Cancelled Car Insurance

Cherrybmbshell

I hope somebody is able to give me some advice.

I recieved a letter in the post this morning saying my car insurance had been cancelled on the 14th (thankfully I wasn't stopped by thepolice between then and now).

I've been having trouble paying my car insurance for a few months, since my DD was cancelled by the bank as we didn't have any money in our account. Since then I've been ringing back and forth between Tesco (my insurer) and HSBC (my bank), trying to get the DD reinstated as Tesco insist that's the only way I can stay insured with them. In the meantime I've been ringing and paying my car insurance on time over the phone.

Tesco insist that as my bank cancelled the DD they can't set it up again, it has to come from the bank's end. HSBC insist that they can't re-set up the DD unless Tesco change the reference number they apply for the payment with. Yet Tesco say that they can't change the ref. number. Tesco's have said they could set up a new DD using different bank details but I only have one account and am unwilling to set up a new one just to pay my car insurance.

Then today I get the letter saying my insurance has been cancelled. I rang Tesco immediately and was told that there was nothing they could do. As it's cancelled the only way I could have a policy with them now would be to pay the annual amount in full (yeah right).

So I guess I'm asking if there's anything I can do? I'm not in arrears with Tesco, they have been paid in full every month except that month that my DD was cancelled, and even that I rang up and cleared within a week. I've briefly looked on a comparison site and it's looking impossible for me to get insurance I can afford anywhere with a cancelled policy on my record. I desperately need my car, we have a disabled little girl and I'd be lost without it.

Please can anyone offer me any advice?
Thank you, Cath

rs65

Cherrybmbshell wrote: »

I've briefly looked on a comparison site and it's looking impossible for me to get insurance I can afford anywhere with a cancelled policy on my record.

Ignore the cancellation whilst getting quotes and choose an insurer. Then phone that insurer and explain the cancellation was just due to a DD situation and see if they will provide cover.

forgotmyname

This is a big problem.. Beg and borrow the money from anywhere and get the policy reinstated.

You may have to declare this cancelled policy forever.

Comparison sites wont be of any use to you. You will have to contact insurers are say you had a policy cancelled.

Some will say no thanks as soon as that box gets ticked.

Cherrybmbshell

Thank you both for your replies.

Phoned Tesco again this morning and spoke to someone who was much more helpful than the snotty girl yesterday.

Basically the insurance has been cancelled so it's not possible to reinstate that insurance. However Tesco are still willing to insure me through a new quote/policy as long as I pay the premium up front. They've quoted me £1'381 for the year, which is waaaaaay more than we can afford. We're currently trying the PPI/bank charges route to see if we're owed anything than we can use to pay it. Weirdly over the 12 months that £1'381 is cheaper than my insurance before it was cancelled, which was £1'632. Of course the downside is we don't have that lump sum.

Thank you for your replies though, you've both been very helpful
Cath

dseventy

Often when you get insurance quotes they ask you "Have you ever had insurance declined, cancelled or special conditions applied" (something like that), you now have to say "yes" to this question.

D70

Captain_Shambolic

I would go with rs65 here. Rather than going with comparison sites ring around a number of the bigger insurers and test the water. While you still definitely have to declare it, a friend of mine (who works for Aviva) and my company are both reasonably lenient when it comes to policies cancelled for payment reasons. Just avoid comparison sites and ring around, that way you'll get a far better idea of things.