Writing a letter of complaint

lynseydee

I want to write a letter of complaint to the insurance company who dealt with the claim against another person. I have had so many hassels from them since the claim was made in July last year that I want them to know how I feel about how the claim was handled. I have managed to write part of a letter detailing the events throughout the year but just don't know how to end the letter. I'm not very good when it comes to writing letters (more of an over the phone type person) and just need help with finishing the letter off. Would anyone be able to suggest suitable wording. The letter is below. Also if anyone thinks I should maybe change some wording or anything else please let me know as like I said I'm not very good when it comes to putting words to paper.

Thanks



I write further to a claim I made concerning a collision with one of your customers and wish to make a complaint about the way this claim has been handled.

The claim was made on the 16th July 2007. A cheque was sent to my insurance company which was then subsequently sent to me. I notified my insurance company on the 8th October 2007 that when I tried to bank the cheque they refused to accept it because my surname was spelt incorrectly. They asked me to send the cheque back to them so they could ask for a replacement cheque to be issued from yourselves. Unfortunately, due to some personal issues I did not send this cheque back to them until the 12th February.

I rang my insurance company on the 15th May as I had not heard anything. They told me that they would chase the matter up with you and arrange for the cheque to be sent to me. By the 1st July I still had not heard anything and chased them again. They told me that they would again chase yourselves. By the 18th July I still had not heard anything and when I chased my insurance company again was told that they would send you a letter requesting that you send a replacement cheque as obviously you were taking no notice of their telephone calls. I received a telephone call from my insurance company today to inform me that you had sent them a replacement cheque but, despite being informed that my surname was spelt incorrectly, you still sent the cheque with the wrong details on it.

What I find disgusting is that not only have you taken six months to re-issue another cheque, which I might add is only for a small sum of £100.00, but that you still could not get the payee details correct.

Optimist

I assume the cheque was made out by the original insurer and not yours and they are not just passing the buck as I would have expected your insurers to check that the details were correct before passing on the cheque to you.

I would remove the last paragraph and put something like

"The way this claim has been handled would seem to fall well short of the standards expected as per the ABI claims code. I would be obliged if you would send said cheque, made out to to my correct name which is as above within the next 14 days after which I will take my complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service"

Don't forget to put all the relevance references from both insurance companies. It might make sense to copy your insurance company too

lynseydee

Hi Optimist

That paragraph sounds fantastic, although my insurance company have said to save me hanging on waiting for the other insurance company to send a correct cheque to them to pass on they will issue me a cheque and get the other insurance company to reimburse them.

I just want them to know how unhappy I am with the way this claim has been handled on their part.

Optimist

In that case I really wouldn't bother.

You are going to get your money and given your not even customer of the other insurance company your letter will probably be "filed" , and you will be lucky to get a response.

lynseydee

The thing is the only reason I'm getting my money is that out of generosity my insurance company are going to give it to me so I don't have to wait probably another six months. Just because I'm not a customer of theirs doesn't mean they can treat me any differently and I think they ought to be made aware of the situation. My insurance company has already told me they are notorious for this sort of thing.

Optimist

In that case I think the letter as written by you gets your point across quite well.

lynseydee

Thanks optimist. I will try and work out an ending and get it sent off.

uktim29

lynseydee wrote: »

Just because I'm not a customer of theirs doesn't mean they can treat me any differently.

Customers pay for a service, it isn't provided for free, so I disagree with what you're saying. You haven't paid them anything, surely they should prioritize the people who have paid them something in the first place.

I've noticed there seems to be 3 month gaps in between you making each move which I think will have had a massive effect on the time taken for things to happen.

hollydays

You have left this a long time,you really needed to take action sooner.I don't believe you have done yourself any favours here.It's the sad state of custome services.

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

just tell them you no where there families live as you followed them home over the last few weeks , also say you have interspted there post and found some dodgy mail order stuff. go for the short and curlys

lynseydee

uktim29 wrote: »

Customers pay for a service, it isn't provided for free, so I disagree with what you're saying. You haven't paid them anything, surely they should prioritize the people who have paid them something in the first place.

I've noticed there seems to be 3 month gaps in between you making each move which I think will have had a massive effect on the time taken for things to happen.

Well it's not exactly going to encourage me to become a customer now is it. And why was it down to me to do all the chasing. It wasn't so much that they took so long to re-send the replacement cheque it was that they still couldn't get it right the second time around. Besides like I have said in my letter I had some personal issues going on which made chasing £100.00 seem quite trivial.