Car Insurance Renewal

ste_coxy

I forgot that I had received a letter from my car insurance provider (churchill) saying my policy was due to be renewed - I have already found a cheaper provider and will be going with them once I am paid and can pay the first month's payment.

However, when I tried calling them today to cancel the policy (it is still within the 14 day cooling off period) they said there was a charge of £26 to pay.

Is this valid? If so, how do I go about getting them to waive this charge?

lisyloo

Yes, it's valid. It's an admin fee.
You can ask them nicely but now they have incurred some admin because you forgot then I don't think you have a valid argument.
If you are leaving then why should they do the work for free?
They wrote to you and you forgot.

Give it a try by all means, but it's quite a reasonable fee, they can be nearly twice that and still be legal.

jazzy

I have never heard of this before.
I always shop around when I receive my annual insurance reminder. If I find a cheaper company I usually go with the cheaper quote.
So what you are saying if my current insurance company sends out my annual reminder and I decide to go with another company I am now liable for an admin charge?

glider3560

jazzy wrote: »

So what you are saying if my current insurance company sends out my annual reminder and I decide to go with another company I am now liable for an admin charge?

There is no fee if you cancel the renewal BEFORE the new policy starts. In the OP's case, they have allowed the policy to start so need to pay for the time "on risk" plus an admin fee to have the policy cancelled (as it has now commenced).

shelly

jazzy wrote: »

I have never heard of this before.
I always shop around when I receive my annual insurance reminder. If I find a cheaper company I usually go with the cheaper quote.
So what you are saying if my current insurance company sends out my annual reminder and I decide to go with another company I am now liable for an admin charge?

You really need to read renewals closely as most companies now auto renew. On the renewal notice it will say something along the lines of...."Here is your renewal premium. If you are happy with it you don't need to do anything as it will automatically renew. We will take payment and you will stay insured"

If you don't let them know you aren't renewing, your new policy will start and you will have to pay to cancel.
That is of course assuming you didn't tell the company at inception of the policy that you didn't want to auto renew.