Making a car insurance claim? Beware bogus insurers

If you have car insurance, do you know the difference between a real ad and a fake ad online? Especially if you’re looking to make a claim?

If you need to make a car insurance claim after a road accident, then be careful to contact your insurance company and not get taken in by claims firms posing as legitimate insurers.

These firms pay for ads so that they appear at the top of Google searches, or in some cases have legitimate-looking web pages that may appear when you search for your insurer’s name and claims details.

It can be really easy to be fooled into contacting the wrong firm, particularly after the stress of a road incident. In many cases, customers who contact these firms are led to believe that they are talking directly to their insurance company.

Such businesses have, in the past, been accused of exaggerating claims that push up the costs of insurance for honest customers. They have also been accused of unscrupulous behaviour that has fuelled a compensation culture in the UK.   

How to ensure you speak to your insurer to make a claim

If you have been involved in a road accident, and want to make a claim, then it’s important that you contact your insurer directly. 

So, follow these simple steps to avoid unintentionally contacting a claims management firm:

• If you’re using a mobile device to find your insurance company’s claims contact number, start at their home page and follow the instructions for making a claim. 
  
  
• When you get through to somebody on the phone, check that they actually represent your insurer. 
• If in doubt, use the phone number provided on your insurance policy document – it can help to save this number to your phone contacts so you have it with you.

To make a car insurance claim with Rias, it’s quick to register your claim online .

If you need urgent assistance, please call Rias on 0345 125 6850, we are available 24/7 for emergencies.