Insurance cancelled after car written off

newama

Quentin wrote: »

Weren't you informed this would happen (in the policy) when you took out the insurance what would happen in the event of a write off/total loss?

If so, you have no beef.

If not, make a complaint to your insurer and follow it up if you get no response.

In the form of a policy document book apparently after renewal which failed to list changes. So beef i have its my money i don't!!
will definitely make a complaint.

2gorgeousgirls

Same position - my car has been "written-off" within 2 weeks of renewing insurance.

Haven't found a replacement car yet but will be stung for two lots of insurance in a very short space of time. (3 actually if you count hubby's insurance being renewed at same time!)

Not happy but as I need a car, I'll just have to suck it up.:(

pietaster

Hi again,

Dunstonh - I hear what you are saying, but as you may have gathered my real issue with esure is not that I want them to refund me for the remaining cover, but that they will not transfer the remaining insurance cover onto my next vehicle. The fact that they will not do this is nothing to do how motor insurance should work per-se (as many other companies will allow you to do this transfer as you have stated).

Annicave - Compiling a list of insurers who will cancel the policy in the event of a write-off is indeed a good idea. Obviously I'm going to have to look for a new insurance policy soon and will report back if I find any others who do this. My wife is with 'Sheila's Wheels' who have just been taken over by Esure so I imagine that their cover will also include this get-out clause.

I am also going to be writing to the financial ombudsman regarding this issue and I would encourage any others who feel as aggrieved as I do to do the same. In my opinion Esure have introduced this policy cancellation clause in a very underhand and devious way. In no way when my policy renewal invite came through was it mentioned that they had changed the terms of cover. I strongly feel that something as important as this should be clearly stated in much the same way that the policy excess, legal cover and courtesy car provision is displayed. It makes it very difficult for the consumer to make a fair comparison of the insurance cover provided at the point of purchase if this sort of information is not clearly laid out.

I also feel that the whole ethos of this clause is obnoxious in the most unfairly discriminatory way. It is those with the lower value vehicles who are most likely to loose out. If my vehicle, for example, were valued £1000 more it would have been repaired, and not written off and I wouldn't have lost the rest of my years cover. Statistically, people with lower valued cars are likely to be the less affluent and therefore less able to afford this loss.

The whole think stinks.

hcb42

not happy as I just took out insurance with them two weeks ago - fingers crossed i do not get into this situation, as yes, it stinks

lisyloo

Please let us know how you get on with your complaint (for the benefit of other customers).

vaio

2gorgeousgirls wrote: »

Same position - my car has been "written-off" within 2 weeks of renewing insurance.

Haven't found a replacement car yet but will be stung for two lots of insurance in a very short space of time. (3 actually if you count hubby's insurance being renewed at same time!)

Not happy but as I need a car, I'll just have to suck it up.:(

If the accident wasn't your fault see the comments above about claiming direct from the TP rather than your company

vaio

OP...there are two interesting issues you raise

the first is the level of information you received at renewal regarding the fairly fundamental change in the policy terms.

the second is the general fairness (in the FOS sense) issue of ending policy on total loss claim.
Consider a youngster driving a £500 car and paying £3k year insurance who gets rear ended one month into the policy. The policy will have two sections, one is related to third party risks and the other relates to own car damage. The companies and many on here will rightly tell you that the vast bulk of his premium is not related to his car but is related to the third party risk and it seems inherently unfair to me to deprive him of the remaining 11 months cover if he makes claim and I’d be interested to see a case go before the FOS.

pietaster

I can't go to the TP directly as they are both in dispute as to which is at fault at the moment. I have already gone down the route of letting esure handle the claim so I suspect it is too late anyway.

I will post any further feedback I get from either esure or the FOS regarding my complaint as I receive them.

pietaster

Just to update. I have insured my new vehicle with Aviva. They do not cancel their policy in the event of a write-off but allow you to continue your policy onto your next vehicle. In fact they were suprised by the question which shows that Esure, Admiral & Tesco appear to be in the minority with this unfair policy.

I have made an official complaint to Esure. The FOS allows 8 weeks for Esure themselves to resolve the issue before they will get involved. I will post again with further progress.

pietaster

Hello all,

I promised I would let you know how I got on with this complaint. Its taken a while as you can see....but I've just heard back today from the FOS that they have got Esure to agree to pay me back the pro-rata value of my premium plus 8% interest and £50 for the inconvenience. This has worked out at over £600.

I think you will agree that although sometime coming, this is a most satisfactory result!

I would suggest that any others who have suffered similar treatment by their insurer should get onto the FOS with their complaint.