Re: Extended warranty cancellation

Lullo

Hi - PLEASE can anyone urgently advise us, re: the following-

We recently purchased a leather 3 piece sofa's & rocking chair suite, from a well-known national furniture store.

Yesterday, we received a "Certificate of Insurance" regarding a 5 year extended warranty, which the sales assistant was adament that it was the most superior furniture insurance available on todays market. We kept telling the assistant that we did NOT require this insurance because we have a superior home contents/building insurance policy, which covers the same things as this 5 year ext.warranty and more besides.

The "Certificate of Insurance" regarding this policy, clearly states the following -

"Should you wish to cancel this insurance, your premium is refundable in full provided that you notify the store where you purchased this insurance within 14 days of receipt of this Certificate of Insurance ".

So,yesterday afternoon, we went to the local furniture store (a 40 mile round trip) where we had purchased the 3 piece sofa's/chair set, and advised the Manager that we wished to CANCEL the Policy, as, - as per our telling them at the time of purchasing the suite, that we already had more superior cover provided by our home contents/building insurance policy.

HOWEVER, the Manager at the store, yesterday, REFUSED TO ALLOW US TO CANCEL THE EXT. WARRANTY ! - despite our showing them the Certificate of Insurance, (which clearly states "Delivery/inception date 19.4.2009" "Expiry Date 18/4/2014". It also clearly states - "Dated this the 8th day of May 2009" - which proves that we could have only just received this Cert. of Ins. and are well within the 14 day "right to cancel" clause. :mad:

PLEASE can anyone advise, is this furniture Store allowed to do this - i.e. refusing to allow us to cancel the Policy?

We have had nothing but problems with this store, for the past 6 months, since we ordered our suite from them - after a 10 weeks wait to recieve the suite, one of the sofa's arrived badly damaged - the del. drivers could not assemble one of the sofa's correctly, as the frame was badly damaged, so that one side of the sofa would not recline at all.

It has taken over approx. 5 MONTHS to receive a replacement suite, after NUMEROUS COSTLY phone calls to this store - both the local store where we purchased the suite, and also contacting thier "Customer Services" on many occasions to chase up the replacement sofa

Please can anyone advise - where do we go from here? We definately DO NOT require this ext.warranty, and cannot understand WHY this furniture store is being so patronising and downright unhelpful - even thought is clearly states on the Cert. of Ins. - "Should you wish to cancel this insurance, your premium is refundable in full provided that you notify the store where you purchased this insurance within 14 days of receipt of this Certificate of Insurance ".

We would be extremely grateful for any advice anyone could give us, regarding this problem.

Many thanks
kind regards
L

posted_2

Stand in the shop, and shout your experience from the rooftops.

On what grounds did they refuse? Write to the insurance company, and if you bought it using credit, your credit supplier, then trading standards

4743hudsonj

Lullo wrote: »

Hi - PLEASE can anyone urgently advise us, re: the following-

We recently purchased a leather 3 piece sofa's & rocking chair suite, from a well-known national furniture store.

Yesterday, we received a "Certificate of Insurance" regarding a 5 year extended warranty, which the sales assistant was adament that it was the most superior furniture insurance available on todays market. We kept telling the assistant that we did NOT require this insurance because we have a superior home contents/building insurance policy, which covers the same things as this 5 year ext.warranty and more besides.

The "Certificate of Insurance" regarding this policy, clearly states the following -

"Should you wish to cancel this insurance, your premium is refundable in full provided that you notify the store where you purchased this insurance within 14 days of receipt of this Certificate of Insurance ".

So,yesterday afternoon, we went to the local furniture store (a 40 mile round trip) where we had purchased the 3 piece sofa's/chair set, and advised the Manager that we wished to CANCEL the Policy, as, - as per our telling them at the time of purchasing the suite, that we already had more superior cover provided by our home contents/building insurance policy.

HOWEVER, the Manager at the store, yesterday, REFUSED TO ALLOW US TO CANCEL THE EXT. WARRANTY ! - despite our showing them the Certificate of Insurance, (which clearly states "Delivery/inception date 19.4.2009" "Expiry Date 18/4/2014". It also clearly states - "Dated this the 8th day of May 2009" - which proves that we could have only just received this Cert. of Ins. and are well within the 14 day "right to cancel" clause. :mad:

PLEASE can anyone advise, is this furniture Store allowed to do this - i.e. refusing to allow us to cancel the Policy?

We have had nothing but problems with this store, for the past 6 months, since we ordered our suite from them - after a 10 weeks wait to recieve the suite, one of the sofa's arrived badly damaged - the del. drivers could not assemble one of the sofa's correctly, as the frame was badly damaged, so that one side of the sofa would not recline at all.

It has taken over approx. 5 MONTHS to receive a replacement suite, after NUMEROUS COSTLY phone calls to this store - both the local store where we purchased the suite, and also contacting thier "Customer Services" on many occasions to chase up the replacement sofa

Please can anyone advise - where do we go from here? We definately DO NOT require this ext.warranty, and cannot understand WHY this furniture store is being so patronising and downright unhelpful - even thought is clearly states on the Cert. of Ins. - "Should you wish to cancel this insurance, your premium is refundable in full provided that you notify the store where you purchased this insurance within 14 days of receipt of this Certificate of Insurance ".

We would be extremely grateful for any advice anyone could give us, regarding this problem.

Many thanks
kind regards
L

email and /or write(recorded post) the head office and the store stating your request to cancel, also include a complaint about the refusal and the fact that they gave you it despite you requesting them not to at purchase.

this means they have no way out when it comes to court as you have made a request in a durable medium.

dacouch

What is the name of the store and what is the name of the Insurance Company?

hayley11

Of course they can't refuse to cancel it, they're taking the mick big time.

I would write to the head office, recorded, keep a copy yourself. Tell them if they do not cancel and refund you anything they have taken for the extended warranty you are going to seek legal advice. I would also try and claim expenses for your petrol, you didn't agree to the insurance in the first place so you shouldn't have had to have driven all that way.

Maybe contact your local CAB and see what steps you can take if they refuse to cancel it.

I should think the shop could get in a lot trouble for this.

hayley11

dacouch wrote: »

What is the name of the store and what is the name of the Insurance Company?

Can never understand why people ask questions like this. It isn't relevant at all. I think if the OP had wanted to disclose this information they would have done.

BillTrac

Perhaps so other people dont get caught out by the same trick??

You dont have to tar all companies with the same brush, but sometimes it helps to know who the cowboys are

nasme and shame!!

hayley11

BillTrac wrote: »

Perhaps so other people dont get caught out by the same trick??

You dont have to tar all companies with the same brush, but sometimes it helps to know who the cowboys are

nasme and shame!!

Well i'm not always one for naming and shaming anyway but the name of the insurance company is totally irrelevent.

dacouch

In actual fact it would help as I can look up their registration details with the Financial Services Authority for the OP. I assume the store is an "Appointed Representative" for the Insurance Company. This means the Insurance Company are responsible for the actions of the Appointed Representative (The Store) and could face displinary action for the store behaving like this.

The FSA are very consumer focused and would not take kindly to the store denying the OP the right to cancel the policy without penalty under the 14 day cooling off period. The Insurance Company and the Store could get into a lot of trouble.

With the details of the Insurer and Store I could have supplied the details of how they are registered and the contact number of the person responsible for their ensuring they comply with FSA regulations. This person would realise the implications of what the store have done and taken swift action to put it right. Failing that they could have gone to the FSA and let them deal with the store.

However you seem to know best Hayley so I'll let you push on with letting the OP trying to get an appointment to see the CAB with whom there is no gurantee it will be sorted out

hayley11

dacouch wrote: »

In actual fact it would help as I can look up their registration details with the Financial Services Authority for the OP. I assume the store is an "Appointed Representative" for the Insurance Company. This means the Insurance Company are responsible for the actions of the Appointed Representative (The Store) and could face displinary action for the store behaving like this.

The FSA are very consumer focused and would not take kindly to the store denying the OP the right to cancel the policy without penalty under the 14 day cooling off period. The Insurance Company and the Store could get into a lot of trouble.

With the details of the Insurer and Store I could have supplied the details of how they are registered and the contact number of the person responsible for their ensuring they comply with FSA regulations. This person would realise the implications of what the store have done and taken swift action to put it right. Failing that they could have gone to the FSA and let them deal with the store.

However you seem to know best Hayley so I'll let you push on with letting the OP trying to get an appointment to see the CAB with whom there is no gurantee it will be sorted out

:eek: Wow calm down, I don't recall saying I know best at all. I shall apologise anyway because I thought you were asking for the OP's insurance company, now I know that's not what you meant (although maybe putting why you wanted to know that in your first message would have proved helpful)

I also don't recall pushing CAB (although I happily would because I think they're great) I mentioned CAB because I believe if the OP gets nowhere with the company, they will look into it for them and provide them with help. I'm not saying CAB will "sort it out" - they are there to provide factual advice and that is what they will do.

Lullo

Hi, - many thanks to all those who have replied.

Well - I phoned the Ext. warranty company first thing this morning, and explained that, as per the Cert. of Insurance details, we wished to CANCEL this warranty immediately, as we are within the 14 days cancellation right period from actually receiving the Cert. of Ins "small print" on the reverse of the certificate.

I was advised "no problem - you just need to contact the store where you purchased the goods covered & advise them that you wish to cancel the Policy"...

I explained that we had been in the store on Saturday, only to be rudely told that we could NOT cancel the policy, there, but had to speak to the Warranty firm involved. I was today advised to phone up the store concerned and state what I had just been told (which is what we told the store manager on Saturday - as well as pointing out to the manager the "Cancellation" rights section of the small print on the reverse of the Cert.of Insurance.

This morning, the lady I spoke to at the insurers, said, to try speaking with the store manager again, and if she refused to allow us to cancel the policy, they gave me the H.O. customer services tel. no.

Anyway - lo and behold - i phoned the local store involved this morning, spoke to the manager, explained what we had just been advised, and the manager said "Ok - no problem. I will cancel it now, but can you please return the leather care kit you were supplied with next time you are in the town" !!!!

We are obviously now extremely relieved to have sorted out this problem - but just wish this store had acted months ago, when they first told us "NO - you cannot cancel the ext. warranty, as you are out of the 14 day cancellation period"...

I have pointed out to them for months now, that we have not even received any Certificate of Insurance from the insurers - which only arrived on Saturday 9/5/09, and showed that the policy had only started on approx. 19/4/09. It was fortunate that they had also printed on the Cert. that the Cert. had been issued on the 8/5/09, so it was clearly evident that we had only received the Cert. on 9/5/09...

Someone asked what the name of the furniture store involved is, etc. Well ! All I will say is that the store involved are "sponsors" of one of the most famous "soaps" on ITV !!!! which is shown several times per week !

As I have previously stated, we have had nothing but hassle with this firm - one of the sofa's was delivered in a faulty condition in December, after a 10 week wait - the frame being so badly damaged that it would not connect into the rest of the sofa, and would not recline.

The delivery drivers did not apparently follow the correct proceedure in reporting the fault/damage - they were supposed to have actually phoned the store's head office whilst they were still actually here within our property, and reported the fault/damage immediately to the HO. Because they did not do this, and despite me signing the delivery note and clearly stating "item has been delivered faulty/damaged - we have been advised by del. drivers that a replacement will be ordered and delivered" we were told several days later by both the HO and the local store, that we were NOT entitled to a new replacement, ONLY A REPAIR !!!

Anyway to cut a long story short (hopefully) after months of costly phone calls, and 40-mile round trips to the local store concerned, we FINALLY received a new replacement sofa approx. 2 weeks ago...

But we cannot believe all the hassle and rigmorole we've gone through over the past approx. 6 months...

We definately would not use this firm ever again...

Anyway, many thanks for everyone's help and advice on here.

kind regards
lullo