Admiral Car Insurance Cancellation

Tara89

So, I have been a customer of Admiral and it has been quite enjoyable. I actually really liked their customer service and I was very happy with them. However, I paid for my car insurance on my credit card and I have it set up on my bank that a minimal payment is always taken out so I was not that bothered about looking over it and apparently my bank had not allowed the payment out.

I should have really checked but it had never been a problem before. Anyways, I had also been in contact with admiral about two weeks after I had purchased my car insurance in regards to a multi car policy and they did not say anything. I also did not receive any letters confirming this error of non payment, nor did I receive a phone call or email. I did however, receive a letter saying that it had been cancelled and I owe £77 for the time I was insured.

I argued it saying I had not received any correspondence and I am quite angry that I had been driving without insurance and I am still willing to pay it and the email I received was basically saying that I had to pay it. I emailed them again saying I have the money to pay my insurance and I am willing to do so and they did accept. However, I was not in a position to ring admiral at the time and by the time I got home their offices had closed. So I went online and was quoted over £700 when my renewal was £390 and because I needed my car that day I just went for the first option which was £270 with Sure Thing.

They are now demanding 98.70 but I am sure within their policy it states that the cancellation must be in writing, so I think it is quite unfair and I am stressed now with these debt letters :mad:

Any advice would be great;)

Quentin

Having a cancelled policy on your record is bad. You usually have to disclose this to insurers for evermore. (Make sure your current insurer is aware otherwise expect them to also cancel when they realise)

Try and get admiral to reinstate your original policy and remove the cancellation from your record if you can.

You will have to pay them what you owe. Ask them to itemise any charges you don't understand and if they are correct then pay asap to prevent any escalation

Tara89

I don't understand how I can be penalised. Sure, I should have checked my Credit Card statement but they should have notified me. I was sitting my third year exams in the middle of it, checking my bank statement was the last thing on my mind, as I had been in correspondence with them two weeks after the payments should have been made and it was fine.

My complaint is that they should have at least notified me and give me the chance to pay, instead of allowing me to drive round for two weeks without insurance and abruptly cancelling it. I liked being with Admiral and I would have loved to stay with them but I needed my car and I would not risk driving round uninsured.

So mad

Quentin

They will doubtless insist they did inform you.

They were bound to give you notice of cancellation - maybe went to an old address/junk email folder etc?

Tara89

I did email them saying you did not inform me about the cancellation and the email I got back was this

'Dear

Thank you for contacting us about your policy, registration

We tried to contact you by telephone but were unsuccessful.
I can confirm we will be able to reinstate your policy. Please contact our
Customer Services team on 0871 882 0000. I am sorry for any inconvenience
caused.'

So they have admitted to not writing to me within their email.

It was to pay up front, they said it would be done automatically when I rang to pay over the phone so I left it. I have a minimum payment that goes out on my credit card so I never check until I have the money to pay it off. I only use it for big payments and never use it recklessly, so I always know my balance.

I have contacted the Ombudsman and they are sending them a letter asking for proof of notice, as there was NO letter sent and they even confirmed it.

Quentin

Keep that email safe -and a printed copy

You now need to complain formally about them unreasonably cancelling your policy.

Follow their complaint procedure which will be set out in the policy docs.

Ask that they acknowledge their error in cancelling without giving you proper notice, that they confirm in writing to you that the cancellation is no longer on your record and need not be disclosed when approaching insurers for quotes.

If you have been put to extra expense over the issue ask them to compensate you.

If you are unhappy with their reply then you an escalate the matter to the FOS for their adjudication at no cost to you.

When you do get the letter saying it was cancelled due to their error then keep it safely for ever ( in case it ever rears up in years to come)

Tara89

Quentin wrote: »

Keep that email safe -and a printed copy

You now need to complain formally about them unreasonably cancelling your policy.

Follow their complaint procedure which will be set out in the policy docs.

Ask that they acknowledge their error in cancelling without giving you proper notice, that they confirm in writing to you that the cancellation is no longer on your record and need not be disclosed when approaching insurers for quotes.

If you have been put to extra expense over the issue ask them to compensate you.

If you are unhappy with their reply then you an escalate the matter to the FOS for their adjudication at no cost to you.

When you do get the letter saying it was cancelled due to their error then keep it safely for ever ( in case it ever rears up in years to come)

Just seen this and wanted to say thank you and also to everyone else who assisted me.

The Ombudsman dealt with it for me and Admiral wrote to me apologising.

:T