Churchill Automatic Renewal Con

pete_

lisyloo wrote: »

Hi Pete,

Morally I'd say there is a case for auto renewal.
There are lots of people who forget or don't read things.
Shouldn't the public - pedestrian, cyclists etc. have some protection?
People get a renewal letter and mine always say on big bold print "WHAT TO DO NEXT". Some people forget to chase it up, renew their mail or don't read the letters.

Who should be protected, the forgetful who want to save a few pounds by not using an advisor?
Or innocent citizens using the roads and sometimes pavements?

If you had used an advisor then they would have reminded you also.
The problem is that people go DIY to save a few pounds but don't take responsibility for doing the complete job.

Lisyloo, you have repeated a point of view that others have already expressed.

However, if you think that Churchill is being fair in this then perhaps we should extend continuous payment authority to other policies / insurances?

Would you be happy for example for your Home insurance to be renewed automatically every year and be prepared for the fact that you most likely would not be getting the most competitive premium? Why not put your annual travel insurance on it too - just in case you forget to renew ... and how about the breakdown cover for that new washing machine you've just purchased ... best to be sure ... huh

Come on ... if this process is as open and transparent as some on here claim it to be then why isn't there an option to opt OUT of continuous payment authority when you setup your insurance online? As opposed to the default of being opted IN which is the norm.

If I logon to my online bank account I can see all the standing orders and direct debits which are setup .... continuous payment authority ...NO! ... your card details are held unbeknown to you.

My complaint is now with Churchill and I do not change my view.

lisyloo

Would you be happy for example for your Home insurance to be renewed automatically every year and be prepared for the fact that you most likely would not be getting the most competitive premium?

My home insurance was on auto renewal - lots of things are.
I simply called them up and asked them to cancel and kept the written confirmation.

My complaint is now with Churchill and I do not change my view.

Good luck.
My problem is that if people can't remember to lapse then I don't think they can be trusted to renew.
I don't actually care whether you have home insurance, breakdown or house cover, that doesn't bother me, but I do care that you have car insurance because we share the same roads.

Perhaps one day we will have black boxes in cars which connect by satelitte to a database.
If you aren't insured then the car is immobilised.
That would solve the problem.

Mr_K

It's strange how so many seem to be passionately fond of Autorenewal. Maybe they are too lazy to search for a better premium each year. Maybe they are upset that others shop around for better quotes, and that by autorenewing with inflated premiums, they are in effect subsidising them.

Autorenewal not in the consumers interest. If you want for peace of mind, fine, but you should be able to opt out. Don't buy the line that the insurance companies are trying to protect you, they are just trying to protect their own profits.

Mr_K

lisyloo wrote: »

Perhaps one day we will have black boxes in cars which connect by satelitte to a database.
If you aren't insured then the car is immobilised.
That would solve the problem.

Good idea, when its possible. I've no time for unisured drivers, but autorenewal isn't going to solve this. Most of those unisured have never had insurance so its not a matter of them not renewing.

What would help is decent fines/prison sentences/bans. The fines they hand out at the moment are laughable and often cheaper than buying insurance !

dunstonh

It's strange how so many seem to be passionately fond of Autorenewal.

Its an option that can prove useful. It is not a blocker to shopping around.

Mine is up for renewal in two weeks. I have shopped around and cant beat my premium. So, I will let it renew.

lisyloo

Maybe they are too lazy to search for a better premium each year.

No way, hose.
I think you'll find that people that can remember to lapse (or not) can also remember to shop around. It's the ones that can't remeber to lapse that fail to shop around.

Maybe they are upset that others shop around for better quotes, and that by autorenewing with inflated premiums, they are in effect subsidising them.

Complete opposite I think.
Those who can't be bothered to lift a finger subsidise those that do.

but you should be able to opt out

You've been told several times, by several people now how to acheive this.
You can opt out, jsut don't expect a singing telegram at your doorstep to spoon feed you.
If you really wanted to vote with your conscience you wouldn't take an auto renew policy or you'd go into your local brokers office and pay with cash, cos they can't auto-renew your cash.

BTW - have you started a potentially fruitful campaign, or still fruitlessly trying to change opinions on here?

Mr_K

dunstonh wrote: »

Its an option that can prove useful.

Its not an option though is it ? Most of the major insurers don't accept payment any other way. If it was an option it wouldn't be a problem.

Mr_K

lisyloo wrote: »

BTW - have you started a potentially fruitful campaign, or still fruitlessly trying to change opinions on here?

I think you'll find its a vocal minority, some with links to the insurance industry, that love autorenew. Given by the number of threads that keep appearing on the subject there is a big problem.

Quote

Mr_K wrote: »

thank you for that useful contribution, post reported.

For what, expressing an opinion?

The bad man called me a bad name.

Good grief. Grow a backbone.

Explain how you're not confusing better with cheaper and I'll consider a retraction.

lisyloo

Its not an option though is it ?

Yes it is.

AutoAid don't do it.
Sheilas Wheels don't do it.
ebike insurance don't do it.
and that's just off the top of my head from my recent personal experience.
How come I end up without aut-renewal??

How many more times?
You have options.

What I think you are saying is that you want maximum discount but to have maximum options and it simply doens't work like that.

Let's take the example of a restaurant. If you choose the cheapest "table d'hote" menu, you wouldn't get all the options. That's called "a la carte" and is more expensive.

You want gold standard 5* service, spoon fed opting out, things done YOUR way and a range of payment methods to suit you.
That IS available, but not at the budget, discount end of the market.

This is the same in EVERY business.
You get what you pay for.

The problem is that some people buy the cheapest policy form the top of a comparison list without any idea what they are buying.

You wouldn't be able to go in a restaurant and demand what's on the menu, so why do you thing you can demand the way a private business does things??