Can’t insure you, wrong postcode

David Whittaker couldn't get cover through Tesco Insurance for motor insurance because of OL4 postcode

A COUPLE were refused car insurance from a supermarket giant — because of their Oldham postcode.

David Whittaker was stunned when Tesco refused to even contemplate giving a quote because of their address on the edge of the Holts estate.

Mr Whittaker and his wife, of Covert Road, contacted Tesco by phone for a quote for their Hyundai Matrix family car after their previous insurers doubled their price.

With a no-claim bonus of more than eight years, no criminal record and no previous problems at their Covert Road home, the couple were expecting a competitive price.

At first they were told a new database was being installed and someone would get back to them, which happened later that day.

Mr Whittaker said: “She said she could not insure us because of our postcode. There was no explanation or apology. I said ‘well we won’t shop with you then’.

“It was just a shock. I was appalled and stunned. I can’t believe we have this big Tesco on Huddersfield Road and all these Tesco Expresses and you can spend your money at these stores but anything else and they shut the door on you. If the area was good enough for the store it’s good enough for car insurance.

“We live on the corner of Holts village and how many people on the estate and near-by must shop at Tesco? Will they say the same for them?

Lovely

“Where we live we have very few problems. There are lovely cars parked on the road. We certainly don’t have police raging up and down the road every two minutes.

“We are a decent family. They don’t know us and to be treated like that is absolutely shocking.

“We have got the confidence to shop around with other companies but what about people who haven’t? What upset me more than anything was I was thinking I have been refused insurance, if I contact another company and they ask have you been refused insurance I will have to say yes.”

But other insurers were happy to give quotes and the couple ended up getting their car insured by Endsleigh.

Earlier this year, Oldham was named the ninth riskiest place in the UK for motor thefts and the sixth riskiest place for motor accidents. Last year a poll revealed that Oldham had the highest car insurance premiums in the country.

A Tesco Bank spokeswoman did not give the reason for the refusal.

She said: “Tesco Car Insurance has very broad eligibility criteria and we are always looking at ways of how we can meet our customers’ needs. In common with all other car insurers we consider a wide range of factors in order to offer quotes to customers. Unfortunately, in this instance we were unable to provide a quotation.”