Car insurance cooling off period

mikey72

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

There is legislation in place that covers contracts such as insurance policies that have been arranged and purchased on the phone or internet.
This is the "Financial Services (Distance Marketing) Regulations 2004"
and this act gives you a 14 day cooling off period.

However, as already stated by other posters, the act allows a company to charge for the time the contract was in force as well as a fee for the setting up costs they incurred.



http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/2095/regulation/13/made

But it also has the paragraph

"(8) The supplier may not make any charge unless he can prove on the balance of probabilities that the consumer was informed about the amount payable in accordance with—
(a)regulation 7(1) and paragraph 13 of Schedule 1,
(b)regulation 7(4) and paragraph 5 of Schedule 2, or
(c)rules corresponding to those provisions,"

So, if it was done quickly, on a premium rate phone number, would it be reasonable to assume the customer was informed over the phone, as they don't appear to have been. Expecting them to simply trawl through all the hidden t&c's isn't enough.

Maybe a formal complaint, then refering to the FOS would sort it out, and improve the service in future.

shaun_from_Africa

So, if it was done quickly, on a premium rate phone number, would it be reasonable to assume the customer was informed over the phone

But it wasn't all done quickly over the phone.

I did the work on the internet prior to purchase. All set up, details entered, reference number at the ready

As the OP had a reference number, they must have progressed through the application process which would have given them plenty of opportunity to read the relevant T&C's.

forgotmyname

I didnt want to pay for the insurance though, I only wanted to tax it or move it and then cancel and not have to pay anything.

I wasnt expecting to have to pay to get insurance cover.



Sorry i just copied and pasted that by reading between the lines.

Foxy-Stoat_3

What was this piece of information that doubled your premium then??

neilmcl

I'd like to know that too.

worbikeman

forgotmyname wrote: »

I didnt want to pay for the insurance though, I only wanted to tax it or move it and then cancel and not have to pay anything.

I wasnt expecting to have to pay to get insurance cover.



Sorry i just copied and pasted that by reading between the lines.

Read between the lines? I never thought of that:D

Foxy-Stoat wrote: »

What was this piece of information that doubled your premium then??

I have a very good driving history with no criminal convictions or claims whatsoever. Unfortunately due to having worked away at sea for the last few years (9 months in every 12) I have no recent driving history or NCB due to not having owned a car. This was not asked on the online form. When I rang on the mobile I was asked to provide driving history for the last 5 years despite my starting with zero NCB. I have held a licence and driven for well over 20 years, just hardly at all in the last 5. For this, out of the blue, they double the already high premium.

Foxy-Stoat_3

I see how they double the premium now, presumably you told them you have had no claims/accidents in the last 9 years and assumed you would be entitled to a 9 years NCD which isn't the case.

You need to earn no claims discount by being the policy holder of a motor insurance policy for X number of years and be claim free for that time before being entitled to a NCD.

Pay the £50 and move on.

worbikeman

Foxy-Stoat wrote: »

I see how they double the premium now, presumably you told them you have had no claims/accidents in the last 9 years and assumed you would be entitled to a 9 years NCD which isn't the case.

You need to earn no claims discount by being the policy holder of a motor insurance policy for X number of years and be claim free for that time before being entitled to a NCD.

Pay the £50 and move on.

Wrong. You're not getting it. I accepted I have no NCD. Of course I am fully aware that you have to earn NCD by being a policy holder for x years. That is not in dispute here.
However, you are right about forgetting about it and moving on.