Motor insurance, who do these companies think they are?

[DaFoot 10]

...Imagine if your insurance was over half the cost of running your car. would you continue to drive? The discrimination against people wrt insurance is shocking. Just imagine if your bill was similar to that of some others.

 

I've no idea what other people's bills are. Something will always be the significant part of the cost of running the car, for me - that's the fuel.

 

For someone else it may be the insurance.

[maxofe 10]

many thanks for the advice folks, also feel good that i'm not on my own

[alchresearch 215]

this is why i cancel a direct debit as soon as i have cancelled anything with a company so they dont have the chance to rip me off

 

I generally use the credit card to pay for things. Then when there's a problem I'm not the one out of pocket and I leave the credit card company to do the legwork!

[maxofe 10]

I generally use the credit card to pay for things. Then when there's a problem I'm not the one out of pocket and I leave the credit card company to do the legwork!

 

hmm, smart!

 

buggered if i'm getting a credit card though, never want another debt again in my life:)

[julesmarie 10]

Loads of people I know are not happy about car insurance, and how much premiums have gone up.

 

I have just had a nightmare, with a very good name company, who were so incompetent, I canceled with them staight away.

 

I bought a new car, insrance had run out on 20/01/2011, so telephoned to get a new quote on the 21/01/2011, he gave me a price for myself and husband,fine deared that I really wanted but at least my car was all legal.

 

Got my insurance certificate through, that had my old car reg on it ??? and two different direct debit letters with two different prices???.

 

So rung them up, and was told another £80 was added on top and she gave me a third direct debt payment, she had nothing about the call I had made on record, but my husband had been added on a a named driver, I just couldn't get throught to her that is was the companys mistake!!!!!!!!! so I canceled it there and then, and my direct debt with the bank.

 

We are now also going to cancel our home insurance as we have been with that same company for over 20 years,very very bad communication.

[maxofe 10]

Loads of people I know are not happy about car insurance, and how much premiums have gone up.

 

I have just had a nightmare, with a very good name company, who were so incompetent, I canceled with them staight away.

 

I bought a new car, insrance had run out on 20/01/2011, so telephoned to get a new quote on the 21/01/2011, he gave me a price for myself and husband,fine deared that I really wanted but at least my car was all legal.

 

Got my insurance certificate through, that had my old car reg on it ??? and two different direct debit letters with two different prices???.

 

So rung them up, and was told another £80 was added on top and she gave me a third direct debt payment, she had nothing about the call I had made on record, but my husband had been added on a a named driver, I just couldn't get throught to her that is was the companys mistake!!!!!!!!! so I canceled it there and then, and my direct debt with the bank.

 

We are now also going to cancel our home insurance as we have been with that same company for over 20 years,very very bad communication.

 

so basically you were un-insured? more and more insurance companies seem to be making these mistakes.

 

many many years ago a company (refer to them selves as the 4th emergency service :/) left me un-insured, without my knowledge, took my money, sent me the documents, but when my car was broken into...haha...sent me off to their repair centre for a quote, then decided i wasnt insured so the wouldnt pay!

 

fortunately for them, i was a young inexperienced driver who didnt take them to the cleaners!

[mossdog 10]

Its common practice for policies to be “rolling / continuous” with the emphasis being on you to cancel it.

A very nasty little practice indeed! they tell you that it is for your benefit so you do not need to inform them and you keep automatically covered. Wait till you want to cancel at renewal time and see how difficult lots of companies make it for you.It took me 3 weeks to get a refund from McAfee because i did not wish to renew.they said they never received my letter and no one could recall my countless cancellation calls.

You will find lots of firms play daft with you at cancellation times however scrupulous you are,this is often down to evil little staff members but the bosses know perfectly well what is happening!.....................ever tried to cancel Sky?..............rolling credit card payment?AVOID.

[L00b 441]

A very nasty little practice indeed! they tell you that it is for your benefit so you do not need to inform them and you keep automatically covered. Wait till you want to cancel at renewal time and see how difficult lots of companies make it for you.It took me 3 weeks to get a refund from McAfee because i did not wish to renew.they said they never received my letter and no one could recall my countless cancellation calls.

You will find lots of firms play daft with you at cancellation times however scrupulous you are,this is often down to evil little staff members but the bosses know perfectly well what is happening!

You always need to be pro-active with anything that involves 'rolling' DDs and CC payments. Regardless of who it's with (insurance, utility, sky, DFS, whatever...even banks themselves!)

 

Don't ever rely on a telephone conversation or an email, always write and send with recorded delivery (keep photocopy of signed copy, staple print out of proof of delivery from RM website to it), then cancel the DD/CC payment unilaterally (once you've made sure everything is paid for, up to the relevant date).

 

'Anything' that happens after that is not your fault or your liability, but 'their' error. If 'they' get too heavy, do not hesitate to file suit in the small claims court (that's where your written and signed notice of cancellation and incontrovertible proof of delivery comes in handy).

 

Many companies I've experienced over the years seem to do these 'small mistakes and oversights' on a very regular basis. You'd be surprised how much it helps their cashflow situation (once you realise how many customers they do this to, so the sheer scale of the 'undue revenue' they get from it!)

[Gwyneth 10]

This "automatic constant renewal" business really grinds my gears.

 

Even if you cancel - and have proof you have cancelled - you still find the money taken from you. AA I'm looking at you.

 

We had that from the AA several years ago, would never use them again, interesting that they are still doing it. I don't think it should be allowed this automatic renewal.

[OOmpa 10]

Why not just leave them on...

 

Well obviously I did just leave them on

[sTaGeWaLkEr 10]

A friend suggested yesterday that Mary Portas - Secret Shopper - should look into car insurance and kick some butt.

 

I'd heartily welcome this.

 

Not only do I feel like I'm getting completely shafted by car insurance, but they really do have most of us by the short and curlies. Sure we can shop around, and I always do, but I'm with one of the cheapest quotes this year and it's still a grand. A female 24 year old friend of mine got a quote for my car for half that amount!

 

I've never had an accident that was my fault, have all my no claims, lots of driving experience and yet I'm penalised for other people running into me.

 

Grrr.

[maxofe 10]

seems to me that the automatic renewal was a good idea when every year your insurance premiums went DOWN. when there wasn't 10 bazillion companies jostling for your business.

 

It now seems we have lost all but 1 years no claims bonus for reporting an accident (someone hit the back of us, we didnt claim), some great incentive to report future accidents (not!).............as said before i disputed this at the time, but it now looks like it's made no difference.

 

i just am sick of bieng shafted by these companies