Home Insurance late renewal

flat_owner

Hi,

i am wondering if anyone can help. We are insured with Halifax and had a claim with them in 2009. Everything in this claim went fine. we went through the renewal process in 2010 no problem. Our insurance with them ran out on 31/12/2010 and the last payment we made them was on 01/12/2010. We did not receive any renewal dosuments off them and no more money was taken. When i received my bank statement I realised no money had been taken and contacted Halifax. They said that "due to some exceptions on the claim in 2009 we were unable to be put through the renewal process without a manager's authorisation". they did not over the phone and sent out the renewal documents dated 19/03/2011 with a start date of 01/01/2011. I want to cancel with them as I am not completely satisfied with this (even though I accept i should have realised earlier that the home insurance had ran out). They are now trying to charge me a cancellation charge and the 3 months of this year that we were insured with them. How could we have been insured with them if no money had been taken and i had not seen the revised terms and conditions?

Am I in the wrong here?

Thanks

boiler_man

Sorry can't help from a regulation point of view, but certainly sounds like you have a case to complain and for them to consider waiving charges (although cover will cease from renewal in January if they do). I thought that Insurers were tasked to produce renewal terms at least 14 days before renewal (unless waiting for information from you) - so that may be worth investigating and quoting if I am right

bouncydog1

Depending on what the "exceptions to the claim were" you might not be able to purchase insurance elsewhere, so you need to do a bit more investigating before you cancel.