Car insurance

sammitchel

Hi,
I received a phone call tonight from Kwik Fit car insurance saying they had just been audited by the underwriters and realised that since I started my policy in April this year, they had not successfully set up my Direct Debit. Until this phone call tonight, I had no idea, all of my direct debits go out on the 1st of the month, and if there is anything left at the end of it, I spend it. I changed my car on 1st of September this year and although they re-ajusted my premiums successfully, this was still not picked up. I received the phone call tonight, saying if I couldn't pay at least half in the next 3 days, the insurance underwriters would cancel the policy. Kwikfit have accepted that this is their error, it is too close to christmas for me to pay such a large amount when it is not my fault, but they are also saying it was my responsibility to check the amount had left my account. I maintain that after all this time, I would have expected them to raise the issue, if I had been one week late with a payment in any other circumstances, they would have been writing letters threatening cancellation straight away. If they have not realised their mistake, and do not know how it has happened, how on earth can I know?

atrixblue.-MFR-.

kick fit nor any other insurer should contact you regarding bank details or direct debit. if your posetive that it was paid, check with your bank advisor, get statemented proff and call back kwick fit and double check they had infact called you asap this sounds not quite right as insurers system would of informed you of any problems way before now not to go on this long and not write to you double check.

Rolandtheroadie

This happened to me years ago with an insurer. They applied for around 8 individual payments at once which my bank refused. I therefore had 8 unpaid item charges and was still due my insurer the payments.
I said about the DD guarantee but was knocked back on the grounds I should have known about the payments.
At least they've told you and not just attempted to take the money in the one go.

davemorton

If the policy started in April, and you have missed all the payments, just find a new insurer and than Kwikfit for letting you have half a year cost free.

sassy_one

davemorton wrote: »

If the policy started in April, and you have missed all the payments, just find a new insurer and than Kwikfit for letting you have half a year cost free.

I'm surprised they allowed him to go months without paying and that he is still insured! :eek:

atrixblue.-MFR-.

sassy-one wrote: »

I'm surprised they allowed him to go months without paying and that he is still insured! :eek:

this is what i find dodgy (but being kwik-!!!!!! im not surprised) to go that long when the system says NO PAYMENT from start date is questionable, usually the system automates a letter informing the customer that he has breached terms and cons by not paying and his policy has been suspended.

if the OP is adiment that he has paid he needs to get hold of kwik-!!!!!! as soon as possible to double check that 1. they had called him regarding DD payment, and 2. he needs to then go to his bank and see if the DD payments were sent, get proof like statements or more specifically the DD outgoing to kwick !!!!!! statement of the dates payments were paid, my bank had a horrible history of letting the direct debit go on the day of request not on the date that it was suppose to be paid, some 2 weeks early infact than agreed with my gas supplier, i didnt notice untill i had incurred charges for DD refurr to payer and then their second attempt went through on the right date. i got my contract and took to the bank as it was their error for letting it go earlier than agreed. the refunded my charges and nothing else happened no probs. you need to go through everything to check that your in the right.

sammitchel

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

this is what i find dodgy (but being kwik-!!!!!! im not surprised) to go that long when the system says NO PAYMENT from start date is questionable, usually the system automates a letter informing the customer that he has breached terms and cons by not paying and his policy has been suspended.

if the OP is adiment that he has paid he needs to get hold of kwik-!!!!!! as soon as possible to double check that 1. they had called him regarding DD payment, and 2. he needs to then go to his bank and see if the DD payments were sent, get proof like statements or more specifically the DD outgoing to kwick !!!!!! statement of the dates payments were paid, my bank had a horrible history of letting the direct debit go on the day of request not on the date that it was suppose to be paid, some 2 weeks early infact than agreed with my gas supplier, i didnt notice untill i had incurred charges for DD refurr to payer and then their second attempt went through on the right date. i got my contract and took to the bank as it was their error for letting it go earlier than agreed. the refunded my charges and nothing else happened no probs. you need to go through everything to check that your in the right.

I have checked with my bank, the payments have never been requested, it was genuine on my part because the person applying for the direct debit is not always the name that shows on your statement. I was told when I took the policy out that there was a problem and they would have to investigate as their computer would not recognise my sort code, then 2 weeks later I was told it was all sorted and ok. As I said before, I have even changed my car and they amended my direct debit at their end, which apparently, they cannot due if there are any monies outstanding (clearly, they can). They say this error has come to light due to an internal audit and I am one of over 2000 that this has happened to.

kwaks

As dave says, find a new insurer and tell KFIS as you cannot pay the lump sum they can lapse the policy. Tell them the policy should be lapsed, not cancelled, as it is their error, and to thank their lucky stars that you did not have a claim.

stugib

kwaks wrote: »

As dave says, find a new insurer and tell KFIS as you cannot pay the lump sum they can lapse the policy. Tell them the policy should be lapsed, not cancelled, as it is their error, and to thank their lucky stars that you did not have a claim.

It can't lapse, it hasn't reached the end of term. It'll either have to be cancelled by the policyholder and they'll have to pay what they haven't done so far, or the insurer will have to cancel it for non-payment which isn't something you want for the future either.

Quentin

kwaks wrote: »

As dave says, find a new insurer and tell KFIS as you cannot pay the lump sum they can lapse the policy. Tell them the policy should be lapsed, not cancelled, as it is their error, and to thank their lucky stars that you did not have a claim.

This is bad advice. (And if you had made a claim why would they be upset??)

As already advised you do not want to end up with having your policy cancelled by the insurer over this. It will make getting insurance difficult in the future. (And don't expect them to co-operate with you regarding supplying you with proof of your NCB in the event the policy gets cancelled and you owe them)

So get down from the high horse and if you can't afford to pay what you owe them try to come to some arrangement with them, or get a loan elsewhere to pay them! Unfortunately although you blame them, it is your responsibility to pay up, and they will take the hard road if you don't. This would mean cancelling your policy, chasing you for the debt, putting you on the database for having them cancel you etc etc.

rev_henry

Quentin wrote: »

This is bad advice. (And if you had made a claim why would they be upset??)

As already advised you do not want to end up with having your policy cancelled by the insurer over this. It will make getting insurance difficult in the future. (And don't expect them to co-operate with you regarding supplying you with proof of your NCB in the event the policy gets cancelled and you owe them)

So get down from the high horse and if you can't afford to pay what you owe them try to come to some arrangement with them, or get a loan elsewhere to pay them! Unfortunately although you blame them, it is your responsibility to pay up, and they will take the hard road if you don't. This would mean cancelling your policy, chasing you for the debt, putting you on the database for having them cancel you etc etc.

I was going to say. That's a nice idea but then when you next get insurance you'll have to answer YES to having had insurance cancelled in the past, and thus you'll never get sensible quotes again.