Learner driver insurance.

davyk31

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I’m sure many of you have been in the position of insuring for a learner driver. My daughter is 17 in a few weeks and we have just bought a car for her. Wanted some advice on how to insure the car and even whose name should go on the ref cert.

It’s likely both my wife and I will drive this car a bit but guess once she is past the test it will essentially be “her” car with us still using it on occasions.

We are getting the car maybe this week so I need to register and insure it now but she won’t be driving for another 6 weeks.

I see policies that only cover the learner driver and sit alongside any other cover for adult drivers on the car but not sure if they are better than registering it in her name now and taking a policy in her name adding us as named drivers maybe. That maybe doesn’t work just yet as she won’t be 17 for a few weeks.

Any thoughts or experience appreciated.
 

Deezer-D

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I’m not sure if she can have her own policy as a learner driver? I think she needs to be named as a learner but worth checking.
What we have done and now do -
Had a mini F56 Cooper (wife’s car) that I was a named driver on and we added Ella to it as a learner. The Mini was on a multi car policy with Admiral and it was around £300 to add her for the year.
Traded in the Mini for an electric one which is auto so no good for learning. Bought a 107, added to multi car policy in my name and added my wife (she’ll take Ella out driving too) and Ella as a learner. Cost was £160 up to policy renewal date (September I think). She will hopefully have passed her test by then and when she does I’ll set the policy up for her in her own name as I think naming her on my policy might be fronting? Better to get her started early with the NCB anyway. No need to make her the registered owner of the 107 as that just adds another owner to the V5. No idea what that’ll cost yet, will deal with that when the time comes. The 107 is probably one of the lowest insurance groups so maybe £1K or above.
 

Snoopcousins

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My 18 yr old got his own Learners policy for around £370 /year

Not saying you’ve done this - but Insurance companies have cracked down on ‘fronting’. I’ve seen a few get their insurance invalidated after an accident
 

Deezer-D

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My 18 yr old got his own Learners policy for around £370 /year

Not saying you’ve done this - but Insurance companies have cracked down on ‘fronting’. I’ve seen a few get their insurance invalidated after an accident
I didn’t know you could get a named learners policy. I’d always (rightly or wrongly) thought a learner could only be added to a policy. I’ll check with Admiral. I thought most parents do the same thing for their kids learning and then get them their own policy when they pass. No point putting her on the Mini or S3 as they’re both auto.
Maybe I’m wrong?
 

Snoopcousins

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It’s a mine field and I’d say you’re right that most just get added under parents insurance
Problem is if it’s their own car I suppose…
Just worked out easier for us as it’s his own wee car..

Will be a lot more expensive once he passes his test tho!
 

Deezer-D

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It’s a mine field and I’d say you’re right that most just get added under parents insurance
Problem is if it’s their own car I suppose…
Just worked out easier for us as it’s his own wee car..

Will be a lot more expensive once he passes his test tho!
It’s a nightmare! The car is mine (she thinks it’s hers 😂 ) Looks like you can get a policy that sits alongside the main policy but in the learners name. Admiral have Veygo that’s added in hours, days or weeks. That protects the main policy holders NCB. Might be worth me getting a quote as hopefully she won’t need more than 90 days cover 🤞🏻
I drive the 107 more than the S3 now as it sits in the road so don’t have to mess about shifting cars around.
 

purplea4T

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I was in a similar situation, wee girl was 17 last July, Sterling Insurance was cheapest for their learner policy, £240 I think I paid, its in her name so she accrues a years no claims, downside is that once she passes her test the policy dies. Its her car so I thought it best she had her own policy, I'm a named deiver so I can use the car as I wish.
Far easier and cheaper than adding her onto any of mine or the wifes car.
 

DaddyCC

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No issues with policies dying with my other half who was insured as learner and me named driver (which greatly helped price). Once she passed test she just had to call them and inform them of being fully licensed driver. Only downside was had to pay more, which I assume is due to risk of being out on own?

Similar happened to my dad and his wife when she past her about 10 years ago.
 

davyk31

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My 18 yr old got his own Learners policy for around £370 /year

Not saying you’ve done this - but Insurance companies have cracked down on ‘fronting’. I’ve seen a few get their insurance invalidated after an accident

Who did you use for the learner policy? I have seen the likes of Marmalade run this and it sits alongside the main policy on the car so parents can drive.
Only issue I guess is that if I now insure the new car for a year and in 6 weeks take out a learner policy for her, then when she passes her test I need to take out a new policy in her name but that is likely to be well before the existing parent policy expires so there is a loss there as no doubt the rebate will be tiny and eaten up in fees.

Marmalade also offer a learner policy that guarantees not to increase once they have passed. For a F56 Cooper it’s about £1300 which again seems to sit beside the main policy, let’s her earn her own NCB and any claims don’t affect the parent policy. May not be the best but an option. Again doesn’t particularly suit as regards timescales as I need to insure the new car now but she isn’t on the road learning until mid March.
 

Snoopcousins

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He just used compare the market.com, not sure of the company name in the end- but quite a few came in under £400
The policy cancels as soon as he passes his test which gives a cancellation fee etc and then he had to start a new policy - will just look around again
 

Deezer-D

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Who did you use for the learner policy? I have seen the likes of Marmalade run this and it sits alongside the main policy on the car so parents can drive.
Only issue I guess is that if I now insure the new car for a year and in 6 weeks take out a learner policy for her, then when she passes her test I need to take out a new policy in her name but that is likely to be well before the existing parent policy expires so there is a loss there as no doubt the rebate will be tiny and eaten up in fees.

Marmalade also offer a learner policy that guarantees not to increase once they have passed. For a F56 Cooper it’s about £1300 which again seems to sit beside the main policy, let’s her earn her own NCB and any claims don’t affect the parent policy. May not be the best but an option. Again doesn’t particularly suit as regards timescales as I need to insure the new car now but she isn’t on the road learning until mid March.
Even with the likes of marmalade you’d still need to insure the car in your name and then her policy eliminates the risk to your no claims just
Did you buy her an F56 Cooper @davyk31 ?
 

Deezer-D

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How can you have 2 policies running side by side on the same car or am I picking it up wrong?
With Marmalde the cover is to drive someone else’s car (parent, family member etc.) Needs to be already insured by the car owner. The additional policy is for the learner to cover them to drive that car rather than being a named driver.

 

purplea4T

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With Marmalde the cover is to drive someone else’s car (parent, family member etc.) Needs to be already insured by the car owner. The additional policy is for the learner to cover them to drive that car rather than being a named driver.

Surely easier and probably more cost effective to get their own policy?
It certainly is in our circumstances.
Screenshot_20220124_171345_com.google.android.gm.jpg
 
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Deezer-D

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Surely easier and probably more cost effective to get their own policy?
It certainly is in our circumstances. View attachment 347742
Yeah, I think this is an easy way for insurance companies to cover the short term market.
I might look at getting Ella her own policy if it means my no claims wouldn’t be impacted and she gets the chance to build NCB of her own.
 

big cyril

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@davyk31 - we were in the same situation a while back, eldest girl needing insurance on L plates.
Initially we put the car onto the multicar policy with her as a named driver.
When she passed we gave her the car and she got her own insurance policy.
Admiral was cheapest for what we wanted, telematics box in the car, gives feedback on her driving, so far so good, I think if the telematics box reports the driving is awful they can cancel the policy.
 

Deezer-D

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@davyk31 - we were in the same situation a while back, eldest girl needing insurance on L plates.
Initially we put the car onto the multicar policy with her as a named driver.
When she passed we gave her the car and she got her own insurance policy.
Admiral was cheapest for what we wanted, telematics box in the car, gives feedback on her driving, so far so good, I think if the telematics box reports the driving is awful they can cancel the policy.
This is what I’m currently doing. I’m assuming there’s nothing wrong with this method in that it’s not considered fronting?
 

big cyril

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This is what I’m currently doing. I’m assuming there’s nothing wrong with this method in that it’s not considered fronting?
I'm no expert, my wife did use the car also during that period so I figured it was ok.
When the car was handed over to the daughter for her own use, I reckoned it would be fronting to keep it on the multicar with her just as a named driver so that's when she got her own policy.
 

davyk31

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He just used compare the market.com, not sure of the company name in the end- but quite a few came in under £400
The policy cancels as soon as he passes his test which gives a cancellation fee etc and then he had to start a new policy - will just look around again
Did you buy her an F56 Cooper @davyk31 ?

Yes @Deezer-D we did a deal on Saturday for a Dec 2017 Cooper 1.5 petrol. Nice wee car with only 22k miles and plenty of extras with the chilli pack etc. I am adding a few black trims and new rear lights etc so it should be pretty decent looking. It was only advertised on Friday, I enquired that afternoon and viewed first thing On Saturday.

Had bought her a 2009 Cooper last year in anticipation of her learning as it was a great wee car but she has got an upgrade already even before she has hit 17 😀. Might sell the other wee Cooper as can’t see us needing 2 Minis
So it appears the consensus is that we are best to insure the Mini now for my wife and I to drive and then maybe look at a separate learners policy when she is 17. Then review again once she has passed the test and get her own cover then. Only thing at that stage is I would still want my wife and I to be able to drive so don’t really want any black box or telematics as it may ban me 😂
 

Deezer-D

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Yes @Deezer-D we did a deal on Saturday for a Dec 2017 Cooper 1.5 petrol. Nice wee car with only 22k miles and plenty of extras with the chilli pack etc. I am adding a few black trims and new rear lights etc so it should be pretty decent looking. It was only advertised on Friday, I enquired that afternoon and viewed first thing On Saturday.

Had bought her a 2009 Cooper last year in anticipation of her learning as it was a great wee car but she has got an upgrade already even before she has hit 17 😀. Might sell the other wee Cooper as can’t see us needing 2 Minis
So it appears the consensus is that we are best to insure the Mini now for my wife and I to drive and then maybe look at a separate learners policy when she is 17. Then review again once she has passed the test and get her own cover then. Only thing at that stage is I would still want my wife and I to be able to drive so don’t really want any black box or telematics as it may ban me 😂
We traded in our F56 Cooper to Bavarian. Was 2015 though but under 18K miles, full Mini history and truffle brown sports leather. Thought maybe you’d bought it.
My daughter found the Mini hard to drive as she’s been used to her instructor’s wee Kia yoke. The Mini was harder to drive for her. She hated it as she found the steering hard to judge and because she’s small, her seat is so far forward the gearstick was slightly behind her when trying to get 2nd and 4th. She’s having a bit of trouble getting the clutch control sorted on the 107 now. The Mini kind of just moved off by slowly letting the clutch out whereas the 107 is a lot more mechanical in feel. Been a few meltdowns so far trying to get her to gel with it. Her instructor changed his car to a Mini but it was derv so she found it easier to drive.
 

davyk31

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What colour was your Mini @Deezer-D ? Sounds like it was a good one.

A Polo R Line was the second option but not many about but the interiors of the Minis knock the rest for dead.
 

Deezer-D

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What colour was your Mini @Deezer-D ? Sounds like it was a good one.

A Polo R Line was the second option but not many about but the interiors of the Minis knock the rest for dead.
It was Iced Chocolate, really lovely dark brown metallic. Quite a rare colour and the punched truffle leather was class.
No pics up yet
 

fatboysamo

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Yep, Iced Chocolate was one of the best colours. I believe it was only done in the 3 and 5 door for about a year or so before it was taken away. I had a 5 door Cooper SD in it so I might be a bit biased, I still miss it sometimes. If anyone here buys this 3 door let me know as I might still have some paint touch up pens that I bought for mine.
 

davyk31

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Reviving this thread as my daughter is 17 in a couple of weeks.
There isn’t a lot of cost difference between adding her as an extra driver to my existing policy for the Mini or taking out one of the dedicated learner driver policies for her which sits alongside my cover for the mini. Any advise as to the best way to go on this.

Once she has the test I will get her a policy in her name as she will be the main driver and needs to start earning a no claims record. A lot of the policies have telematics, how does anyone in that position work with those as I might also drive the mini a bit and can’t imagine the telematic record would just look so good to an insurer.
 
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