MSE News: Are you a Swinton Insurance customer? Beware its 'pre-renewal' deposit

Swampmonster

This article inspired me to read my car insurance policy with igo4 insuance as its due for renewal and if you don't tell them 5 days before it's due for renewal if you are you are not renewing they reserve the right to charge you £25. It's in the terms and conditions.

So glad I've read this thread or I wouldn't have phoned them as it runs out in six days. So annoyed by this type of thing. Well done for outing this underhand tactic. :T

mjm3346

"It is very easy for customers to receive the pre-renewal deposit back. They simply need to contact a local branch, either face-to-face or over the telephone or call our freephone number to speak to someone in the contact centre. We do not offer this facility online as we want to ensure the transaction is processed correctly for the customer.

Load of rubbish, they just want the chance to sell.

Ken68

Swinton charged me £25 last year to issue home insurance renewal forms.The quote turned out to be the cheapest anyway, so went with them. Paid in full ,not monthly.


However, I complained, had a letter from head office to acknowledge complaint, but no refund.

problemcashback

my own fault really, our swinton insurance due to renew on last friday, got the letter just a few days before, saw how much it was and managed to get it cheaper but looked at the letter big bold letters saying "call to renew", turned the page and why stay with swinton " be quick" "decide what to do" and call us again. So presumed that it wasnt auto renewed, came in today to find my new policy pack on the mat it had been auto renewed. Called they they apologised but didnt mention that they had already taken out the direct debit.

weejonnie

I think these still apply

The six TCF outcomes

Our six consumer outcomes explain what we want TCF to achieve for consumers. These were outlined in our July 2006 publication, Treating customers fairly – towards fair outcomes for consumers. These remain core to what we expect of firms. We will continue to use them as an important factor in guiding regulatory decisions and actions.

• Outcome 1: Consumers can be confident that they are dealing with firms where the fair treatment of customers is central to the corporate culture.
• Outcome 2: Products and services marketed and sold in the retail market are designed to meet the needs of identified consumer groups and are targeted accordingly.
• Outcome 3: Consumers are provided with clear information and are kept appropriately informed before, during and after the point of sale.
• Outcome 4: Where consumers receive advice, the advice is suitable and takes account of their circumstances.
• Outcome 5: Consumers are provided with products that perform as firms have led them to expect, and the associated service is of an acceptable standard and as they have been led to expect.
• Outcome 6: Consumers do not face unreasonable post-sale barriers imposed by firms to change product, switch provider, submit a claim or make a complaint

FCA website http://www.fca.org.uk/firms/being-regulated/meeting-your-obligations/fair-treatment-of-customers

Honey_Bear

A blogger has just pushed a Swinton competition that started yesterday so I googled the name (rather than click on the link in the blog) and this thread came up on the first page of searches.

Nothing on god's earth would induce me to enter the competition now, nor insure through them.

Well done MSE again! Love this site!

Ron_McDon

He'd told Swinton at renewal he did not want to auto-renew but that information had mysteriously 'disappeared off his file' at next year's renewal! He got them to match a competitors quote, but it's not on to take money a month before the renewals even due! They told him it was 'to stop peoples policies lapsing by mistake' ... Yeah, right!

Swiftcover were worse though - I e-mailed and rang to tell them I would not be renewing my policy with them, and thought it would be ok as the card I'd used the previous year had expired ... Oh no, they made an educated guess about the expiry date of my new card and took the money anyway!

They refunded it after a strongly worded e-mail was sent, but it took a few days to go through and I was hopping mad that they would do that in the first place. The best bit was when they said they couldn't refund me, as the card details they had on file had expired. I asked them to explain how they were able to take the money out of my account in that case ... they weren't able to answer that!

They're all out to catch you out, make sure you know your renewal dates, and check your bank account/credit card statements regularly!

stugib

Ron_McDon wrote: »

Oh no, they made an educated guess about the expiry date of my new card and took the money anyway!

No guessing required: VAU

johnk

Swinton credit checks me every year even though I haven't had anything to do with them for many years. Anyone know how to remove me from their credit check list (I have unsubscribed from their mail list)?

rs65

huntyboy wrote: »

but believe me as the swinton spokesman

Drivel aside, if you are the spokesman, I suggest you register formally with MSE. I suggest that you also take lessons in spelling, grammar and punctuation.

You have said nothing about why you take pre-renewal direct debits. I am surprised that the FCA allow you to hold client's money without knowing if they will renew, how much their renewal will be or even which insurer the cover will be placed with in the following year.

How is a pre-renewal deposit in your clients interests? It can only be in Swinton's interest as they benefit from cash flow and client lethargy. If you provide such a good service, why take a pre-renewal deposit?