I can't believe this!!!

yvonneb21

I phoned Elephant car insurance earlier to offer to bring my account up to date after missing a payment due to lack of funds. They said not to worry, they would just reapply for the debit on the 18th. The guy asked if I would like to register for online which I assumed was a way to manage my account online (much like online banking.) TO MY HORROR, I have just this minute checked my email and it appears that they have signed me up to online (whatever that is) at a cost of £247!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The amount will be spread over my remaining payments.

At no stage was any cost mentioned at all. I have been completely scammed. What are my rights here guys? Obviously I can't ring them right now, and I can not exactly sleep either.:mad:

Better_Off_1983

You will simply have to call them tomorrow and explain the situation. Did you get the name of the person you spoke to or remember the time you spoke to them because hopefully a manager can listen back to the call and then possibly do something as a gesture of goodwill.

yvonneb21

Better_Off_1983 wrote: »

You will simply have to call them tomorrow and explain the situation. Did you get the name of the person you spoke to or remember the time you spoke to them because hopefully a manager can listen back to the call and then possibly do something as a gesture of goodwill.

Yes I have the name of the guy I spoke to, he's signed the email that he sent to me also. I just can't believe this!

He did ask if I wanted to register for elephant online and I asked "what are the benefits of this?" He said it just allows me to download my insurance documents rather than wait for them to arrive in the post. No mention of cost at all. It was shortly after I updated my contact/email address with them so I thought he was just informing me of the feature.

As I've agreed to it, have I legally entered into a contract? Will I have any recourse if they say I chose to join?

Better_Off_1983

You will probably have to claim ignorance and stress that you were not advised of any costs. I work on the phones and if an agent misadvised someone, if the call is listened back to, I would assume something will be done as a gesture of goodwill on behalf of the customer.

By right, he should have advised you on the call. Do you have any paperwork from Elephant, if you do, just check if it mentions anything about online access charges. If it does, you have to hope they do not pull the "You did not read the T&Cs... tough"

yvonneb21

Better_Off_1983 wrote: »

You will probably have to claim ignorance and stress that you were not advised of any costs. I work on the phones and if an agent misadvised someone, if the call is listened back to, I would assume something will be done as a gesture of goodwill on behalf of the customer.

By right, he should have advised you on the call. Do you have any paperwork from Elephant, if you do, just check if it mentions anything about online access charges. If it does, you have to hope they do not pull the "You did not read the T&Cs... tough"

Thanks for your help. I'm looking through the T&Cs now. I'm sooo angry! What a BLATENT scam! Why would anyone want to pay £247 to be able to download their insurance certificate online?

TSx

It's possible that the change to the policy - allowing online access - has altered the premium (the systems seen it as a mid-term adjustment and adjusted the premium to current rates accordingly).

Either way, the best thing to do is just speak to them, I'm fairly confident this will be either a system error, or human error, rather than intentional.

There's no way you could be held to it either (if we look at it as being deliberate) - the FSA require firms to treat customers fairly, and they would expect that the cost of something is always disclosed before being applied to the policy.

What is the exact wording of the email they've sent you?

yvonneb21

TSx wrote: »

It's possible that the change to the policy - allowing online access - has altered the premium (the systems seen it as a mid-term adjustment and adjusted the premium to current rates accordingly).

Either way, the best thing to do is just speak to them, I'm fairly confident this will be either a system error, or human error, rather than intentional.

There's no way you could be held to it either (if we look at it as being deliberate) - the FSA require firms to treat customers fairly, and they would expect that the cost of something is always disclosed before being applied to the policy.

What is the exact wording of the email they've sent you?

Policy Number:
Issue date: 11/05/12
Customer Service: 0871 882 8211

I can confirm we have made the following change(s) to your policy. These change(s) will be effective from 11/05/12.

Your policy documents have been added to our secure website.

As a result of this change a balance of £247.85 is due which has been distributed over your remaining instalments.

Your revised documents are available for you to view online. Please check these carefully and keep in your files as this change may affect your policy excess. Click here to register/log in to view your documents.

To make changes to your policy quickly and efficiently you can use our online forms. Just visit elephant.co.uk, click on existing customers and follow the instructions.

If you have any questions about your policy, our representatives are always happy to help. Please call our Customer Services Department on the number above. We're available 8am - 10pm Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm Saturday and 10am - 4pm Sunday.

Yours sincerely,


Samson Fredie
Customer Services CCR India




This is the email they have sent me. I'm almost certain that this is a deliberate scam, hoping that I do not notice. Obviously if anyone listens to the call, they will hear that I have been "missold."

I'm just so worried now after reading the wealth of reviews of dodgy practises like this from Elephant all over the internet. I've brushed up on consumer law with regards to purchasing services over the phone. It seems that if a service allows immediate access to something (such as a website), then I forfeit the 7 day cooling off period. How convenient. Oh I really can't afford to not got this back GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

TSx

Honestly, don't worry.

That email looks like a fairly standard email generated when an amendment to a policy is made. When a mid-term adjustment is made, the premium is usually recalculated. Obviously, this only applies where there is a change to the risk (for example you change your car or your address). For online access to your documents, there is no change to the risk so there should be no premium adjustment. I have no idea how elephants systems work but it's possible it's set up incorrectly, or that the operator should have over-ridden the premium adjustment but didn't.

They open at 9am tomorrow. Give them a call, explain the situation (ideally calmly, without mentioning the word scam or con - they're much more likely to help if you treat them as an individual) and the person on the end of the phone should be able to help.

Distance selling regulations don't apply to financial services anyway, but you can ask to make a formal complaint if they aren't helpful on the phone - if you're still not happy with their final response, you can then take the complaint to the financial ombudsman who will look at whether you have been treated fairly.

Let us know what they say and we can help you if there is a problem, but I honestly think they'll be able to resolve it for you pretty much straight away.

edit: I'd also suggest editing your post above to remove the policy number at the top.

yvonneb21

TSx wrote: »

Honestly, don't worry.

That email looks like a fairly standard email generated when an amendment to a policy is made. When a mid-term adjustment is made, the premium is usually recalculated. Obviously, this only applies where there is a change to the risk (for example you change your car or your address). For online access to your documents, there is no change to the risk so there should be no premium adjustment. I have no idea how elephants systems work but it's possible it's set up incorrectly, or that the operator should have over-ridden the premium adjustment but didn't.

They open at 9am tomorrow. Give them a call, explain the situation (ideally calmly, without mentioning the word scam or con - they're much more likely to help if you treat them as an individual) and the person on the end of the phone should be able to help.

Distance selling regulations don't apply to financial services anyway, but you can ask to make a formal complaint if they aren't helpful on the phone - if you're still not happy with their final response, you can then take the complaint to the financial ombudsman who will look at whether you have been treated fairly.

Let us know what they say and we can help you if there is a problem, but I honestly think they'll be able to resolve it for you pretty much straight away.

edit: I'd also suggest editing your post above to remove the policy number at the top.

Oh thank you so much for taking the time. I'll ring them first thing. It's good to know that there is some sort of ombudsman at least if it comes to it. I must think positively though- it's all an unfortunate mistake and when those lovely people at elephant realise, they will refund my money immediately.:beer: Off to bed now, I'll certainly report back. It seems the world and his wife are out to overcharge me lately. Nite nite.

ihateyes

have you stepped back and thought you could be having a blonde moment?

Have you for one moment thought this is your current outstanding balance of your current policy?

believe me i get people calling my work as the boiler isnt working..... turns out most times they have run of of credit in their gas meter!!:eek:

nothing in this email state you have signed upto anything at all.

how much was your premium and how many payments have you made this year?

opinions4u

yvonneb21 wrote: »

This is the email they have sent me. I'm almost certain that this is a deliberate scam, hoping that I do not notice. Obviously if anyone listens to the call, they will hear that I have been "missold."

I'm just so worried now after reading the wealth of reviews of dodgy practises like this from Elephant all over the internet. I've brushed up on consumer law with regards to purchasing services over the phone. It seems that if a service allows immediate access to something (such as a website), then I forfeit the 7 day cooling off period. How convenient. Oh I really can't afford to not got this back GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Are you prone to paranoia?

It's most likely a misunderstanding on your part. How much were you paying monthly before? How many months are left? What is £247 divided by the number of months?