Coronavirus: your car insurance questions answered

20^th March 2020 Last updated: 15th January 2020

Read the latest Government guidance on Coronavirus (COVID-19) here.

I'm having difficulty making my insurance payments, what shall I do?

We understand that things are difficult at the moment due to work uncertainties, so if you are unable to make your normal insurance payments or you're having financial difficulties due to Coronavirus, we may be able to help. Please call us on 0330 678 0652 and we can discuss the different options we have in place to help right now.

Can I still arrange to get my black box fitted?

We are fitting boxes using extra precautions and safe social distancing measures. We will continue to monitor this in line with Government advice to make sure our fitting process can still run smoothly and contact free.

As having a box in your car is a condition of your insurance, our team will be in contact with you to arrange your box fitting.

We know this is a worrying time but please be reassured your insurance will continue to run as normal during this time.

What happens if an engineer isn't available in my area?

While we’re working hard to cover all fitting appointments, there are some areas where we may not have an engineer available right now. As soon as we do, we’ll be in touch so you can book your fitting.

Having a box in your car is a condition of your insurance, so once our team have contacted you about an available booking slot in your area, please book this as soon as possible.

Don't worry - your insurance will continue to run as normal in the meantime.

What extra safety measures will the engineer take during my fitting?

When the engineer arrives:

• Our engineer will give you a call to let you know he’s outside and will ask you to leave your car keys and your documents in a carrier bag on your doorstep.
• They will check your documents and carry out checks on your car before and after the fitting. If there are any issues they will call to let you know.
• To keep everyone safe our engineer will be wearing a mask and protective gloves and will wipe down your car, documents and keys with anti-bacterial wipes before returning them.

When the engineer leaves:

• Our engineer will put the keys and any documents back in the bag on your doorstep or through your letter box and call you to let you know the fitting is complete.
• To avoid having to touch our signature touchpad devices, our engineer will update the records to show you were not present during the fitting.

Will my black box stop working if I'm not driving currently?

Your black box will continue to stay activated in your car, however if the car isn't going to be driven for an extended period of time, it’s a good idea to turn the ignition on every now and then - just so the box is still getting some charge.

Will there be reduced customer service hours during this time?

We will be doing our best to maintain normal levels of service and our call centres and customer service teams will still be available to help.

Our call centre opening hours will be the same Mon-Fri but will change to 9am-1pm on Sat. We are constantly monitoring our staffing levels and will review this as the situation changes. To help us keep call waiting times low and to make sure everyone is getting the customer service support they need, please do not call if your query is not urgent.

You can still get in touch with us via email and social media should you need.

Should I be driving at all during the pandemic?

The Government's message is that you shouldn’t leave your home unless absolutely necessary. Should you need to drive on an essential trip you must make sure you are continuing to take all the necessary precautions.

You should not be driving with passengers from another household unless they are in your support bubble.

If you do need to go out and use your car, make sure you wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly (for at least 20 seconds) before you leave and when you get back home, to protect yourself and others.