Getting false claim removed from your record.

auntiesue

Looking for some help please, will try to explain fully so could be a long post.

I had a letter from my insurance company in Sept 2010 stating that a claim had been made against me for an incident that had occured on the 10th. I rang them as I didn't have a clue what they were on about. This accident apparently happened over 150 miles away from where I live and I knew I was no where near the area and have never been in that town before.

The person whom I spoke to said it could be that a letter or number from the Reg plate could have been taken down wrongly resulting in my car being named as the guilty party. They said they would chase it up and get back to me.

I renewed my insurance in early November with this still hanging over me. I last spoke to them in October where they said that they had not heard from the other insurance company and were closing the claim down. All sorted..... so I thought.

Just got my renewal letter through for this year and it is recorded as a claim/loss against me. Confused I called them up only to be passed from one department to the next. Finally spoke to some-one in claims who said that although it was recorded as a claim they never paid out and it had been closed. When asking if this can then be removed as it had never happened I was told that no it couldn't be removed and I would have to declare it in the future. :mad:

How can this be right?
Is there anything I can do to have it removed?

sarahg1969

The same has happened to my husband this year, and to a colleague last year (both when their vehicles were advertised in Autotrader). The insurers are refusing to remove the record too. I'd be interested to know of anyone who has had success in getting them to do something about it.

Quentin

auntiesue wrote: »

Is there anything I can do to have it removed?

Yes.

Make an official "complaint" to the insurer via their complaints procedure.

If this fails, then escalate the matter.

auntiesue

Quentin wrote: »

Yes.

Make an official "complaint" to the insurer via their complaints procedure.

If this fails, then escalate the matter.

Thankyou.
Was going to try phoning again and speak to some-one more senior but I don't want to be left on hold on their 0844 number so will write instead.

alistair.long

If you wait until after 3 years, then contact your insurance, they should remove it and you can get the extra money paid for this year on your renewal and the next 2 years.

Valli

auntiesue wrote: »

Thankyou.
Was going to try phoning again and speak to some-one more senior but I don't want to be left on hold on their 0844 number so will write instead.

Make sure you keep a copy of the letter you send and retain copies of all communication received. Better to write anyway as you will have evidence; as has been said complain FORMALLY to them - ie make it obvious you are complaining and make sure you tell them what you expect them to do (refund overpayment, if there was one, acknowledge, in writing, that YOU didn't make the claim at the outset, it isn't a rejected claim and it should be deleted from your record) and if you do not receive satisfaction complain to the Insurance Ombudsman.

Have you any proof you were elsewhere (from the location/incident from which the claim arose) at the time? Were you at work that day/time, can your employer prove this? Other proof might be store receipts/credit card bills/attendance at an event for instance)

magpiecottage

Quentin wrote: »

Yes.

Make an official "complaint" to the insurer via their complaints procedure.

If this fails, then escalate the matter.

This is the right way forward. Probably the line to take is that the personal data is inaccurate and that you require it to be corrected.

A court can order this under Section 14 of the Data Protection Act 1998 but you can go to FOS instead. If so, you should draw their attention to Section 14.