Trying to cancel Aviva home insurance - time running out!

NickyBoy

I got a quote for our home insurance from the Aviva site via a Quidco link, all seemed to go ok and I bought the insurance and paid on my debit card.

On being emailed the details I realised that their quote system had changed the start date from 13th August to the current date (which was 27th July at the time). This must have happened when I was refining other aspects of the quote but I didn't notice.

I immediately accessed the policy using their 'mypolicy' online service but couldn't change the start date. I tried to phone but was unwilling to wait the estimated 25 minutes. I then used the contact form to ask for the start to be changed to 13th Aug.

A few days passed and I was beginning to get a bad feeling, so I used the web form again but this time to ask for immediate cancelllation and a full refund.

I have heard nothing from these 2 queries.

I then lodged a complaint on 2nd Aug using their online complaint service. I have received an automated acknowledgement but nothing else.

My predicament is that I need to renew my home insurance by 13th August but I really don't want to use Aviva - and I need my money back to cover the premium elsewhere! Also, the 14 day cancellation period is disappearing fast despite me asking twice to cancel!!

Any ideas what else I can do to kick this sleeping giant into action?

Quentin

Don't waste any more time using the net or phone. Write to them (recorded delivery) pointing out your attempts to comply with their conditions, but have been unable to get through on the phone, (which is how they say you should cancel) and confirming the cancellation within the cooling off period, and request them to confirm your instructions and to give you a refund.

Then you can always pursue them via MCOL if they ignore you, as you will have a paper trail to show you attempted to cancel within the timeframe allowed.

adamc260

Or just ring their freephone numbers, it says '25' mins but whenever i've called them even when it's been busy it's been no more than 5

NickyBoy

I'm not aware of any freephone number for them, and I've already spent more than half an hour on hold (over two calls).

Anyway, the first message I sent via their own web contact form was sent 10 days ago and that, in my opinion, is enough time for them to respond. Their customer service experience is lacking something - service.

Recorded delivery letter is on the way today.

Old_Trout_3

We had our home insurance with Aviva. It was coming up for renewal in August. In May we moved house and took cheaper insurance from another company. I wrote to Aviva and said that if they couldn't cancel the insurance before the end of the agreement, then we would just terminate at the end of July. Didn't hear a thing until they sent us renewal papers! I sent a letter cancelling the home insurance. Didn't hear a thing. They sent a second set of renewal papers. Wrote again to cancel and cancelled direct debit. Yesterday they sent us a letter thanking us for choosing them.... The thing is, the only correspondence I've sent to them using our new address, is telling them we don't want their insurance. They are writing to us to our new address so they have definitely received the letters.... The husband is going to call them today to ask them to stop harassing us.

adamc260

NickyBoy wrote: »

I'm not aware of any freephone number for them, and I've already spent more than half an hour on hold (over two calls).

Anyway, the first message I sent via their own web contact form was sent 10 days ago and that, in my opinion, is enough time for them to respond. Their customer service experience is lacking something - service.

Recorded delivery letter is on the way today.

Contact us

Show details
0800 068 5984

Monday to Friday8.00am - 10.00pm
Saturday8.00am - 6.00pm
Sunday10.00am - 4.00pm

http://www.aviva.co.uk/home-insurance/

Press the contact us section on the side

It looks like it's just a sales number but it'll put you through to existing lines too

missile

It hardly seems worth the hassle, I would make a note to self to be more careful and move on.

If you think this is bad customer service, I sincerely hope you never have to make a claim with Aviva and suffer their incompetent sub-contractor.

NickyBoy

missile wrote: »

It hardly seems worth the hassle, I would make a note to self to be more careful and move on.

If you think this is bad customer service, I sincerely hope you never have to make a claim with Aviva and suffer their incompetent sub-contractor.

You may think it's not worth the hassle, but I don't. It's precisely because I don't want to have to "make a claim with Aviva and suffer their incompetent sub-contractor" that makes it worth the hassle.

The query I entered on their contact form on 27th July was finally answered on 6th August, and the query from 30th July was answered on 10th August. In both cases the answer was that I would have to phone them :mad:

The recorded delivery letter to the chief exec was delivered on the 9th August and I await their next move.

Meanwhile, I have taken out home insurance with Liverpool Victoria (via Quidco). LV scored highly in Which? research and their premium was competitive.

NickyBoy

After hearing absolutely nothing from Aviva I decided once more to attempt a phonecall.

Using the freephone number given previously by adamc260 I finally got though to a helpful staff member who cancelled my policy and is arranging for a full refund. Hallelujah!!!

That said, she could find no record of my complaint (which was submitted via their own system and by recorded letter).

Despite the lady today being very helpful, my opinion is unaltered as regards Aviva - I will attempt to avoid them where possible.