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Frequently Asked Questions
Here you’ll find answers to the frequently asked questions about car insurance. If you can’t find the answer to your question here please call the customer services team on 0844 561 4615 or send us an email at questions@octagoninsurance.com.

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• Is immediate cover available?

  Yes. Immediate cover is available both via the phone and the Internet.

• Am I insured to drive someone else’s car?

  If you are the policyholder and 25 or over, have Comprehensive cover and a full driving licence, then Octagon may give you Third Party Cover when driving someone else’s car. Please refer to your current Certificate of Motor Insurance, which tells you if you have this cover. Alternatively, you can call our Customer Services Department on 0844 561 4615.

• What if my car or circumstances change?

  You should tell us of any changes to your circumstances, otherwise your policy could be invalid. You need to inform us of any changes that could impact on your insurance. For example, you should immediately inform us of a change of address or any convictions received (motoring or non-motoring related). Please notify us in advance if you wish to change drivers on your policy. The policy wording gives more details of the changes that should be notified to us.
  
  Just give us a call on 0844 561 4615 and we will advise you if the changes affect your insurance cover or payments. If you are unsure of the relevance of such changes, you must call us and ask.

• What is a No Claims Bonus (NCB)?

  For every year of claim free driving, each policyholder will earn a discount towards the cost of their renewal (to a maximum of 9 years).

• What is an Excess?

  An excess is the amount you must pay in the event of any claim, regardless of who is to blame for an incident. It varies depending on the car that is covered, the age and experience of the drivers on your policy.

• Can I pay a voluntary excess?

  Yes, if you have Comprehensive cover you may get a discount on the premium if you agree to pay towards the cost of any claim for loss of or damage to your vehicle. This will apply in addition to any compulsory policy excesses.

• Do I need to send Octagon proof of my No Claims Bonus (NCB) entitlement?

  Yes, you need to send this to us within 14 days of taking out a policy in order to validate your car insurance.
  The car insurance renewal notice received from your previous motor insurer during the last 12 months will show the number of years of No Claims Bonus (NCB) you have earned.
  
  We will be unable to authorise work on any car insurance claim you may make until we receive No Claims Bonus proof. We will cancel your car insurance policy if you do not provide proof of No Claims Bonus. For more information about No Claims Bonus click here.
  
  Please be aware we check 100% of the No Claims Bonus proof documents we receive. For the benefit of all our customers, if a fake or falsified NCB is supplied we may notify the Police and alert other insurers in order to assist with the prevention and detection of fraud.

• Can I claim on my car insurance policy if my vehicle is hit by an uninsured driver?

  Yes, if you have comprehensive cover.
  
  How will the claim affect your No Claims Bonus (NCB)?
  - If the uninsured driver is identified at the scene or later traced we will not reduce your NCB even though we are unable to recover our costs from the driver.
  
  - If we cannot identify the uninsured driver then your NCB will be affected.
  
  If you have Third Party Fire or Theft cover, you are not insured for damage to your car (other than due to fire or theft). We will therefore not repair your car in this instance.

• What modifications do you cover?

  We will cover your car if you have any standard options, fitted by the manufacturer (or their approved garage) at the time of first purchase, apart from any form of performance enhancement.
  
  Examples of modifications that we will also cover are:
  - Air Conditioning
  - Alloy wheels
  - Satellite Navigation (permanently fitted)
  - Sunroofs
  - Tow Bars
  - Roof Racks
  - Professionally fitted conversions to LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas)
  
  Examples of modifications that we will not cover are:
  - Bodywork changes (Air dams, side skirts/sills)
  - Darkened windscreens or driver & passenger windows
  - Decorative internal or external neon lights
  - Exhaust system changes
  - Engine alterations
  - Internal trim (Seats, rally harness, etc.)
  - Performance Enhancement of any kind (e.g. chipped engine)
  - Roll bars or roll cages
  - Spoilers/aerofoils
  - Suspension changes
  - Induction kits

• Do I have to tell you about my conviction(s)?

  You must advise us of any motoring or non-motoring convictions, including pending convictions when taking out a policy with Octagon. You must also advise us immediately of any new convictions once you have taken the policy out with Octagon.
  
  Failure to disclose any material information or inaccuracies in the information given could invalidate your insurance cover and mean that part or all of your claim may not be paid.

• What is a protected No Claims Bonus (NCB)?

  In the event of a claim, if we cannot recover our outlay from the person responsible, or you cannot recover your excess, your no claims bonus is normally reduced at the next renewal. Bonus protection allows up to two non-recoverable claims in a three-year period without reducing your no claims bonus.
  
  Please note that you will not accrue any further years NCB should you have a claim and you have protected NCB in place.

• Does my policy allow me to drive abroad?

  All private car policies issued in the UK include the minimum cover required in any EU country. In addition, Octagon policies provide cover equivalent to that held in the UK for up to 90 days during the insurance policy year. A list of EU countries follows and a list of additional countries to which the minimum cover and 90 day extension applies;
  Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

• Can I spread my payments and pay by monthly instalments?

  Yes, we have arrangements in place with Creation Premium Finance Limited, who can offer facilities to pay your premiums by monthly instalments.

• I am thinking about buying a car that has been imported from outside Europe. Would you be able to provide cover?

  We are unable to cover any car imported to the UK by someone other than the original manufacturer or its approved dealership network. We only cover cars built to UK specifications and manufactured specifically for use in the UK. We are therefore unable to cover vehicles commonly referred to as Grey Imports, which are typically imported from Japan or America as used vehicles.

• Do the years I’ve spent driving a company car count towards my No Claims Bonus (NCB)?

  If you have previously driven a company car, not a pool car, including business and pleasure use, we may be able to offer you a NCB. You must have surrendered the company car within the last year, be claim free and able to supply a letter from your employer to confirm this information.

• If my No Claims Bonus (NCB) has been earned in another country, is it still acceptable?

  We only accept UK bonus earned on a private car policy.

• Can I pay for insurance using someone else’s card?

  Yes, you can use someone else’s card to pay your insurance premium, but you’ll need to get their permission first. If you’re speaking to Octagon Customer Services, we will need to gain permission from the cardholder before we can go ahead.

• How do I make a claim?

  If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident or have your car stolen, vandalised or damaged in any way, you can call us to report a claim on 0844 815 4975. We will provide you with the support you need, details of the repairer nearest to you and all the steps involved.
  
  If you wish to make a claim in respect of a damaged windscreen please call our Glass Helpline on 0800 011 3685.

• Can you provide cover for my caravan as well as my car?

  If your car is covered by us, there is no cover for loss of or damage to any trailer, caravan or vehicle you may tow. If you require cover for the caravan itself, we would suggest you contact a caravan club who will be able to provide comprehensive cover.

• Does Octagon cover me for driving my car as part of any voluntary work, and does this include voluntary driving as a Community First Responder?

  Yes, Octagon Insurance will cover voluntary driving for no additional premium. You do not need Business Use provided that any payment for this driving does not exceed the HMRC mileage rates in force at the time. Subject to this, there is no requirement to notify us of this driving, as long as the annual mileage declared by you covers mileage for voluntary purposes. On the understanding that a Community First Responder answers calls under normal road conditions, and does not have the authority to drive under emergency conditions, Octagon Insurance will cover this voluntary driving. We are also happy for medical equipment and oxygen to be carried in the insured vehicle in connection with this voluntary work.

• If I have maximum no-claim bonus and I buy a second car can I add my o claim bonus to both cars?

  No. Your no claim bonus (NCB) can be applied on one policy only.

• If I leave my keys in the car am I covered on my car insurance?

  No. You should take all reasonable steps to ensure that your car is locked and secure to prevent theft. Failure to do so could invalidate any claim you have.

• How do I renew my policy?

  We’ll send you a reminder before your current policy expires. This will explain what you need to do to renew your car insurance with Octagon for another year. If you have purchased your policy using our recommended payment plan provider, we’ll renew your cover automatically, unless you tell us not to.
  
  If you don’t receive a reminder, or you need to change your policy before you renew it, call our renewals team on 0844 561 4605
  Mon -Thurs 9am – 7pm
  Fri 9am – 6pm
  Sat 9am – 4pm

• Where can I view the policy documents?

  You can view the policy documents applicable to your purchase on the Car Policy Documents page.

• Are my details secure over the Internet?

  We use industry standard Secure Socket Layer (SSL) 128 bit encryption technology to keep your personal information as secure as possible.

• Are my children’s seats covered in the event of an accident?

  If you have comperhensive cover and you have children’s car seats fitted, if your car is involved in an accident or damaged as a result of fire or theft, we will pay up to £250 (after the deduction of any excess) towards the cost of replacing them.

• How can i cancel my car insurance policy?

  For full details about how you may cancel your car insurance, please review your Car policy documents.