You were so sure you’d sorted out your car insurance renewal. Yes, you’d opted out of automatic renewal. You knew it was your responsibility to renew your policy.
But you didn’t expect you’d forget all about it. After all, it was already on your to-do list. You’d promised yourself you’d get around to it.
But, it turns out, your car insurance ran out before you had a chance to renew it. You must’ve mixed up the dates. It happens.
You had some errands to run, so you parked your car on the street near the shops and left. Now you’re back and your car’s gone. It’s been impounded. And all because of a simple admin error on your part. Great.
And to make matters worse, you need valid insurance to get your car back. But most insurers can’t offer cover for an impounded vehicle. You’ll usually need specialist cover to get your car back. So what now?
How do I get my impounded car released?
You’ll most likely need to show certain documents to get your car released if it’s been impounded. These may include:
- A valid MOT certificate
- Your driver’s licence
- Proof of car ownership
- Proof of impounded car insurance
There are all sorts of reasons besides lack of insurance that might cause your car to be impounded. For example, your car might be untaxed, you might have parked illegally, or you might have been driving dangerously.
If you do have car insurance, it’s likely your standard insurance policy won’t cover your car’s release from the police compound.
The police require proof of car insurance that covers impounded cars, also known as impounded car insurance. This is a specialist product and it’s typically different from temporary car insurance policies and annual car insurance policies.
Can I use temporary car insurance to get my impounded car back?
Temporary car insurance providers will typically ask if your car has been impounded and simply won’t offer cover if this is the case. When choosing an insurance policy, it’s worth having in mind that the police are unlikely to release the car to you unless the policy explicitly states it covers impounded vehicles.
In short, no, you typically cannot use temporary car insurance policies to get your impounded car back. These products usually don’t offer the type of specialist cover the police require in these circumstances.
Here at Zixty, we understand that having your car impounded can be a stressful and inconvenient experience – especially if you believe you’re innocent, or have made an innocent mistake. But, like many other temporary car insurance providers, Zixty’s short-term car insurance doesn’t include impound release.
How do I get my impounded car back?
If your car has been impounded because it wasn’t insured and most car insurers refuse to offer you a policy, you might feel like you’re in a very expensive Catch-22 situation. Impound car storage fees can rack up quickly and you’ll generally pay less if you can get your car released within 24 hours.
Time is of the essence. Fortunately, there are options available to you.
For example, you could look into specialist car insurance which is designed specifically for impounded cars so that you can get your car released. This type of policy will usually need to last at least 30 days, however.
Alternatively, you could ring up your (former) car insurer and ask if they have any options for you. They may be able to offer a specialist impounded car insurance add-on if you purchase a policy through them. It might seem like a long shot but it’s worth checking.
How can Zixty’s temporary car insurance help me if my car has been impounded?
As is true of most short-term car insurance policies, Zixty short-term car insurance doesn’t cover impounded cars. Just because you can’t insure your impounded car through Zixty doesn’t mean our temporary car insurance can’t be of help anyway. We’re here to help when you’re in a pinch and when we can.
Here’s just one example.
Let’s say your car’s been impounded just a couple of hours before you’re meant to attend your dream job interview. Also, public transport sucks where you live.
What do you do? Call your future employer to reschedule? Tell them you can’t come because your car’s been impounded? Wouldn’t that be a brilliant first impression! Oh well, bummer. Guess you’ll have to give up on your dream career after all.
Not so fast! If you know someone nice enough to let you borrow their car for a few hours, you could still go to that interview and sort out your impounded car afterwards. And you might even make it on time.
But how? Zixty’s temporary car insurance policy, that’s how. Once you download our app, you could arrange a policy in minutes. Also, our cover can last anywhere between an hour to a few weeks.
That means you could be on the way to your interview in literal minutes if you have a car available. And, you only have to pay for the time you need the cover too. Oh, and because the whole thing can be arranged through our app, you don’t have to wait for ages on the phone to get through and speak to an agent. Win-win-win!
The benefits of Zixty’s temporary car insurance
If you need to borrow a car while you sort out insurance to get your own car back, you can do it with Zixty’s temporary car insurance policy.
Plus, there are lots of other reasons why you might want to consider a policy with us. For instance, did you know we carbon offset your journeys while you’re a customer with us if you enable our free Zixty Miles add-on? And we plant a tree as soon as you take out your policy too!
Basically, Zixty is where it’s at if you need temporary car insurance. And that’s true whether you’re borrowing a car, sharing the driving, or just need cover quickly.
