Insurance company wants driving licence

[sandbach99]

My son had his house broken into whilst they were asleep, the thieves stole jewellery, mobiles and the keys to his car which they then stole as well.
This was some weeks ago and the insurance company has still not paid, the latest item they are requesting is a copy of his driving licence to prove he could drive!!!
He reluctant to send this as he fails to see whether or not he can drive is anything to do with having a car stolen.
He does hold a full clean licence which as everyone knows shows a lot of personnel details.
He has also been told that only the police can ask for a copy of a driving licence although he thinks this is incorrect.
Can anyone give a reason why the insurance company needs this and should he give it to them

[Toureman]

If the car was stolen surely the car insurance would pay out not the house contents insurance?

All the house insurance should pay out is the price of a set of car keys as they were part of the contents.

Car insurance companys and car hire companys ask for driving licence copys.

[ummmm]

Not always so. The car keys were in the house, which got broken into. If they didn't get into the house they wouldn't be able to steal the car etc. etc. I think it will fall on the buildings and contents. If he fas a full clean licence why doesn't he just produce it?

[Loosehead]

Are you saying that he is trying to claim for the car from his house insurance? If it's from his car insurance they usually ask for all documents so that they can use it a an excuse to welsh if they are not in order. Where as it is technically possible to insure a car without any license/tax/mot a motor insurer will insist on them. I can only assume they are veriifying that the docs are in order. The docs may be irrelevcant in this case but they will do there best to find a way of not paying, that's what they do! Good luck

[sandbach99]

He has no problem sending his licence if he could obtain a logical reason for the insurance company wanting it.
Anyone, without a driving licence, could buy a car leave it on their drive [insured,] and not move it.. If that car then got stolen no licence could be produced what then? OK This is a waste but could happen.
After the theft the police or someone else advised them about identity fraud because some documents in his partners handbag were taken. So now he is being careful who he gives details to, that's why he is reluctant to send it, the insurance company is probably 100% reliable but it only needs one person who isn't.
The annoying thing is that after his mobile was stolen it was used, his contract bill showed the number and the insurance company wasn't interested. The police checked and it was to an unregistered mobile but it would cost too much to check the whereabouts of this phone at the time
.

[Mrs_Pegasus]

You are stuck between a rock and hard place really. He wants the money but at the same time he doesnt want to send his driving licence in. Its his call and not the insurances really.

I personally see no problem with handing over my drivers licence to an insurance company, every day we are handing over ID to strangers i.e. debit/credit cards in shops.

They already have a great deal of information on him anyway i.e. name, DOB, address etc etc from when he took the insurance out. What other details are showing on his licence which they dont already know? That he can ride a moped?

[JudgeJ]

Your hypothetical scenario is not quite feasible, sandbach.

When applying for motor insurance the insurers ask something like �does everybody who is likely to drive under this policy hold a driving licence and is not disqualified from holding or obtaining such a licence?� They then go on to enquire about the driving record of the proposed driver(s).

If the proposer answers �no� to the first question then further questions will be asked to understand the circumstances. It is most unlikely that cover will be provided for anybody not holding a licence.

As loosehead says, they ask for these documents to check that the information given on the proposal is correct.

[kwd1954]

In all insurance cases (and I work for the biggest in the UK) any claim made allows the insurer to access the national claims database. Documents are required to verify information. If your son has a valid license, he has nothing to worry about and if I were him I would send a copy. Otherwise it justs increases the delay in any payout. I have seen numerous cases of fraud (and I'm not suggesting your son is fraudulent in any way) but insurers really have to verify everything nowadays. The quicker he responds, the quicker the payout. They will probably (if not already) ask for his registation document to prove his ownership as well. The theft will probably be lodged on his house contents insurance since the reason for the theft was the theft of keys in the first place.

[JudgeJ]

You should know, then, kwd1954, that a vehicle's registration document is not proof of ownership.

[sandbach99]

Thanks for your help he sees why they want it now, but it would have been nice if the insurance companies wrote requesting things rather than him ringing uo to see where his money is and being told 'will you please send this or that', seems like excuses all the time.
It is nearly 10 weeks since the theft and all he has had is a replacement pool cue as his was in the boot.
The car was a special edition VW Golf believed to be stolen to order, we're just thankful they didn't wake up. They had both fallen asleep watching TV and the patio doors [locked] were forced open and keys, handbag etc were stolen from the side of them. Police say it is a 'professional' gang known to have been in a nearby town that did it.