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Bennetts Motorcycle Insurance - Ripped Off!
jumperjohn
Posts: 180 Forumite
Bennetts Motorcycle insurance.
I thought that I would share my recent experience to warn others either away from Bennetts insurance or to give a fore warning before buying a policy.
I recently moved house into a new development. The new postcode isn’t recognised by some companies but it is recognised by others so changing address details was either straight forward or a little long winded. It seems to really confuse people if the computer doesn’t recognise a postcode and therefore doesn’t throw an address back at them, this is probably true for all irregularities as once the call operator’s computer doesn’t give information there seems, in most cases, an inability for the operator to think for themselves as they ares o reliant on the computer doing the work and providing answers, as is the case with me recently.
I rang Hastings to change my car details. My new postcode isn’t recognised by them therefore they can’t adjust my insurance premium to reflect the new area risk. What the operator does do though is ask the underwriter to look at my new address and figure out the risk based on my local area statistics. This doesn’t take long, less than 5minutes, the outcome, a reduction in premium of almost £80, a nice refund.
I then ring Bennetts. Same scenario the company doesn’t recognise my post code, that’s ok I thought all they will do is talk to their underwriter. After a period of silence the lady on the other end of the line informs me that there is an increase in my premium of around £85 as my postcode isn’t known to them. I explain that Hastings consider my new address to be less risk, she explains that Bennetts can’t do an assessment due to my post code. So I ask why I am being penalised due to Bennetts not updating their postcode records. She apologises and gives me the option to pay more or cancel the insurance, which I must explain carries a fee. I ask her to speak to an underwriter, she explains she can’t do that as Bennetts don’t have one. I have no option to pay the increased fee.
I can’t believe I have had to pay more for my insurance because Bennetts couldn’t do a proper assessment on my address; they made up a cost and told me that is what I had to pay. I wrote to Bennetts, the financial Ombudsman and Watchdog, I await their replies.
I thought that I would share my recent experience to warn others either away from Bennetts insurance or to give a fore warning before buying a policy.
I recently moved house into a new development. The new postcode isn’t recognised by some companies but it is recognised by others so changing address details was either straight forward or a little long winded. It seems to really confuse people if the computer doesn’t recognise a postcode and therefore doesn’t throw an address back at them, this is probably true for all irregularities as once the call operator’s computer doesn’t give information there seems, in most cases, an inability for the operator to think for themselves as they ares o reliant on the computer doing the work and providing answers, as is the case with me recently.
I rang Hastings to change my car details. My new postcode isn’t recognised by them therefore they can’t adjust my insurance premium to reflect the new area risk. What the operator does do though is ask the underwriter to look at my new address and figure out the risk based on my local area statistics. This doesn’t take long, less than 5minutes, the outcome, a reduction in premium of almost £80, a nice refund.
I then ring Bennetts. Same scenario the company doesn’t recognise my post code, that’s ok I thought all they will do is talk to their underwriter. After a period of silence the lady on the other end of the line informs me that there is an increase in my premium of around £85 as my postcode isn’t known to them. I explain that Hastings consider my new address to be less risk, she explains that Bennetts can’t do an assessment due to my post code. So I ask why I am being penalised due to Bennetts not updating their postcode records. She apologises and gives me the option to pay more or cancel the insurance, which I must explain carries a fee. I ask her to speak to an underwriter, she explains she can’t do that as Bennetts don’t have one. I have no option to pay the increased fee.
I can’t believe I have had to pay more for my insurance because Bennetts couldn’t do a proper assessment on my address; they made up a cost and told me that is what I had to pay. I wrote to Bennetts, the financial Ombudsman and Watchdog, I await their replies.
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Comments
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I can tell you now what the FOS reply will be (if they even bother to send one) - that you have to go through Bennett's complaints procedure before complaining to the FOS.0
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Your argument fails because just because one company is happy to insure you for less doesn't mean every other one has to.
In fact, it is you that is changing the goalposts.
Bennets agreed to cover you based on your original details, and now that you want to make a material change are not even bound to carry on covering you, never mind match a competitor's rating method.0 -
Your argument fails because just because one company is happy to insure you for less doesn't mean every other one has to.
In fact, it is you that is changing the goalposts.
Bennets agreed to cover you based on your original details, and now that you want to make a material change are not even bound to carry on covering you, never mind match a competitor's rating method.
Thank you for your imput but I think you missed the point somewhat.
If the premium was increased due to me relocating then that is fine, that is me 'moving the goalposts' and I would be happy to pay the defference, however the premium wasn't increased due to any risk anaylsis performed by Bennetts it was increased because their predetermined algorithm to weigh the risk didn't work due to Bennetts not having a key bit of information, my postcode. Therefore I was 'fined' by Bennetts because they as a company did not have updated postcodes. They also didn't try to assess my new information by asking an underwriter.
The Financial Ombudsman certainly seems to think that there's a case.
Still an argument fail?0 -
Don't know how the ombudsman says you have a case when you haven't apparently complied with FOS anyway, and exhausted the insurers complaints procedure.
Do you mean someone at the FOS has sounded sympathetic?
(Bennets aren't obliged to even cover you at the new address!)0 -
Bennets, 'nuff said.0
This discussion has been closed.
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