Swinton Home Insurance, £50 Cancellation - I owe you nothing!

principlecounts

Swinton need a serious reality check. My initial search here suggests to me, they have the worst reputation and customer service as far as insurance goes.

The situation is, I cancelled my contents insurance from Swinton, about 6 days after the renewal of the policy. I didn't even sign up to a renewal or want one in the first place, just wanted a straight cancellation to indicate I no longer require their services and wish to longer pay their premiums. I sent a cancellation letter, and surprise surprise as every ex-Swinton (lol) customer has experienced an order to pay £50 cancellation fee and to also pay part of a service I didn't ask for.

Now I've been looking into the details on who's right/wrong/reasonable/unreasonable here. I've seen a few cases here of previous customers who have gone all the way for then Swinton to eventually give in but seems few and far between seem to make it. About my situation, here are the facts:

11/12 Contents Insurance expiry date: 05/09/2012
Sent cancellation letter (I have proof): 11/09/2012

Their renewal jargon states:

If you are paying for your policy by Direct Debit, we MAY renew your policy automatically for your protection.

Comments:
- MAY - is not a confirmation. I never confirmed for a renewal or signed anything either on the phone or by letter.
- I paid by direct debit.
- I acknowledge there was cover, but I didn't agree to it, and there is a 14 day cooling period.

In their pre-contract credit information:

You have the right to withdraw from the credit agreement without giving any reason. The withdrawal period begins on the day you receive a notice from us confirming the credit agreement has been made and the start of the withdrawal period and ends 14 calendar days later.

- I can prove I did that.

Now, where I think they have their back covered is they can make charges for any insurance I have been covered for, but I didn't ask them to cover me, and I've not signed anything to continue the insurance the following year, so I think they have no right to charge me.

I wonder how far people have gone with Swinton about their cancellation policies once they've gone into cover without their knowledge, it seems to me too many people are caving in to their idiotic demands, when every other company I've dealt have been reasonable.

I refuse to make calls with insurance providers now, the law of the land is all on paper, so I'll be sending a letter of complaint to Swinton, and one to the Ombudsman. Phone calls are a waste of time.

I'll keep you updated. If someone wants me to go on TV, I'll do it! Any comments let me know.

Thanks.

BertTheRaccoon

Surely there would have been more information regarding the automatic renewal when the renewal notice letter was sent to you some weeks before the expiry of your then current policy?

principlecounts

Well, yes there is more to that renewal argument, which is on their website:

At Renewal

Shortly before renewal, we will try to speak to you by phone about your renewal requirements. If we do not manage to contact you or you do not proceed at that time, then we will send you a letter setting out our renewal quote. We will ask you at that time to contact us.
If you are paying for your policy by direct debit, and you are happy with your quote to renew with your current insurer, there will be nothing further for you to arrange. Your direct debit payments will continue automatically and your new payments will be debited on your usual collection date.
Also, if you are paying by direct debit, Swinton may (but accepts no responsibility to) arrange to renew your policy automatically if, prior to your renewal date, contact between us has not been successful or you have failed to confirm whether or not you wish to proceed. We would do this for your protection. If you do not wish us to take this action, please tell us at any time up to 7 days before your renewal date. If we do not hear from you to the contrary, we will treat it that you agree to this.
If you have paid by debit or credit card we may charge payment for subsequent renewals of your policies to the debit or credit card details provided. We will write to you in advance of doing so. If you do not want us to do this you can let us know at any time."

How can they treat a no response as renewal - that is just unfair when I haven't agreed to any sort of renewal in the first place. Whether I want insurance is matter of my responsibility - not theirs.

Also, thinking they can make a £50 charge is false. I have cancelled within my cooling period, they state clearly this is a £25 charge, not sure where they get their £50 figure from. Utter !!!!!!!!.

So they will be getting the full whack from me.

Swintons can go to hell.

BertTheRaccoon

I would have thought your "cooling off period" would only apply to the 14 day period when you took out the original transaction.

My summary is you've chimed in days after your policy has renewed and are pretty much caught.

Whether they chose to escalate matters for their £50 will remain to be seen.

principlecounts

I'm preety sure the transaction must have been on the 2nd September 2012, and I sent the letter on the 11th, which they received on the 15th, that is still within the cooling period.

Auto renewal - no chance!

forgotmyname

They auto renewed because you didnt tell them to cancel the renewal.

You cancel 1 week after the new policy started. And they want you to pay for cover you had and a cancellation fee. Sounds right.

What does the renewal letter say about cancelling the policy? If you dont it will auto renew?

This could affect your future premiums... £50 will seem small change..

OshayAway

It's an oversight, easily done but there you go. Swinton have acted within their clearly stipulated T&Cs. They are certainly not the only insurer to do this. I suspect you will ensure you don't do it again.

principlecounts

I ensure I won't do it again. But I will also ensure they don't send me incorrect charges, which they have done.

I still think they are unreasonable in charging people for a service someone hasn't agreed to and/or doesn't want anymore.

It should he customer who decides that, why the hell should we be penalised.

Insurers are scum of the earth when it comes to selling insurance.

principlecounts

@forgotmyname - I will need to check that, but it'll be something along what it already says on their website:

Shortly before renewal, we will try to speak to you by phone about your renewal requirements. If we do not manage to contact you or you do not proceed at that time, then we will send you a letter setting out our renewal quote. We will ask you at that time to contact us.
If you are paying for your policy by direct debit, and you are happy with your quote to renew with your current insurer, there will be nothing further for you to arrange. Your direct debit payments will continue automatically and your new payments will be debited on your usual collection date.
Also, if you are paying by direct debit, Swinton may (but accepts no responsibility to) arrange to renew your policy automatically if, prior to your renewal date, contact between us has not been successful or you have failed to confirm whether or not you wish to proceed. We would do this for your protection. If you do not wish us to take this action, please tell us at any time up to 7 days before your renewal date. If we do not hear from you to the contrary, we will treat it that you agree to this.
If you have paid by debit or credit card we may charge payment for subsequent renewals of your policies to the debit or credit card details provided. We will write to you in advance of doing so. If you do not want us to do this you can let us know at any time.


This is pure ambiguity at it's best. They only say they 'may' renew but don't actually say they will definitely do it.

CKhalvashi

principlecounts wrote: »

I ensure I won't do it again. But I will also ensure they don't send me incorrect charges, which they have done.

HSBC did it on my car a few years ago, for a whopping £1600 :eek:

As the best I had was for about £720, I certainly won't be making that mistake again, but in this case, it was worth paying to get out of it.

CK

pedro123456

Well said Oshayaway " Swinton have acted within their clearly stipulated T&Cs. They are certainly not the only insurer to do this"

T&Cs I reckon they should call these T&Cs "trick & cons" what you think?

Principle counts, they are having your pants down mate, dont take it personally they do it to everyone they can ,send a complaint .