Little white lies that could invalidate your car insurance

Most of us go for years or even decades without claiming on our car insurance, which means it can begin to seem like a formality. If you don’t think you will be found out, it’s tempting to tell a few white lies to get your premium down. This is a big mistake – and it can cost you dearly.
 
If you tell your insurer a few porkies, they may refuse you cover in the event of a claim. You could even find yourself in court. Let’s look at some of the most common fibs drivers tell insurance companies to try to lower the cost of their premiums.
 

Common white lies told to insurers

These are the most common fibs told to insurers. They’ve heard it all before!
 

  1. Overnight car location

You usually get a cheaper rate if your car is kept in a garage or private driveway overnight, as this helps to protect the vehicle. However, most properties can be found on Google Earth easily. If your home has no garage or driveway, this can quickly be discovered.
 

  1. Vehicle modifications

Your insurer won’t care about seat covers or patching up scratches, but major changes such as adding a huge exhaust must be declared.
 

  1. Driving history

Some drivers conveniently ‘forget’ about previous claims when applying to insurers, or try to apply the same discount to multiple vehicles. This is easy for insurers to rumble, so you must tell all, even if the claim was a no-fault and has been fully settled.
 

  1. Misrepresenting car usage

There’s a reason why insurance firms ask about your job on insurance forms. Some roles increase your risk by making you more likely to drive late at night or in unfamiliar areas. If you use your car for business but don’t mention this on your insurance form, you may be refused cover.
 

  1. Leaving off motoring convictions

This might be the most common white lie told to insurers, because drivers know a conviction could make insurance difficult to find.

Full information about penalty points and motoring convictions must be provided when applying to insurers, and during the policy if you are issued with points or taken to court.

Luckily, our convicted driver insurance is available for people who find it hard to get insurance because of prior convictions.
 

  1. Fronting for another driver

You must be honest about who the car’s main driver is. Sometimes family members say they are the main driver of a vehicle that is really only used by a partner or adult child. This is a big problem if you need to make a claim, plus it prevents younger drivers from building up a no-claims discount.
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Why do people lie to insurers?

The main reason why people lie is to save money. Insurance premiums cost less when you say you have no convictions, or park the car in a garage, or work from home when you’re actually a delivery driver.
 
People may also be honest when obtaining insurance but misrepresent the truth when making a claim. For example, drivers may say expensive equipment was stolen from a car, or lie about how a collision took place, with a view to getting a higher payout.
 
Another reason is that for some high-risk drivers, such as those who have been found guilty of a criminal offence, insurance can be almost impossible to find.

If you need to drive for work or lifestyle reasons, you might think it’s worth getting that cover in place, even if it means lying. With specialist insurers catering to people in this situation, there’s no need to put yourself at risk of another conviction for lying to an insurance company.

Just get convicted driver insurance to put your mind at rest.
 

What are the consequences of lying to an insurer?

Depending on the circumstances, an insurer may refuse cover for a claim if you are found to have misled the company. This means you will be left footing the bill for repairs or damage to another vehicle, rather than this being covered by insurance.
 
Insurers have a system that connects to other insurance firms to check if you’re telling the truth about things like previous claims. If you’re found to be lying to get cheaper premiums, you may be asked to top up your premium retrospectively to what it would have been if you had told the truth.
 
Insurance companies usually then cancel your insurance once the misrepresented claim has been settled. This is a major issue that you must declare when applying for other insurance – it can make it very hard to find insurance, and will more than likely bump up your premiums.
 
Ultimately, lying to your insurer in order to save money is a form of fraud, because you’re trying to get away with paying less than you should really be paying, or trying to get a bigger payout than you’re entitled to. Fraud is a serious criminal offence which can even result in a prison sentence.
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What are the valid ways of bringing down your car insurance?

You don’t have to be dishonest to bring down the cost of insurance. You could opt for one of these ways to reduce the cost of premiums:
 

  1. Smaller car

Insurance generally costs less for smaller engines and unmodified vehicles.
 

  1. Higher excess

If you can afford to pay a higher excess in the event of a claim, this can reduce your premiums significantly.
 

  1. Pass Plus

Boost your skills with this advanced driving course and your insurer will cut the cost of your policy.
 

  1. Use an alarm and immobiliser

A safer car means lower risk, so you can save money by putting off thieves and vandals.
 

  1. Black box

If you’re a young driver, inexperienced or have low annual mileage, black boxes can slash the amount you pay for insurance.
 

  1. Dash cam

Some insurers offer lower premiums to drivers with a dash cam fitted.
 

Insurance you can rely on

Being a convicted driver shouldn’t mean you’re never allowed on the roads again, especially if this would have a real impact on your ability to earn a living.
 
Why not get a quote for convicted driver insurance from Insurance Factory today?