Car Insurance - Retrospective Charges

sharonjeff

Hi..just wondered if anyone else has encountered my problem?
I called my insurance company to say that a fox had run in front of me (a couple of years ago) and I wasn't sure if there was any damage but would get back to them. Luckily there was no damage to the car, so I never gave it another thought. However when I came to change my insurer I was expected to tell them of this NON CLAIM INCIDENT but I didn't (not out of any other reason that I'd forgotten about it!). They have now hit me with charges of over £200.00 for a policy retrospectively for an claim that never happened. To say I'm seething is an understatement and would appreciate if anyone else has experienced anything like this.
Thanks for any help/comments:(

InsideInsurance

Insurers ask you to declare "any incidents irrespective of whether you claimed for it or not"

As you advised your insurers about the incident it has become an official record about you and needs to be declared going forward. By the sounds of it your new insurers have found out about it and are accepting it was a genuine mistake rather than attempted fraud and so are offering you the option of paying the additional dues.

It is certainly worth speaking to them to ensure they have the details correct about what the incident was and the fact there was no payout (and so technically is non-fault) to check the AP is correct.

Ultimately if you dont pay your policy will be cancelled and then not only will you have to declare the incident for the next couple of years but will need to declare your insurer cancelled policy for the rest of your life.

sharonjeff

The problem is it's not a policy that's active now, it was for my son's policy which has been replaced by a Multi Car Policy. So the current policy is all paid, the charges refer to an old policy.

It's all very complicated as £1444.00 was taken from our account without any prior knowledge, due to our intervention this has been reduced to £300.00, which just goes to show how they can rip you off, charge what they want and leave it to you to try and clear the mess.

Thanks again

Quentin

Make sure that your new insurer is aware of the fox incident (and any others you approach for quotes in future - they usually ask for your history over the last 3/5 years)

weejonnie

Ah the joys of arranging insurance on your own!

Quentin

weejonnie wrote: »

Ah the joys of arranging insurance on your own!

Another unhelpful comment. (He keeps telling us he is a broker!)

Using MSE like this and seizing on threads asking for help with insurance issues just to (self) promote insurance brokers like this is no help whatsoever, and just brings you and your "profession" into disrepute.

mikey72

Always makes them look desperate to me. And to be honest, would you trust someone who runs out gloating to take care of you, or would you expect them to treat you the same?

sharonjeff

Don't know if you're a broker or not but my husband is determined not to give any insurance company our card details ever again, so it looks like we'll be using a broker in future. We have a great local guy who we use for home,contents etc. It'll be interesting to see the difference in price!!

weejonnie

sharonjeff wrote: »

Don't know if you're a broker or not but my husband is determined not to give any insurance company our card details ever again, so it looks like we'll be using a broker in future. We have a great local guy who we use for home,contents etc. It'll be interesting to see the difference in price!!

I hope you get a good deal, not only on price but also, if you need it, service and help with any problems you may have.

It is very difficult for local insurance brokers to compete on price - they only have access to standard insurance company terms and conditions and don't have the muscle (usually) to demand cheaper rates based on turnover. What they do offer is a point of contact - you already use a broker and appreciate this - and personal service.

On this (and other) forums there are ever increasing numbers of complaints about policies being mis-sold on-line, large administration fees made by internet-based insurance providers and substantial additional premiums being charged by internet-based insurance companies due to changes in circumstances. Being able to call in and see someone face to face is surely the best way forward.

Quentin

weejonnie wrote: »

It is very difficult for local insurance brokers to compete on price - ......... Being able to call in and see someone face to face is surely the best way forward.

Hardly the best advice for a moneysaving website like this!

You should be directing your campaign at your suppliers (ie the insurers themselves), and seeing if they will help you become more competive, as just repeating your pro broker mantra on MSE at every opportunity like you do is just getting boring!

mikey72

All that would have happened here would be the broker would have contacted you, told you the premium had increased, and added his service charge on to it. If you didn't pay, he'd cancel, and knock his service charge off your refund.