I had a phone call yesterday from an insurance company. Someone has claimed that I was involved in an accident two weeks ago in Scotland. My car was quietly sitting in a multi storey car park in Peterborough at the time, and I was in the city centre.
I know that number plate cloning does go on, and I have come across innocent people having bundles of letters for infringement of the London congestion charge, for example.
The insurance company would not say what the car was, based on the matter they were looking into, although until a day or so ago this company was my insurer.
It's the first time I've had this happen to me. I wonder how common it is ?
{General question, so omitted your vehicle make from the header}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 13/10/2007 at 16:26
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It may be cloning but it could also just be a legitimate error, ie someone involved in an accident wrote a registration number down incorrectly or a clerk at the insurance company entered it incorrectly in their computer.
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Don't put up with any Data Protection Act twaddle either....e.g. they say they can't tell you anything because of the Data Protection Act.
The Act is designed to prevent information from computer records about an individual being disclosed to unauthorised people.
If you are that person, (and they think you are, because they've rung you) then they can disclose the information can't they, because after all you're the one they are trying to protect.. and you don't mind them disclosing it.
There will of course come a time when if you rationally tell them it wasn't you, they might well believe you're nothing to do with it, at which time you'll not be entitled to information that is pertinent to an individual..however, they can tell you other more general information...but again they often hide behind the Act.... normally through ignorance themselves.
I have had this a few times and consider it to be a modern 'get out' clause from companies who don't want to or can't be bothered to help you. I've won every time on this subject matter, but sometimes need to speak with a manager.
If in doubt Google the Act and gen up on it before the phone call.
Edited by Westpig on 13/10/2007 at 17:00
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Funnily enough had a similar meself few months ago.
Police officer phones my company to get details of me from cctv (private house) footage showing me apparently reversing down a narrow estate road and hitting something causing considerable damage so bad in fact that part of the 'tail lift' of my truck was left at the scene.
Now as i drive a car transporter and couldn't possibly fit in the road where it happened and i was 100 miles away and booked in and out by security at the car factory made not one jot of difference to the officer, he insisted that he had the evidence and would not listen to our 'guvnor' explaining to him that we only run car carriers and nothing else, and not one of our 300+ trucks has a tail lift anyway.
So a form arrives which i duly complete and in due course a letter arrives at my company (not to me of course) advising that they are not going to continue the case.(not you notice'sorry for the mistake but we've now got the real culprit').
Phew close shave that glad i got away with that one!!!
I'm very gald the officer wasn't investigating something complicated.
Just make sure youve got any evidence that can prove where you were to hand.
ttfn
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this happened a few years ago to me, a claim was made against me saying i had been in london,i rang my insurer they told me to ring the other insurer who sent the letter to me and tell them i was innocent and so was my car,i also had to put it in writing.
In your case i would make a formal complaint to the police so that you are definately seen as innocent and you would not want to be seen to perverting the course of justice by doing this,obviously i would want to have some way of proving that i wasnt there,in my case it would probably be down to something as simple as talking to my postman that morning or taking a timed delivery of car parts etc
hope you get it sorted
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Thanks for all the replies. I do have evidence of where I was, in that I drew out some cash from a machine in Peterborough and that the other named driver, my daughter, would be involved in collecting her children from school.
I'm not sure if the police would want to be interested in this, but I'll give them a call.
If anything develops, I'll post it here.
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Yup it does happen that incorrect VRM's are recorded by people involved in the tauma of the moment.
Where Police are involved at the outset from such a report then they have a course to follow and it does happen where people ARE involved then it is often claimed nothing to do with it when they had so, so pardon BIB's initial response.
There again it could be a 'cloned' vehicle so either yourself or the Insurance Company report it to Police so that a record can be made and perhaps throug ANPR, if was cloned, the culprit brought to book.
dvd
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OK - where do they get your phone number from ???
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Martin123, OP said that the insurance company that rang him was HIS insurance company at that time - so would have his number.
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The insurance company has a legitimate reason to get the name & address from DVLA via the registration number, then they just use directory enquiries to get the phone number, unless it's ex-directory.
In this case, as a ex-customer, the OP would still be in their database.
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This sort of thing really gets me going. I have driven on Britains roads for over 40 years with not even a parking ticket yet I know as soon as I fall foul of one of these speed cameras-inevitable I think-all that good behaviour will count for nothing just like Ceasar. I think if they accuse you wrongly you should be able to have a go back for deformation of character and anything else you can think of. It feels like they are deliberatly trying to get you for anything that will result in a fine.
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Calm down, Barney, "they're" not accusing at this stage but asking for information.
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Once received a letter from my Ins co asking why I hadn't informed them of an accident some months previously in which my vehicle was apparently involved.
Wrote back to them pointing out that on the date in question they were in fact insuring my previous vehicle!
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