How to renew car insurance within and post the due date?

by Kanika Shelatkar Insurance Consultant

When you realise that you are nearing the expiry date of your four-wheeler insurance, you must get it renewed as soon as you can. The insurance companies today are customer-friendly that they call their clients to remind that their insurance renewal is due. They also ensure to get the insurance renewed in an easy and quick process without any hassle. In case you hold an expired policy, it is still manageable.

How to renew the policy within the due date?

You can easily renew your policy. Firstly, contact your insurer. If you are planning to change your insurance provider and seek to switch to a new company, then you need to contact the original insurer and follow the process of buying a new scheme. If you do not want to change the insurer, fill up the insurance renewal form by visiting their office or online. The insurance company often sends its agents home visit too with the insurance renewal form.

Fill the car insurance renewal form thoroughly. Enter the necessary details such as your vehicle number, policy number or cover number, engine number, etc. Jot down all the details without committing any error for avoiding confusion and editing later. At the time of verification, if there is any mismatch, you might need to go through the entire process again.

As you are done filling the form, make the payment through cash or cheque. Many insurance providers accept demand drafts too. In case of a change in the insurance company, the insurance provider will schedule an appointment for the inspection of your car. After verification, you get the renewed insurance papers within three to six weeks, if done offline.

How to renew car insurance after the due date?

The process for 4-wheeler insurance renewal is easy if the expiry date has not crossed. But the renewal process is slightly tighter and tedious if you have an expired document.

The moment you realise that you have expired plan, you must contact your insurer. If you have an expired policy, but you are still under the grace period, then you can renew your insurance without paying the penalty. The procedure is convenient as well. The grace period varies insurer to insurer and may or may not be offered.

If you are done with the grace period, the process is lengthy, and you would have to bear the penalty. You need to submit some essential documents, including RC of the car, previous insurance policy papers, past claim papers, etc. The claim documents are important as they determine if you are eligible for a No Claim Bonus or no.

After submitting all the essential documents, the car insurance company might send someone for the inspection. After all the approvals, your vehicle gets renewed.

Final words: In this busy life, it is not uncommon for people to miss important dates. Your car insurance policy renewal date may slip off your mind too. But as soon as you realise the same, it is crucial to begin the process so that your vehicle remains insured and there is no trouble later.