Returning to UK after 4 years. Likely to get shafted on insurance?

R.O.S.S.I · 24 Jul 2021 at 14:15

As title really. Been living in Australia for the past 3.5-4 years and looking like i'l be heading back home around October time for good.

I was just thinking about things I would need to sort out when I get home, a car being one of them, and it occurred to me that my NCD i'd built up prior to leaving the UK to come to Oz (10 years) may have expired or not be valid anymore.

Does anyone know if this is likely to be the case or if there are any specific insurers that would take my previous insurance history and circumstance into consideration? Or would I have to start from 0 again?

I haven't needed to drive whilst being in Oz and so haven't any recent insurance policies under my name over here.

Thekwango · 24 Jul 2021 at 14:19

You’ll be starting from scratch with the ncd as far as I know. Off the top of my head I think after 12 months inactivity in terms of insurance your ncd ‘resets’

Terminal_Boy · 24 Jul 2021 at 14:22

It’s worth asking - we transferred 5 year’s of NCD from the U.K. to our French insurers.

Ah, disregard. Just seen that you have no current car insurance policy in Aus.

Diagro · 25 Jul 2021 at 07:22

Why on earth are you coming back to the UK? Did you not like getting away from hell?

dave28 · 25 Jul 2021 at 07:55

Yes will be huge bill for years until you build up NCD again

BUDFORCE · 25 Jul 2021 at 09:44

Diagro said:
Why on earth are you coming back to the UK? Did you not like getting away from hell?

I was thinking the same thing.

dlockers · 25 Jul 2021 at 09:54

Have you done a quote? My mum had her car pinched and we lost a lot of NCB but the impact was negligible.

Dis86 · 25 Jul 2021 at 10:24

Diagro said:
Why on earth are you coming back to the UK? Did you not like getting away from hell?

BUDFORCE said:
I was thinking the same thing.

Surely hell is the place that is literally on fire?

Diagro · 25 Jul 2021 at 14:39

Dis86 said:
Surely hell is the place that is literally on fire?

HELL, Is what ever you want it to be.

Dis86 · 25 Jul 2021 at 14:42

Diagro said:
HELL, Is what ever you want it to be.

An oppresively hot country filled with wildlife that wants to kill me.

dlockers · 25 Jul 2021 at 14:43

Dis86 said:
An oppresively hot country filled with wildlife that wants to kill me.

Don't forget you are permanently upside down too

Semple · 25 Jul 2021 at 14:46

Most insurance companies are 12 months, some can accept 2-3 years if you go back to the same insurer.

If it's cheaper for you, it's worth looking at the Admiral accelerator policy. You only pay/get 10 months of insurance, but you do get a whole years NCD. I found after a gap of 5 or so years between owning a car that this was the quickest way to bring my insurance costs down.

Dis86 · 25 Jul 2021 at 14:47

dLockers said:
Don't forget you are permanently upside down too

Fair point well made.

mid_gen · 25 Jul 2021 at 17:45

Started back with zero NCD when I moved back to the UK in 2019. Not a massive deal as I'm getting on a bit now so didn't sting as much as I thought

Quartz · 25 Jul 2021 at 18:13

R.O.S.S.I said:
if there are any specific insurers that would take my previous insurance history and circumstance into consideration?

If you had a good history with your old UK insurer speak to them.

b0rn2sk8 · 26 Jul 2021 at 10:03

Your not 18 anymore so unless your looking to insure a performance car, I can’t see the price being £lol.

It’s not just ‘old people’ that can get cheap insurance on ‘normal cars’.

I’m under 35 and my insurance with zero NCD would be around £400 if the % discounts they give for NCD are actually true. I actually paid under £200 this year.

R.O.S.S.I · 24 Aug 2021 at 12:50

Thanks for the responses guys. Slightly reassuring hearing its not all doom and gloom on the insurance front with 0 NCD. I'll be 35 by the time I get round to buying my new car and it will definitely not be a boy racer car, so fingers crossed I get something reasonable. Will speak to my old insurer first as my first port of call.

Nasher · 24 Aug 2021 at 22:40

You get shafted on everything in the UK. That is the default position.