Insurance Nightmare - need help

scottishminnie

I hope you are seated comfortably as it's a long saga but I need help from someone as I'm in panic mode over this right now.

Hubby and I have fully comp car insurance with Direct Line - been in existance for years - no accidents, full no claims.

Early feb 2008 - car insurance renerwed.
Late Feb 2008 husband gets a speeding fine and a 3 point endorsement so once he is notified I advise the insurance company accordingly and they tell me there is nothing further to pay (i.e. increased premiums) so I don't take any action.
Feb 2009 and Feb 2010 - car insurance renewed,
March 2010 - policy amended as we bought a new car.

At no point after my initial call in Feb 2008 do I mention the speeding conviction again as I've already told them.

Jan 2011 - my car is involved in an incident where a woman drives into it in a carpark (as I'm walking back toward it), gets out and inspects the damage she has done and then gets back into her car and speeds off. I run towards her car to stop her and she heads straight for me before driving off at speed out of the car park. After gathering myself together I went straight to the Police Station as I had thankfully managed to get the registration. The police response was less than helpful, as I wasn't injured and had no witnesses it wasn't a priority. They still haven't been to visit the woman but in the meantime I lodged a claim with my insurers, who are in touch with her insurers etc. (anyway most of this is largely irrelevant to the real problem)

When I advised the insurance company of the claim they asked about previous endorsements to which I replied only the one you have on file. At this point they denied all knowledge of the endoresement which I had told them about (which incidentally expires in 25/02/11) and said I was due them backdated premiums as I hadn't disclosed this.

I have a note of when I called and the (first) name of the person I spoke to back in March 2008 but Direct Line are having none of it. They say if I had reported it they would definitely have increased the premiums. They have advised I will need to pay the following-
£45 and pennies for 2008/2009
£70 for 2009/2010
£117 for 2010/2011 and
£198 for 2011/2011.

My policy (which I stupidly renewed two weeks ago) was due to start on 15th Feb.

They advised me they have put the claim on hold until I pay the overdue amounts and when I mentioned moving my insurance elsewhere as the premiums are no way competitive (even with a conviction) they said I can't move while the claim is ongoing and even if I find another company willing to take me they will not confirm proof of NCD.

I'm sorry for the long story but can anyone help me here.
I can't believe I've done everything the way I should have done and am now being told I need to pay over £400 for something I told them about. I also can''t believe they are charging an extra £198 for 2011/2012 insurance when the endorsement expires 10 days after the premium begins.

Thanks for reading (if you haven't lost the will to live after the first paragraph!)

mikey72

Direct line are messing customers about at the moment.
What does it say on the paperwork?

Get a quote for yourselves, use a fictitious name, and a close address, and same model of car, your ncd, speeding, details etc, and see what the price is.

Make an official complaint, state that they were notified, and you expect them to insure you as agreed. It they don't, tell them you will refer the complaint to the FOS.

scottishminnie

It doesn't mention the conviction on any of the paperwork post me telling them but I don't see an area where that would be recorded so I didn't expect it to be on there (I hope that makes sense, it sounds woolly). When I advised them of the conviction originally they didn't say anything about getting any written confirmation or it appearing on future documents so I didn't look for it at any point.

I just don't know what to do next - I can get insurance elsewhere more than £300 cheaper than Direct Line are now telling me it will cost for 2011/2012 but I can't move anywhere else because of the ongoing claim.

Quentin

They are wrong regarding you being "forced" to stay with them at the end of your current year.

But you ma have a problem getting proof of your NCD out of them whilst this (disputed) outstanding claim for unpaid premium is being resolved.

scottishminnie

interesting - just done as you suggested and a ficticious quote - £335 exact match for mine - included one claim (for the current) and one conviction. Thats over £300 less than they now want to insure me. They know I'm stuck and they are basically screwing me beacuse I can't move the policy.

Would FOS be able to help me if I call them?

Quentin

scottishminnie wrote: »

Late Feb 2008 husband gets a speeding fine and a 3 point endorsement ...........(which incidentally expires in 25/02/11) ........... I also can''t believe they are charging an extra £198 for 2011/2012 insurance when the endorsement expires 10 days after the premium begins.

You are wrong to think the endorsement "expires" after just 3 years.

Endorsements remain on your licence for 4 years, but need to be declared for insurance purposes for 5 years.

Quentin

scottishminnie wrote: »

interesting - just done as you suggested and a ficticious quote - £335 exact match for mine - included one claim (for the current) and one conviction. Thats over £300 less than they now want to insure me. They know I'm stuck and they are basically screwing me beacuse I can't move the policy.

Now get a "proper" quote (ie with your own name and correct details). This may be more useful than a ficticious one!

scottishminnie

Quentin wrote: »

You are wrong to think the endorsement "expires" after just 3 years.

Endorsements remain on your licence for 4 years, but need to be declared for insurance purposes for 5 years.

it was actually the insurance company that said it expired after 3 years - so that is wrong too?

8u87fhsd

Direct Line should still have recordings of your call in March 08 - request they listen to it & confirm that you advised them of the SP30 & that you were told no additional premium - to my mind you shouldn't then owe them anything for 08/09.

However, at each renewal it is your responsibility to check the schedule & any accompanying paperwork is correct. I don't know where the SP30 would have shown up but if it was me & it wasn't there I'd be phoning (then confirming Recorded Delivery) that they had it & that it had no affect on the premium.

Unfortunately I'd say you do owe them for 09/10, 10/11 & 11/12 although you could state that if the SP30 HAD been on it then the premium would have been such that you wouldn't have renewed each year & see if they will reduce the additional premiums.

While they will put the claim on hold (& won't release proof of NCD) until the outstanding amount is paid there is no reason you can't cancel the current policy - you may have to pay the cancellation fee but as the policy for 11/12 hasn't actually started yet I wouldn't expect it - and go elsewhere.

N.B. although the SP30 will be off your husband's licence this year insurance companies usually ask for accidents, claims or convictions in the last 5 years so you would still have to declare it until 2013

Quentin

scottishminnie wrote: »

it was actually the insurance company that said it expired after 3 years - so that is wrong too?

Yes

(As is the advice above that it will be "off" your husband's licence this year! Endorsements remain on your licence for 4 years)

vaio

but maybe DL only consider them for 3 years so as far as they are concecened they expire