Kwikfit Car Insurance Bullies

Russilly

Hello All

Can anyone advise about car insurance auto-renewals and where you stand if, after confirming you will NOT be renewing, the insurance co goes ahead anyway and then behaves heavy-handedly?

Having done my research on MSE, I insured my car with Kwikfit last year and was happy with the service I received (not that I had need to use their services throughout the term!). This was then due for renewal at the start of Jan this year. Just before, I received a letter from them with a new quote (this was over £200 more than other quotes I had received after doing new research on MSE!), along with a deadline to let them know if I wasn't going to be renewing; this I did by email. As far as I was concerned, that was that and didn't hear from them again.

However, in mid February there was a direct payment from my bank account paid to Kwikfit. I cancelled the DD immediately and emailed Kwikfit to find out what this was for. They informed me it was the first instalment of my renewed insurance policy! I replied to say there had been a mistake and attached my original email confirming I would not be renewing. Kwikfit replied to say that they had not received any correspondence from me and therefore the policy had been renewed in January.

I then telephoned and had a conversation with one of the team (retentions?) explaining the situation and that I had since renewed my policy elsewhere. He reiterated that they hadn't received any cancellation notice and that I was liable for the policy. He proceeded to give me a quote over the phone, which incidentally was £130 cheaper than their first quote! However this wasn't any help as I would not be able to cancel the insurance with the new co without a penalty. A case of 'too little, too late'!

I have received several correspondences from Kwikfit over the last couple of weeks, from telling me that if I send them proof of my renewed policy they will refund me the first month's payment (£41); to another letter today threatening that I need to contact them within 7 days and settle the outstanding amount (£108)! If not, they will use my card which I used to make the original payment in the previous year. Failing this, they will pass my details to a debt collection agency and to the Motor Insurance Database, which the police check for uninsured vehicles. In addition, I need to return my certificate of insurance! And all this, after telling them I would not be renewing my policy with them, within the deadline they gave AND that I had insured with another company! Also I've never received any documentation and certificate from them!!

I am finding this whole matter deeply upsetting, if not a little disturbing that these big companies can behave in such a way. Are there laws to stop this type of consumer bullying??

Any advice would be much appreciated, as well as any similar experiences of insurance auto-renewal abuses? If so, may be this is a matter for intervention by higher powers to stop this type of situation continuing...

Thanking you!

dacouch

Send them a letter headed "Official Complaint", keep the letter polite and concise. You just need to basically refer to the email sent confirming renewal not required was sent in the time scale required, briefly mention the other conversations you've had. Also mention you arranged insurance with another provider to run concurrently.

Attach a photocopy of the "Certificate of Insurance" for your new Insurer.

Request a full refund of any monies paid.

Sign off with a final line to the effect "Should I not receive satisfaction, I will take my complaint to the Ombudsman".

They have eight weeks to properly investigate the matter and report back to you.

I would be surprised if this does not close the matter with a full refund of all monies to you

Cornucopia

I would always suggest not using e-mail when giving important information to large companies. Most of them handle it very poorly and very slowly.

Also, the letter asking you to pay the rest of the bill is just a standard letter.

They have offered you a refund, so I'm not sure whether you have taken that, and if not, why not.

I've not had any problems with auto-renewal, but I tend to favour companies that don't do it, opt-out in advance if I can, and cancel by phone in good time.

Nodding_Donkey

This is why I always cancel direct debits when something comes to an end. Don't worry about the debit card, claim from your bank under the direct debit guarantee (you are entitled to a full and immediate refund, you may have to explain to the bank that 'immediate' means just that and you don't have to contact the company for a refund) and then invite them to sue you for any money they allege you owe.

Nodding_Donkey

dacouch wrote: »

Attach a photocopy of the "Certificate of Insurance" for your new Insurer.

I wouldn't legitimise their request, if they want to know they can look it up on the database. That is just a hoop jumping exercise.

arcon5

So basically they renewed because they didn't receive your correspondence, you spoke to them and they've asked for proof within 7 days and agreed to refund the payment.

The money demand letter is most likely automated.

All in all, a silly situation they shouldn't have put you in dramatised.

Just send the proof they want with a bullet pointed cover letter and a copy of the original email. See what happens.

colino

They don't have any right for you to produce anything other than a copy of the email. It's entirely irrelevant who you are insured with now, or even insured at all.

dacouch

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

This is why I always cancel direct debits when something comes to an end. Don't worry about the debit card, claim from your bank under the direct debit guarantee (you are entitled to a full and immediate refund, you may have to explain to the bank that 'immediate' means just that and you don't have to contact the company for a refund) and then invite them to sue you for any money they allege you owe.

Just cancelling the direct debit and not informing the Insurer is not a great idea with car Insurance due to the effect the RTA has on Insurance.

Also the terms and conditions you've agreed with the Insurer are that they will automatically renew the Insurance unless you tell them to cancel. As they're contractually obliged to renew the policy (Unless you tell them not to) the policy will renew automatically and they will chase you for the premium.

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

I wouldn't legitimise their request, if they want to know they can look it up on the database. That is just a hoop jumping exercise.

Sending a copy of the Certificate is a simple way of showing the Insurer they were released from their obligations under the RTA.

Sending a copy of the Certificate saves a lot of time.

patman99

As the op has insured their vehicle elsewhere, then cancelling the DD ti Kwuack Fit should have no bearing on the RTA as any Police check will show a policy in force.

dacouch

patman99 wrote: »

As the op has insured their vehicle elsewhere, then cancelling the DD ti Kwuack Fit should have no bearing on the RTA as any Police check will show a policy in force.

But Kwik Fit do not know there is another policy in force, they claim they never received the instructions to lapse so would have renewed the policy as they're obliged by the contract. As they have renewed the policy they will want the money for the premium otherwise they will eventually cancel the policy and would pursue the OP for a premium from renewal until the date cancelled.

Sending them a copy of the alternative insurance is the simple way of getting them to lapse the policy and clear all the records and settle the financial side.

Arguing the toss with them over the phone or in correspondence will eventually have the same result. Sending a copy of the certificate gets it done in one letter and may also result in a small amount of compensation if accompanied by an "Official Complaint"

patman99

Forgive me, but did the Govt. not make all this auto-renew stuff illegal with the onus being on the actual purchaser to select an 'auto-renew' option if available.