IMPORTANT REMINDER: Please make sure your posts do not contain any personally identifiable information. If you are uploading images, please take extra care that you have redacted all personal information.
NEW BLOG. Featuring tips and pics from pet owners of the MSE Forum, we present to you Homemade pet toy ideas. Take a look
Ruthless Car Insurance BISL Beware!
Pinkpyjama
Forumite 45 Posts
in Motoring
I am a middle aged driver with 2 kids living in a small village in North Yorkshire. Clean license for over 20 years with only ever one non fault claim. Last year my wife was nudged only just by a vehicle in heavy traffic. Minimal damage and full liability accepted by the third party. All settled via insurance with no cost to her insurance company.
On trying to renew my policy today with Dial Direct (part of the mighty BISL umbrella) I willingly updated with answers to the question (have any of your details changed in the last 12 months) I had also declared all info concerning my wife and received numerous quotes from other sites. I was only contacting my current insurer as I had not received a renewal price in the post.
I was then put on hold only to be told that my current policy (with 10 days remaining) was to be cancelled immediately as I failed to update any changes after my wife's accident.
I could go on and on here but just to summarise, I vehemently protested that I was not aware that I had to on my policy as it was not my policy or my vehicle and that there was full liability admitted from the other side. I was told my wife is now higher risk and I was obliged to inform them of this incident. (How is she higher risk - she was hit by someone else in slow traffic?!)
After pleading that they show some leniency (not least because my wife needed the car with 2 children to see her terminally I'll father) it was agreed to leave the policy open until midnight so I could arrange alternative cover and for my wife to use the vehicle.
What followed were numerous rejections and higher premiums from all but 2 companies as I had had insurance cancelled by a previous insurer. I believe this could go on for at least the next five years.
Eventually Privilege (my wife's company) have covered me (not without having to make numerous calls though) all at a cost of nearly £40 extra.
I cannot believe that for information I willingly volunteerd I am now left in a situation where I could be having to either stick with Privilege for five years (not going to be able to get the best deal during this time as no other option) or be faced with numerous rejections and higher premiums.
The final insult was when I called Dial Direct to cancel the policy at 1700 (the last call with them was that I was still covered until midnight that night) they said the policy had already been cancelled! So my wife and small children could have been in a vehicle that was uninsured all without our knowledge.
This was the final straw for me and I have written a letter of complaint today and am also awaiting a call from a senior manager of Dial Direct (I have been told they will call) I am hoping that when the circumstances of this matter is looked at closely at the very least Dial Direct can say that I cancelled the policy and not them. I do not want to have to declare for the next five years that I have had insurance cancelled. I am being put into a catagory that does not fit what actually happened.
I am so disappointed that an insurance company can act like this. Two separate companies admitted they saw Dial Direct's actions as harsh and something they wouldn't have done. Indeed one if them was Privilege who failed to see why as it was a complete no fault claim.
It is worth saying that myself and wife are the sort of family that take good comprehensive cover on all our insurance policies. We do not scrimp and give false info just to get a good price. Every time I have tried to be as honest as I possibly can.
I accept that we must take responsibility for our actions when declaring personal information but at no time during my wife's claim with Privilege last year (which was at the time handled swiftly and efficiently) was there any mention of having to inform any other company that she was a named driver on. Surely as an industry for something that can deem a policy invalid, they should at least make it more widely known?
So I have written to Dial Direct. I will go to the FCA if need be as I must at the very least be in a position to answer 'No' when asked for the next five years whether I have had any policy cancelled or refused.
All in all a horrible 24hours experience. I wanted to pass this onto anyone in case they experience similar. I should have just said nothing or at least. Not given Dial Direct the chance to renew my cover. Both parties would have been none the wiser and gone their separate ways.
On trying to renew my policy today with Dial Direct (part of the mighty BISL umbrella) I willingly updated with answers to the question (have any of your details changed in the last 12 months) I had also declared all info concerning my wife and received numerous quotes from other sites. I was only contacting my current insurer as I had not received a renewal price in the post.
I was then put on hold only to be told that my current policy (with 10 days remaining) was to be cancelled immediately as I failed to update any changes after my wife's accident.
I could go on and on here but just to summarise, I vehemently protested that I was not aware that I had to on my policy as it was not my policy or my vehicle and that there was full liability admitted from the other side. I was told my wife is now higher risk and I was obliged to inform them of this incident. (How is she higher risk - she was hit by someone else in slow traffic?!)
After pleading that they show some leniency (not least because my wife needed the car with 2 children to see her terminally I'll father) it was agreed to leave the policy open until midnight so I could arrange alternative cover and for my wife to use the vehicle.
What followed were numerous rejections and higher premiums from all but 2 companies as I had had insurance cancelled by a previous insurer. I believe this could go on for at least the next five years.
Eventually Privilege (my wife's company) have covered me (not without having to make numerous calls though) all at a cost of nearly £40 extra.
I cannot believe that for information I willingly volunteerd I am now left in a situation where I could be having to either stick with Privilege for five years (not going to be able to get the best deal during this time as no other option) or be faced with numerous rejections and higher premiums.
The final insult was when I called Dial Direct to cancel the policy at 1700 (the last call with them was that I was still covered until midnight that night) they said the policy had already been cancelled! So my wife and small children could have been in a vehicle that was uninsured all without our knowledge.
This was the final straw for me and I have written a letter of complaint today and am also awaiting a call from a senior manager of Dial Direct (I have been told they will call) I am hoping that when the circumstances of this matter is looked at closely at the very least Dial Direct can say that I cancelled the policy and not them. I do not want to have to declare for the next five years that I have had insurance cancelled. I am being put into a catagory that does not fit what actually happened.
I am so disappointed that an insurance company can act like this. Two separate companies admitted they saw Dial Direct's actions as harsh and something they wouldn't have done. Indeed one if them was Privilege who failed to see why as it was a complete no fault claim.
It is worth saying that myself and wife are the sort of family that take good comprehensive cover on all our insurance policies. We do not scrimp and give false info just to get a good price. Every time I have tried to be as honest as I possibly can.
I accept that we must take responsibility for our actions when declaring personal information but at no time during my wife's claim with Privilege last year (which was at the time handled swiftly and efficiently) was there any mention of having to inform any other company that she was a named driver on. Surely as an industry for something that can deem a policy invalid, they should at least make it more widely known?
So I have written to Dial Direct. I will go to the FCA if need be as I must at the very least be in a position to answer 'No' when asked for the next five years whether I have had any policy cancelled or refused.
All in all a horrible 24hours experience. I wanted to pass this onto anyone in case they experience similar. I should have just said nothing or at least. Not given Dial Direct the chance to renew my cover. Both parties would have been none the wiser and gone their separate ways.
0
This discussion has been closed.
Latest MSE News and Guides
Replies
I accept that we must take responsibility for our actions when declaring personal information but at no time during my wife's claim with Privilege last year (which was at the time handled swiftly and efficiently) was there any mention of having to inform any other company that she was a named driver on. Surely as an industry for something that can deem a policy invalid, they should at least make it more widely known?[/QUOTE]
In every car insurance policy document (that you get when you sign up for insurance) that I have ever seen states what you need to do and when if details change or if there are incidents involving named/main drivers.
Some policies only require updating of incidents relating to named drivers in other cars at renewal. Some may require it soon after the incident.
You really should be aware of what is in your insurance terms and conditions. You should read them when you sign up for insurance to make sure the cover is appropriate and so you know when you should inform the company of changes. You should also know where the documents are so you can check them at any time if you want a reminder if something has happened. You have basically stated that you did not read your policy terms and conditions and have no idea of what they contain.
That being said the company should have applied common sense if you managed to persuade them that it was a genuine oversight seeing that the policy was due to end very soon.
So you really need to try and get this rescinded.
Make a formal complaint in line with their complaints procedure (which will be set out in the policy docs) that this cancellation was unfair, and if you get nowhere then escalate to the FOS (FCA won't help) for their adjudication at no cost to you
That would be a good start.
I volunteered the information willingly, I did not try to hide it only to get found out.
I think their actions were harsh given that the policy only had 11 days left to run.
I am annoyed that after me pleading they agreed to extend the cover until midnight only to be informed later in the evening they had cancelled anyway. My car was left uninsured without my consent or knowledge. My wife and children could have been in an accident during this time and they and I would not have been insured.
I work in the service industry where T&C's often get misinterpreted or ignored. I think their stance was draconian and unnecessary bearing in mind the length the policy had to run.
Had I not have willingly offered this information and gone elsewhere this year, they would have been none the wiser.
Again, I volunteered the information and was (whatever your opinion) misunderstood that I had to inform them about my wife's non fault claim.
I could understand had the claim been at fault or she had received penalty points. I am the sort of client who would have called to update in these examples
To clarify the claim was last August and so within the duration of the policy.
My letter is only asking to have me down as cancelling the insurance and not the other way round. I am not asking for compensation and do not (although I will if need be) necessarily wish to get the ombudsman involved.
I think that would be a fair way to end this dispute so one must wait and see.
Put it this way I was told I was going to get a call today and I have not and when you look at their conduct thus far shows what their attitude is to doing business.
I simply have to clear my name as at no time was I willingly dishonest. Goodness we can all list the countless examples where one can be (and a lot are let's face it) dishonest with insurance companies. This is not such an example.
PP
If one is guilty of misconduct at work. In most cases one is given the chance to resign rather than being cold blooded fired. It is seen as the fair thing to do because it looks better for the individual going forward.
Does the punishment really fit the actions here?
Let's see how this one works out. Again I have to clear my name here, how can it be right that I could be effectively blacklisted for the rest of my driving life? (It's not just car insurance that we get insurance for is it?)
You need to post up the exact wording.
I wouldn't discount an escalation to the FOS over this.
Apart from the fairness or otherwise of their action you also need to point out the bungled way the disputed cancellation was carried out, which doesn't look to be in line with the correct procedure.
(Though your point about being allowed to leave rather than get sacked is a non starter - they cannot offer you any other than the policy conditions as the rules in what is essentially a business contract (regulated for your benefit by the FOS)
Whilst all this is getting sorted you need to check when your wife's insurer needs to be informed about the policy cancellation you have (assuming you are a named driver on her policy).