do I have to pay this money

MARKBLACK

Hi, today I received a letter from my Insurance Company saying they haven't received any direct debit payments for my house and home policy for approx 10 months, and I owe £285 - I setup this policy the year before and the renewal was automatically carried on the next year. This came about during their recent Audit. This concerns me because if I had had to claim would I have been insured? I have contacted them and their representative said yes............! though it’s a well know fact that insurance company’s would rather not payout – anyway they say I owe them, I can’t afford £285 outright as they were supposed to be taking £27 per month. Where do I stand?

dacouch

You owe the money to them.

When you pay Insurance by monthly direct debit, the Insurer expects you to leave the money in your account even if they miss a payment or payments. If there is a problem like yours they technically should be able to go straight in and take all the missed payments.

If you had needed to make a claim you would have expected your Insurers to pay the claim and they would have had to pay the claim as it is their fault the payments were missed not yours.

The best thing you could do is contact them and explain your current financial circumstances, ask them to allow you to pay the missed instalments over a few or more months

MARKBLACK

Listen seems simple to say **ask them to allow you to pay the missed instalments over a few or more months ** my new policy will be due soon so I will be paying this one as well, I have contacted them - their representative was confused and is going to get back to me. There is no way I can pay this over a couple of months, It will take me a couple of years now.......!

Blackpool_Saver

What concerns me is that you didn't notice the payments not being taken out, do you not check your bank statements?

gardner1

if you havnt paid them then you had no insurance so you dont owe them anything now you just need to find decent company for next 12 months

dacouch

You asked for advice, I told you how it works, I'm sorry if its not what you want to hear.

THEY WILL NOT RIGHT OFF THE MONEY

dacouch

gardner1 wrote: »

if you havnt paid them then you had no insurance so you dont owe them anything now you just need to find decent company for next 12 months

It does not work like that, until the Insurers or the policyholder cancels the policy they have to pay claims. If the OP had a claim he would expect them to pay a claim and if it went as far as the ombudsman they would force the Insurers to pay the claim. Hence the Insurers will want the premium, in the circumstances they will probably allow some instalements but they will not right the money off. In their eyes the money should be left in the account and not spent

gardner1

dacouch wrote: »

It does not work like that, until the Insurers or the policyholder cancels the policy they have to pay claims. If the OP had a claim he would expect them to pay a claim and if it went as far as the ombudsman they would force the Insurers to pay the claim. Hence the Insurers will want the premium, in the circumstances they will probably allow some instalements but they will not right the money off. In their eyes the money should be left in the account and not spent

if the op made a claim whats to say the insurance company saying we have no record of op insurance

by the way markblack do you have a policy

MARKBLACK

I have 33 Direct Debits, I do check my bank but only to make sure I'm not in debt.

Ive not asked them to write it off. I want an explanation.....!

Blackpool_Saver

dacouch wrote: »

You asked for advice, I told you how it works, I'm sorry if its not what you want to hear.

THEY WILL NOT RIGHT OFF THE MONEY

if you are going to shout at people at least check your spelling

Blackpool_Saver

MARKBLACK wrote: »

I have 33 Direct Debits, I do check my bank but only to make sure I'm not in debt.

Ive not asked them to right it off. I want an explanation.....!

Blimey Mark, I thought I had a lot !! and you too have said right instead of write