[Misc] Car Insurance and Parking Madness

[Eeyore]

So this evening I walk past my car to find that I have a parking ticket. A bit strange as I have a residents permit (although not displayed in the window but that has never been an issue). I check my emails to find a request to renew that I must have passed by. No excuse really, I'll have to pay it.

It seems a bit strange though as my car has not been fined since the renewal date which was 29th September.

I have to upload my insurance certificate to the site but it won't download from the Co-op insurance site. So I call them. I'm told that my name doesn't match that on the policy. I explain that it's been my name for 51 years.

It turns out that the policy has my initials on it and not my name. They then try to charge me to change the name as any claim may not be paid if made. I tell the person there is no way a court of law would uphold that given that all checks have been made against my name, it has the correct address and date of birth and can be clearly identified as me. I get some random ramble about GDPR and we agree to disagree. The irony being that when I offer all names on my driving license I am told they only need my first name...

So my two questions to the NSC elite

1) Anyone know how traffic wardens have been walking past my car and not issuing fines ?
2) Who is right in Eeyore v The Co-op Insurance 2024 concerning potential claims ?

 

[AZ Gull]

So this evening I walk past my car to find that I have a parking ticket. A bit strange as I have a residents permit (although not displayed in the window but that has never been an issue). I check my emails to find a request to renew that I must have passed by. No excuse really, I'll have to pay it.

It seems a bit strange though as my car has not been fined since the renewal date which was 29th September.

I have to upload my insurance certificate to the site but it won't download from the Co-op insurance site. So I call them. I'm told that my name doesn't match that on the policy. I explain that it's been my name for 51 years.

It turns out that the policy has my initials on it and not my name. They then try to charge me to change the name as any claim may not be paid if made. I tell the person there is no way a court of law would uphold that given that all checks have been made against my name, it has the correct address and date of birth and can be clearly identified as me. I get some random ramble about GDPR and we agree to disagree. The irony being that when I offer all names on my driving license I am told they only need my first name...

So my two questions to the NSC elite

1) Anyone know how traffic wardens have been walking past my car and not issuing fines ?
2) Who is right in Eeyore v The Co-op Insurance 2024 concerning potential claims ?

It isn't directly relevant to your particular situation but there was a recent story in the Argus about a woman who had difficulties renewing her resident's permit with the council due to her name (their system has recently been upgraded, apparently). - Brighton woman's bid to renew parking permit denied twice

 

[BNthree]

So this evening I walk past my car to find that I have a parking ticket. A bit strange as I have a residents permit (although not displayed in the window but that has never been an issue). I check my emails to find a request to renew that I must have passed by. No excuse really, I'll have to pay it.

It seems a bit strange though as my car has not been fined since the renewal date which was 29th September.

I have to upload my insurance certificate to the site but it won't download from the Co-op insurance site. So I call them. I'm told that my name doesn't match that on the policy. I explain that it's been my name for 51 years.

It turns out that the policy has my initials on it and not my name. They then try to charge me to change the name as any claim may not be paid if made. I tell the person there is no way a court of law would uphold that given that all checks have been made against my name, it has the correct address and date of birth and can be clearly identified as me. I get some random ramble about GDPR and we agree to disagree. The irony being that when I offer all names on my driving license I am told they only need my first name...

So my two questions to the NSC elite

1) Anyone know how traffic wardens have been walking past my car and not issuing fines ?
2) Who is right in Eeyore v The Co-op Insurance 2024 concerning potential claims ?

You usually get a week or two leeway when renewing a residents permit (to allow for post etc). Maybe you had even longer.

 

[Machiavelli]

So this evening I walk past my car to find that I have a parking ticket. A bit strange as I have a residents permit (although not displayed in the window but that has never been an issue). I check my emails to find a request to renew that I must have passed by. No excuse really, I'll have to pay it.

It seems a bit strange though as my car has not been fined since the renewal date which was 29th September.

I have to upload my insurance certificate to the site but it won't download from the Co-op insurance site. So I call them. I'm told that my name doesn't match that on the policy. I explain that it's been my name for 51 years.

It turns out that the policy has my initials on it and not my name. They then try to charge me to change the name as any claim may not be paid if made. I tell the person there is no way a court of law would uphold that given that all checks have been made against my name, it has the correct address and date of birth and can be clearly identified as me. I get some random ramble about GDPR and we agree to disagree. The irony being that when I offer all names on my driving license I am told they only need my first name...

So my two questions to the NSC elite

1) Anyone know how traffic wardens have been walking past my car and not issuing fines ?
2) Who is right in Eeyore v The Co-op Insurance 2024 concerning potential claims ?

As @BNthree says, you get two weeks grace on parking permit, but they'll pounce thereafter -- as I found out last year or the year before. It's now up to you to renew pretty much anything to do with a car. I don't get any notifications that things are up for renewal.

 

[Chicken Run]

So this evening I walk past my car to find that I have a parking ticket. A bit strange as I have a residents permit (although not displayed in the window but that has never been an issue).

What so you don’t have to display a parking permit now in your car?? Even if you have one, i have read that right haven’t i?

 

[Eeyore]

What so you don’t have to display a parking permit now in your car?? Even if you have one, i have read that right haven’t i?

Mine kept falling off. I haven't had it displayed at all in the last year. I would see wardens walking past, stopping, typing something into their terminal then moving on. I seemed to take perverse delight in causing them the extra work.

 

[dazzer6666]

What so you don’t have to display a parking permit now in your car?? Even if you have one, i have read that right haven’t i?

They'll have details of all the issued permits in their terminals.....

 

[Hovegull]

You do have to display a valid permit and “failure to display” is a reason to fine. Especially in areas where parking is more oversubscribed, they really crack down. I’ve known quite a few in my zone that have had this fine.
I normally find that the sticky adhesive of the permit is tough to get off the screen after expiry. The adhesive is strong - so not sure why people have issues sticking it on in the first place, but it really doesn’t budge.

The grace period has been extended to 21 days. Used to be 14 and was recently extended to 21 However, you do still need to have applied within that time or again, in oversubscribed areas you lose your permit and get pushed to the back of the waiting list. This happened to me.

I got fined once for not parking close enough to the curb. I couldn’t get any closer to the curb due to it being a space next to a tree on a one way street (not sure how you are supposed to get your passenger safely out) but my appeal was not successful on the grounds that I could have let my passenger out and then parked up afterwards.

They match the insurance details up as this is how so much permit fraud used to happen. I was told it was a big problem now. So can kinda understand why this is a thing, but it sounds annoying in your case and someone taking it too far.

 

[Chicken Run]

I seemed to take perverse delight in causing them the extra work.

Since BHCC introduced ’soft parking’ zones in my street the residents love the ability to be able to park now that it seems it’s only residents now who park there rather than people who dump their car for weeks at a time who don’t live there. I’m pretty certain the council will introduce parking zones for all city roads in the near future.

 

[BrightonCottager]

Since BHCC introduced ’soft parking’ zones in my street the residents love the ability to be able to park now that it seems it’s only residents now who park there rather than people who dump their car for weeks at a time who don’t live there. I’m pretty certain the council will introduce parking zones for all city roads in the near future.

I dunno about this. Until residents complain about on street parking the Council may not do anything. The domino effect pushing cheapskate cars, vans and commercial vehicles further out seems to have reached the suburbs where this can be absorbed, apart from Surrenden (whose residents rejected a scheme back in about 2018 when Zone F was being proposed).

 

[Chicken Run]

I dunno about this. Until residents complain about on street parking the Council may not do anything. The domino effect pushing cheapskate cars, vans and commercial vehicles further out seems to have reached the suburbs where this can be absorbed, apart from Surrenden (whose residents rejected a scheme back in about 2018 when Zone F was being proposed).

Southdown Avenue/ Cumberland a lot better since permits were introduced

 

[BNthree]

What so you don’t have to display a parking permit now in your car?? Even if you have one, i have read that right haven’t i?

Wardens in Brighton check numberplate to see if driver has paid by app. If you have a permit it shows up in system. The adhesive for my permit went crap and the permit was in passenger footwell for a few weeks but no tickets in that time.

 

[Eeyore]

'You may now park in your zone for a limited period of four days without displaying a permit. No Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) will be issued in this period. When your parking permit arrives you MUST immediately start displaying it on your vehicle’s windscreen. After four days from now, if you park in your zone without displaying your valid permit, a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) may be issued. We'll send your permit to the address we hold on record for you. If you do not receive your permit within 14 days of this email click here to contact the service'

So what happens on day 5 if the permit hasn't arrived ?

 

[Eeyore]

So...

My insurance renewal has come through and I'm confused.

Last year it was £416, this year it's £255. That includes RAC cover.

I mean, I'm not complaining. But that's a huge drop. Yet all looks in order.

I only drive a Toyota Aygo, but still.

Is that right ?

 

[Guinness Boy]

If it’s a renewal then, yes, it’s valid.

They just run a current quote through using up to date info. Effectively it’s a new policy with the same underwriter.

Might want to run some comparisons on the comparison websites to see if you can get it even cheaper.

 

[Eeyore]

If it’s a renewal then, yes, it’s valid.

They just run a current quote through using up to date info. Effectively it’s a new policy with the same underwriter.

Might want to run some comparisons on the comparison websites to see if you can get it even cheaper.

I'd be shocked if I got it cheaper with RAC cover. I'm just a little surprised they reduced it by 40%

 

[Guinness Boy]

I'd be shocked if I got it cheaper with RAC cover. I'm just a little surprised they reduced it by 40%

It’ll take five minutes for you to find out. They’re not reducing rates for fun. Most car insurance is going up in price.

 

[Eeyore]

It’ll take five minutes for you to find out. They’re not reducing rates for fun. Most car insurance is going up in price.

I've looked online and some are quoting similar, although the RAC cover is not so comprehensive. I'll call the Co-op and check tomorrow.

 

[dazzer6666]

Just renewed mine, was up about 25% on last year, but renewal quote was still cheaper than anything a couple of comparison sites could come up with

 

[Flounce]

I find whoever I insure my cars with tries to stitch me up on renewal. I have given up arguing with them as I always find a much cheaper equivalent quote on Compare the market and I can no longer be arsed to speak to the shysters who take me for a mug EVERY year. Start my search 28 days before the previous insurance expires.

I live in hope that just one of the companies will one day give me a competitive quote on renewal…