Policy cancelled by hastings

mishmash02

Hi, I purchased my car insurance from hasting about 6 weeks ago in full for about £400, but as I'm a new driver, I shredded my documents from my previous insurer unaware I would need them to prove my no claims.
I found that my previous insurer would not issue hastings with my details but was not told the reason why.
I contacted my previous insurer who told me they would issue me with a letter stating my no claims.
EVENTUALLY it arrived, only days before my temporary insurance was due to expire.
In this time I also recieved a letter from hastings stating that if they don't recieve the proof they will cancel my policy.

I sent off the letter on 16th June 1st class, so it should have arrived by 18th
However when I rang them today to confirm they recieved it, they said they had not recieved it, and even if they had it would not have been in time.

They state that a refund is being offered of around £200
Thats HALF what I paid and I have had the policy 6 weeks!!
They state there is a £45 cancellation fee (even though it was them who cancelled it) and I paid for the cover for them 6 weeks.

I am outraged at this, I dont think it's a fair refund.
Is there anything I can do to increase the money, or to reinstate the policy (they say it's too late now and that they can't)
Thank you.

glider3560

Providing proof of your no claims will probably let them reinstate the policy.

dacouch

Get your last Insurer to email or fax it through to you and the forward it on to Hastings by fax / email

mishmash02

The entire policy was £419.02 starting on 5th May.
It "ended" 19th June, which is 6weeks 3days (45days)
After the cancellation fee of £45, this leaves £374.02, average of £1.02 per day, so the other 325days which I have paid for and now won't be recieving totals to £333. AFTER the cancellation fee, so where they get £200 from I really don't know.

I don't mind paying for the days I actually had the cover.
I want to know if I can avoid having to pay the cancellation fee, and get more of a refund which I believe I deserve.

They have stated there is nothing more they can do other than start a new policy from scratch.

They make out like I'm at fault because they say they sent me 3 reminder letters to provide them proof of no claims.
Which I gave them my previous insurance details, to which they couldn't get hold of the details due to a change of address (which I only found this out TODAY)
They didn't inform me that they couldn't get the required details till a couple of weeks later and never mentioned the reason why (address change)

I contacted my previous insurer to issue me with the proof of no claims, which they said they would. The letter didn't arrive untill 16th June, despite being dated 10th June and 1st class.

I mentioned this to hastings, that it had been delayed because of the previous insurer and they said i could try and contact my previous insurer to see if I could get some sort of "compensation" due to the delay.

But they stood thier ground in saying I would get the £45.00 Cancellation charge, and that I would recieve £200.00 (roughly) refund, and nothing more.

I really need help to see if there is anything I can do.

lisyloo

After the cancellation fee of £45, this leaves £374.02, average of £1.02 per day, so the other 325days which I have paid for and now won't be recieving totals to £333. AFTER the cancellation fee, so where they get £200 from I really don't know.

I think you are pro-rating it
i.e.. expeccting to pay 45/365
It doesn't work like that.
It's much more expensive to have insurance short term.
Part of the reason is that the admin costs (printers, paper etc.) are fixed so if you take a policy for one week, the paperwork costs the same as a policy for 52 weeks.

I want to know if I can avoid having to pay the cancellation fee, and get more of a refund which I believe I deserve.

Admin fees are legal and your is within the guidelines given by the FSA.

However unfair you think their scheme is, you would have agreed to it when you signed up and it would have been in your policy booklet, so if you felt you weren't deserving of it, then you should have decided not to take the policy.

Which I gave them my previous insurance details, to which they couldn't get hold of the details due to a change of address (which I only found this out TODAY)

did you give them the old address details that corresponded to your old NCB?
I am trying to work out who is at fault here - you, hastings or the old insurer.

I mentioned this to hastings, that it had been delayed because of the previous insurer

You need to clarify things a little (sorry I'm a little confused).
If the new insurer was using the new address and this did not correspond on the odl insurers system, then I cannot see that the old insurer is at fault here.
Did your new insurer know you had moved and that the old NCB was at an old address.

If it's your fault then I'm not sure there is much you can do.
If it's your old insurers fault then you will have to get compensation from them.
If it's you new insurers fault then you will have to get compensation from them.

But at the moment I'm not clear on whose fault this is.
You need to explain a bit more about the addresses and who was given what inforamtion.

mishmash02

Yes, I rang up regarding charges, set up fees etc.
so £10. set up fee plus £45. cancellation fee leaves £364
I was told for 2 months (which mine is) I am expected to pay 30% premium.

30% is not equal to what I will be paying, so they still overcharged.

I recieved a no claims bonus declaration which I filled in best I could (after shredding all evidence of my previous insurer)

This is the 1st time I am changing over insurance companies and the whole proof of no claims etc was totally alien to me.
I wasn't made aware I had to inform of change of address.

After sending the details back I thought it would be sorted between the two companies.
I was told from my previous insurer they made ONE attempt to contact them regarding my details and they were told my address was incorrect.
When they contacted me sayin they would not release my information they never explained the reason why, so I thought my last insurer was bein awkward because I had switched policies.
So I contacted them to send a letter issuing proof, which they did and I forwarded it to hastings.
Hastings didn't know I had moved, nor did they know the NCB was at a previous address, but they never asked about this, even when they knew the issue was related to the address not matching up.

gordikin

When did you change your address.? If it was during the time of your old insurance you really should have let your old insurance company know and maybe this problem wouldn not have arisen?

dunstonh

Hastings didn't know I had moved, nor did they know the NCB was at a previous address, but they never asked about this, even when they knew the issue was related to the address not matching up.

Not making them aware of a change of address is your fault. It shouldnt require them to tell you. Its common sense. The insurer will try to match name and address and if the address is different then its clearly not going to match. They are not going to be told that they have someone with the same name at a different address as they may have many people with the same name and its not something they should be told anyway. A plain "no-one with that name at that addresss" should be given.

Did you move house and have your renewal on the insurance on the same day or different days?

lisyloo

I recieved a no claims bonus declaration which I filled in best I could

If you gave the new insurer your new address and the old insurer had your old address then I'm afraid it will be your fault for not filling out the declaration properly.

If this is your first time and your didn't understand the issues then it would have been a good idea to use an insurance broker rather than try to do it yourself. They would have sorted all of this out for you.

Anyway, if you look in your policy you might find some figures for short term cover under the cancellation section.
If you can provide the details then we can try to see if we think it's correct.
However it's common to have to pay a lot more for short term periods.
But we can check it for you if you can provide the details from your policy.

lisyloo

Right here's my calculations
http://www.matthewsguide.co.uk/LIN/hastings.php

£10 - policy amendment fee (not sure what this is for?)
£45 - cancellation fee
£51.66 - time on cover 45/365
£125.71 - 30% of premium for cancellation.

Total - £232.37
Refund - £186.65

That may not be exact, but it loks to me that £200 is in the right ball park.

The info you need for cancellation charges is available for FREE HERE
http://www.matthewsguide.co.uk/LIN/hastings.php

If you don't want to do the research yourself (which is perfectly ok) then get a broker to do it for you.
They understand these issues and can advise you.
If however you go for the cheapest policy on a DIY basis then it's up to YOU to provide correct info and check out that you are happy with all their terms and conditions. Preferably before you take the policy.

gordikin

I\'ve a nagging concern about the OP trying to get insurance elsewhere when it comes to the question of whether they have been refused insurance/had insurance cancelled? I could be wrong though.