Dublin: Insurance company 123.ie has announced it will amend a statement on its website to say it will not insure drivers of vehicles without a valid NCT certificate.
As of this weekend - 123.ie announced on its website. Customers should carry a valid NCT certificate for their car if they want to take a new policy with the company. The company warned customers involved in an accident caused by a mechanical failure that would have occurred during an NCT test, "which may affect the payment of any claim.
Now the 123.ie website says:
In response to the delays in the National Car Testing Service, 123.ie is following a pragmatic approach for affected customers in line with the support measures the company has taken. Customers should be assured that 123.ie will not refuse cover on the basis of delayed NCT. In case of a claim where a customer is waiting for NCT, this delay will not be a factor in accepting their claim. It remains a requirement for customers to maintain the roadworthiness of the vehicle and is an important factor in assessing the claim. In addition, 123.ie has taken other measures, including allowing customers a longer time frame to submit NCT certificates when taking out a policy or renewing a policy.
123.ie said the NCT remains a requirement for customers to keep a vehicle on the road, which is a key factor in assessing a claim, and that "some text on its website is out of date and will be updated to reflect existing practices to try to minimize the impact of NCT delays on customers."
Drivers who are unable to obtain a valid NCT certificate due to long delays at testing centers and current customers who have recently purchased a car without a valid NCT should "contact the insurance company to see if they can offer you cover until you receive the NCT. The insurance company said it will amend its consumer guidance on NCT."
Member Insurance Ireland, the owners of 123.ie, stated that "[its members] will continue to provide cover in the event that customers do not receive their NCT through no fault of their own. 123.ie must reassure customers that they will not refuse cover based on a delayed NCT due to backlogs at exam centres. It said: "A customer In case of a claim pending for an NCT, this delay will not be a factor in accepting their claim.
Will backlogs at NCT exam centers affect my car insurance?
Insurance Ireland has stated that its members will be pragmatic and understanding in their approach to the current delays in the National Car Testing Service (NCTS). Cover will continue to be provided in the event that customers are unable to get an NCT appointment through no fault of their own.
Motor insurance and road traffic legislation require motorists to keep their vehicles in a roadworthy condition at all times, and this continues to be the case. In the current scenario, if motorists make every effort to book appointments normally, insurance companies will recognize that the current problem is not the customer's fault.
