabilities
• Visual impairments

If you’re unsure, it’s best to get in touch with us on 0344 776 8382.

All information you provide to us needs to be totally accurate, so that you are properly insured. If you are dishonest about your job, for example, you say you’re a policeman, but you really are a footballer, then you may risk your claim being rejected or your policy being cancelled. Insurers may request proof of occupation if they suspect you may not have disclosed this correctly. If you don’t send this proof, your policy will be cancelled.

All information provided to us needs to be as accurate as possible so that you are properly insured. When you are emailed your policy documents, your current address will be listed in these. Please make sure it’s accurate. Insurers may ask for proof of address from you to make sure that the address on file is the correct one. It’s important the address listed on your policy is the one at which your vehicle is kept most of the time.

No. We will only provide cover for vehicles registered in the United Kingdom.

Vavista currently does not insure heavy industrial vehicles, vans or motorbikes.

Unfortunately, we do not currently provide one day or temporary cover.

Cover for tuition is excluded from our policies. If you are taking driving lessons you should be covered by your professional driving instructor’s insurance, it’s worth checking you are fully covered with them before booking any lessons.

No, we do not insure the carrying of passengers for hire, reward or employment–related purposes.

Unfortunately, Vavista does not currently offer cover for couriers.

Insurance Premium Tax is a tax on insurance policies. It works in a similar way to VAT, in that it’s added to the total of any insurance policy purchased. IPT is payable in the UK, including Northern Ireland. However, you do not have to pay IPT in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

No, you can only use the no claims bonus from one policy. This will be the number of complete years you have been driving claim free, and is usually on the renewal notice from your current insurer. If you declare that you have a no claims bonus, we may ask you for proof of this.

No. Only a complete year will count towards no claims discount.

Yes. We will need a letter of proof from your employer, stating the period of time that you have been driving accident free on their policy.

No. The no claims discount would be in the name of the policyholder rather than a named driver.

No claims discount protection can be added if you have a minimum of 4 years no claims discount (NCD). This can be added before you buy the policy, and cannot be added until the next renewal.

The excess you have agreed to pay can be found on your policy documents. It is made up of two parts:

• • The compulsory excess, which is set by the insurer. It’s the amount you must pay in the event of a claim.
  • And the voluntary excess, which is the amount you agreed to pay on top of the compulsory excess in the event of a claim.

So if you claim for damage to your car, and the insurer had set your compulsory excess as £200 and your voluntary excess is £100, you would pay a total excess of £300. This could be paid directly to the garage if the car is being repaired or deducted from the settlement your insurer gives you if the car is a total loss.

You can choose a voluntary excess of £0, but generally, choosing a higher voluntary excess can make your premium cheaper.

We will only provide cover for vehicles officially imported into the UK that are coded by the Association of British Insurers. If you can’t find your car listed, you will need to contact us urgently on 0344 776 8382 with all your vehicle details.

No it doesn’t. It can take up to 7 days to add data onto the Motor Insurers’ Database (MID) and in some cases a little longer. If you have any concerns, please contact us on 0344 776 8382.

The MID is the central record of all insured vehicles in the UK. It is managed by the MIB and is used by the Police and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to enforce motor insurance laws. MIB (Motor Insurers Bureau) shares the information on the database with the information held at the DVLA to identify uninsured vehicles under the Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) scheme. Enforcement agencies and the police also use the MID to tackle uninsured driving. They have the power to remove uninsured vehicles from UK roads.The MID is also systematically compared with the DVLA’s registered keeper records to identify uninsured vehicles from the record. Just like the DVLA, you can check your vehicle is appearing on the MID for FREE. The website can be found here.

Details of your first payment date and a schedule of your monthly payments are set out in your welcome letter from Premium Credit.

Alternatively you can visit  https://help.premiumcredit.com/faq-personal-customers/ where you can find out how much your payments are and when they are due.

You can visit https://help.premiumcredit.com/faq-personal-customers/ where you can securely change your details and payment date.

Alternatively, you can call the Premium Credit contact centre on 0344 736 9820, their opening hours are:

Mon – Fri: 8am-6pm
Sat – Sun: Closed

You can make any outstanding payments by visiting https://help.premiumcredit.com/faq-personal-customers/

You can also call Premium Credit Limited directly on 0344 736 0340. Vavista will not be able to collect any missed Direct Debit payments.

If your payment defaults, Premium Credit Limited will write to you to inform you. Please be aware that you will only be able to make this payment once your direct debit shows in default. This can take up to 2 working days from when the payment is attempted. If you miss a payment, you’ll be charged a Default Charge of £25.

If this is not paid within 7 days with Premium Credit Limited, we will send correspondence to you which will provide you with a further 7 days to make payment directly with Premium Credit Limited. Failure to make this payment within the given timeframe could result in your finance agreement being cancelled and insurance cover being withdrawn.

If you’re having trouble making your monthly payments, please let us know. You may want to speak to an independent organisation for free and impartial advice.

It is important that you read through your credit agreement as it contains important information. In your agreement you will see:

• • • The date your payments will be debited.
    •  The amount which will be taken.
    • The final amount payable.

You need to sign and return the credit agreement within 21 days, you can access your credit agreement on the Premium Credit website – www.premiumcredit.com. You will need your credit agreement reference number and Date of Birth.

Please note that if you do not sign and return this within 21 days, Premium Credit Limited will apply a fee of £25.00.

Vavista are a credit broker that arranges finance on behalf of our customers with Premium Credit Limited. That is why the payment will show up with Premium Credit Limited and not Vavista.

If you have opted to pay monthly a deposit payment would have been taken when you originally purchased your policy with Vavista. The remaining balance including interest would then be collected across instalments through Premium Credit Limited, and all future payments will appear on your bank account as Premium Credit Limited.

Premium Credit Limited work with brokers and insurers to provide their customers with finance to pay their insurance premiums by instalments. Any UK customer can apply for Premium Finance if they are over 18 and hold a UK bank account that accepts payment via Direct Debit.

You can contact our customer services team on 0344 776 8382 or email us at autooptout@vavista.com. Make sure to include your broker reference number and vehicle registration.

Please note the email MUST be sent from the one we hold on file in order to process your request. By opting out of automatic renewal, your policy will expire at the renewal date. You will need to ensure you have alternative cover in place.

Policy and administration fees are separate from the charge for your cover. They cover the administration costs of making any changes to the policy. You can find details of these in your policy documents.

All categories of driving convictions such as an SP30 (exceeding the speed limit on a public road or motorway) can affect your premium. You are under obligation to inform your insurance company if you receive any points or convictions on your licence. Please contact our customer services team to arrange this on 0344 776 8382. This will not necessarily have an impact on your premium, but it is essential that it is logged.

You can only increase the level of cover partway through the policy if you are changing your vehicle.

If you are an existing customer, the cheapest and most convenient way to make changes to your policy is by using our secure online portal. You can use this to access policy details, upload any documents or make changes to your policy quickly and easily.

If you don’t have portal access, our customer service team are here to help you on 0344 776 8382.

It is important to let your insurer know of any changes to your circumstances. These might include getting a new car, moving house, or changing jobs. Updating your details will ensure you are paying a premium based on the correct details. If you do not update your information, you may have problems making a claim, for example you may be paid less for a claim to make up for the fact you were not paying the correct premium. Or your policy may be cancelled or made void.

If the incident is not your fault and a full recovery is made from the responsible person, your no claims discount will not be affected. However, if it has not been possible to recover the cost, your no claims discount will be reduced at the renewal of your policy.

If the incident is your fault, your no claims discount will be reduced.

In the event of a theft claim your no claims discount will be reduced, as it is unlikely that the persons who stole your vehicle would be located to recover the costs.

No claims discount protection can be added if you have a minimum of 4 years no claims discount (NCD). This can be added before you buy the policy and cannot then be added until the next renewal.

If the other driver disputes the accident and says it’s your fault, you may be asked to complete an Accident Report Form, providing an accurate and detailed description of how the incident occurred. This can include a sketch showing all vehicles involved, any road markings, and the position of the vehicles before and after impact. Independent witness statements and police reports can also be used as evidence and can assist us in receiving an admission of liability from the other driver’s insurer.

Also, if you have any dash-cam footage of the incident, please forward the Claims Team a copy as a matter of urgency. If you aware of any CCTV cameras at the accident location, please make the Claims Team aware of this ASAP, as quite often there is a time limit on obtaining copies before is the footage is deleted, this can be as little as 14 days! It is important to note that the more evidence provided, the greater the chances of successfully holding the Third Party at fault.

This depends on the cover you have.

If you have Fully Comprehensive cover, the Claims Team will arrange for an inspection of your vehicle, any repairs (or agreement if it’s a total loss) and handle the other driver’s claim.

If you have Third Party Fire and Theft cover this means only damage to any third party in the event of an accident with your vehicle will be paid out, i.e. another driver, and there will be no cover for any damage caused to your vehicle in a road traffic collision.

In both cases, if you receive any correspondence from the other driver, or their insurers, it’s important you contact your Claims Team as soon as possible so that we can respond on your behalf.

You will be put in touch with one of our partners, who will look to repair your car and keep you mobile, they will then make a recovery directly from the at fault insurers. If you are injured, you may also be recommended a solicitor who you can contact to discuss any injury claim.

The priority is to get your car repaired and back on the road, or a settlement to you if it is a total loss or a write-off.

After this, attempts will be made to try to recover the costs from the person responsible for the accident. If this is successful, then making the claim will not affect your No Claims Bonus*

*No claims discount protection can be added if you have a minimum of 4 years no claims discount (NCD). This can be added before you buy the policy and cannot then be added until the next renewal.

As each claim is different, exact time scales can’t be given, but your Claims Team will try to resolve all claims as quickly as possible. We understand that making a claim can be a stressful time and we can assure you Vavista is committed to providing excellent customer service. All claims are taken seriously and once submitted your claim will be reviewed by experienced claims handlers who will always try to keep you informed of how your claim is progressing.

If you have fully comprehensive cover, an engineer will inspect your car and place a value on it, this is based on the current market value of the vehicle which is based on market trends and car value guides.

The engineer will consider your cars condition including bodywork, mileage, interior and service history. Once the engineer has completed their report, a series of industry database checks designed to safeguard our policyholders against fraud will be carried out.

Once these are complete, payment will be sent to you, subject to the deductions i.e. outstanding finance, outstanding premiums, and excess as per the conditions of your policy.

If you have Third Party Fire and Theft cover, this means only damage to any third party in the event of an accident with your vehicle will be paid out, i.e. another driver, and there will be no cover for any damage caused to your vehicle including a total loss.

If the cost of the repairs is more than the market value of your vehicle, your vehicle will likely be considered a total loss or write-off. This means you should receive the market value of your car and the car will be taken away and scrapped rather than fixed.

From a panel of approved repairers, one will be chosen to repair your car. The approved repairers provide excellent customer service and quality repairs for our customers.

The approved repairer will provide you with a free courtesy car for the duration of repairs.

Each repair is carried out in accordance with recognised industry standards and guaranteed for 3 years.

You can use a repairer of your choice, but this means the work can’t be guaranteed and you will need to provide an estimate to your Claims Team to approve before work can start. You also lose your right to a courtesy car.

You need to report the incident to the police if your car has been stolen, broken into, maliciously damaged, or if someone has been injured because of an incident involving your car. They will give you an incident number which you should write down and keep safe. Your Claims Team will need to know this as part of a claim.

Then please contact the Claims Team as soon as you safely can on 0344 840 9537. It will speed up the process if you have your policy details and incident details to hand.

This is a motor vehicle repairer approved by your Claims Team who is authorised to repair your car following the claim under your policy.

If you or any of your passengers are injured in an incident involving your car, we will pay medical expenses of up to £100 for each insured person. We will also reimburse any person, using any car which is covered under the policy for payments made under the Road Traffic Acts for emergency treatment. This is subject to the terms of your policy.

Yes. If the vehicle is repairable and an approved repairer is utilised, every effort will be made to supply you with a courtesy car, subject to the conditions of your policy.

It’s important you disclose any previous damage to windscreen or glass, so your policy is based on the correct level of cover. Failure to do so could affect any potential claims.

No, a windscreen claim will not affect your no claims bonus. However, you will need to disclose the claim to future insurers.

You should follow the claims procedure as set out in your insurer’s policy wording. A copy of your policy wording can be found on your online portal on the Vavista website.

If you have third party fire and theft cover or third party only cover, you won’t be able to claim for windscreen damage under your main policy. You can purchase a separate add-on policy to cover you for this. You will only be covered for damage which occurs after you have purchased the cover and won’t be able to claim for pre-existing damage. Give us a call and talk to one of our car Insurance experts to add windscreen cover to your policy by calling customer service on 0344 776 8382.

If you have fully comprehensive cover, you will have windscreen cover included as standard under the main terms of your policy. If you have Third Party Fire and Theft cover, or Third Party Only cover, you will not have windscreen cover included. You can find out the levels of cover you have by logging into your online portal and reviewing your documents here.

Your documents also set out your windscreen excess. Your excess is payable directly to the windscreen company.

Windscreen cover protects you against a broken or damaged windscreen or windows and scratching of the bodywork caused by them breaking.

The territorial limits of your policy are defined as any country which is a member of the European Union. Also, any country which the Commission of the EU is satisfied has made arrangements to meet the requirements of Article 7.2 of the EU directive of Civil Liabilities, arising from the use of Motor Vehicles. You can find a list of these countries in your policy documents.

No, you will only be covered if you are travelling in your private capacity.

Your policy should cover you to drive abroad in a private capacity in certain countries as defined in your policy document. This is subject to your usual place of residence being in the United Kingdom.

Green cards are an international certificate of insurance issued by insurance providers in the UK. They guarantee you have the necessary third-party cover for driving in the country being travelled to.

The UK are now able to participate in the Green Card Free Circulation Area (GCFCA). Which means there is no longer a need for UK registered vehicles to carry a Green Card when travelling to the EU from 2nd August 2021.

You have the right to cancel your relationship with us, without giving any reason, within 14 days of receiving the policy documents or the start date of the policy, whichever is later. If you exercise your right to cancel during this initial period of cover, you will be entitled to a refund of premium paid provided cover has not yet commenced, that you have not made a claim, or a claim having been made against You. If cover has commenced i.e. mid-term, your refund will be subject to a deduction for the time you have been covered and for any costs incurred in issuing the Policy. Any payments for additional add ons are non-refundable.

Cancellation fees are as follows:

Cancellation Charge prior to inception £25.00

Cancellation Charge up to 14 days £35.00

Cancellation Charge after 14 days £75.00

If you wish to cancel your policy, you should do this by contacting our customer services team on 0344 776 8382 as soon as possible. They may ask you to confirm this in writing.

Yes we do! What this means is that if we are ever unable to meet our liability under your policy, you may be entitled to compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

You have a right to ask us to update information we hold about you if it is incorrect. You will need to explain to us why the information is incorrect, and we may ask you for evidence, so we can check our records and decide if an update is needed.

You can get your personal data from us and ask us to transfer it to another organisation. We have to provide it in an accessible and machine-readable format, if its reasonable for us to do so with the technology available.

Automated processing is when a decision is made about you without people being involved. You can ask us to have a human review the decision, provide you with the reasons why a decision was made about you and explain what could happen because of these decisions. You can also object to some automated decision making.

You can limit the way we use your personal data if you think it is inaccurate or are unhappy about how it is being used. You can also stop us deleting your data, if you have a valid and necessary reason.

You have a right to ask us to delete your data. This is also known as the ‘right to be forgotten’. We will consider your request and will tell you if we can’t delete your data because of a special reason, such as a law that means we have to keep data for a certain amount of time.

You can object to us using your personal data at any time. We will review your objection to see if we have strong enough legitimate reasons to carry on using your personal data.

You have a right to a copy of the information we hold about you and other extra information that we must give you under data protection laws. You might have heard this being called a subject access request or ‘SAR’. You can ask someone to make a request on your behalf, but they will need to be able to evidence that you have told them to do this. Please remember that we may not be able to provide all the information you request if an exemption or restriction applies in the law.

Examples of this could be: if you ask for the same information lots of times or if we have had to share data with the police and they ask us to not let you know as it could harm an investigation. Learn more about access request.

You have a right to know what information we hold about you, where we got it from, what we do with it and who we share it with.

This information is available in our privacy notice here.

If you are unsure about anything written in the notice or would like additional information, please feel free to contact us.

You have personal data rights, and this means you can ask us to do certain things with your data including:

• • • Telling you about the data we hold about you.
    • Providing you with a copy of your data.
    • Changing how we use data about you.
    • Deleting data we hold about you.

You can contact us at dpo@sbisl.co.uk to ask about your personal data rights. More information about your personal data rights can be found here.

We are very sorry to hear about your loss. Please contact our dedicated team by completing this form here and we will get back to you. Please note you will need the account holder’s details along with a death certificate for when we get back to you. Follow the link here: https://vavista.com/bereavement