Forgot to renew your car insurance? Read this article and educate yourself for such scenarios.
Missing a deadline to renew car insurance can be as worst as missing to pay the minimum due of your credit card outstanding. Indirectly, you end up paying more money for the policy afresh.
Your car insurance is a yearly contract which needs to be renewed every year. You may not be aware about the difficulties you may face, if there is a break in your insurance policy.
So, follow the below steps if you miss out to renew your car insurance policy:
- Wake up and get prepared:
If you forget to renew your car insurance on time, wake up before it is again too late. Dial the insurance company or the web portal and inform them about your laziness. Renewing a lapsed policy is not as easy as renewing a normal policy.
- Keep your documents handy:
Keep yourself well equipped with your vehicle details. The insurance company may need your RC copy and the previous year policy details. Few insurers may also ask for your photo identification proofs. Yes, and you ought to provide these details simply because it’s your mistake.
- Ask for an appointment for car inspection:
Once you finalize the insurance company, you will have to call them up and inform about expiry of your car policy. Inform them to get the car inspection done on priority.
You may have to vigorously follow-up to get your work done. This process doesn’t happen overnight. So, be after the insurance company or the web portal like a nagging mother.
- Get the car inspected
A surveyor from the insurance company will come to your place to get the car inspected. They will inspect the car for any pre-existing damages. If they found any, you had it. There are chances that the insurance company may reject to offer you coverage.
Yet, some insurers may find out such damages and still go ahead to provide you insurance. While some may ask you to get the repairs done first, then re-arrange for your car survey.
There would be a nominal fee charged to you for having the vehicle inspected.
- Renew the policy immediately
Once the inspection report is positive, you can go ahead and buy the policy immediately. Remember, the inspection report is valid only for 24 hours. Thus, do not waste more time and buy the policy as soon as possible.
Expired car insurance policies also lose the advantages gained over the claim-free years that is the no claim bonus (NCB). This NCB begins with 20% for the first claim-free year and can go as high as 50%. If you overlook to renew your car insurance policy beyond 90 days, you will lose the accumulated NCB.
Having said the various difficulties towards renewing the expired policy, it is sensible enough to renew it on time. Today, there are many insurers as well as web portals who sends notification to their consumers for timely renewal of the car insurance. With the increasing awareness about the internet world, you can renew car insurance via mobile app or by logging to the website.
