Car Insurance 'loss' on my insurance record

icicicicic

Hi,

Some advice please.

Through until the end of October this year I had car insurance with a company via a broker. In September my car was broken into with a load of contents stolen. I rang up the broker to ask some general questions. On the call I requested info on my excess amount and what I could potentially claim for the contents taken. I also stated that the call was not making a claim, just for information. Soon after I received a letter from the middle-man company (between broker and insurance company) stating that they will handle the claim on behalf of the broker. By this time I had done the math and realised that fixing the external car damage and replacing contents was less than the excess so wasn't worth a claim. Therefore I ignored the letter thinking that it would be closed down.

When my renewal came up I went through comparethemarket again and opted to go through the same company. The total cost was £400 for the year which I paid in full. A couple of weeks after I received a call saying that because of the claim I made on the account in September, they needed a further £261. They basically stated that I'd provided incorrect information on the account regarding my claims history. I had stated that no claims had been made in the past five years which as far as I'm concerned is correct. Now I've tried to get a decent explanation out of any one of the companies but am struggling. The middle company tell me that the claim was closed and my full no claims of five years has been re-instated. Yet the broker are still insisting that even though I didn't process the claim it still went through as a 'loss' and the money is owed. The questions I'd like answering are:

1. Can they do this when I stated it wasn't a claim?
2. If I do cancel the policy (which leaves me out of pocket due to fees), do I now have to state that I have made a claim when I sort with another company?

I've already had to pay out for the cost of fixing my car myself plus replacing all the contents taken so a further £261 when I haven't claimed is leaving me feeling robbed!

Thanks in advance

hugoshavez

icicicicic wrote: »

Hi,


1. Can they do this when I stated it wasn't a claim?
2. If I do cancel the policy (which leaves me out of pocket due to fees), do I now have to state that I have made a claim when I sort with another company?

I've already had to pay out for the cost of fixing my car myself plus replacing all the contents taken so a further £261 when I haven't claimed is leaving me feeling robbed!

Thanks in advance

Go through the quote process again with dummy details and check the questions you were really asked.

One would have been about no claims bonus.

Another is likely to have been along the lines: Have you had any claims or losses/ claims or incidents etc.

1. Yes, they can.
2. Yes, you do.

Your car was broken into. Statistically speaking, if you look at two groups:

Group A: Own cars that have been broken into once.
Group B: Own cars that have never been broken into.

Statistically speaking, Group A will make more claims for theft over the next few years. You are now in this group, and advertised the fact to the entire industry when you called for information.

You do still have your no claims discount. The discount is just deducted from a Group A premium.

vaio

^^ what he said but also I'd be arguing that as it was a renewal then the company were fully aware of the claim and should have taken it into account when calculating your premium.

Worth a complaint along those lines I'd say

icicicicic

Appreciate the replies.

Hugo - The exact statement on their site is:

"In the last five years have you or any additional drivers suffered any accidents, claims or losses regardless of blame (whether covered by insurance or not) including any claims or losses for fires and thefts, or had any motoring convictions, disqualifications or endorsements (including fixed penalty offences such as speeding) or pending prosecutions?"

I didn't think the above had applied to me seeing as I hadn't at any time gone through a claims process. I've now put yes on that option (dummy claim) and don't see many of the further options that relate to my situation.

Vaio - Their quote for renewal was £700. I obviously went through the comp site to try and get this lowered and they came up at £400. So I rang them and said I wouldn't be renewing via the original quote and went through the new one online.

Thanks

hugoshavez

icicicicic wrote: »

I didn't think the above had applied to me seeing as I hadn't at any time gone through a claims process. I've now put yes on that option (dummy claim) and don't see many of the further options that relate to my situation.

Not sure what you mean by this, is it a question?

Might help if you identify which site? I presume you're talking about the company you went with, not the meerkat site?

forgotmyname

icicicicic wrote: »

Appreciate the replies.

Hugo - The exact statement on their site is:

"In the last five years have you or any additional drivers suffered any accidents, claims or losses regardless of blame (whether covered by insurance or not) including any claims or losses for fires and thefts, or had any motoring convictions, disqualifications or endorsements (including fixed penalty offences such as speeding) or pending prosecutions?"

I didn't think the above had applied to me seeing as I hadn't at any time gone through a claims process. I've now put yes on that option (dummy claim) and don't see many of the further options that relate to my situation.

Vaio - Their quote for renewal was £700. I obviously went through the comp site to try and get this lowered and they came up at £400. So I rang them and said I wouldn't be renewing via the original quote and went through the new one online.

Thanks

The bit in bold covers you exactly. You suffered a loss.

Your car was broken into thats a loss, You had to payout for repairs thats also a loss.

It will be recorded in the CUE database now so needs to be declared for 5 years.

icicicicic

hugoshavez wrote: »

Not sure what you mean by this, is it a question?

Might help if you identify which site? I presume you're talking about the company you went with, not the meerkat site?

Yes, it's IGO4. I guess it's covered under 'Theft of Contents' from the long list of claims. Still pretty annoyed by all this and am now very much regretting calling them. But such is life..

Thanks to all again, guess I'll cough up the extra money begrudgingly!

Cheers

vaio

Don't forget it's a loss rather than a claim.

If you'd ticked "yes" to the claims/convictions/loses question the next stage would have let you tell them about the "loss" including the fact that no claim was made

UnderPressure

If you have to declare the claim now no matter what it seems a shame that you have not had any payout yet are being classed as if you have, is there not any way you can now back track a little and at least get soem money paid from the claim? That way you would at least have a few quid now to pay this £261 difference? If it has already been treated as a claim then where is the money?

HTH I am sure car insurance companies do this crap on purpose, they are the first to bi**h and moan about fraud and not telling them this that and the other but they hardly encourage you to tell them anything, if it has not cost them a penny why should they have any interest in it! grrrrrrrrrrrrr they are legal racketeers the whole industry needs a good shake up!

hugoshavez

UnderPressure wrote: »

If you have to declare the claim now no matter what it seems a shame that you have not had any payout yet are being classed as if you have, is there not any way you can now back track a little and at least get soem money paid from the claim? That way you would at least have a few quid now to pay this £261 difference? If it has already been treated as a claim then where is the money?

No. They're being classed as having suffered an incident where nothing was paid out.

If they pursue a claim payment, then they'll be classed as having had a payout.

UnderPressure wrote: »

HTH I am sure car insurance companies do this crap on purpose, they are the first to bi**h and moan about fraud and not telling them this that and the other but they hardly encourage you to tell them anything, if it has not cost them a penny why should they have any interest in it! grrrrrrrrrrrrr they are legal racketeers the whole industry needs a good shake up!

zzzzzz