Have you taken out churchill insurance - check for recurring credit card payments

connorchloeskye

This is to be my first posting and hope that it helps any unsuspecting people who have taken out Churchill Insurance on the Internet so you can check your details and avoid any nasty recurring credit card payments when the renewal would be due. A couple of months ago I took out a home insurance policy, and fortunately I read all the terms & conditions, small print etc, and there it was, that they would automatically renew my insurance next year from the credit card details that were given unless you advised them not to do so, which I did and sent by recorded delivery, albeit I didn't get an acknowledgment from them. I would be appreciated if anyone would let me know that I have helped them.

gotenks1321

I believe all house insurance companies do this as I had the same with Halifax. I didn't even live at the property anymore and they had my new address (bank accounts with them). I phoned them up and they refunded the payment without any fuss :beer:

Moggles_2

Yes, a reputable company should make this clear, but particular care is needed whenever you use a debit or credit card to pay for a continuous service where recurring payments (such as insurance premiums) are required.

gotenks1321 wrote: »

... I had the same with Halifax. I didn't even live at the property any more and they had my new address (bank accounts with them).

It comes as a surprise to lots of us, but a bank's credit cards are operated entirely separately from its current and savings accounts. Addresses are not automatically copied across, as many forum users who have moved house and not notified their cc provider, have found out the hard way

dzug1

Moggles wrote: »

It comes as a surprise to lots of us, but a bank's credit cards are operated entirely separately from its current and savings accounts. Addresses are not automatically copied across, as many forum users who have moved house and not notified their cc provider, have found out the hard way

Most banks 'farm out' their credit card operation to the likes of MBNA - so yes, it shouldn't be a surprise that they are separate.

But as you say - it often is.

Moggles_2

dzug1 wrote: »

Most banks 'farm out' their credit card operation to the likes of MBNA, so yes, it shouldn't be a surprise that they are separate but, as you say, it often is.

Even when the cc operation is in-house, the info' available to bank staff and vice versa is limited due data protection regulations

instaunt

The problem is that insurers offer introductory discounts to get people to join. The only way to get that back is through customer retention and seriously bumping up the price the following year - hence automatic renewals were born. They do everything they can to keep you and put in so many charges for canceling that if you do leave you end up spending more than the discount they originally gave you. It's quite clever really.

Sadly, as you're leaving them they don't have an incentive to be nice and most will not refund the money or charges for having to cancel (because technically you've taken out another year's insurance). But you never know, RBS might actually sell Direct Line and Churchill this time round and customer service and ethics might improve ...