Hi everyone,
I need your advice and recommendations on a situation I’m dealing with. I know I made a mistake, but please hear me out.
I'm 28 years old, originally from an African country, and I moved to Ireland in January 2020. Before moving, I had never owned a car. In July 2022, I was finally able to afford a 2013 Audi A6. At the time, I had a learner’s permit and no driving experience in Ireland, even though I’d been driving since I was 14 back home. Insurance companies were quoting me extremely high prices, claiming the car was too expensive for a first-time driver. Since my income isn’t huge, I needed something more affordable.
I posted here (though I can't find the post now) asking for advice on how to get a reasonable insurance quote. Someone responded claiming to be an insurance broker (this is where I messed up). Desperate to get insurance, I tried to make sure it was legitimate.
I started communicating with this person, and he said he worked with insurers and could get me a policy. He mentioned that he’d “vouch” for me by saying I had prior driving experience in my home country. I was skeptical, but I told him to proceed with getting the insurance first so I could review it before paying. He was fine with that.
He took my details, got the policy, and even sent me the login details for the insurance provider’s official website, which I checked, and it all appeared legitimate. So, I paid him €650 for the insurance and €500 for the fee he charged. I asked if there would be any issues when renewing, and he assured me there wouldn’t be. A year later, the insurance company sent me a renewal package, and I paid what was required.
Fast forward to June 2024, a month before my second year on the insurance was due to expire. The insurance provider sent me a letter stating that my policy was voided (meaning I never had a valid policy with them) because incorrect information was provided during the application process. I was shocked and immediately called the company. The representative told me that, back in 2022, I had submitted a fake No Claims Certificate claiming I had five years of prior driving experience. I was stunned because I didn’t even know what a No Claims Certificate was, and I had no idea that it was part of the renewal package they sent me. It turns out the so-called broker had created a fake certificate to lower my quote.
I tried to resolve the issue, but they said they would never insure me again even if I never got into an accident or made any claims from them. Now, I’m trying to get a new policy, but no provider will take me on, and the brokers are quoting me outrageous prices of up to €8,000 per year! That’s way too high, especially considering I’m not driving a luxury car.
My car has been sitting idle, and I’m still making payments on it. What should I do? Should I write to the insurance provider to formally appeal their decision? I was ignorant and trusted the wrong person. If I were trying to commit fraud, why would I pay someone else to sabotage me?
Any advice on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated.
I need your advice and recommendations on a situation I’m dealing with. I know I made a mistake, but please hear me out.
I'm 28 years old, originally from an African country, and I moved to Ireland in January 2020. Before moving, I had never owned a car. In July 2022, I was finally able to afford a 2013 Audi A6. At the time, I had a learner’s permit and no driving experience in Ireland, even though I’d been driving since I was 14 back home. Insurance companies were quoting me extremely high prices, claiming the car was too expensive for a first-time driver. Since my income isn’t huge, I needed something more affordable.
I posted here (though I can't find the post now) asking for advice on how to get a reasonable insurance quote. Someone responded claiming to be an insurance broker (this is where I messed up). Desperate to get insurance, I tried to make sure it was legitimate.
I started communicating with this person, and he said he worked with insurers and could get me a policy. He mentioned that he’d “vouch” for me by saying I had prior driving experience in my home country. I was skeptical, but I told him to proceed with getting the insurance first so I could review it before paying. He was fine with that.
He took my details, got the policy, and even sent me the login details for the insurance provider’s official website, which I checked, and it all appeared legitimate. So, I paid him €650 for the insurance and €500 for the fee he charged. I asked if there would be any issues when renewing, and he assured me there wouldn’t be. A year later, the insurance company sent me a renewal package, and I paid what was required.
Fast forward to June 2024, a month before my second year on the insurance was due to expire. The insurance provider sent me a letter stating that my policy was voided (meaning I never had a valid policy with them) because incorrect information was provided during the application process. I was shocked and immediately called the company. The representative told me that, back in 2022, I had submitted a fake No Claims Certificate claiming I had five years of prior driving experience. I was stunned because I didn’t even know what a No Claims Certificate was, and I had no idea that it was part of the renewal package they sent me. It turns out the so-called broker had created a fake certificate to lower my quote.
I tried to resolve the issue, but they said they would never insure me again even if I never got into an accident or made any claims from them. Now, I’m trying to get a new policy, but no provider will take me on, and the brokers are quoting me outrageous prices of up to €8,000 per year! That’s way too high, especially considering I’m not driving a luxury car.
My car has been sitting idle, and I’m still making payments on it. What should I do? Should I write to the insurance provider to formally appeal their decision? I was ignorant and trusted the wrong person. If I were trying to commit fraud, why would I pay someone else to sabotage me?
Any advice on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated.