Fronting Car Insurance "should I"??

[dp1987]

Ive posted in this section as i am a focus owner....

Im 24 now and got my first car last year at 23 which was a Focus 1.8 Zetec which was group 8 and cost me £1650 per year 3rd party fire and theft with me as the main driver/owner and my dad as the 2nd named. I then got a newer Focus at christmas which is a 1.6 on group 6 insurance which works out at £1300 a year for the same thing with the same company.

Now my insurance runs out in 6 weeks and i was thinking of upgrading to a 2.2 SRI Vectra or a 2.0 focus. Ive had quotes of around £1850 a year for both 3rd part fire and theft.

Now If i get one of these cars should i put the car in my dads name? and when i get my new insurance quotes in 6 weeks just have him as the main driver and me as the 2nd for occasional use?? as it will save hundreds and he would be classed as the owner anyway.

I know its somehow classed as fraud but would appreciate any advice from members on here as i know loads of people that do this and ive seen newspapers quoting that upto 65% of parents are "fronting" to lower there child's car insurance.

Ive read that its only considered fraud if im the owner of the car but dont put myself down as the main driver or if i put something stupid like im only using it at weekends and then crash it midweek on the way to work or something. If i put the car in my dads name and be truthful about using it midweek but say i wont be using it as much as my dad then were is the "fraud" in that??

And what i dont get is "How can the insurance company ever prove who drives it more? to determine the main driver" ?? Its not like im buying some boy racer SAXO with a fat exhaust and sound system that they would just know right away was the son's car rather than an old mans if it was crashed lol.

Would like to know peoples opinions on this please as im sick of seeing 18 year olds Fronting there insurance by mine driving "group 16 2.5 ST Focus's" and "Vxr Astra's" etc. If there getting away with it why shouldnt I??

[DanGull]

We had another thread on fronting recently - you may want to run a search for it.

Simply put - no, you shouldn't. If you want the more powerful/desirable car, then pay the extra premium.

A few extras to consider -

If you're the registered keeper, most insurance companies will not insure you as a main driver - easily checked as well.

How many cars are there in your dad's household? If it's two, then it's highly unlikely any insurer will let him be primary driver on a third.

[dp1987]

We had another thread on fronting recently - you may want to run a search for it.

Simply put - no, you shouldn't. If you want the more powerful/desirable car, then pay the extra premium.

A few extras to consider -

If you're the registered keeper, most insurance companies will not insure you as a main driver - easily checked as well.

How many cars are there in your dad's household? If it's two, then it's highly unlikely any insurer will let him be primary driver on a third.

Thanks for your advice.. sorry didnt see the other thread.

What do u mean if im the registered keeper they wont insure me?? ive been the registered keeper on my 2 cars with me as the main driver. In our household my dad has got his mondeo and thats it so this would be a 2nd car in his name if i do it that way.

I know alot of people say "No i shouldnt do it" but there is never a valid reason as to why not....How would they ever know??

[DanGull]

Sorry - brain not working - they often won't insure you as a named driver if you're the registered keeper, not main driver.

'How would they ever know?' is irrelevant. It's illegal, fraudulent and dishonest.

Your insurers may well ask why your dad needs to be insured as primary driver on two cars - especially if you actually live in the same household as him.

[APJ]

I know what you're going through mate.....i had to drive around in a lime green 'open air' 1.4 Polo for 2 years before my insurance dropped enough for me to get something better. Even the insurance on the Polo for my first year was ridiculas. Your insurance should drop a bit on ya next quote anyway but not if you get a 2.2 SRI Vectra cos you'll be taken to the cleaners by the insurance company. plus those 2.2 Vectra's havnt actually got that much torque and only do about 29mpg. id go for a 2.0 focus titanium (you can pick up a MK2 saloon with under 75k on it for under £4000, and they've got way more torque than a 2.2 Vectra).

[Pete80]

This should give you an idea, bit of text copied from here .....http://www.fancyacar.co.uk/car-insurance/fronting/

So what is car insurance fronting really?

Car insurance fronting is the tactic used by young and new drivers to reduce their insurance premiums. By allowing an experienced driver to become the main driver on their insurance policy, they significantly lower the premiums they will pay. Fronting has been made illegal now because it presents a much higher risk for the insurers than what they have quoted you for. To them, the main driver should be the one using the car most of the time and any additional drivers should be driving occasionally. It is on this basis and the fact that an experienced driver is less likely to be involved in an accident than a young driver that the premiums are considerably cheaper. Now if the young driver uses the car more than the main driver, it will be called fronting in car insurance terms and since it is associated with giving false information when getting a car insurance quote, it has been made illegal. Not many insurance companies will reject your application if you decide to do that though but if you ever make a claim to them afterwards, then they can reject your claim based on the grounds of car insurance fronting.