no-reply@drivetech.co.uk
Date: 27 September 2017 at 04:31:49 BST
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Congratulations, you have completed your course
Dear xxxxxxxxxxxx
Congratulations and thank you for completing your driver awareness course with DriveTech!
As a result, we will notify the Police of your successful completion, so you don’t have to take any further action.
Please note: When applying for car insurance, insurers may ask if you have any motoring convictions or prosecutions. As neither of these apply to drivers who have attended a driver awareness course, the Financial Ombudsman has confirmed that drivers attending a course can honestly answer ‘No’ to this question. However, if an insurer asks specifically about attendance of a driver awareness course, then drivers must provide this information on the application form or at any other time during the lifetime of the insurance policy, typically at renewal. Failure to do so may invalidate the insurance. Please read your insurer’s terms and conditions.
Customer satisfaction is important to us so we can improve our training provision and booking processes. Please take a few moments to share your views with us; it’s completely anonymous and your feedback will only be used for internal improvement within DriveTech.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/DTdel
Thanks
DriveTech
DriveTech (UK) Limited. Registered Office: Fanum House, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4EA. Registered in England and Wales number: 03636328. VAT registration no. 188 0311 10.
DriveTech (UK) Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of AA Corporation Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (Reg. Number: 03797747)This electronic message contains information from DriveTech (UK) Limited which may be privileged or confidential. The information is intended to be for the use of the individual(s) or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this e-mail immediately. The contents of this e-mail must not be disclosed or copied without the sender’s consent. The statements and opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the company. The company does not take any responsibility for the views of the author.
COMMENT
I think this advice is dangerously misleading, regardless of the opinion of the Financial Ombudsman (why him, not lawyers?) because all or almost all policies surely include in the fine print the requirement a catch-all clause that they be informed of any factor which might be relevant. So “if an insurer asks specifically about attendance of a driver awareness course” is less than the full truth.
When I first took out car insurance in 1961 my father, who was an accountant and insurance agent as well as a solicitor, warned me in very clear terms that I must never mislead an insurance company, whether by direct untruths or my omission because, as he put it, every policy includes in its fine print enough to allow them to refuse to pay out any time they like – they pay out on most claims only because they have to do so to stay in business, but if you mislead them you are at grave risk of losing your license, being heavily fined or being wiped out by damages in the event of a crash.
Also, I do not believe that it is good enough to inform them only at renewal time, up to 12 months after the course, it should be done promptly.
I believe the AA Drivetech comments are misleading, unscrupulous and dangerous, including by putting others at risk of being hit by drivers who think they are insured but who are not
Lawyers’ comments please?
Idris