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Admiral - hopeless and giving me the run around
Rossim1985
Posts: 86 Forumite
Hi all. Just wanted a bit of advice to see what others would do in this situation. Any input is appreciated, as always.
I bought a new cheap car last week on Tuesday evening. The location was a bit remote and a good hour from home, so sitting in the car in the dark and pouring rain I taxed it over the phone and then called Admiral to sort out the insurance.
As a bit of background, I had previously been with Admiral from late November 2014 to the start of November this year, when I sold my previous car after the head gasket went. At the time of cancellation there was just 3 weeks left remaining on the policy and all direct debit payments had been made and there was a tiny pro rata refund of £7 once cancellation fees had been deducted.
Earlier in the day before viewing the car I'd phoned Admiral and a very helpful lady in their Cardiff office gave me a quote for the car and confirmed they were happy to include one years no claims given that I was so close to the end of the previous policy, however they would only do this for a new policy with Admiral, which seemed fair enough. The quote was fine - it was no more expensive than my old Fiat Punto and this new car has a much larger engine.
I told the Cardiff new business team to call me later that evening, but they explained they shut at 730pm but I would still be able to speak to someone, albeit in another call centre somewhere else.
So back to the evening, having done the tax I phoned Admiral at about 830pm. The chap that picked up was American and he insisted in going through the entire quote again from start to finish and reading out all the compliance rubbish I'd already heard earlier that day. After a good 30 minutes on the phone, it finally got to the payment stage where he informed me there was no direct debit option. The full £600 policy had to be paid in full, and his computer wouldn't tell him why I couldn't have a DD option. I told him my previous policy had this option and he put me on hold for 5 minutes and came back with it still being a no. In sheer exasperation, I just paid the £653 (even though I don't really have it to spare), just to finish the call and so I could drive safely home.
The next day I phone the Cardiff new business team to tell them what had happened. This (not so helpful this time) lady then puts me through to the customer services team where I have to explain it again. The English customer service guy confirms the American guy's computer was wrong and I can have a DD arrangement, just like I did on my last policy. He tells me to go to my bank to try and stop the payment, but to come back to him if that's not possible.
The bank can't stop it of course so I call back customer services and this time get the Fonejacker 'Internet Service Providings' guy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U12ZYBTnHvM - OK i'm being facetious but his English was worse than this and I had to explain the situation very very slowly about 3 times before the penny dropped!). This guy says no problem, he'll speak to accounts and the pricing team to organise a refund of the full premium and confirm a monthly DD amount. I wait on hold for ages and he said the pricing team can indicate an amount of £865 across the year when you add up all the payments!!! I said that's almost a 50% increase on the annual premium, he said it was the interest and only an approximate figure. I told him that there was no way the interest could be that high and if the monthly DD price was anywhere near that much I would just cancel the policy and ask for a full refund. Anyway, he says the pricing team will confirm the monthly DD price in 24-48 hours so he'll call back on Saturday. Annoying but I agree to wait.
So today (Saturday), I get a call as promised, but the accounts department is closed at weekends, so he can't confirm regarding the refund, and he's not yet had an answer on the pricing either, great! I stated that he had no less than 3 days to speak to the accounts team, why didn't you? He mumbled some excuse and said he would come back to me on Monday. Losing my temper inside but keeping calm I said I want the monthly DD confirmed price and the refund details confirmed by Monday or I will be cancelling the policy in full.
To be honest I think I am being too polite and allowing them to give me the run around here, but I would be grateful for your input. I certainly do not want to fall outside the 14 day cancellation period, if it does come to it!
I know £600 is not a lot to some people here, and normally it would be fine for myself too, however I just completed on my first house yesterday, so I really need every penny at the moment! I also wanted the benefit of the years no claims too, so that's another reason I am reluctant to move.
Confused.com is giving me a slightly higher figure of £650 based on zero no claims (which is what I would have to use outside Admiral), so there are other options.
Sorry for the long post!
I bought a new cheap car last week on Tuesday evening. The location was a bit remote and a good hour from home, so sitting in the car in the dark and pouring rain I taxed it over the phone and then called Admiral to sort out the insurance.
As a bit of background, I had previously been with Admiral from late November 2014 to the start of November this year, when I sold my previous car after the head gasket went. At the time of cancellation there was just 3 weeks left remaining on the policy and all direct debit payments had been made and there was a tiny pro rata refund of £7 once cancellation fees had been deducted.
Earlier in the day before viewing the car I'd phoned Admiral and a very helpful lady in their Cardiff office gave me a quote for the car and confirmed they were happy to include one years no claims given that I was so close to the end of the previous policy, however they would only do this for a new policy with Admiral, which seemed fair enough. The quote was fine - it was no more expensive than my old Fiat Punto and this new car has a much larger engine.
I told the Cardiff new business team to call me later that evening, but they explained they shut at 730pm but I would still be able to speak to someone, albeit in another call centre somewhere else.
So back to the evening, having done the tax I phoned Admiral at about 830pm. The chap that picked up was American and he insisted in going through the entire quote again from start to finish and reading out all the compliance rubbish I'd already heard earlier that day. After a good 30 minutes on the phone, it finally got to the payment stage where he informed me there was no direct debit option. The full £600 policy had to be paid in full, and his computer wouldn't tell him why I couldn't have a DD option. I told him my previous policy had this option and he put me on hold for 5 minutes and came back with it still being a no. In sheer exasperation, I just paid the £653 (even though I don't really have it to spare), just to finish the call and so I could drive safely home.
The next day I phone the Cardiff new business team to tell them what had happened. This (not so helpful this time) lady then puts me through to the customer services team where I have to explain it again. The English customer service guy confirms the American guy's computer was wrong and I can have a DD arrangement, just like I did on my last policy. He tells me to go to my bank to try and stop the payment, but to come back to him if that's not possible.
The bank can't stop it of course so I call back customer services and this time get the Fonejacker 'Internet Service Providings' guy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U12ZYBTnHvM - OK i'm being facetious but his English was worse than this and I had to explain the situation very very slowly about 3 times before the penny dropped!). This guy says no problem, he'll speak to accounts and the pricing team to organise a refund of the full premium and confirm a monthly DD amount. I wait on hold for ages and he said the pricing team can indicate an amount of £865 across the year when you add up all the payments!!! I said that's almost a 50% increase on the annual premium, he said it was the interest and only an approximate figure. I told him that there was no way the interest could be that high and if the monthly DD price was anywhere near that much I would just cancel the policy and ask for a full refund. Anyway, he says the pricing team will confirm the monthly DD price in 24-48 hours so he'll call back on Saturday. Annoying but I agree to wait.
So today (Saturday), I get a call as promised, but the accounts department is closed at weekends, so he can't confirm regarding the refund, and he's not yet had an answer on the pricing either, great! I stated that he had no less than 3 days to speak to the accounts team, why didn't you? He mumbled some excuse and said he would come back to me on Monday. Losing my temper inside but keeping calm I said I want the monthly DD confirmed price and the refund details confirmed by Monday or I will be cancelling the policy in full.
To be honest I think I am being too polite and allowing them to give me the run around here, but I would be grateful for your input. I certainly do not want to fall outside the 14 day cancellation period, if it does come to it!
I know £600 is not a lot to some people here, and normally it would be fine for myself too, however I just completed on my first house yesterday, so I really need every penny at the moment! I also wanted the benefit of the years no claims too, so that's another reason I am reluctant to move.
Confused.com is giving me a slightly higher figure of £650 based on zero no claims (which is what I would have to use outside Admiral), so there are other options.
Sorry for the long post!
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Comments
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Log a complaint with Admiral, nothing will change unless you do that. Trying to scare them by saying you'll cancel the policy in full does nothing.
By logging a complaint you might find you're offered some kind of compensation, or they might agree to the £650 being the policy amount and accept DD on that amount instead not adding the interest (they can do this as staff don't pay the interest on monthly payments, so it can just be taken off).0 -
How did you tax the car with no insurance?All matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves.0
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You can tax it without insurance, probably a nice profit to them in the hope you dont and send you a fine for not not insuring/sorning it.Censorship Reigns Supreme in Troll City...0
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I have always found Admirals prices to be ALOT more expensive when paid by monthly direct debit so I doubt you will be able to get it any cheaper than what they are quoting.0
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