Beware of Bennetts for bike insurance!

yamsteroo

Has anyone else had a problem with Bennett's insurance taking money after you have cancelled or told them you aren't renewing with them?

I was with them for a few years and never had a problem - probably because all they had to do was debit my credit card and send me a piece of paper once a year. Only now am I sooooooo glad I never had to deal with them for a claim, I shudder to think how they would have dealt with it!

This year, I decided not to renew with them as the renewal was much more than I could get elsewhere so 5 days before the renewal date, I phoned and told them I didn't want to renew - a fact they are not disputing as the next call I made to them confirmed they were aware of my wishes. However, that didn't stop them ignoring my instruction when on the renewal date, they went ahead and debited my credit card and posted me a new policy. So I called them to point out this wasn't right and I would like a full refund right away. The lady on the phone asked if I could send them back the policy docs and said she'd get my card refunded with the full amount.

Over a week later there was still no refund and I called again. The 'lady' this time wasn't as polite and kept going on about how a cancellation was in place but I'd have to wait until they received the policy documents before I got a refund. No matter how I tried to get through to her that it wasn't a cancellation, the fact that they chose to renew a policy I had expressly asked them not to wasn't quite sinking in. I also pointed out that had I known the unsolicited policy documents were so important, I would not have just put them in their enclosed SAE, I'd have sent them recorded delivery! She also made it sound as though they were doing me a favour by giving me a full refund (not that I've got it yet!) even though they illegally took money from me.

Anyway, I've written a letter of complaint but meanwhile, (our letters must have crossed in the post) I received by recorded delivery a very official notice that they had cancelled my policy (what policy?!!!) and I'd be receiving a refund ... soon. This refund, according to their letter, is £20 short of the amount they've debited from me. Oh ... and they also asked that I return the policy documents ... the same ones I posted to them nearly two weeks ago.

I despair of ever getting my money back - has anyone else managed?

If anyone is thinking of taking a policy out with these people, think twice as it is only now, when I Google their name along with the work complaint, I realise what a bunch of charlatans they really are.

Jakg

Contact your bank for fraud.

missile

You ought to be able to get a refund from your bank, per the direct debit guarantee. See here > http://www.bba.org.uk/bba/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=828&a=10383

I would have cancelled my direct debit authorisation when I decided not to renew.

lisyloo

You ought to be able to get a refund from your bank, per the direct debit guarantee.

This is not a direct debit.
It's a continuous card authority from a credit card.
You can NOT cancel this, only bennets can.
This is why you should NEVER sign up to a CCA (direct debit is fine as you have rights).

It appears that they are saying they didn't receive your original instructions.
Did you get a written or email acknowledgement?
Send the letter by recorded delivery?
Or did you note the time and date of the call?

It's not uncommon unfortunately for cancellation instructions to be mislaid.
I'm fairly cynical about it so I make sure I'm covered (as above).

If you have no prrof then what is happening is that they are cancelling your policy now, but there is an admin which is probably what the £20 amounts to.
Unless you can prove you cancelled earlier then you are a bit stuck.
Did you send your policy documents back recorded delivery (70p) or even get a FREE proof of posting?
Looks like you now have no proof you send them back either.

It's dissapointing that they act like this but you need to be pro-active and cover your self more by
1) sending things recordedd delivery (or at least FREE proof of posting - but this only proves you posted it as opposed to proving it was delivered.
2) Getting an acknowledgment of some sort (paper/email).
3) Don't EVER sign up to a CCA. You can't cancel it. Even cancelling the card will not be sufficient. Pay by Direct Debit then you have legal rights.

Photo_Stylus

Lancaster insurance have done a similar thing to me.

Direct debit, Payment details clearly stated 10 payments and the dates to be talken by direct debit.
After the last payment was taken. I sold the vehicle before the policy expired and cancelled the direct debit.
Spotted they had somehow managed to take money from my account, setup a new direct debit. Wasnt worth the effort trying to claim it back. The one phonecall i had with them proved they were useless.

Jimm

I wish I'd read this before I bought my policy last year. Bunch of crooks - beware. They caught me with the same trick, renewed my policy without asking me and then charged me a £20 cancellation fee. I could just about deal with them robbing £20 but checking my account I realise they've taken £50. An expensive call (0844 number) to Bennetts and they weren't able to give me any clear reason or suggest what they would do about my complaint, I got the feeling they were trying to keep my on the line. I won't give up, but anyone considering bike insurance I strongly recommend you look elsewhere, can you imagine these idiots paying up for a claim?

lisyloo

I use esure and I don't believe they auto renew.

However I keep a spreadsheet with all my important renewal dates in and read the renewal notices carefully when I get them.
I don't find this much of a chore as I have to remember tax, MOT etc. anyway, so it's all jsut in one place.

shelly

Jimm wrote: »

I wish I'd read this before I bought my policy last year. Bunch of crooks - beware. They caught me with the same trick, renewed my policy without asking me and then charged me a £20 cancellation fee. I could just about deal with them robbing £20 but checking my account I realise they've taken £50. An expensive call (0844 number) to Bennetts and they weren't able to give me any clear reason or suggest what they would do about my complaint, I got the feeling they were trying to keep my on the line. I won't give up, but anyone considering bike insurance I strongly recommend you look elsewhere, can you imagine these idiots paying up for a claim?

I agree it's wrong of them to take more than they should have done but auto renewing is hardly a 'trick'. Its clearly printed on the back of your Insurance Certificate that they will auto renew unless you tell them otherwise.
May sound harsh but if you don't read the paperwork it's hardly their fault.

lisyloo

I agree it's wrong of them to take more than they should have done but auto renewing is hardly a 'trick'. Its clearly printed on the back of your Insurance Certificate that they will auto renew unless you tell them otherwise.
May sound harsh but if you don't read the paperwork it's hardly their fault.

You also get a renewal notice.
This is one or two sides of A4 and has bold print saying "What to do next".
It is not buried in small print or in a large booklet.

Some people do forget to tell their insurers of change of address and then don't get this notice and of course occassionally they get lost in the post.
That's why I'm proactive about it and keep the dates for exerything in a single spreadsheet.

shelly

lisyloo wrote: »

That's why I'm proactive about it and keep the dates for exerything in a single spreadsheet.

We are the same. I have usually got quotes in way before we get the renewal notice.
Never rely on a renewal notice as a reminder insurance is due!