Aviva demanding return of certificate

galba

My wife declined to renew her car insurance with Aviva which expires midnight on 15 November.

She received a letter today demanding the return of the certificate. They can certainly have it but not until the day after the policy expires; why do they want it back ? Surely an expired certificate of insurance is no good to anyone.

They say nothing to the effect that it should not be returned until after the expiry date.

skylight

Perhaps they have sent a new certificate for the rolling policy you have since cancelled, but you have recieved the request before the certificate has arrived?

Quentin

It sounds as if they have "misunderstood" your instructions and may have cancelled the policy already. (They would not require an out of date certificate retuning)

Don't drive the car until you have checked that this is not the case.

dunstonh

Have you cancelled the insurance or chosen not to renew?

If you chose not to renew you wouldnt be asked for the old one. However, they will ask for the new one back if they pre-issued it for the year ahead.

galba

Quentin wrote: »

It sounds as if they have "misunderstood" your instructions and may have cancelled the policy already. (They would not require an out of date certificate retuning)

Don't drive the car until you have checked that this is not the case.

Sorry....forgot to came back on this.

The wording in their letter is...

"Regarding the renewal lapse of your policy, I would be grateful if you would return your certificate of motor insurance in the envelope provided."

It was made clear in the letter to them that the policy should be cancelled on the expiry date.

Perhaps as suggested they have sent out a new certificate, - we can only wait and see.

Thanks for all responses.

Nato_3

Aviva may be the biggest insurer in the UK however they are gradually "losing the plot" regarding good front end customer service and providing value for money. I also decided not to renew my car insurance with Aviva after receiving a quote from Allianz (certainly a comparable competitor) for less than half of the automatic renewal quotation received from Aviva. The specifications were exactly the same. That's Aviva's loss and Allianz gain . A five year insurance relationship ended by being asked to return the certificate that they included in the automatic renewal which I didn't ask for . No prepaid envelope was provided nor was one offered when I asked the representative who was canceling the 2011 policy. A second class stamp will be used for a company that is providing second class service and in my view will soon be wondering why existing customers are deserting the Aviva ship in droves. It cost's five times more to acquire than to keep a customer I think the business sages often quote . Aviva sharpen your pencil and think about the individuals that buy your products and services .Your coveted leadership position may soon be lost given your current performance. A big downward slide in market share is may be just what you need as a wake up call.

benjaminM

It is normal for an insurance company to ask for the return of a valid certificate. Insurance companies require the return of the insurance certificate to ensure it is not misused and to comply with statutory legislation. Most insurers would act exactly the same in the circumstances.

Quentin

benjaminM wrote: »

Most insurers would act exactly the same in the circumstances.

Dont think so.

Most decent insurers would await payment before issuing a certificate, or if speculatively sending out a certificate in the hope of a renewal and wanting it back if the insurance is not to be taken up would provide a reply paid envelope for its return.

benjaminM

Quentin wrote: »

Dont think so.

Most decent insurers would await payment before issuing a certificate, or if speculatively sending out a certificate in the hope of a renewal and wanting it back if the insurance is not to be taken up would provide a reply paid envelope for its return.

Most insurers would act the same regarding the return of the certificate. I was not talking about speculation tactics or their service.

Quentin

benjaminM wrote: »

Most insurers would act the same regarding the return of the certificate. I was not talking about speculation tactics or their service.

No-one was disputing the need for the cert to be returned.

What was being said was that Aviva shouldn't expect us to send back the cert at our expense! And I corrected you by pointing out that this is not how most insurers behave. (You seem to have a soft spot for aviva, defending them here and recommending them in another thread, any special reason?)

gordikin

Quentin wrote: »

No-one was disputing the need for the cert to be returned.

What was being said was that Aviva shouldn't expect us to send back the cert at our expense!

Aviva provided the means to return the cert.!