Beware of KWIKFIT CAR

PaulBear

Hello everyone

I have just had my renewal on 14/08/2012 for my car insurance from KwikFit £678-85 [Excess £375] {2011-12 £220}, fortunately I noticed that they were going to just take this as per previous year's card details. I sent them an email on 07-08-2012 telling them in no uncertain terms that they did not have re-curring authority and I would treat it as fraud. They replied 4 days later saying they had taken the new premium already and said that I had agreed to it last year which I had not as I never do for anything, she apologised said they would refund in full in next 7 days.

Meanwhile I went surfing and comparing, the SimplySwitch site was best with the £40 cashback [although this is not explained well, one does click through as normal from SS to MoneyExpert which shows £25 CB. When you have bought it you make a claim and put the code SimplyCar in this form to get the £40 CB, SS was quick to reply to email query about this.

The usual happened in that the cheapest quote was from KwikFit at £199 less £40CB = £159 [Excess £450 but car is only worth £400 anyway]. I clicked through to pay but you have to be so careful on their site.

1st page shows correct figure but next adds all the extras on [+£130] with radio buttons to unclick but also one on a hyperlink that then comes up with a coloured pop-up tick box. It then goes to a page for Breakdown cover that suddenly goes incredibly slow before showing the buttons that you can select and if you just tick NONE and next page, it adds ON breakdown [over £100 extra], you must wait for the radio buttons and amounts at the top of the 4 columns. I thought the speed was my connection but I opened my banking website completed some transactions and went back to KwikFit before it finally refreshed!

A lot of messing about and you have to make sure that all your details are 100% correct [they charge c.£35 for any alteration plus additional premiums]. Still £50 cheaper than next nearest just BE WARY!

forgotmyname

I think you need to read your documents in more detail. I think you will find you did agree.

Not sure what the rest of the post is about?

You Kwikfit cheaper online? Thats normal. If you dont haggle and compare quotes every year.

Your a captive customer.

Same for virtually EVERY company out there.

Bigdazman1

Most companies now a days are told by FSA to auto renew policies , since ye change in the law that even if your car is of the road it needs to be insured legally, unless it's on a SORN.

I think you're extremely paranoid if you think that they deliberately slow the website (which to be honest , I don't even think that's possible) just so you buy breakdown cover. Which btw isn't over a hundred pounds, it ranges from £20 until £59.

As previous posters said what you have experienced is a unfortunately the same as EVERY other insurance company out there.

Quentin

Bigdazman1 wrote: »

Most companies now a days are told by FSA to auto renew policies ,......

Eh????

You post authoritatively in this forum, but often innacurately.

(dt3887 probably says this more succinctly in a single word here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/55136013#Comment_55136013 )

Whatever the FSA's role, it doesn't exist to prevent competition, and certainly doesn't choose most insurers it tells what to do, and leave a minority to do as they please!

(The practice of auto renew has been around a lot longer than continuous insurance!)

We are all told to exercise caution as anyone can post here, and some newcomers do post any old rubbish to get their post count up enough to start posting links (esp in this forum!)

PaulBear

Bigdazman1 wrote: »

... Break...
I think you're extremely paranoid if you think that they deliberately slow the website (which to be honest , I don't even think that's possible) just so you buy breakdown cover. Which btw isn't over a hundred pounds, it ranges from £20 until £59. ....Break

Yes I am paranoid but not extremely, you obviously have just decided to give your opinion and then call me a liar. I suggest you go to the KwikFit site and go through the quote process. On the relevant page you will see that the breakdown cover has 4 options, the 3rd is pre-ticked at c.£109.
You can also check for yourself whether it is halted or not, which BTW IS possible e.g. Barclays do it when you log in and they have a sales message.

I do not mind criticism when it is well founded, this was only meant as a warning to other users who may find it helpful or reassuring that they are not alone in their experience.