Complaint against Car Insurance broker

jmo21

Hi folks,
I am wondering if there is anyway for us to make a complaint against a car insurance broker, and actually also whether we have a right to complain given the following situation:

My better half has had her own car insurance for 5 years.

2 years in UK, 2 years in Dublin, 1 year back here.

for the last year (our first back from Dublin) we used a broker as most UK insurers would not recognise the 2 years in Dublin for no claims discount purposes.

Now, she wants to leave the broker and wants a statement of NCD. Broker says he will only send her a statement saying she has 1 years no claim (the year back in the UK through them), even though on her renewal letter it said they were obtaining quotes using 9 years NCD (this is incorrect should be just 5 years)

so....i think the broker is holding her to ransom if you will so she will stay with them.

the reason i think this is because I was in the exact same situation just a couple of months ago with the same broker (I sorted out my insurance here faster as i came home a month or so early) and i got my full NCD including the year in Dublin, and the years before (full 9 years for me)

When I got my new insurance for this year, I explained all this to the new insurer saying my 5 years spanned 2 in Dublin, and the new insurers said that was fine so long as i had my NCD statement stating the correct amount of time.

if you've read this far....thanks!!!

so.....thoughts on if we have right to complain, and if so, who should we speak to?

(I haven't named the broker as it may be against board rules, but will if i am allowed too?)

lisyloo

said they were obtaining quotes using 9 years NCD

This referes to getting quotes.
But did you actually get a policy using the 9 years NCD?

Perhaps the best/cheapest policy did not recognise the NCD and you started again?

It's not the most likely scenario I admit, but I think you need you need to check your policy documentation to see what NCD you actually have.

If you started again, then you have no grounds for complaint.
If you actually have 10 years and they are being obstrcutive then look for their complaints procedure either on their website, paperwork or ask for it.

jmo21

thanks Lisyloo

we spoke to other car insurance companies explaining the basis of our NCD's and they were all happy to take them spanning the Dublin time.

the reason we went with the broker was because they used less main stream companies who specialise is "complicated" circumstances.

lisyloo

So did the one you actually went with accept your NCD, or did you start from zero?
This is the nub of the isue.

If you actually took a policy with zero no claims and now have 1 year then the broker is doing nothing wrong.

It doesn't matter what quotes you got, or what the others said, what matters if the basis for the policy that you actually have.

jmo21

yes they did, that's what i meant when i said

"we spoke to other car insurance companies explaining the basis of our NCD's and they were all happy to take them spanning the Dublin time."

it may not be clear, but the broker, and the underlying insurance company originally had her down for 9 years, when 5 is correct.

the new company are happy with the 5 year statement from the broker's underlying insurance company - we explained to them that it included time abroad - they said so long as we have the statement to that affect its fine.

dacouch

Brokers sometimes do this as they see they did you a favour by getting you the maximum no claims bonus but are annoyed you are going else where.

All you need to do is find the Insurance Companies phone number and ring them direct and ask them to send you proof of your no claims bonus. I would be very surprised if they dond send you out proof of maximum no claims bonus.

Hope this helps