windiain.livejournal.com ([identity profile] windiain.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] trans2004-10-11 03:31 pm

Car insurance

(crossposted to [livejournal.com profile] tguk, [livejournal.com profile] transgender and [livejournal.com profile] ftm - aimed at people in the UK)

Okay, not based on me, because I'm still learning to drive and car insurance is a way off. But I have an MtF friend who is shopping around for car insurance, and it's proving to be a slight pain.

Thus far, Direct Line seem to have no problem in insuring in the chosen gender, and have been helpful. The AA, however, seem to be a bunch of whining tits, citing company policy that they can only insure under what's on the birth certificate, despite what's on all other legal documents. Crap and outdated company policy if you ask me, especially given that other companies are willing to insure as the chosen gender. Also, I'm not sure what info is on the insurance papers exactly, but wouldn't the discrepancy between license and insurance open up people for sticky situations and harrassment in cases where both license and insurance have to be produced?

Also, I'm also slightly cynical. I wonder if there's a gender imbalance based on greed, and if things might be smoother for FtMs in that they'd be happy to insure them as male, because the company would get more money that way. Of course, I have no clue if that's what would happen, but it would be interesting to know.

So, I'm curious - what are your experiences with getting car insurance? Know any other companies that are really understanding, or are complete arseholes? Got any experience with the AA yourselves? Have they insured you under your chosen gender, or have you had the same birth certificate stumbling block?