Where has Refuge Insurance gone ?

Lummey

When I was 20 I took out a 15 year endowment policy with Refuge insurance, they collected the premiums weekly by coming to the door, I then moved from the north east to Newbury and had the policy moved also, they collected from me there only 3 times and the last time took 3 months worth then I never saw him again. This was in 1996, I appreciate that the policy has expired, but can i claim back any of the money i put into it ? If so who do i contact as all the documentation i have the contact details are no longer valid.

Bossyboots

Try contacting Royal London.

http://www.royallondongroup.co.uk/info/fsa.htm

Heaven help you though. Their customer service is abysmal and they are having difficulty understanding some simple banking procedures to set up direct debits.

I am still awaiting a response to my letter of complaint sent nearly two months ago.

dunstonh

Scottish Life, the pensions part of Royal London that is open for business is excellent. Bright Grey, the life assurance part is rather poor, mostly due to out of date systems.

Refuge and Royal London are closed books and like most closed book insurers, the service is poor. If the plans were industrial branch policies, direct debit may not have been an option available.

Apart from contacting them, there is little else that can be done at this stage.

Bossyboots

Royal London direct debits have been available for some time but my collecting agent warned me against it as a number of other customers had found payments were not taken, leaving the policy underpaid or payments were taken after the policy matured (a common error with Royal London even with collections). Now however there is no choice unless you want to send them cheques every month. However, they have totally messed mine up, attempting to take the payments one month early and now failing to take them at all. There was a payment due out today so I will go online shortly and see if they have got it right this month. I bet they haven't taken January's premiums as well though despite my instructions to them to do so.

I have received 12 contradictory letters about the direct debit dates and amounts.

It seems I am doomed to spend 2005 clearing up the mess of the financial institutions I am involved with.

My mattress seems the safest bet for future investments.