John Lewis Finance car insurance review

Our verdict

Our verdict

John Lewis Finance only offers comprehensive car insurance to new customers. It has good customer reviews and a 5-star Defaqto rating.

It might suit you if you like to travel, with up to 180 days of European cover each year, which is higher than most other insurers. It also comes with a courtesy car as standard, uninsured driver promise and new car replacement if yours is less than 12 months old and written off or stolen.

If you’ve decided that John Lewis Finance car insurance isn’t for you, compare other car insurance policies to find what you're looking for.

Pros

• Misfuelling cover and uninsured driver protection
• Courtesy car and onward travel up to £500
• 5-star Defaqto rated

Cons

• Can be slow at handing claims, according to customers
• Doesn't offer third party or third party, fire and theft to new customers

6.9 Standard

Who is John Lewis Finance?

John Lewis has been selling products on the high street for more than 150 years. It has since branched out to create John Lewis Finance, which offers a range of financial products to customers such as credit cards, loans, foreign currency, money transfers and insurance.

It has been named by Which? as a recommended provider of car insurance but it also offers home, travel, pet, wedding, event and life insurance.

John Lewis Financial Services Ltd is a trading name of John Lewis plc, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Who underwrites John Lewis Finance?

All of John Lewis Finance’s new car insurance policies are underwritten by Covéa.

What’s covered under my policy?

Optional extras

In addition to the standard levels of cover, John Lewis Finance can also provide a range of additional protection to add to your policy, including:

• Legal protection up to £100,000
• UK breakdown cover (4 levels of cover)

What are John Lewis Finance’s different policies?

John Lewis Finance only offers comprehensive insurance for new customers, but we’ve included its third party and third party, fire and theft here as existing customers can still have those policies.

• Third party

  Third party cover is the most basic form of car insurance legally accepted on UK roads. If you are involved in an accident deemed to be your fault, you will only be covered for damage to third party vehicles or property. It will not cover any damage to your own car.

  Please note, third party only cover isn’t available for new customers.

• Third party, fire and theft

  If you are responsible for causing an accident, you’ll be covered for damage to third party vehicles or property. It will provide protection against any fire damage to your car or theft of your car but it won’t cover any accidental damage.

  Please note, third party, fire and theft cover isn’t available for new customers.

• Comprehensive

  This is the only policy available for new customers. It gives the same protection as third party, fire and theft as well as insuring your vehicle against accidental damage and vandalism. It’s always worth getting a quote for comprehensive cover, as in some cases, it can be cheaper than lower levels of cover due to the risk profile of customers who choose them.

Check your policy details carefully to ensure you have the right cover for your needs.

How do I make a claim?

You can call the John Lewis Finance 24-hour claims line on 0330 024 0613 to make a claim. If it’s a windscreen claim then you need to call 0330 024 0615.

You’ll need to provide your own policy details and have the following information to hand before making a claim:

• Names and contact details of other drivers
• Details of all vehicles involved such as registration numbers, make and model
• Details about when, where and how the accident occurred
• Details about any damage or injuries
• Names and contact details of witnesses, if available
• Photographs of the scene of the accident and/or any damage to vehicles or property
• Crime reference number, if available
• CCTV or dashcam footage, if available

It’s vital that you let your insurer know about an incident within 48 hours, even if it’s not your fault. Failure to do this could result in a rejected claim.

What is my excess?

Your car 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 compulsory excess amount might vary depending on the age of your car and your driving experience.

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.

You’ll be able to find details about any applied excess in your policy document.

John Lewis Finance car insurance customer reviews

On Trustpilot, John Lewis Finance (the whole company, not just insurance) has a rating of 4.2 out of 5 from almost 12,000 reviews. That gives it a “Great” rating.

How to cancel John Lewis Finance car insurance

You can cancel by calling 03300 240 612 (Monday to Friday 8:30am–6pm, Saturday 9am–1pm), emailing customerservice@car.johnlewisfinance.com or writing to John Lewis Finance, PO Box 887, Halifax, HX1 9UE.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I get insurance that starts immediately?

  Yes. If you wish, insurance from John Lewis Finance can start instantly.

• How long is a quote from John Lewis Finance valid for?

  A quote from John Lewis Finance is valid for 30 days.

• Can I pay for my car insurance in monthly instalments?

  Yes, John Lewis Finance offers policies that can be paid in full or by monthly direct debit payments.

• How do I check my John Lewis Finance car insurance expiry date?

  You can check your expiry date and policy details by logging in to the customer portal on John Lewis Finance’s website.

Written by

Liz Edwards

Editor-in-chief

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Liz Edwards has been a consumer writer and editor for more than 20 years. She led award-winning teams at the campaigning publisher Which?, and has covered a range of consumer rights and personal finance topics including pensions, credit, banking and insurance. Liz has appeared frequently in national media such as The Sun, Metro, HuffPost and The Independent. She loves to cut through waffle to give consumers the real lowdown. And she loves puns. See full bio

Liz's expertise

Liz has written 52 Finder guides across topics including:

• Consumer rights and protection
• Saving money
• Buy now, pay later
• Insurance
• Consumer trends

Co-written by

Jason Loewenthal

Senior writer

Jason is a writer and editor. He worked as a senior subeditor for Finder for 5 years and in that time became familiar with a wide range of financial products and services. Before that, he worked for Australian Associated Press. He has a BA from Macquarie University in Australia. Jason loves to help other people find new ways to save money. See full bio