WOF expired. Insurance still covered?

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nakedmolerat

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#112970 30-Dec-2012 14:11

I have a small car that is used to drive around town. I just realized that the WOF expired on the 29/12 (yesterday). No workshop/vtnz open today to do WOF. Is it still OK to drive around? What about insurance?

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BDFL - Memuneh
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Geekzone

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#738594 30-Dec-2012 14:46

You are only allowed to drive it to the WOF centre or workshop for repairs needed for WOF Insurance is not covering it now until WOF is done.

gzt

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#738597 30-Dec-2012 15:17

No idea. I was random stopped at a check point one time with a week out WOF. Didn't know. Thought they were going to write me a ticket but they said nah we give one month grace most of the time. Drive on and get it sorted ASAP etc. Maybe that is particular to random stop checkpoints.

Seen some comment online that insurance is ok if the vehicle is up to WOF standard, even where the WOF is expired. No idea if that is true. In any case it might be a good time to read the fine print of your particular insurance policy if you are thinking of driving the vehicle.

riahon

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#738598 30-Dec-2012 15:20

I assume that the motto of an insurance company when they receive a claim is: "How can we decline this claim?"

keewee01

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#738605 30-Dec-2012 16:08

gzt: No idea. I was random stopped at a check point one time with a week out WOF. Didn't know. Thought they were going to write me a ticket but they said nah we give one month grace most of the time. Drive on and get it sorted ASAP etc. Maybe that is particular to random stop checkpoints.

Seen some comment online that insurance is ok if the vehicle is up to WOF standard, even where the WOF is expired. No idea if that is true. In any case it might be a good time to read the fine print of your particular insurance policy if you are thinking of driving the vehicle.

How long ago was that??

I'm pretty sure they use to be a lot more lenient than they are now. I think there is little to no tolerance on WOF expiry these days.

As for the question of insurance coverage - you can be sure that most insurance companies will try to use it as a "Get out of Jail Free" card for themselves. If you admitted to freely driving around on an expired WOF they'd not take much sympathy, but if it was on the way to get a WOF then that would be another story.

nathan

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#738608 30-Dec-2012 16:16

if you needed to claim because of an accident, and the accident cause had nothing to do with you not having a WOF I think you'd have a pretty reasonable chance of being covered

maybe there is a WOF garage open tomorrow Monday

gzt

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#738609 30-Dec-2012 16:19

Around last February or Xmas holiday period.

AKLWestie

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#738633 30-Dec-2012 17:44

If you don't have a valid WOF, insurance company could decline your claim.

Tomorrow (Monday 31st Dec) is not a public holiday, so VTNZ should be open. Why don't you get a WOF then?

By the way, where are you located?

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Batman

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#738664 30-Dec-2012 18:55

Short answer no.

Long answer no.

Insurance claims manager job is to not lose his boss too much money ... Of course he can pay out every one ... But he doesn't have to if your car is not street legal

sleemanj

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#738707 30-Dec-2012 20:58

Short answer YES you are covered.

Long answer YES you are covered because the law says you are.

Insurance Law Reform Act 1977 Section 11

"the insured shall not be disentitled to be indemnified by the insurer by reason only of such provisions of the contract of insurance if the insured proves on the balance of probability that the loss in respect of which the insured seeks to be indemnified was not caused or contributed to by the happening of such events or the existence of such circumstances."

The existance or non-existance of a current sticky label on your window screen does neither cause nor contribute to the reason for a claim.

That is to say, it works both ways, if you have bald tyres and crash because of those bald tyres, your insurance will not pay you if you had a WoF or not. While if somebody side-swipes you at the lights, your insurance will pay regardless of if you had a WoF or not (or indeed bald tyres or not), because that did not cause nor contribute to you getting side swiped.

Same goes for vehicle licencing (rego)

And the reason for this law being necessary, because without it insurance companies would gladly decline your granny a claim because she forgot to do her WoF last week.

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sleemanj

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#738708 30-Dec-2012 20:58

freitasm: WOF Insurance is not covering it now until WOF is done.

AKLWestie: If you don't have a valid WOF, insurance company could decline your claim.

joker97: Short answer no.

Long answer no.

Wrong.

riahon: "How can we decline this claim?"

You betcha, but they are bound by the Insurance Law Reform Act in the ways in which they are allowed to decline the claim.

gzt: Seen some comment online that insurance is ok if the vehicle is up to WOF standard, even where the WOF is expired.

Correct! Gold star.

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James Sleeman
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richms

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#738710 30-Dec-2012 21:00

lack of wof is not enough to decline a claim. not beong to wof standards where the lapse was a direct cause of the crash is. some insurance law from the 70s prevents declined claims for unrelated lapses like that.

Richard rich.ms

richms

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#738712 30-Dec-2012 21:15

damn. takes so long typing on the phone that 2 others beat me

Richard rich.ms

nakedmolerat

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#738713 30-Dec-2012 21:18

Thanks for the reply everyone. That is useful to know.

I will use the car tonight then. I am a bit lazy to use a big car when driving in town.

gzt

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#738715 30-Dec-2012 21:22

sleemanj: Insurance Law Reform Act 1977 Section 11

"the insured shall not be disentitled to be indemnified by the insurer by reason only of such provisions of the contract of insurance if the insured proves on the balance of probability that the loss in respect of which the insured seeks to be indemnified was not caused or contributed to by the happening of such events or the existence of such circumstances."

Something tells me this is different in the USA. At times like these I'm glad we live a in a relatively civilised country. Better pray there is nothing in the TPPA about this 'issue' ; ).

TheUngeek

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#738716 30-Dec-2012 21:25

USA does not have a WOF system

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