When you buy a vehicle insurance plan, you get some papers in exchange of the money paid. These are known as the policy documents and they state that the cover is issued to your car for the stipulated policy period.
If you buy a policy offline, these policies might be given to you by an agent or they may arrive at your registered address through post. If you have purchased a policy online, you can download the policy from your account or get it in your registered email id.
These papers are essential documents that you need to keep very safely. However, under some unfortunate circumstances, you may end up losing these documents. What should you do in such a situation? Read on to get the answer.
Steps to follow after you lose vehicle insurance policy documents purchased via offline method
- Inform the insurer – You need to be proactive at such a time and act fast. First and foremost, you need to inform your insurance provider about the loss of the car insurance documents. You can call the customer service helpline and inform them. Or you can send an email. The insurer will issue you a replacement certificate in the meantime, which you can use till the new papers are issued.
- Don’t drive – Don’t drive your vehicle till you get a replacement of your lost policy documents and you do not have photocopies of the same. You will need some form of proof to show that the vehicle is insured. Your insurance provider will send the duplicate documents soon, but till then arrange for a different mode of transportation as it is illegal to drive without a car insurance policy.
- Listen to your insurer – Different insurance companies might have different rules when it comes to getting your policy documents retrieved. So, speak to your insurance provider and understand their process carefully. Follow the instructions given and get a new set of car insurance policy documents issued.
- Stay calm – While completing the steps, remember to stay calm. Don’t panic when you lose the papers. So just be methodical and you won’t face problems.
Steps to follow after you lose vehicle insurance policy documents purchased via online method
First of all, the policy might be in your email inbox since the process opted is an online one. If that’s not the case, then the policy shall be stored in your account on the online insurer’s website. If you are unable to find the policy, simply call or email your insurance provider, share details asked by them and they shall send you your car insurance policy instantly. Refrain from driving your car till the time you have substantial proof that your vehicle is insured.
Go digital
It is not uncommon for people to lose their car insurance documents. The physical papers get lost at times. What is the solution? Well, it is simple – just opt for online motor insurance. You can buy a new plan online or go in for an online car insurance renewal. When you have a digital car insurance plan, you don’t have to worry about the physical copies of the documents as everything is available online.
Online car insurance renewal has several benefits – one of it is that it allows you to do a car insurance comparison easily before you get a cover. Online car insurance comparison helps you to find the best plan at the best rate and that too in a quick and convenient manner. So do remember to explore the wonderful world of online insurance and car insurance comparison before you purchase your next plan.
The final word
Don’t hit the panic button when you find your car insurance documents to be missing. Keep the points mentioned above in mind and follow the steps. Once that is done, your new policy documents will be issued to you. Also remember to go digital if you had chosen the offline process, as that minimizes the paperwork and makes the entire process a lot simpler for you.