If your tricky driving history or unusual car puts you in a high-risk insurance group, it's worth checking if the specialist cover from Acorn Insurance could beat your current policy.
Struggling to find the right cover because of your driving history or unusual car? Insurance broker Acorn Insurance claims it’ll still find the right cover for you, even if you have an imported car or a previous conviction.
Who is Acorn Insurance?
Acorn Insurance is a broker with more than 30 years’ experience in providing specialist car, van and taxi insurance as well as a range of other products such as home insurance.
Established in 1981, Acorn specialises in providing tailored car insurance for learner drivers, drivers with convictions and those with imported cars.
Acorn’s car insurance policies are underwritten by Gibraltar-based Haven Insurance.
Acorn Insurance and Financial Services Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Third party cover is the minimum level of cover that Acorn Insurance offers. All drivers in the UK are legally obliged to have at least this insurance. If you are responsible for causing an accident, you’ll be covered for damage to third party vehicles or property. It won’t however, cover any damage to your own car.
Acorn Insurance’s Third Party Fire and Theft cover
This provides the same level of cover as third party but will also offer protection against any fire damage to your car or theft of your car.
Acorn Insurance’s Comprehensive cover
This is the highest level of cover available. It gives the same protection as the other levels as well as insuring your vehicle against accidental damage and vandalism. It can be cheaper than Third Party, or TPFT, so it’s always worth checking.
What is covered under my policy?
Cover benefits
Third party
Third party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
Liability to other people and property
✓
✓
✓
Fire and theft
✓
✓
Accidental damage
✓
Courtesy car
✓
✓
✓
Legal expenses
✓
✓
✓
Glass windscreen cover
✓
✓
EU third party cover
✓
✓
✓
Optional extras
Acorn Insurance can provide a range of additional protection to bolt onto your policy, including:
Your cover through Acorn Insurance is likely to become invalid if any of the following arises:
Your car is being driven by an unnamed driver on your policy or by a person that does not have a valid driving licence.
Your car is used for rallies, races or competitions.
You are paid to carry passengers.
You fail to pay for your premium.
You change your car during the policy term to a car that the insurer cannot cover.
You do not provide the correct documents to support your application.
Check your policy for further details to confirm your cover is valid.
How to save on your car insurance policy through Acorn Insurance
Having a secure location to park your car. Cars kept in a garage or on a secure driveway are usually cheaper to insure.
Mileage reduction. If you start working part-time or your long commute becomes much shorter, letting your insurer know about a reduction in your mileage could result in cheaper insurance.
Larger excess. Agreeing to pay a bigger voluntary excess could make your overall premium cheaper. But remember that your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than your excess. So be careful about making it too high, as it could leave you out of pocket if damage occurs.
Smaller car. Choosing to drive a small and safe car is likely to lower your premium.
What is my excess?
Your insurance excess is the amount of money you have agreed to pay towards a claim. Your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than your excess.
A voluntary excess is normally an amount set by you when taking out a policy. You’ll have the option of adding or increasing a voluntary excess, which could in turn reduce your premium.
A compulsory excess amount might vary depending on the age of your car and your driving experience.
You’ll find details about any compulsory or voluntary excesses in your policy document.
What is the claims process for Acorn Insurance?
You should call the Acorn Insurance claims line on 0345 092 0700. This is a 24-hour claims notification line open seven days a week.
If you’d like Acorn to call you back, you can text your Acorn Insurance policy number along with your vehicle registration number to 83118.
Either way, you’ll eventually need to provide your details and all the facts about the incident.
And it’s vital that you let your insurer know about an incident within 24 hours, even if it’s not your fault. Failure to do this could result in a rejected claim.
Acorn customer reviews
Acorn scores well on the platform Trustpilot with a 4.8 out of 5, from over 3,000 reviews. A few customers flagged issues with wait times when making enquiries, but overall Acorn’s friendly, efficient and knowledgeable customer service was highly-praised.
Acorn pros and cons
Pros
Cover options for those with a tricky driving history
Cover options for specialist vehicles
24-hour helpline
Cons
No temporary cover options
Our verdict
Acorn offers a range of policies for those with a less-than-ideal driving history, including convicted drivers, as well as range of specialist vehicles. If you’re a high-risk driver or own an imported vehicle, for example, you might be able to find a cheaper annual policy with Acorn (last updated: July 2021).
Frequently asked questions
A quote from Acorn Insurance is valid for 30 days.
Yes, Acorn Insurance offers policies that can be paid in full or by monthly direct debit payments.
No. Acorn only provides annual insurance cover.
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*Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (Mar ’24). 51% of car insurance customers could save £539.54
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