Cheap insurance for cars news
14/12/2009
Cut out the snail, certificates via e-mail
From April 2010 certificates of insurance for cars will be sent electronically to policy buyers who will be able to print them out immediately in the comfort of their own home or office.
The announcement to this effect came at the Association of British Insurers' motor conference when transport minister, Paul Clark, confirmed the impending innovation.
Insurance providers have lobbied for some time for electronic certificates and problems with the issuing of paper documents were recently highlighted during postal strikes. Many people who had bought their insurance for cars were left unable to get a new tax disc because their certificate was held up in the post, thus rendering their car untaxed and, to all intents and purposes, illegal.
A spokesperson for AA Insurance said, "There has been a lengthy consultation period [on the reform] but solutions have been found to most of the security difficulties involved. "It's an anachronism that in today's electronic world the certificate can only be delivered to a customer by post."
A spokesperson for duck2water, the cheap car insurance specialist, said, "Sending documents via e-mail will be yet another way to help make buying insurance for cars, quicker, simpler and hopefully cheaper."