Problems with kwik fit car insurance urgent advice needed?

[Deleted User]

I took out car insurance with kwik fit at beginning of may. When I was buying a new second hand car. They have messed me around from the start and im not happy.

When I took out the car insurance i took Breakdown Cover with it as I always take break down cover with my car insurance. I was told at time when took out the insurance that I would be covered for the break down straight away. I paid a large amount of the insurance up front. I went the next day to collect car and unfortunately on the way home car broke down. I was in the middle of no where.

I phoned up kwik fit brake down number and the person I spoke to was very rude, they demanded that I gave them my debit or credit card detail when I asked why they said i would have to pay for the breakdown service. £120 for them to come out £120 just to look at car, plus labor if they could fix car at road side or £2 per mile if car needed to be towed. I tried to explain that I had the break down service included with my car insurance and that there was no way I was going to pay again. They said they had no record of this and could not help then and proceeded to hang up on me leaving me stranded.

I ended up having to phone up AA and taking out cover on the spot. It wasn't cheap but cheaper than what kwik fit wanted.

The next morning I had a phone call saying they had found my detail and would I like the break down to come out. What a joke it was too late by then, I was already home.

Later that week they contacted me to ask me to send my proof of no claims bonus, I faxed it twice and emailed it twice. But over the next 2 weeks that kept denying they had recieved it, I email and faxed proof several more times. I can understand it getting lost maybe once or twice but not that many times. The next thing I know they have doubled my insurance and help them selfs to more money by direct debit without informing me.

I complained and just kept getting the run around. Then they accused me of not paying last months payment and said I had cancelled my direct debit . I checked with my bank and this was not the case my bank statement shows the money went out and they recieved it and my bank confirmed direct debit was still active. I have supplied them with proof of payment and that direct debit is still active. But they don't care and wont listen.

Today I have Received a letter say my insurance has been cancelled and I have discovered they have help them selves to another £200.

I am sick of it and just want my money back. I have done nothing wrong they are the ones who have broken there end of contract. Do you think I stand any chance of getting my money back, what is the best corse of action for making a formal complain. And how much if any of my money can i ask for back.

Any advice would be much appreciated

Thanks in advance

Quentin

Their complaints procedure will be set out in your policy documents.

Set out in a letter what has happened, and ask them to reinstate your policy and refund you the money you say they have wrongly taken, as well as your costs when they refused you the breakdown cover.

The complaint will take time to resolve (escalate to the FOS if you are unhappy with their reply), and in the meantime if you need cover you will have to disclose that you have had your policy cancelled.

This will increase your premium, though if your complaint is successful you can pass all the expense on to them to refund to you as their action has caused the extra expense.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for your reply i don't really want the insurance reinstated, I have had enough of the company and would prefer to go else where. I did nothing wrong, they cancelled the policy for no reason why should I be penalised for this.

Is there any way I can have the insurances cancelled removed from my records so I don't have to inform new insurance company.

It all seems very unfair when I have done nothing wrong

forgotmyname

But that cancellation will be on your record and your current insurer will have asked have you ever had a policy cancelled. Which you need to answer yes to.

To get that removed you need to pay them and then make a formal complaint.

You have done something wrong. You cancelled the direct debit before cancelling the policy. Thats all they care about.

You should have made a formal complaint when the breakdown was refused and got them to pay for the AA bill.

Too easy to think sod you im not paying you, But with insurance they hold the cards.

Your current insurance may not have accepted you with a cancelled policy on your record so may not be covered if you need to claim.

Quentin

[Deleted User] wrote:

Is there any way I can have the insurances cancelled removed from my records so I don't have to inform new insurance company.....

You need to get the cancellation annulled. One way would be to get the policy reinstated, then cancel it yourself.

Don't be tempted not to inform your new insurance company as they will find out about the cancellation (especially if you are involved in a claim).

Not disclosing this allows them to void your policy, and refuse any claim, (or if a claim is made against you by a third party to pay the claim then come to you to reimburse them).

[Deleted User]

Forgotmyname please read posts properly before answering if you read properly you would see that I never cancelled direct debit, direct debit is still active. I have proof of this and have made all payment to date. I have bank statements to prove this.

So I have not said at any point sod this im not going to pay I have paid and have done nothing wrong.

Please any one else please read post properly before posting a reply

Thanks

forgotmyname

My bad, Sorry. I was sure you said you cancelled the direct debit.

Just stick a formal complaint in and ask for all costs to be re-imbursed then. But it will probably be a long process. You just have to keep at it.

I was with them for 1 year when they 1st started. But the following year they wanted double so i left.
I queried the huge increase they said it was a special offer last year. It was only slightly cheaper than my quote and now wanted double..

Whats the point making special offers to get customers and not want to keep them?

[Deleted User]

I sent a letter of complaint along with proof that I had paid, proof that direct debit is still active, proof of my no claims bonus and a copy of AA cover that I had to take out.

I recieved a very long, very rude 5 page letter back from them denying every thing saying all the proof I had sent was Rubbish and that I was in the wrong and that every thing was my fault and basically telling me where to go and that I would not be getting any money back.

What do I do now?

In the letter they stated that apparently you have to wait 24 hrs before can use the breakdown cover. When I phoned up and talked to a sales person before taking out insurance they told me breakdown cover could be used straight away at policy start.

It's not my fault if the sales person told me wrong that is there problem and bad training of there staff.

The letter then said that the proof of no claims bonus that I had sent was not acceptable. In the emails and letters they sent me asking for proof of no claims bonus they said they would accept renewal notice or a letter from old insurance company.

I sent my renewal notice from my old insurance company. So why is this not acceptable when they state in black and white that they accept this.

They admit that they received all payments to date. So why cancel insurance ???

They said direct debit was apparently cancelled on 27th of June but they still received payment on 1st July. I sent them screen shots of my online banking that show direct debit is still active but they don't care.

They refused to even refund breakdown cover as the Proof of AA cover that I sent was not in my name but in my husbands name. My husband was a named driver on the insurance policy.

I wish I could post the letter on here but it is so long.

What should I do? Is there any thing else I can do? The evidence is all in front of them but they seem to be blind to it and really don't care.

I sent complaint letter to the address that they state on website for complaint but it ended up being handed to there customer service tem and then customer relations. The letter is from some one from there customer relations department.

Is there any one higher up I could write to to complain. Or would contacting the financial ombudsman to make a complaint. Be a better option.

Sorry this is so long again. Any advice would be much appreciated thanks in advance.

Quentin

Yes, next step is to escalate this to the FOS.