We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

insurance query

would love to get some opinions on this debacle.

jan - insured for the year with swinton, but was told at the start of the year, my bike wasn't covered.

girlfriend moved in in june so started looking for a policy that covered both of our bikes.

swinton wrote me a letter cancelling my policy because id missed a DD.

then they wrote me a letter demanding that i pay them what was owed for the DD

july 7th - i rang to do so, but the girl on the phone couldn't take payment, so offered to get someone to call back. i asked for a quote for cover with the bikes as reckoned to now be able to cover them. new policy since jan i guess. they promised a same day response.

july 7th night - my bike got nicked from work

late july - swinton wrote me a letter demanding the money outstanding plus an admin charge. i replied with a stroppy letter saying i'd have paid over the phone, but you weren't prepared. and that due to the lack of a response from swinton my 1200 quid bike wasn't insured when it got nicked. so you can whistle for your 74 quid.

i got a reply from swinton stating that my insurance wasn't cancelled til the 11th and i should be able to claim.

however (and thanks for keeping with this, this is the important bit) in order to claim i had to pay the premium for the rest of the year.

they cancelled this policy, in fairness due to my inability to keep money in my account, but they cancelled it. also, is it fair to demand that you remain with an insurer after you've claimed with them?

appreciate any help or experience anyone has in this arena.

Comments

  • lisyloo
    lisyloo Posts: 29,878 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It is universal that you have to pay the full premium if you make a claim.

    The premium is due up front and by paying by DD you are getting a LOAN for the amount. It's not pay as you go.
    You don't get a refund if you cancel after a claim.

    How much is the bike worth?
    You need to calculate whether it's worth paying the premium and claiming (minus any excess). Bear in mind you may lose some NCD and will have to declare the claim in future (for several years) so your premiums will increase for years to come.
    If you are talking about £100 bike then with the premium + excess + loss of NCD + 3 years premium hikes, it's probably not worth claiming.

    Sorry, but it's the same for everyone.
  • thanks for the reply.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 346.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 251.3K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 451.3K Spending & Discounts
  • 238.7K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 614.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 174.7K Life & Family
  • 251.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.