Car Insurance Excess Rip-off

david_proctor_2

ArsenalFC wrote: »

Good thing you got shot of them. They are clearly not providing a good service and they should be named and shamed. As for fear of further comment due to litigation, I wouldn't worry about it at all.

Thanks Mate... Agents "were" Hastings Direct.
Insurers....Sabre.... their "Authorised Repairers"... Autoglass.

I had the job done "promptly & perfectly" by Silver Shield for £130- all in.

One Forum" comment has been ... I must have had "cheapo insurance" ..??

Well... that is subject to interpretation.... My cover was and still is... fully comprehensive. I have 20 years no claims... no points or convictions either... Of course we all want to get the best price no matter what the product or service.... but by going to Hastings Direct ... (several years ago) I did NOT intend to get "crap" cover... at ANY price...
Regardless the main point of this is :- Every day ... thousands of people have screens replaced. Probably ... my guess is ... most just go with the flow of what the insurers "dictate"( as I nearly did) .... so... If silver Shield ( a big national company) can do the whole job for £130- .... then how come Autoglass want more than double.... AND .... have the absolute consent and blessing of Sabre Insurance Co Ltd.... As said...I have been in business for 40 years.. and no one has ever given me a contract for DOUBLE the going rate ... I wish ..!! Regards David. (see other replies as well )

david_proctor_2

anewman wrote: »

Most of those type of companies only exist to try screw insurers out of as much cash as possible anyway

Just seems like a bad choice of insurers in this case I think.

Thanks.... (from David) I have posted more information... please have a read...

kind regards David.

mikey72

I've just had a windscreen replaced, with good old sainsburys.
£50 excess, unlimited cover with their approved repairers, but there was a limit of (from memory) £200 if I went to a non approved company.
The approved repairers are dearer if you shop around, but as I didn't have to do anything other than write out a cheque for the excess, it didn't affect me.
We have two other cars insured with different companies, and apart from the excess being £60, it's the same deal.

hewhoisnotintheknow

did you agree to the cost when taking out the insurance?

david_proctor_2

Good Question That Is...??? The part which covers the Windscreen replacement stated : ( On statement of fact sheet) "Unlimited / £200" so which is it I asked Hastings Direct. Answer (No:1) Unlimited if you are comprehensive. or £200- if you are Third Party/F/T. (phone conversation)

But.... The Statement of fact sheet differs from the "actual" policy ... which to be fair I did not read.... as I "thought" in my mind... I had got it sorted.

Anyway... and regardless.... that is NOT my problem or issue....

My "ISSUE" is..... Sabre Insurance sending me to their Authorised Repairer (Autoglass) who then charges ( or tries to !!) more than twice as much as the "going" rate which I paid to Silver Shield. "IF" I had not told Autoglass to (go away / off !!) then it would have cost me... as said... about £145- As it turned out.... it only cost me £60- because Silver Shield did it for £130- which then came in below the £150- allowed by Sabre. Sabre "cut" the allowance from £200- to £150- "IF" you do NOT use their authorised repairer.

My Issue with Hasting Direct was... that as the policy was booked over the phone .... unlike them... I can not record the conversation .... and matters of policy excess I "ALWAYS" ask about.... and... as said the "statement of fact" sheet supplied by Hastings turns out to be slightly different from the "Actual" policy sent by Sabre.... But as said already.... that is NOT my main issue. Thanks for your "input"... much appreciated. David.

raskazz

vikingaero wrote: »

Sorry to burst your bubble David, but Hastings are part of the Admiral Group who comprise Admiral, Bell Direct, Elephant, Diamond etc.

Er, no they aren't. They were privately owned by a chap named David Gundlach before being offloaded to IAG, who have been looking to sell the firm for around six months, and only today there has been an announcement that the firm has been the subject of a management buyout.

vikingaero wrote: »

After reading Hastings site there isn't a lot of information on windscreen replacement and I feel you have been wrongly charged for the additional items. Most windscreens come complete with a "trim and adhesive pack" because most trims are fit once items and get destroyed/bent/mangled if they are removed. I would contact Hastings to clarify.

Hastings only sell delegated authority products underwritten by the likes of Advantage or Equity Red Star online, and the information given online only corresponds to those products. At the moment they only sell Sabre policies over the phone.

david_proctor_2

from David: to raskazz .... Please tell me more.. what are "delegated authority products"...??

Given the comment about "Cheapo" insurance..?? I really would like to hear more about the general subject. As said... I have been in business for 40 years (manufacturing & retail plus other's) and never had cause to question what sort of cover I have... "cheapo" or otherwise ..!! perhaps that is because over those years I have made very few claims and only for minor things... apart from...when my XJS got nicked ... 20+ years ago.
Got paid out for that ...but ... nothing like I needed to replace it ...!!
I suppose... I have claimed for a / "1" .... windscreen about every 5 years.... but run 2 cars and a van .... so ... pay 3 lots of insurance each year.

"IF" you go to a "compare" site.... it all seems pretty straight forward to follow and understand.... so ... just what "is" good insurance .... who indeed "ARE" the good insurers.... I sure as hell dont know. thanks David.

Premier_2

As you have comprehensive insurance, you are covered for the cost of the replacement windscreen (subject to £60 excess, i.e. the amount you have to pay)

TP & TPFT Sabre insurance does not cover windscreen damage under Sabre.
http://www.sabre.co.uk/files/Sabre%20Policy%20Summary%20-%20November%202008%20V2.pdf


"Where the replacement is carried out by the Insurer's approved windscreen repairers cover is limited to £200 (before deduction of a £60 excess), but if carried out by an unapproved repairer cover is limited to £150 (before deduction of a £60 excess)"

http://www.sabre.co.uk/files/PC%20Policy%20Booklet%20UK%20&%20NI%20-%20%20November%202008%20-%20Y%20V2.pdf Section B10

david_proctor_2

I think I have covered most of what you say in previous replies, and for which I thank you.

However.... my "MAIN" gripe ( but by no means the only one) is really that in the first instance Sabre set the limt at £200- .... OK .... that is the deal ... but ... then to insist that I use "thier" authorised repairer who is going to (if they had half a chance !!) charge me over DOUBLE the going rate of say Silver Shield (for instance ) .... then ... the £200- limit is unrealistic.... which .... Sabre MUST know ..!!

So... the knock on "thought pattern" of ..... "yours most humbly"... is .... this ... "IF" Silver Shield (and others) are happy to do the "whole" job for £130- (which they did for me) ... then .... just WHO was going to get the EXTRA £155- which would have resulted if... I had gone ahead with Autoglass ... and... what are the "Commercial" reasons and justification for Sabre reducing the "cover" to £150- if I chose NOT to use Autoglass..??

I know full well (through my own trading experience) that "Unfair Conditions" of trading are frowned upon by the courts. Indeed... many years ago I took a "HUGE" national company to court over just such a matter ... and ...... won ... as such .. they setlled "out of court" on the day of the trial for TWICE what I was suing them for ..!! plus costs.

Thanks again for comments... I welcome any and all no matter what. David.

david_proctor_2

mikey72 wrote: »

I've just had a windscreen replaced, with good old sainsburys.
£50 excess, unlimited cover with their approved repairers, but there was a limit of (from memory) £200 if I went to a non approved company.
The approved repairers are dearer if you shop around, but as I didn't have to do anything other than write out a cheque for the excess, it didn't affect me.
We have two other cars insured with different companies, and apart from the excess being £60, it's the same deal.

From David. Hi Mikey72..... I have just had a fresh read of your reply....for which I thank you..... You are with Sainsburys (you say) and you have Unlimited cover "IF" you use an Authorised Repairer... OK ... that is what I though I had when I booked cover with Hastings Direct ... as explained in one of my replied above or below ..?? but... to confess as I have.... I did NOT compare the "Statement of Fact" sheet supplied by Hastings with the actual wording on the policy received from Sabre a week or so later... so... from that point... yes ... I should have paid more attention to "ALL" of the small print..!! Never had the problem in the past 40 + years ...but.... never too old to learn ..!!

As it turns out ... I was far better of by NOT using the "Authorised Repairer" (Autoglass) in this instance.... which is the direct "opposite" to your position with Sainsburys. The cover you have now is exactly what I have always had previously.... before hitting this load of "crap".

What exactly the commercial / financial arrangements are between Sabre & Autoglass I do not know and care even less ...!! but I know this much.... when the "Authorised Repairer" wants more than double the going rate... then ... "SOMETHING" is just not as it "should" be... kind regards David.