miss piggy

Anyone got any good advice - we're having real problems getting this sorted out in time for our move back to the UK. Problems relating to licences, claims history & no claims bonus transfer.

Situation is that we both have UK & Aussie licences -mine are both clean, my husband has one low grade speeding on his Aussie licence. Just been told by UK insurer that legally we should have surrendered our UK licences when we were issued Australian licences & that they can not cover my husband at all until he surrenders his Aussie licence to the UK DVLC & has the points transferred to a new UK licence. He can't really do this as he is going to be going backwards & forwards between UK & Oz & will need his Aussie licence for driving whilst he is in Australia.

Also - we have 2 cars here,one of which has never had any claim on it, the other has had a few minor prangs (most of which were not "at fault' eg vandalism etc) . We actually have a lifetime maximum no claims bonus on our policies here (due, admittedly to having had it protected!)- the insurers in the UK are taking our claims into account but ignoring our no claims bonus which seems a little harsh.

Has anyone had experience of anything similar - or had particularly good treatment by any UK motor insurers ?

At the moment they are quoting GBP 1000pa for a policy which will only allow me to drive & which has a GBP500 excess - seems far too steep to me !

Mummy in the foothills

I wasn't told anything of the sort when I went back from US to UK.
I was told I could have got a better rate if I had brought a print out of my Dept of Motor vehicles driving record, to show it had no tickets or anything on it. Also a letter from our insurance agent on letter head saying how long he's been our agent and that our records had been clean and we paid on time. I had gone back to my old insurers office for a quote as soon as I got back.

islandergirl

That is harsh, that is the first time I have heard of "not counting" my UK licence just because you have been away for a few years.

As for surrendering your UK licence when you got here, there is no reason or onus from the Aus government to do so. IMO it sounds like the person from the insurance company is blowing smoke up your arse, I would be shopping around and TELLING them I was shopping around.

I am on my parents policy with M&S and it cost them about an extra GBP5 A YEAR, they don't care about me also having an Australian licence if that helps any.

miss piggy

A few companies have said the same about the UK licence-ie that once another country has issued their licence the UK one is invalidated. I had absolutely no idea about this. When I went to check the Aussie authorities have indeed written on it "NSW licence issued 2004" so I can't just submit it for a change of address.

Thought about just saying I had lost it & getting a new one in its place - but looking at DVLC website to do this you have to provide proof of where you have been living for the last 3 years & I obviously can't prove that I have been in the UK for that length of time. All very irritating.

I think the problem is that , as the policyholder, I won't have a UK licence.It will be OK to put aussie licence holders on as occasional drivers but it's a problem if the main driver doesn't have a UK issued licence.

It's all these little minutae things aboutmoving back - like this & eg not being able to take out a mobile phone contract because we had lost our credit rating simply by being overseas etc, which are incredibly irritating.

islandergirl

Apply to DVLA for a replacement today, say it was damaged....then reapply for your insurance as a UK driver?

I got my Aus licence in SA, they made me re-sit my driving test (which I was FURIOUS about) and never took my UK licence, I guess it must vary from state to state, part of the endless bureaucracy of Australian state governments.

miss piggy

Thought of doing this but they want proof of residence for the last 3 years - can't give this as I've been overseas !

Mummy in the foothills

Next insurance co you call, don't tell them where you've been. Just send your UK license in for an address change and use a family members address if you have one.
I just put my mothers address down as mine, I have a bank account that mails statements there annually. No one ever said my UK license was invalid once I got a California one.
Sometimes I think they go out of their way to make dishonest people out of normally law biding citizens.

Fleaflyfloflum

I dont get all this.


I have never surrendered my UK licence. When I went back earlier this year, all i did was tell DVLA that my licence was stolen in Australia (which was the truth from the break in we had as they took my handbag) No one questioned me. All i did was fill in a form, pay the money and got a new one back at my daughters address 2 weeks later.
This has also made my life a lot easier as i can use it as ID as residing there.

Tr1boy

I have a 'feeling' that when we were researching our move in 06 that Mrs Triboy's Aussie licence could have been transferred to a UK one, but she would have had to surrender her Aussie one. She didn't and would have taken a separate test. Way back in the day (1989) when I arrived in Oz, there was no avenue at all for swapping out licences, you had to take the test. But I didn't need P plates for car or motorbike.

Both my licences are valid and I am on my parent's insurance with my Uk licence details (it's in the same address still as their house).

Maybe the law is different for the 'instant swap' people?

miss piggy

Flea-maybe this is what I should do ? I too have had bank statements mailed to my in-laws house so could produce those. Have you managed to keep your Aussie licence ? I need to do this as I will be ping ponging a bit over the next year or so.

I saw the proof of residence thing on the DVLC website -maybe in practise they are not so pedantic if one is there in person & can produce UK passport etc ? Did you not have to answer any questions about where you had been living ? I certainly hope this works as it is going to make life very tricky otherwise.

Fleaflyfloflum

Yes, I have both licences.
Actually. I had an embarrassing incident a few weeks ago. Although I legally am entitled to my Aus licence. It was also stolen at the same time as my UK one. As i was leaving the country in the next 2 weeks (permanently i thought at the time) I didnt bother replacing it.
I got pulled over by the police a few weeks ago. It wasnt until he asked for my licence i remembered i hadnt replaced it!!. I explained it all to him. He was ok about it but radioed through to check it out. All i did was show my UK one and he did tell me off a bit for not replacing the Aus one.

Just fill a form in saying you lost yur licence but have now changed to a new address also and they will replace your UK one. Make life easier for yourself. We have enough stress without fretting over these things dont we ?