car insurance not renewing, will we be charged?

cocopops21

Hi guys,

We've called up elephant to let them know that we won't be renewing our policy with them (car is sold) and asked them to stop the payment (nearly a grand) from coming out of our bank. They said something about the payment being automatic and gave me the impression that they will not stop it in time.

Is there anything I can do to stop it with the bank? It's money we don't have in the account so it will be in unauthorised overdraft which incurs more fees.

Also, will we be charged a fee for cancelling our renewal a few days before?

Any help appreciated. Thanks!

Quentin

cocopops21 wrote: »

...will we be charged a fee for cancelling our renewal a few days before? ....

If you have "cancelled" your policy, then there will be charges.

Get back to them and tell them you don't want to cancel, but you want the policy to "lapse" on its expiry. Get this confirmed back to you in writing.

If they won't confirm this to you in writing, then send your own written confirmation to them using recorded delivery.

If they go ahead and take the money, then you can use the dd guarantee to get it immediately refunded.

cocopops21

What does a policy lapse mean?

So I should use different wording is what you're saying? How do they have the right to charge a fee if we have informed them in good time that we just no longer want their service?

This is depressing. Their fees are like £47 from what I remember of the t&c's. I just assumed not renewing is not the same thing as cancelling mid policy.

Wutang_2

cocopops21 wrote: »

I just assumed

Good job you came on here then

cocopops21

Wutang wrote: »

Good job you came on here then

Yes indeed! I love this forum.

molerat

What date is the policy due to expire ? You are not cancelling the policy, make sure you do not use that term, you are not taking up their offer of renewal so the will be no charges.

If it is a direct debit just cancel it on line or phone the bank and tell them to cancel it. It can be done, I have done it the same day after one had been taken and it was recalled.

mikey72

Write to admiral, tell them you do not want to renew your policy with them, as per telephone call of the **st. As you have advised them before the renewal date, they have no right to charge any fees. They may have already requested payment by dd from your bank, if they have, contact your bank and advise them you do not want them to pay it, as your have not authorised the renewal. See if the bank can stop the payment going out. If they can't, admiral should give you a complete refund. The overdraft is a different matter to argue over, admiral will claim you should have told them earlier, you can claim they shouldn't have requested payment until the renewal date, and the policy renews, not a few days before while youstill had the right to refuse renewal.

cocopops21

molerat wrote: »

What date is the policy due to expire ? You are not cancelling the policy, make sure you do not use that term, you are not taking up their offer of renewal so the will be no charges.

If it is a direct debit just cancel it on line or phone the bank and tell them to cancel it. It can be done, I have done it the same day after one had been taken and it was recalled.

Hi,

it's on Wednesday that I'm meant to renew.

I will call the bank thanks for that.

cocopops21

mikey72 wrote: »

Write to admiral, tell them you do not want to renew your policy with them, as per telephone call of the **st. As you have advised them before the renewal date, they have no right to charge any fees. They may have already requested payment by dd from your bank, if they have, contact your bank and advise them you do not want them to pay it, as your have not authorised the renewal. See if the bank can stop the payment going out. If they can't, admiral should give you a complete refund. The overdraft is a different matter to argue over, admiral will claim you should have told them earlier, you can claim they shouldn't have requested payment until the renewal date, and the policy renews, not a few days before while youstill had the right to refuse renewal.

Thanks Mikey. That makes me feel a lot better. I have just called the bank up and they said because the insurance company will be using my debit card number to take the money out, there's nothing the bank can do to keep them from taking it out whenever they choose to. The only thing they can do is cancel my card and issue me another one or wait until the money comes out and start a dispute with the company. What a pain in the a** this all is!

mikey72

I'd phone them again, and tell them you don't authorise payment by card, and it they still take it, you will be complaining to the FOS to recover all your overdraft charges. Put that is the letter as well. They have enough time to stop a card payment request.