Credit Card Beef

Tuurbo46

Hi all,

I have a beef with my credit card company. I bought my car insurance online from a comparison site and paid the full and final payment at point of purchase. Sixteen days later the car insurance company put a random charge on my credit card without notifying me. At this point I contacted the insurance company and asked what the charge was for and they said an undisclosed crash – I have not been in a crash. I spoke to my previous car insurance company and they said yep, I have not been in crash and wrote a letter confirming this. Now the car insurance company is unwilling to give my money back?

I have asked my credit card company why they let this unauthorized charge go out of my account and also can they claim the money back. My credit card company said its not there problem contact the car insurance company. I have contacted both parties via email for proof, but both cannot be bothered and it’s really hard work. I am shocked that you have no control of your credit card and the law seems very vague at times.

I had this problem last year also, I booked a holiday verbally and paid deposit in shop. They paperwork came through one week later confirming holiday and the holiday details were wrong. I spoke to the holiday company and they just wanted to charge me for changing the holiday. I spoke to the credit card company and they said it’s your word against there’s and they cannot help. I spoke to the holiday company again and they said sorry but if you cancel holiday they will charge you a cancellation charge?

I’m with one of the biggest credit card companies but they don’t seem very good and not in the customers interest. What would you advice be on my car insurance episode?

Look forward to your replies.

lisyloo

I am shocked that you have no control of your credit card

You do have control, you are jsut allowing call center people to fobb you off.

I booked a holiday verbally and paid deposit in shop.

Don't pay for it unless you have checked all details in black and white first.

What would you advice be on my car insurance episode?

Two/three? pronged approach.
1. Start a formal complaint with your insurer. Find their formal complaints procedure in your paperwork or on their website. Send a letter (consider 75p extra for recorded delivery). State plainly what the problem is and what you want them to do. Keep a record of anyone you speak to on the phone. Write down their name, date and time. These details can help with retrieving recordings of calls or in further complaints/discussions. I also find that when people know you have their name, they tend to do what they agreed rather than forget as they know you have their details and they are accountable. You may not get anywhere with the company but you can take this up with the FOS at the end who are free and independent. This is a slow process so get it kicked off.

2) Report to credit card company but used the right words. Tell them the debit was unauthorised and you want to dispute the transaction. Which company is it? I only ask because some companies have a dispute form on their website so you don't have to call. There may be a time limit on this, so kick off the process.

3) An optional 3rd step is to get your details from the CUE (central underwriting exchange) database. This is the closest thing there is to an insurance claims database and there could be an error. under the data protection Act you are entitled to get all information on yourself (subject access request) and the max charge is £10. I can't give exact instructions, but I'm sure you with those details you can google and find the address and also a template SAR letter. Personally I'd probably hold off that for now and take the other two steps but I mention it as an option. It may be just a mistake on the database.

Hope that helps.

o.S. Don't buy a holiday or anything else before thoroughly checking the details. Holidays and flights are particularly important because they don't fall under distance selling regs so no cooling off period. I usually get my OH to check as well because any contracts are final. The staff member probably did make a mistake, but you are unfortunately stuck.
Remember you are the one with the money so demand to see the screen if necessary.

You need to be a little more assertive and not let these companies, call center people fob you off. You still need to remain polite and factual but at the moment you are letting them walk all over you.

Tuurbo46

Hi Lisyloo,

Thanks for your reply. Below are bullet points of the companies:

* Credit card company = Barclaycard

* Current car insurance = Admiral, they said i was on CUE (central underwriting exchange) database

* Old Car insurance = Royal Sun Alliance said i was NOT on CUE (central underwriting exchange) database and wrote a letter to confrim this.

Im starting to think a large number of car insurance comapies try to pin things on customers to make extra money, and then you have to fight to prove your innocent (i thought in the uk you were innocent until proven guilty, not guilty until proven innocent?)

and the holiday company was:

* Holiday company = Virgin Holidays... They are keen to make the sale but after sales care is awfull. When you think the millions they spend on advertising, and yet they would be better spending some on after sales training. Becasue now i have told every person i know never travel Virgin. If they were reasonable i would go back the rest of my life for holidays. But no it was a point blank no no no your wrong. Never again....

Thanks again.

lisyloo

Have you checked the address details are identical. Not mix up e.g. flat numbers like 35, 35a can get mixed up sometimes.

Did you complain to the manager of the Virgin shop?
I would have complained to the manager and explained everything you said (but tried to act charming and not all guns blazing). Usually this gets a result.

Don't underestimate your power here.
The FOS is free to you and independent. It costs the company around £500 if you raise a complaint so you can get free and independent help (although it takes time).

As a rule I don't think it's in companies interests to make mistakes like this, but I know what you mean. Their "front line" is there to fobb you off.
You need to get past that.

Tuurbo46

Ok,

I have full written proof now from RSA that i did not make a claim, i have sent to super wierd, strange thiefting Admiral car insurance and they will not give my money back. What is the next step?

For the rest of my living life the 50 million people i speak to i will say never buy Admiral insurance because they are con people and steal your money full stop!!!!!

thegoodman

Tuurbo46 wrote: »

Ok i will say never buy Admiral insurance because they are con people and steal your money full stop!!!!!

The reason companies don't care is because most people go for the cheapest, at the time of booking or buying know one care about the customer service.
if you are searching for insurance most people will go for the cheapest.

This can only change if people are willing to pay extra for the customer service.

jonesMUFCforever

Tuurbo46 wrote: »

Ok,

I have full written proof now from RSA that i did not make a claim, i have sent to super wierd, strange thiefting Admiral car insurance and they will not give my money back. What is the next step?

For the rest of my living life the 50 million people i speak to i will say never buy Admiral insurance because they are con people and steal your money full stop!!!!!

Don't shoot me here but reading the first paragragh suggests something to me - you did not make a claim BUT DID YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT?

Tuurbo46

Hiya,

No claim, no accident, no nothing, they just want to play silly games and ask can you prove etc, and you spend lots of money on there premiem 0845 numbers.

I will be going to my local broker at the end of my road next year, yeah i will pay a bit more but i can pop down and sort out any problems. Im sure Admiral will be on rouge traders soon like all the other companies playing these silly games.

chattychappy

Tuurbo46 wrote: »

I spoke to the credit card company and they said it’s your word against there’s

No, it's not. The onus of proof is on the CC to prove that a transaction was authorised. They are not some kind of "go-between".