Motorbike insurer MCE to cancel cover for all 105,000 policyholders – what it means for you
MCE Insurance Company, which was one of the UK's biggest motorbike insurers, is to cancel all of its 105,000 remaining policies after falling into administration last year. The moves comes despite the insurer initially promising to honour existing cover.
Update 18 March 2022: The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) has confirmed:
It will send out 57,000 cheques to former MCE Insurance premium motorbike and scooter policyholders next week. These cheques cover up to 90% of any unused policies paid-for based on when they were cancelled.
It has already sent out cheques to almost 10,000 car and van policyholders.
A further 34,000 policies will be processed and refunded after next week. The first of these is another 1500 car and van policies posted the week beginning 28 March, and then the remaining batches will go out during the following weeks after that.
Around 4,000 policyholders are not due a cheque as their insurance was either cancelled or completed when MCE revoked their cover.
If you're waiting for a refund of your premium, or payment for a claim, you don't need to do anything as the FSCS says these are being processed and it will reach out to you if you need to provide any further information. The FSCS has so far paid out around £3.36 million in claims and £3.65m in premium refunds.
For policies taken out prior to 9 November 2021, the shake-up means:
Car or van insurance cover ended at 11.59pm on 14 January 2022.
Cover for motorbike or scooter insurance will end at 11.59pm on 31 January 2022.
Your policy with MCE Insurance will remain valid until these dates and you'll get a pro-rata refund for 90% of any unused months left on your policy from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). This refund will be sent to you by cheque.
But you'll need to arrange for new cover to take over as soon as possible if you're planning to continue using your vehicle as it's illegal to drive uninsured. See below for more info on how to find the best policy for your needs. You can also check out our Cheap motorbike insurance, Cheap van insurance and Cheap car insurance guides for help getting the best quote.
Policies taken out or renewed with MCE on or after 9 November 2021 are not affected. They're underwritten by Sabre Insurance Group, not MCE Insurance. If this is the case for you, you'll continue to be covered and can make any policy changes or claims as normal by contacting the broker arm of the company, MCE UK.
Why is my policy being cancelled?
MCE Insurance Company, now known as Green Realisations 123, had sold a range of cover, including motorbike, private car and van insurance, through broker MCE UK. Both firms were part of the same parent group, but the insurance arm went into administration on 19 November 2021, with consultancy firm Kroll appointed as administrator.
At the time, the firm said all existing policies taken out with MCE Insurance Company would continue as normal until expiry. But the insurer has now told policyholders it will cancel their cover due to the "financial position" of the company.
How can I find new cover?
You can contact broker MCE UK to ask for a quote for alternative cover for when your policy ends, yet it's always best to compare prices in case there are cheaper quotes out there.
Visit our Cheap motorbike insurance, Cheap van insurance and Cheap car insurance guides for our tried-and-tested vehicle insurance cost-cutting systems.
If you have unusual circumstances and can't find help through our system, you can contact an insurance broker that specialises in motor insurance policies – use the British Insurance Brokers' Association's "Find Insurance" service.
I have made a claim with MCE – will it still pay out?
Here's what the administration means for those with current claims, or those who need to submit a claim before their cover ends:
Got an existing claim in with MCE Insurance? It will still be paid by the FSCS. You don't need to do anything here as existing claims will be automatically passed on to the FSCS – the compensation fund of last resort for customers of authorised financial services firms. It will get in touch with you. If you have a valid claim, the FSCS will pay this.
For compulsory insurance claims, such as third-party motor claims, you'll get 100% compensation. For other types of claim, you'll get 90%. You can find more information on FSCS protection rules and limits on its website.
Need to make a claim? You should contact MCE UK. If you need to claim before the end of your policy, or access your documents, you'll need to submit this request to the broker side of MCE. You can contact it using live chat on its website, by emailing info@mceinsurance.com or by calling 0193 335 1361.
Share this guide?
10 September 2024
Clever ways to calculate your finances
