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Sumo
Please help a cyclist with no idea on how the frustrating car insurance industry works.
I've been offered some work for a popular London car club. I'm not an employee but will be a independent contractor (sole trader), so I've been advised I need to arrange my own insurance that will cover me to drive any of their fleet of vehicles. They are all bog standard Ford Focus, Polo's and the odd E-Golf, so nothing fast or exciting, and valued individually at less than £30k new approx. The cover the car club want is for liability up to £5,000,000 for loss, damage or harm, which is apparently a fairly standard number used in such policies.
I don't own my own car so have no need for any personal car insurance, the insurance is needed just for work purposes and nothing else. I will be moving numerous cars short distances, passing by local garages to fill up with fuel if necessary, but that's all it is, multiple short journeys, all within the M25.
I'm over 40, have a clean driving licence I've had for over 20 years, but I don't own a car, so have no no claims bonus. I have been using the car club in my previous job and have driven probably over 30,000 electronically recorded short car club miles in London over the last 5 years, and have never had an accident or acquired any points on my licence.
I've tried a few motor trade insurance sites with no luck. Staff can't seem to get their head around the fact I need some kind of driving insurance for work, but that I don't have my own vehicle. I've spent a few hours today getting nowhere, and am braced for a day of the same tomorrow.
In order to try and minimise tomorrow's pain and wasted time, has anyone got any experience in this kind of thing? Policies for external contractors to drive fleet cars belonging other companies must exist right? What are they called exactly and where can I get one? Any advice or companies I can call will be gratefully received, thanks.