Can car insurance be renewed without your permission?

turtlemoose

As the title asks....!

I had my policy with kwik fit, which expired 23:59 on the 22nd Nov this year.

I've checked my emails today to find that they have automatically renewed my policy!!! I do NOT want this, I binned their renewal letter as they were £200 more expensive than Endsleigh, who I intended to go with. Wasn't going to renew until tonight, with policy to start tomorrow, due to pay dates from work, meaning I haven't used my car today (Altho seems unwittingly i was covered anyway...!)

Anyway....basically can they do this? I did NOT instruct them to go ahead and renew, and cannot ring them as it is so late. I don't want to get stuck with paying an extra £200 this year :-/

McKneff

It will be in your terms and conditions when you first took out the policy I'm afraid and you will have signed accepting this without reading the small print. more and more companies are doing this.

You could cancel it now but there will be a hefty cancellation fee.

You probably didnt read their renewal letter either, it will have been on there, no question.

sorry, you could ring them up and plead with them but i honestly dont think your going to get anywhere without paying something.

turtlemoose

thanks for the prompt reply mckneff.

I'm really annoyed at myself as I usually read everything!

And no, to be honest I didn't read the renewal letter. I took one look at the massive £620 in bold at the top and went "ha! I've already found a better quote!" and binned it

olly300

You should have read your renewal letter rather than binned it.

Lots of companies do automatic renewal and they tell you to contact them immediately if you do not want them to do this. By binning your letter you are agreeing to them to do automatic renewal.

In future read your policy terms and conditions when you take out the policy, and check whether the insurer does automatic renewal. If they do write to them via recorded delivery immediately and say you do not want them to do this. Keep the letter and recorded delivery slip until next year.

Now all you can do is phone Kwik Fit up and say that you didn't want them to renew your policy as you have taken insurance out elsewhere. They will ask you to sent all documents back and charge you a cancellation fee.

And yes what they have done is legal. I suggest you search this board for auto renewal.

turtlemoose

cheers olly.

sorry to sound naive just in the last 7 years of having car insurance, i've never had this before. Off to hang my head in shame and never make such an expensive mistake ever again.....

McKneff

Annoying isnt it.

Never mind, a lesson learned but when you do change check about renewal
and tell your friends to do the same.

Hope you dont lose out too much

(kwik fit are probably just front men for some well known insurance company anyway) This happens all the time too.

iamana1ias

McKneff wrote: »

Annoying isnt it.

When people don't bother looking or using the search function to read the answer that has been given to this question thousands of times before? Very :rolleyes:

McKneff wrote: »

Never mind, a lesson learned

I doubt it. :rolleyes:

MoscowFlyer

The 14 day reflection period applies from the renewal date so phone them and cancel, they may charge you a small time on risk cover but you're still well within your cooling off period so it's no big deal.

Quentin

MoscowFlyer wrote:

The 14 day reflection period applies from the renewal date so phone them and cancel

There is no 14 day cooling off period on kwik fit renewals. You've had the policy at least a year, so why would you need another 14 days to decide whether or not it's for you?

Proc

Quentin wrote: »

There is no 14 day cooling off period on kwik fit renewals. You've had the policy at least a year, so why would you need another 14 days to decide whether or not it's for you?

Well because of the price it's obviously not for the OP.

OP was silly and should have read paperwork but I'm quite sure that they still get 14 days to cancel, pay time on risk, and not have cancellation charges apply.

Quentin

Proc wrote: »

Well because of the price it's obviously not for the OP.

OP was silly and should have read paperwork but I'm quite sure that they still get 14 days to cancel, pay time on risk, and not have cancellation charges apply.

No, you are wrong. The OP will have agreed to them doing auto renewal when he took out the policy. They did advise him of the cost to renew prior to the renewal date, gave him time (and told him how to) refuse the renewal which he ignored.

The insurer then proceeded to renew the policy as agreed.