I am hoping people with direct knowledge of the auto insurance industry will reply.
Short version: My daughter had a learner’s permit ten years ago, but never got a license and never attempted to drive after driver’s ed course. No adverse driving history. Despite being notified she was not getting a license, company kept her on the policy for these ten years, saying it didn’t affect premiums anyways. Now when they have finally removed her, I find my premium went down $300. Of course a refund for prior unnecessary coverage is not possible…
Long version:
I have had coverage with the same major carrier for about 20 years.
About ten years ago, I had a daughter get her learner’s permit. I notified the company.
After taking her high school driver’s ed course ten years ago, we decided she was not capable of driving. (She is very mildly disabled.) She never even attempted the exam. She never had an accident or an interaction with the police while she was practicing.
She never drove after that driver’s ed course. She still resides with me.
The next year when our premium bill came, she was still listed on the policy. I do not remember if I had notified our agent before that, but as she wasn’t driving, I called and let them know that she wasn’t getting a license and would not be driving, please take her off of the policy. They said they would take care of it.
Next year after that, she was still listed. Called the agent, was told something along the lines of “We’ll notify the company, but it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t affect the premiums.” I remember very distinctly asking about the premiums, and thought it strange that a third driver in the house didn’t affect premiums, but I also assume people are not giving me incorrect information, so I took it at face value. I let it slide for a few years, as I had been told it wasn’t costing me money unnecessarily and that is all I cared about regarding whether she was listed on the policy or not.
About five years ago, the insurance company wanted to clarify her status, and I provided the same info: She had a learner’s permit in high school, couldn’t drive, doesn’t drive, still resides with me.
They kept her on the policy. Based on what I had been told over the years, I figured it didn’t matter and let it slide.
This year, the insurance company wanted to terminate the policy because we have an unlicensed driver. What??? Go back and forth over the same info with my agent, they go back and forth with the company, company finally takes her off policy and my premium drops $300.
I asked about a refund for prior years since I had been saying she wasn’t a driver for ten years all along, and was told so sorry, no can do, they “don’t go back.” It’s a forward looking business, I guess.
Is this handling of someone who once had a learner’s permit but doesn’t drive and doesn’t have a license somehow standard/normal insurance practice? I paid well over a thousand dollars for nothing, all the while having been told I wasn’t paying for it when I actually was.
Here’s a bigger question: I plan on contacting my state’s consumer complaint department for the department of insurance. Does that carry a risk of somehow getting me blackballed by other auto insurance companies? I will arrange new insurance before filing a complaint, but I want to know if filing a complaint against the old company will likely get me dropped/nonrenewed/terminated by the new company before I do so.