Help centre

You can reset your password by entering your email address and receiving a password reset email.

If you’ve entered your details and you're still unable to reset your password, it may be because:

• The details you entered when the account was created are different to your details now. This might be because the account holder's date of birth was entered incorrectly when you first registered on our website.
• Your email address has been used to create an account for another user. If a friend or family member have used your email address to open a Confused.com account before, you may need to enter their details to reset the password. Don’t worry – the details of both people will then be saved under the same account, so you won’t be deleting their quotes.

If you still can’t access your account, use our contact form and we can help you reset your password.

To unsubscribe from emails:

• Log in to your account
• In the 'Settings' section, select 'Edit Contact Preferences'
• Remove any communications you don’t want to receive. You can also re-subscribe if you’ve changed your mind and want to hear from us about the latest deals.

Alternatively, you can use our contact form and we'll remove you from our mailing lists.

To remove or add an address you'll need to log in to your account and go to 'Manage my data'.
Go to the “My addresses” section.

You can delete any of your addresses by selecting 'delete' next to the address you want to delete. You can add a new address by using the 'Add address' button.

If you want to delete your Confused.com account, then get in touch via our contact form. Make sure you include your full name, date of birth and postcode for Data Protection purposes, as without these details we can only unsubscribe you, we won’t be able to remove your account.

If you'd like to remove the link between your Confused.com and Facebook account:

• Visit Facebook
• Go to 'Settings' and then 'Apps'
• Find Confused.com in the list of apps that appear and use the X ('Remove') to delete the link

You can also select 'edit' to read more about Confused.com app's permissions to your Facebook account - what the app can do, what data it collects, and more. Then decide if you want to keep the link with your account.

If you buy your car, home or van insurance through Confused.com and we aren’t cheaper than your renewal price, we’ll give you the difference, plus £20! To be eligible to make a claim, you’ll need to have bought a like-for-like car insurance policy through Confused.com. Read more about how to claim for the beat your renewal guarantee.

This is because we match the questions asked by the insurance providers we compare.

We want you to find the best price possible. That's why we work with insurance companies to make sure the questions we ask match the questions they ask. If any of the information we send to them is incomplete or differs from what they expect, they may not show you a price.

You may notice that there are two versions of the title ‘Dr’ – one with Dr (male) and one Dr (female). We appreciate that Dr is a gender-neutral title. But some of the insurers we work with have systems that need gender details to get a quote.

It’s an outdated system, and we’re working with these insurers to change it.

This is also why we don't currently have a non-binary alternative such as Mx.

It’s an issue that runs across many companies in the financial sector. Insurers are starting to introduce this. But it's a slow process to bring everyone up to date to reflect today's society. You've a right to express your identity. And we understand that it can be frustrating to not be able to use a title that represents you.

Insurance companies used to use gender as a factor when working out insurance costs. In 2012, the EU Gender Directive put a stop to this.

Your gender doesn’t impact the price you pay. The only references to gender in our questions refer to:

• Your title
• A named driver’s relationship to the policyholder.

Again, this is so that the questions we ask are as close to the rest of the industry. Even the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) uses binary gender on driving licence codes.

We're working with our insurance partners to update their systems. When we're done, you can use your preferred title and still get our full comparison service.

In the meantime, select a title that’s the next best fit. This will ensure you're able to compare as many policies as possible.

To remove or edit any profiles you’ll need to log in to your account and go to 'Settings', 'Manage my data'. The first box shows your primary profile, but all of your saved profiles are saved in 'My profiles'.

To change your primary profile, find the profile of the person you want to have as the primary profile, and select 'Set as primary'. If you want somebody new to be the primary profile user, you’ll need to add them first by selecting 'Add profile'. Once you’ve added them, you can select 'Set as primary'.

To edit the details of a profile select 'Edit details'.

To delete a profile, select 'delete'. You won’t be able to delete all profiles, as your account will need to be linked to at least one profile. If you’d like to delete the primary profile, you’ll first need to make one of the other profiles the primary profile by selecting 'Set as primary'. You’ll now be able to delete your previous primary profile.

To add a new profile, use 'Add profile' in the 'My profiles' section. You’ll be asked for the details of the new person, and will also have the option to make this person the primary profile user.

If you’d like to close your Confused.com account completely, you’ll need to contact us via our contact form.

To remove or edit cars you’ll need to log in to your account and go to 'Settings'.

Go to the 'Manage my data' section. You can delete any of your cars by selecting 'delete' next to the car you want to delete. You can add a new car by selecting 'Add car'.

If you've got a quote and you're ready to buy your insurance, follow these steps:

• View your car insurance quotes. You'll need to be logged in to access your quotes.
• Select 'View all prices' on the quote you'd like to buy.
• Select 'More info' on the quote you want to buy.
• Select 'Go to provider'. On the provider's website you can check your details and buy. You can also phone the insurer if you'd prefer to buy that way.

You can find your recent quotes by logging in to your account or by going to 'My account' if you're already logged in.

In the quotes section of your account you should see a menu with the different insurance types listed.

Remember, your quotes can expire so you may need to select 'Show expired quotes' to see all of your quotes. You can refresh expired quotes by selecting 'Refresh prices', this means we'll resend your details to the insurance providers so you get an updated price.

If you still can't retrieve your quotes, use our contact form and we can look into it for you.

Most insurers will send your policy documents digitally, so it's best to search for 'car insurance' in your email.

If the documents have been posted, they're normally sent the next working day and can take up to 7 days to arrive. If you haven't received your documents within 7 days, contact your insurer and they should be able to resend them.

If your registration isn’t recognised, or your car’s details come up incorrectly, select 'I don't know registration'. You can then enter the information manually.

If you and your partner permanently live together, then you would need to select ‘Living with partner/common law’ as your marital status. This tells insurers that while you aren’t married, you have a permanent living arrangement and partnership.

If you can’t find your exact job title when you're getting a quote, it could be listed under a similar description instead. For example, if you’re an IT manager, try entering ‘computer’ or ‘manager’ to see if another title is suitable.

If you’re worried that your choice doesn’t describe your job properly, don’t be. You’ll be able to confirm it with your insurer before you commit to buy.

If you’ve entered your car’s details correctly and you still can’t select your car, then unfortunately we can’t help you get a quote. Without knowing your exact car details, the prices we show you could be invalid.

Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer ‘any driver’ cover, as many insurers now only deal with named drivers and don’t offer this type of policy.

To learn more, read our guide on any driver insurance.

No, but they usually are. Generally, insurance policies are set up with the policyholder also being the main driver of the car.

It’s always advisable to contact the insurance provider you’re interested in before taking out cover. This way you can make them aware of the situation, and ensure you’re suitably protected.

Yes, you can get insurance in your name if you aren’t the owner of the car, so long as you note this on your policy. You should check the policy documents to make sure the driver has the right level of cover.

While applying for quotes on Confused.com, we ask 'Whose name is on the registration document?' and 'Who owns the car?' You can answer these as ‘Other driver’.

We need to know whether you’ve been declined insurance or had a policy cancelled by a provider, rather than doing so yourself.

If you’ve ever cancelled your insurance because you no longer need it, you can answer ‘no’ to this question.

When you're getting a quote, you'll have to select ‘Private leased' as the registered keeper. This is like a personal contract purchase (PCP), the only difference being the option to buy at the end of the contract.

If you’re unsure, you can contact your chosen insurer before you buy to discuss.

If your car’s kept in a garage overnight, it’s better protected and less likely to be stolen or damaged than cars parked in the street.

Where your vehicle is kept at night is one of the factors considered by your insurer when calculating your price. Stating that your car is always kept in the garage overnight could impact on a theft claim if your vehicle is left in the street overnight.

Yes. Whether you live in Jersey, Guernsey or Douglas, you can get a quote with us.

As we don’t administer policies at Confused.com, we can't answer this question. It's best to contact your chosen insurance provider to find out more.

Yes, it's possible to change insurance providers even if you have an ongoing accident claim.

If you wish to get an insurance policy with a new provider but you have an ongoing claim, you’ll need to note the claim when getting a quote. When entering the details of an accident claim, we'll ask you if the claim has been settled, and you can answer this as no.

You’ll need to enter the cost of the claim, even if it hasn’t been settled yet. If you don’t have the cost of the claim, check with your insurer to see if you can get an estimate.

Yes. All incidents and claims must be listed, whether or not you were deemed to be at fault or made a claim.

For more information, check out our guide on how to claim on your car insurance.

If a claim has been settled, it means that:

• The vehicles in the accident have been repaired
• Any injury claims have been paid or payment has been agreed in instalments
• Any damage to property has also been paid for

Until this time, the claim will be classed as being unsettled. If you’re unsure whether the claim has been settled, contact your insurer from the time of the claim to find out.

You should be able to find out the cost of a claim if you contact the insurer who dealt with it at the time. Details of previous claims may also be included in your renewal documents.

If you’re still unsure, you can enter an estimated value – but before buying you should inform your insurer that it’s an estimated value.

Insurers may offer you optional extras to add to your policy, such as breakdown cover or legal protection. If you choose to add any of these to your policy, the price may go up.

Your price can also increase if you change any of your details, such as your occupation or class of use. It’s therefore important that you check your policy details carefully to make sure it’s exactly as you entered it on Confused.com.

If you haven’t added any additional services and haven’t changed any of your details, please use our contact form to let us know which insurance provider you’re having this problem with. We can then look into it for you.

We hope that all our customers are happy with the quotes and the level of service offered by the insurance providers on our panel.

However, in the unlikely event that you wish to make a complaint about a quote or the service you’ve received from a particular provider, email details of the problem to complaints@confused.com. We’ll then investigate the issue for you.

When emailing us, make sure you include the name of the insurance provider. Also include your full name, date of birth and postcode. That way we can identify you and deal with your complaint more efficiently.

Some providers are only able to produce a certain number of quotes per customer. After the limit’s been reached, they’ll no longer be able to give quote online.

Unfortunately, this does mean that you’ll need to contact them directly by phone to get more quotes.

However, you could still give them a quote reference number you’ve previously had from our site. You can then choose to buy a policy from one of your previous quotes over the phone.

If you've got a quote and you're ready to buy your insurance, follow these steps:

• View your home insurance quotes. You'll need to be logged in to access your quotes.
• Select 'View all prices'.
• Select 'More info' on the quote you want to buy.
• Select 'Go to provider'. On the provider's website you can check your details and buy. You can also phone the insurer if you'd prefer to buy that way.

Most insurers will send your policy documents digitally, so it's best to search for 'home insurance' in your email.

If the documents have been posted, they're normally sent the next working day and can take up to 7 days to arrive. If you haven't received your documents within 7 days, contact your insurer and they should be able to resend them.

If you're not sure who you're currently insured with, it's best to check your bank statements to see who you've been making payments to for your insurance.

We're unable to check who you're insured with as we're not an insurance provider.

Insurers may offer you optional extras to add to your policy, such as legal protection or home emergency cover. If you choose to add any of these to your policy, the price may go up.

Your price can also increase if you change any of your details, such as your occupation or excess amount. It’s important that you check your policy details carefully to make sure it’s exactly as you entered it on Confused.com.

If you haven’t added any additional services and haven’t changed any of your details, please use our contact form to let us know which insurance provider you’re having this problem with. We can then look into it for you.

It refers to any part of the tree. Insurers need to know whether there are any trees (trunks or branches) within 5 metres of your property. You can contact your preferred provider before you buy to discuss this further.

Potentially, yes.

You need to be keep your insurer up to date with any changes to your home that may impact the cover you have. Not doing so could invalidate your policy and leave you without a pay out if you claim.

For more information, read our guide on how to change your home insurance policy.

Usually not. Most home insurance policies don’t cover damage caused by pets as standard.

You need to inform your insurer of any changes to your building or contents which may impact on the cover you have.

Your contract with the insurer is based on the information you provided when you get a quote. Insurers use this information to judge the 'risk' involved. If your property changes, the 'risk' also changes.

If in doubt, ask your insurer. The time taken for a quick phone call could save any problems that arise in the event of a claim.

If you’re unsure of the type of alarm your property has, you can refer to your alarm’s manufacture guide, which will tell you the model. If your model isn’t available as an option on our form, select ‘Other alarm’. You can then call your preferred provider before buying to confirm the alarm type.

Here are a few definitions of acronyms shown on our website:

• NUD - Norwich Union Direct
• ACOSS - National Approval Council of Security Alarms
• SSAIB - Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board

If you’re working from home as a result of coronavirus, it won’t affect your home insurance policy.

Any work laptops or equipment should be covered under your employer’s liability insurance.

If you’re worried about any personal equipment getting damaged, check your contents policy to see your cover limits and exclusions.

Yes, flood insurance is usually covered in most home insurance policies but it’s worth checking the finer details with your provider.

The ABI (Association of British Insurers) launched the Flood Re. scheme in 2016, to help those living in flood risk areas find affordable home insurance. All home insurance providers in the UK pay into the scheme, with the money raised used to cover homes at risk of flooding.

If you have home emergency cover included in your home insurance policy, then yes. Cover for roof damage can be included as standard with some insurers but always check your policy details to be sure.

If you've got a quote and you're ready to buy your insurance, follow these steps:

• View your van insurance quotes. You'll need to be logged in to access your quotes.
• Select 'View all prices'.
• Select 'More info' on the quote you want to buy.
• Select 'Go to provider'. On the provider's website you can check your details and buy. You can also phone the insurer if you'd prefer to buy that way.

Try checking your emails for any correspondence from insurance providers or your bank statements for direct debits. If you’re still unsure you can check with the Motor insurance database (MID). Enter your van's registration into their tool and it tells you if you’re insured or not.

To find out more, check out our guide on how to check if your van is insured.

What you pay for your insurance policy depends on a number of factors like:

• Your age
• Where you live
• Your driving history
• How much your van is worth
• Whether it has any modifications, like exhausts, body kits or alloys
• How powerful it is
• Whether it has any extra security systems

Yes. Most insurers allow you to transfer a no-claims bonus between different types of vehicle but it can only be used on one vehicle or insurance policy at any one time. Some insurers might also give you discounts for taking out a second policy with them. Check with your insurer first to find out if they offer a discount like that.

Insurers know younger van drivers tend to be less experienced than older drivers. They use historic claims data to find the groups of drivers more likely to have an accident and make a claim. Young drivers are one of these groups, so insurers adjust their insurance prices (usually higher) to cover the increased risk. Over time as you build up driving experience and NCB, your prices should start to come down. The type of van you drive can also affect how much you pay.

Yes. Many insurers offer multi-van insurance. Putting more than one van on the same policy can often be cheaper than insuring each one separately. We don't currently compare multi-van insurance but it's something we're hoping to offer in the future.

Yes you can. Some insurance companies offer multi bike insurance policies. This lets you put multiple motorbikes under a single policy. You could also get a discount on each motorbike you add to the policy.

Generally, yes. Most insurers let you add another named rider to your policy. To add another rider, you need to give the insurance company some information about their riding history, such as claims and convictions.

Adding a rider to your policy could see your insurance costs go up, as the bike will be on the road for longer, there’s a greater risk of making a claim.

You'd usually only get a brand-new replacement if your motorbike is written off when brand new or bought recently.

If your motorbike is older, you’re likely to get a payout from your insurer that reflects its current value, minus your policy excess.

Yes you can. You don’t normally need to get a dedicated insurance policy for the sidecar, though. Get in touch with your insurance company and tell them that you’ve fitted a sidecar to your motorbike. Give them the make, model and value of the sidecar and it should be covered under your policy.

If you have a self-built sidecar, you might need to look for specialist cover for it. Have a chat with your insurance company and see what cover they offer.

Yes, with the right insurance. Before you go abroad with your bike you should check to see:

• If your existing policy covers you
• How long you’re covered for
• Which countries you’re insured to ride in
• If your level of cover is the same as when you’re abroad
• If you’re travelling in the EU and have a photocard licence, you don’t need to get an international driving permit or a green card

Some insurers let you carry your car's no-claims bonus over to your motorbike policy, but many won't. If in doubt, check with your insurer before you commit to buying a policy.

You can only use your car no-claims on one vehicle at a time. So, if your no-claims bonus is currently on your car, you can’t use it on your motorbike.

Yes you can, though not all motorbike insurance companies offer cover for imported models. Imported motorbikes come in two types - parallel and grey.

Parallel imports come from within the EU, so should already meet minimum UK standards. These imports tend to be relatively easy to insure.

Grey imports come from outside the EU. They might not meet UK vehicle standards, so you might need to pay to modify them before you can ride. Grey imports tend to be more expensive to insure due to the need for specialist, imported parts.

Some comprehensive motorbike insurance policies cover you to ride other bikes – normally on a third-party-only basis. Make sure you check your insurance policy before riding someone else’s bike though.

If you need to borrow a friend’s bike for a short while, temporary motorbike insurance could be another solution. You can get comprehensive cover for a single day or a longer period.

Most insurance companies cover modifications that don’t affect performance under a standard policy.

If this is the case, your insurer should provide a list of modifications you don’t have to tell them about on their website. You must declare all other modifications to the insurer. This could make your insurance costs go up.

Generally, no. Most standard motorcycle insurance policies don’t cover you for punctures or damage to your wheels.

To avoid being stuck at the side of the road, you can get motorbike breakdown cover, which offers roadside assistance.

This is often called pillion cover. Whether you’re covered to carry passengers depends on the policy you buy. Most motorbike insurance policies don’t offer pillion cover as standard, so check the terms and conditions of your policy before carrying any passengers. You might be able to buy pillion cover as an add-on to your policy.

You should also check that your motorcycle licence allows you to carry passengers.

If you’re involved in an accident you should report it to your insurance company. There should be a phone number for their claims department on your policy documents or on the company’s website.

Make sure to pass on all the details you took from the scene of the accident to your insurer within 24 hours. For more information, check out our guide on how to claim on your motorbike insurance.

Motorbike licence grades are similar to driving licence categories that let you drive different vehicles, eg cars, buses and trucks.

Your motorbike licence lets you to ride certain kinds of bikes and engine sizes. You’ll likely see restrictions based on:

• Your age
• Your riding experience
• The power of the bike

You can read more on the GOV.UK website or check out our guide on getting your motorbike licence.

This depends on your insurer and how bad the write-off was. Write-offs are categorised in a similar way to cars and given a rating of A, B, S or N:

Categories A (scrap) and B (break) mean the motorcycle can't be put into circulation again. It’s unlikely the insurance company would let you buy it back, even for parts.

Categories S (structurally damaged, repairable) and N (non-structurally damaged, repairable) could be a bit more flexible. Insurers might let you buy back the whole motorbike, or just parts of it.

Get in touch with your insurance company and ask them about their policy regarding write-offs.

When you’re 16, you should be able to ride either a moped or a scooter with a maximum engine size of 50cc.

But before you can legally ride on the road, you need to have a provisional licence and complete a Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) course.

You’re legally required to display L-plates at all times when riding your scooter as long as you’ve got a provisional licence. If you’re caught riding without them, you risk getting points on your licence and a fine.

Normally, if your motorbike is declared a write-off, the payout you get should be at the motorbike’s current value, which takes depreciation into account.

Some motorbike insurance policies might offer an Agreed Value feature, particularly if you own a classic motorcycle. This means you’re not left out of pocket following an accident.

To get an agreed value, you might need to get an independent valuation of the motorbike, as well as provide photographs and receipts to the insurance company.

Most insurers will send your policy documents digitally, so it's best to search for 'travel insurance' in your email.

If the documents have been posted, they're normally sent the next working day and can take up to 7 days to arrive. If you haven't received your documents within 7 days, contact your insurer and they should be able to resend them.

Single-trip insurance covers you for as long as your trip lasts. As long as you enter the correct departure and return dates the policy lasts as long as you need it to.

If you're going for a long holiday, it might be worth looking into backpackers insurance.

Annual or multi-trip policies cover you for an entire year from the policy start date. They're designed for people that are often travelling or planning to go on multiple holidays over the next year.

They usually include things like cancellation cover, lost or stolen luggage cover and emergency medical treatment.

These policies are worthwhile if you’re a frequent traveller, and as policies usually cover domestic trips, you may be a more frequent traveller than you think.

Most annual or multi-trip policies will cover travel within the UK. But it’s always best to check the policy details carefully before you buy.

Many policies will cover you for up to 31 consecutive days. But each policy will differ, some are as short as 24 days and some cover up to 60 days.

Backpackers insurance extends cover for longer trips, so it’s well worth comparing these policies too.

It's a good idea to check the policy details before you buy your insurance.

Backpackers insurance is designed to cover you when travelling or for longer trips.

Many backpacker policies include cover for activities, such as scuba diving or bungee jumping. However, there may be age restrictions. It's always best to check the policy details carefully so you know which activites you're covered for.

Read more about backpackers insurance.

You'll only be covered if you choose to add cover for winter sports, this will usually come at an extra cost.

Find out more about ski travel insurance.

Yes. When you're getting a travel insurance quote, make sure you add winter sports cover to your policy. And before you buy it's best to check the policy details carefully to make sure the winter sport you'll be doing is covered.

Policies tend to include equipment cover, specialist medical cover, and some include cover for piste closure.

As long as you’re accompanied by a qualified guide or instructor, you should be covered.

But it's a good idea to check the policy details carefully before you buy your insurance.

Cruise travel insurance is designed to cover any issues you could face while on a cruise holiday. This often includes evacuations from the ship, missed connections, and medical emergencies at sea.

If you're going on a cruise, make sure you add this cover when you get a quote.

Usually, yes. To find out more and to get a quote, go to pre-existing medical travel insurance.

Any personal illness or medical condition that's known or existing before buying an insurance policy is considered a pre-existing medical condition.

You're required to tell your insurer about your health history, failure to do so could result in the insurer refusing to pay out if you were to claim. It can also lead to your policy being invalidated.

If you're unsure what's covered, you can check with your chosen insurer, they can advise you if you need to declare your medical condition or not.

To find out more and to get a quote, go to pre-existing medical travel insurance.

To be a UK resident your main home must be in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

As our panel of insurers are UK-based, we’re unable to offer cover for any customers who aren’t permanent UK residents.

Yes. You can return your policy schedule to the insurer within 14 days of you buying it.

On receipt of the schedule, your payment will be refunded in full provided you haven’t travelled and don’t plan to make a claim.

For peace of mind, it's best to double check the details of your policy with your chosen insurer before you buy.

Yes. All travel insurance prices you see on Confused.com include IPT at 20%.

When you make a claim, this is the amount you'll pay yourself. So if your claim is for £500, but your excess is £150, then you'll receive £350 of the claim from your insurer.

The amount of excess is likely to differ depending on your insurer and the type of claim.

When you compare travel insurance with us the excess for each policy is displayed clearly on the results page.

If your scheduled airline declares bankruptcy and your flight is cancelled, this will cover some of the related costs.

This applies for both inbound and outbound flights.

So if the money you’ve paid can neither be refunded by the airline, nor by other protection schemes such as ATOL, then this could be a useful safety net.

Most policies won't cover golf clubs as part of a standard policy. However, some insurers let you upgrade your policy to include golf clubs.

It's also worth checking to see if they’re covered under your home insurance policy.

Travel insurance for a business trips can include cover for missed connections, trip cancellation, and higher baggage cover.

They also usually cover golf clubs and other sports equipment as standard.

If you're looking to cover your business trip, make sure you add this cover when getting your quote.

To find and more and get a quote, go to business travel insurance.

If your policy includes canellation cover, it starts from the moment you buy and ends on your departure.

This is one of the great reasons to get your travel insurance as early as possible.

No. Any traveller over the age of 18 is classed as an adult and therefore cannot be included as a child on a family policy.

Any children over 18 will need to take out a separate policy.

No, we’re unable to compare cover for people that start their trip from outside of the UK. We're also unable to compare quotes to extend your current policy if it expires whilst you are away.

Telematics insurance is personalised car insurance that's based on your driving style. It's also known as black box insurance, pay per mile insurance, pay as you drive, and usage-based insurance (UBI).

Telematics policies can get you cheaper insurance. A device is fitted in your vehicle, and the way you drive is reported back to your insurer. The insurer rewards safe driving with cheaper insurance.

If you’d like to know more, check out our guide to telematics.

If you then drive within the rules set out by your insurer, there's a good chance you could save money.

Telematics policies often provide analysis and feedback on your driving, So even if you're not a 'good driver' to begin with, but learn from the analysis and improve, then the cost of your insurance could fall.

There's no guarantees. If you aren't considered to be a good driver, and don't learn from the analysis, then a standard insurance policy may be a cheaper option for you.

Your insurer will usually pay installation costs. There are also some policies that use a device that you can easily fit yourself.

You’re usually insured to drive immediately after buying a policy and you don’t need to wait to have the device installed. For peace of mind, it's best to check with your insurer before you drive.

No. So long as you’re legally old enough to drive, then you could have a telematics policy.

This differs between policies and insurers. Mobile phone apps, for example, usually contain a driving dashboard within the app.

Driving data from hard-install and plug-in telematics devices can usually be accessed when you log in to the dashboard on your insurer’s website.

There are five main data collection processes:

• Black box is a small device that’s hard-fitted into the car
• Telematics mobile app uses your phone’s GPS to monitor your driving
• Plug & Drive removable boxes connect to the 12volt socket (also known as the cigarette lighter)
• On-Board Device (OBD) - removable boxes that connect to the car’s OBD port (usually under the steering wheel)
• Factory fitted On-Board Devices are hard-install devices built into the car by the manufacturer

Your driving score reflects how safe a driver an insurer believes you are. It usually ranges from 0 to 100. The higher the score, the safer you’re perceived to be and the higher the discount you could receive on your insurance.

The driving score is based on many factors, but they often include:

• Your speed
• Your acceleration
• How you brake
• When you drive
• Where you drive

Your driving behaviour is monitored across a variety of journeys to give you an average score.

Most telematics insurance providers let you track your scores and feedback through a custom driving dashboard.

Telematics policies will often give you personalised advice on how you can become a better driver. This advice could be valuable to inexperienced drivers who're looking to drive more safely.

Another key safety benefit is the accident alert. Some telematics providers offer this, but not all.

Black boxes detect impact on your car and relay the information back to the insurer. If your insurer believes that you might have been injured in an accident – especially if the car’s in a remote location – it may call the emergency services on your behalf.

Drivers with consistently poor driving data may see price increases when they come to renew their policy.

This is at the insurer's discretion, so take a look at your policy details to see if this applies to you.

Your policy can also be cancelled for excessive poor driving, which could impact your ability to get an insurance quote in future.

Telematics devices use GPS to measure things like your:

• Max/average speed travelled
• Acceleration
• Braking
• Cornering
• Distance travelled
• Number of journeys
• Journey time
• Road type
• G-force (to detect any impact on your car)

Insurers aren’t interested in tracking your daily whereabouts. The data from telematics devices is used to paint a more accurate picture of you as a driver in order to give you a fairer price.

You can find out how your insurer will use your driving data in the T&Cs of your policy.

Manufacturers and insurers treat data privacy very seriously. Every effort is made to make sure devices and data are safe with thorough security protocols around firmware, encryption, updates and authentication.

While there can never be a guarantee of 100% security by any company, we’re confident in the security of our telematics partners.

Some insurers operate a curfew system, but you usually have the option to opt-out.

You might choose a curfew policy because you can get cheaper insurance. However, you then run the risk of a penalty if you have to drive at a time you’ve agreed not to.

Not yet. Research suggests that usage-based road tax may be coming in the future as the technology improves, and telematics devices become more of a standard feature in new vehicles. This could potentially benefit millions of lower-mileage drivers.

Your GPS data could be used in the event of a breakdown or emergency. This means that insurers can be alerted to a situation and can respond quickly.

This isn’t a widespread service, but is a standard feature of all new vehicles.

Telematics devices assess how you drive and look for trends in your driving style. Occasionally breaking the speed limit by a small amount shouldn’t affect your policy. Persistent speeding is likely to result in your insurance getting more expensive.

Dangerous speeds are treated much more seriously. In extreme cases where there’s a persistent pattern of excessive speeding, some insurers would consider cancelling your policy.

Depending on the insurer, you may get several warnings to improve your driving before this happens. Remember, telematics policies are aimed at safe drivers.

No. Insurers are not required to pass on evidence of motoring offences. But there may still be repercussions. You’re less likely to be considered low risk if you continually speed.

If you wish to lower the cost of your insurance by being considered a good driver, it’s best to stick to the speed limit.

If you have to brake hard every now and again, it’s unlikely to have a major impact on your driving score. Driving scores are based on several factors across a number of journeys to give a well-balanced view of your driving behaviour.

No, but bear in mind that older cars can become more expensive to insure as motoring technology and efficiency improves. Some insurers may also be reluctant to offer telematics devices to older cars.

If someone else drives the car, then that person's driving will be assessed, and count towards (or against) your driving score.

This is really no different from a regular insurance policy.

In the majority of cases, no. Most insurers offer prices based on you using a specific car.

Unless the box itself is factory-fitted, yes it does. Before the car changes hands, it’s up to you to arrange for the device to be uninstalled and returned.

The cost of uninstalling hard-install devices is usually covered by the company who installed the device, but you may need to cover the cost of postage. Check the T&Cs of your telematics policy for more information on this.

When you have a telematics box installed, you can agree to limit yourself to a set amount of annual miles. These are your base miles.

This depends on your insurer. In some cases, if you wish to exceed your policy miles, you can buy more. But with others, you should inform your insurer if you’re going to considerably exceed your limit and they'll amend the price of your insurance.

If you have a policy with a pay-as-you-go system, you may be charged automatically if you exceed your limit, but haven’t topped up in advance.

With some policies, you can use additional miles that you’ve built up. For example, you may have been awarded additional miles for good driving throughout the year.

Some insurers also have a rewards system, where you can build up extra miles by shopping with selected partners.

No. No insurer offers a refund of your base allocation of miles if you don’t use them up. And they don't roll over.

Miles accumulated in other ways may roll over into the next year, depending on your insurer. It’s always best to check your policy document first.

This depends on who is being insured. The price of extra miles is calculated in the same way as the overall price of your insurance.

Insurers tend not to offer money back if you go under your estimated mileage. If you drive less than the policy limit states, get in touch with your insurer to work out a more accurate estimate.

In the majority of cases, having a black box won’t interfere with the car’s warranty terms. However, for peace of mind, we recommend that you get in touch with your warranty provider.

Installing a telematics device is the equivalent of having a tracker in your car. If it were to be stolen, you’ll be able to tell exactly where it’s gone.

Advertising that you have a device on board could also deter potential thieves.

Your policy can be cancelled at any time but you may be subject to cancellation charges and/or admin fees as outlined in the T&Cs of your policy. Speak to your insurer for more information.

For more information please read our guide to making changes to your policy.

No. The box is sealed and tamper-proof.

If your insurer isn’t getting all of your driving data, then they can’t paint a complete picture of you as a driver.

Once you've bought a single annual car, home or van insurance policy through Confused.com:

• Log in to your Confused.com account
• Go to 'Rewards'. From here you can claim a reward or view and track existing rewards
• Choose your reward and fill out our claim form

We'll then verify your policy and email you your reward code. Remember, you'll need to claim a reward within 90 days of buying your insurance.

We’ll verify your claim, which usually takes 3 days but can take up to 14 working days.

Once we’ve verified your claim, we’ll send you an email containing a unique code which you’ll need to reveal within 30 days. When you reveal your code, there’ll be useful information about how to use your reward and when you need to use it by.

For the Shell Go+ reward, we’ll send you an email with a link to either log in or sign up to a Shell Go+ account. You’ll have 30 days to do this. You can then download the Shell Go+ app and your 2 x £10 rewards will be ready to use. Both rewards must be used within 60 days from the date they are applied to your Shell Go+ account.

To get your reward, you’ll need to have bought either a single annual car, van or home insurance policy (buildings and/or contents) through Confused.com.

Once you get your car, home or van insurance quote and have bought from your chosen insurer, you’ll have 90 days to claim your Reward.

Car finance is a credit agreement made between you and the lender which allows you to buy a car.

Car finance should be thought about in two stages:

• Choose the type of deal you want: personal loan, lease, hire purchase (HP) or personal contract purchase (PCP).
• Then choose the provider that offers the best deal for your needs.

Personal loan is one of the most common ways to finance your new car. You‘ll borrow money from your bank or building society. When you buy the car, you’ll have instant ownership.

Personal contract purchase (PCP) means you’ll pay a deposit (around 10%), then you’ll have fixed monthly payments. This is ideal if you’re flexible with what happens at the end of the agreement. The car will belong to the finance company during your contract, and you’ll only be paying off the depreciation. This is usually the preferred option for buying a new car as the monthly payments tend to be lower. However, once your contract comes to an end you’ll have three choices:

• Pay the remaining value of the car to keep it
• Exchange the car
• Return the car to the supplier

For more information take a look at our guide to PCP.

Hire purchase (HP) is similar to PCP. Hire purchase needs a deposit and fixed monthly payments. The car is owned by the HP company. You’ll only be hiring it until you’ve made the final payment, after which you'll own the car.

Take a look at our guide to hire purchase for more information.

Leasing means you’re renting, and therefore will never have any ownership of the car. Unlike PCP, you won’t have the option to buy the car at the end of the contract. However, every 2 to 3 years you’ll be able to change the car you’re driving. This is a good way to drive cars that you usually wouldn’t be able to afford to buy. Effectively the payments you make only cover the how much the car loses in value over time.

At Confused.com we’ll allow anyone to see if they’re able to get finance within minutes. You just need to give us some information, and we’ll allow lenders to carry out a soft credit search to see if they can offer you a good deal. This will not affect your credit rating.

Get a car finance quote.

If you have a poor credit history, you can still apply for car finance. The company will look at your personal circumstances, such as your employment status, age, income and loan size, alongside your credit history . You’ll then get your exact interest rates and payments.

Traditionally, car dealers will take your old car as part-exchange for the new one. But part-exchanging online is different. You’ll need to actually sell your car in order to use it as a deposit for your new car.

To apply for car finance at Confused.com, you’ll need to enter some personal details as well as your budget and/or the car you want. This takes less than three minutes, and lets our lenders perform a soft credit search for hire purchase deals and personal loans.

We'll then display the amount you’ll pay each month, the exact APR (the interest rate applied to your loan), and how much the total cost of the loan will be.

You'll have three options to choose from:

• If you choose an unsecured personal loan, this’ll be transferred to your bank account and you’ll be able to use it to buy your desired car.
• If you choose a hire purchase (HP) option, you’ll need to provide the details of the car and your approved dealer. The money will be transferred to the dealer and you’ll receive the deeds to the car when you collect it.
• If you choose a personal contract purchase (PCP), after you've given the details of the car you'd like, the dealers will give you a deposit and the amount you can borrow. This will depend on how much they think the car will be worth when you’re finished with it or how much the dealer predicts the car will lose in value. This will be paid in fixed monthly amounts.

This effectively means cancelling your car finance agreement early. Once you’ve paid 50% of the amount payable, legally you have the right to voluntarily terminate (VT) your car finance agreement. Each finance company will have different terms and conditions. But if you’ve kept up payments and paid a final agreed sum, you can give the car back and end your contract.

The car will have to be in a reasonable condition – if not, there may be some extra charges when you return it.

Read our guide to cancelling your car finance early.

Annual percentage rate (APR) is the interest rate applied to your loan. Essentially it’s the yearly cost of the money you borrow – you’ll pay this on top of the sum you applied for.

If you take out a long-term loan, the total amount payable will be more as you’ll be paying interest for a longer amount of time.

Representative APR is the figure companies use to advertise their rates. Once a credit check has been taken into consideration, the lender will decide whether you’re eligible for the representative rate or a different rate. By law only 51% of people are actually required to receive the advertised rate.

Exact APR is the amount that you actually end up paying following all of your information being checked.

We will only show your exact APR, so the price you will see is exactly what you’ll be paying, with no hidden extras.

No. Confused.com is the only UK website to show you instant pricing with your exact APR, as long as you’ve entered all of your information correctly. The amount you see on our prices page is the amount you’ll end up paying, with no hidden costs.

Our research found that the majority of the public find the representative APR system to be confusing – 67% of those surveyed feel this way.

We'll only show you the APR you have been approved for. What you see is what you pay.

A reputable dealer is a dealer who you can trust – they have a good customer base, and will be professional in manner. You get peace of mind when comparing car finance deals through Confused.com as we only work with reputable dealers.

A soft credit check will be a background search. Examples of these checks could be checking your own credit score, a background check, and pre-approved loan offers. None of these will affect your credit rating.

A hard credit check is used when you’re applying for a loan or credit card. These searches will show up on your credit profile and may affect your score, although in many cases only temporarily.

Each lender is different. Some of our lenders can get you the funds within 2 days. However, it’s usual for the money to come through in about 3 to 5 days.

It will almost always be cheaper to buy a car with cash, and you should always make sure you add on your APR (the interest rate applied to your loan) when working out the cost of a car finance deal.

There are no hidden extras on our website - what you see will be what you’re paying. However, if you go over your mileage limits or cause damage to the car and choose not buy it, you'll have extra costs at the end of your agreement to cover the extra depreciation of the car.

A guarantor loan is similar to an unsecured personal loan. The one difference is that the borrower is guaranteed by another person – the guarantor.

The guarantor effectively sponsors the loan by acting as backup to the borrower – in that they’ll step in to repay the loan if the borrower can’t.

A guarantor loan offers a solution to customers who have poor credit history, or haven’t yet got a credit history to speak of. They’re popular for borrowers who might have been turned down by traditional banks and lenders.

By repaying a guarantor loan on time, you’re able to improve your credit score. This is because you can prove you're able to pay off a loan.

Almost anyone can act as your guarantor, as long as they aren’t financially linked to you (like a spouse). A guarantor could be a family member, friend or even colleague.

For your guarantor to be accepted, they’ll usually need to be aged between 18-75 with good credit history. Checks on your guarantor are usually identical to normal credit checks – they’ll need to provide bank statements, bank details and proof of ID.

The cheapest option is usually a personal loan. There's no end of agreement charges for any damages or going over your agreed mileage, and the car is yours from right at the start of the agreement.

If you'd like to know more about loans, our guide on unsecured loans vs secured loans may be able to help.

Yes. When you search for car finance with Confused.com enter the registration number of the car you’re looking at, then you can compare quotes from our list of top UK dealers.

You can find lots of information on our car finance pages to make sure you're clued up before you make a decision:

• Car finance
• Personal contract purchase (PCP)
• Hire purchase (HP)
• Bad credit finance

We'll also show all the options available to you when you get a car finance quote.

Finance is a great way to work out what you can afford and pay a fixed rate each month - unlike mortgage and credit card products, the rate isn’t variable.

This option gives people with a stretched income more options. By making our comparison tool as quick and easy to use with the actual amount you will be paying onsite, the customer will know instantly if they can afford the repayments.

You can easily sell your car with Motorway, our partner. All you need to do is enter a few details about you and your car and you’ll be able to compare a wide range of car buyers and pick your best deal.

All you need to do to sell your car with our partner Motorway is enter your:

• Car’s reg
• Car's mileage
• Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Postcode

Once you’ve selected the offer that’s right for you, and a car buyer has agreed a sale, they'll pick up your vehicle or you can drive it to a drop-off point. You will need your V5C registration document and some ID ready on the day of sale. If you don’t have a V5C, you can apply for a new one from gov.co.uk. Some buyers also require your MOT certificate and your service/handbook.

With most of the car buyers who work with our car-selling partner Motorway, the online price that you’ll see depends on the information that you give them about your car. This price is not guaranteed and buyers will need to see photos or carry out an inspection to confirm a final offer.

Most customers will be able to get offers on their car from our car-selling partner Motorway, no matter how many miles its done. If your car has a higher mileage or is at the end of its working life, you may get fewer online offers.

However, generally speaking, the number of offers you receive will depend on whether your car meets the car buyer’s needs.

When you select an offer with our car-selling partner Motorway, the sale can happen in as little as 24-48 hours. If your car is eligible for Motorway’s Premium Service, then it can sometimes be sold the same day with the collection booked for the following working day.

To sell your car with one of Motorway’s car buyers, select their offer in the comparison table. You’ll then be directed to their site to arrange the sale. There you can provide any additional information they may need and arrange the purchase of your car.

Our car-selling partner Motorway is completely transparent about whether any of the car buyers they work with have transaction or admin fees. You can see any fees displayed in the comparison table of offers.

You’ll still be able to get valuations if your car isn’t in perfect condition. As well as online car buyers and dealers, Motorway also works with a number of scrap and recycling buyers who will buy broken down or old, non-running vehicles.

You’ll have to contact your lender to see if it’s possible to get out of your contract early by paying an early settlement fee, which will need to be paid off before the car is sold. Motorway partner buyers can usually accept a settlement fee from your lender and can take it off the value of your car and settle your debt.

Remember, it’s illegal to sell your car with outstanding finance if you don’t let your lender know.

Most car buyers that our car-selling partner Motorway display do provide a collection service. So instead of you going to them, they’ll come to you. This service is usually free, and can be arranged within 24 hours. Any collection fee will be clearly shown in their comparison table.

If you're selling through their Premium Service, buyers usually offer free home collection too. However, if you’d rather drop your car off at the buyer’s dealership premises, you can also select that option in most cases.

It depends on the buyer, so be sure to check when you get your prices. If you want to keep your private licence plate, you’ll have to contact the DVLA and fill in the relevant forms to transfer your plate.

If you don’t have a car that you can transfer the plate on to, you’ll have to transfer it to a retention certificate. You’ll then get a document to prove you still have the right to use that number plate.

Yes, Motorway works with a number of scrap buyers who will buy broken down or old, non-running vehicles.