Express Insurance - Help Pls

joeUK

Hi

Wondering if someone could give me some advice please.

I insured my van with Express Insurance in Feb 2010
It cost me around £350 (I paid monthly)
The policy ran out in Feb 2011. (fully paid up)

My MOT/Tax was due to run out anyway at the same time.
Due to the amount of work needed on the van, I decided to scrap it once everything had run out.

A week after the policy ran out, I got a letter from my bank saying Express Insurance tried to take over £150 out of my bank.

I called EI and asked what they were doing.

They said they had done an auto renewal and it was the deposit.
I told them I didn't want to renew the insurance. (they said I didn't have to agree to it being "auto renewed")

They told me it's been renewed and set up so I'd have to pay it.

After about 15 mins later of me saying I didn't want it and I didn't agree to it being renewed.. the guy told me the renewal price.. OVER £1100!!!
The reason for the price increase was "Our Insurance prices have gone up over the last year" by about £700!

So anyway.. I said I didn't want the policy then I was told I'd have to pay £94.77 for the week I had been insured (that I didn't agree to)

Another 15 mins of me saying I didn't agree to it and I'm not paying it.. the guy finally said ok and cancelled the policy.

About a week later I got a letter with details of my no claims bonus and I left it at that.

A few days ago I got a letter from them (about 8 months later) saying...

"IT IS NOW ILLEGAL TO DRIVE YOU (yes it says YOU) VEHICLE ON THE PUBLIC HIGHWAY UNLESS YOU HAVE TAKEN ALTERNATIVE INSURANCE ELSEWHERE AS YOUR CAR INSURANCE POLICY HAS BEEN CANCELLED"

Also on the letter is:
"YOU STILL OWE MONEY"
It says I have 14 days from the date of the letter to pay £94.77 "which you are legally obliged to pay"
And some stuff about Debt recovery process.

What should I do about this?

Sending me a letter 8 months later demanding money off me for something they agreed to cancel seems like a con to me?

I'm going to call them but what do I say?


Thank you

opinions4u

First of all, you should have cancelled the policy before it renewed. So you need to accept that you created this situation.

Secondly, if you don't resolve it, you arepotentially going to end up with a CCJ that will impact your ability to get credit for 6 years.

I would write to them, recorded delivery, advising them of the date the van was scrapped and that you advised them of this (no need to state the date you advised them). As such, there was never any vehicle to insure and you don't owe them anything.

See what response you get. If it's a further demand for money then complain officially in writing, repeating your previous comments but making it clear that this is a complaint. If they choose to continue to pursue you for the money, escalate the matter to the Ombudsman (FOS).

forgotmyname

Only call them if you can record the call. Otherwise keep it all in writing, If you had it in writing from the
previous call you would be sorted.

You should have cancelled the policy. You need to check the wording on the original policy though and what
about the renewal paperwork?

I had an issue with a classic car insurance, They decided to play the auto renewal trick, I had used them for a
few years, And ALWAYS had to agree and renew the payments. They always asked for teh mileage and the value
before a renewal could be arranged.
Then one year i sold the car and just let the policy lapse, I was taken ill around the time of the renewal so it wasnt
until a few weeks later than i found out they had somehow managed to setup a direct debit for a new policy.

Luckily they had not updated their terms and conditions properly, They still said i needed to confirm mileage and
value before the policy would be accepted.