All it took was a few incorrect characters buried inside an insurance policy to create a bureaucratic mess for a young driver involving the DMV, a lender, vehicle registration records, and the terrifying reality that her vehicle may have been mistakenly uninsured for nearly a year. The lesson is that it’s important to look at all automotive paperwork with a close eye, and maybe even a magnifying glass.
The clip from insurance-focused creator Cara (@friendlyneighborhooduw) starts with a portion of a clip from a driver named Ashley, who shares her reaction to the news that she’s gone months without insurance coverage for her car, despite making monthly payments on time. Then, Cara cuts in to explain that a typo in the vehicle identification number (VIN) was the cause of the problem.
“We find out later that it's because her VIN is incorrect. Actually happens quite frequently, or it's a typo on the insurance company's side,” she says in a TikTok that’s been viewed more than 156,000 times.
“Typically the insurance company can correct the VIN back to the date that you got the policy or put the car on the policy. You can report that to both your lender and the DMV so that it's, it's showing that you've had continuous insurance," Cara explains.
