Swinton car insurance

loneranger

Hope someone can give me some advice, back in September (2015) I had an accident in my car which was quite clearly and definately not my fault.I am insured with Axa via Swinton and protected NCB ,I had a number to ring re the accident claim and was connected to Quindell,my local branch of Swinton didn't want to know.My claim has involved many expensive phone calls which it says I can't claim back but I have received the payment for my written off vehicle.They gave me a hire car which I didn't like so returned it after a couple of weeks and borrowed cash to buy another car,lower cc, but same year and value as the old car - at the time,it seemed the best option to switch my policy via Swinton to the change of vehicle.Result-that despite the fact that the accident was not my fault my insurance premium has gone up by quite a bit . My policy ends in May and I want to 'escape from Swinton, so questions:

Could I cancel now and move to another insurer?
If not,when should I inform swinton of my intentions (I have heard that they sometimes automatically renew and take DD payments before you get a chance to cancel and then take some time before they re-imberse).

Could I contact AXA direct re a new policy?

Do all insurers deal with claims via companies like quindell or do some deal with their own?

DUTR

I thought Swinton were a broker not underwriter.
You can go to another broker, you may still end up with the same underwriter.

loneranger

they are a broker, but can I cancel the policy that I have with them now instead of waiting to get embroiled in their very quick automatic renewal system and so that I can get a cheaper insurance

AdrianC

Can we clarify exactly what went on here, please?

You were involved in a collision.
Did you claim directly from your insurance, or from the other driver's?

If you claimed from your insurance, did AXA agree that you were completely blameless, and recover all their expenses from the other driver's insurer?

Has your premium increased because of a base premium rise due to your not-at-fault claim, because of a base premium rise due to a partially at-fault claim, due to loss of NCB, or due to increased risk from your new vehicle?

If you don't want your current policy to auto-renew, then just tell them now not to auto-renew it.

loneranger

Thank-you for replying,my Swinton documentation had the claims telephone number on it which went directly to Quindell who are an accident claim company-the local swinton branch would not help they said I should deal direct with Quindell. Quindell dealt with the claim via my insurer and the other vehicle insurer -I found out later that we were both with Axa !!
So should I contact Swinton now to inform them that I will not renewing in May?
I want to go direct to my chosen insurer and not through a broker.

AdrianC

loneranger wrote: »

Thank-you for replying,my Swinton documentation had the claims telephone number on it which went directly to Quindell who are an accident claim company-the local swinton branch would not help they said I should deal direct with Quindell. Quindell dealt with the claim via my insurer and the other vehicle insurer -I found out later that we were both with Axa !!

Well, that's the first of the three questions answered... Yes, you claimed off your own insurer.

So - did they recover all your costs?
And what about your premium has increased?

So should I contact Swinton now to inform them that I will not renewing in May?

Yes. I always tell insurers that I do not want to auto-renew when I take the policy out.

I want to go direct to my chosen insurer and not through a broker.

Unlikely that'll be an option. Very few underwriters sell direct. Deciding you definitely want a specific underwriter (or even broker) is usually also a great way to pay over the odds.

loneranger

I have recovered costs and accident was agreed definately not my fault but did not like the idea of dealing with quindell because of expensive phone calls and deliberately given the run around so that I would have to ring them. Still have to go for an appointment re: medical check despite the fact that I have told them I am OK now and they seem to be hoping I will try to claim more expenses (but I can't claim phone expenses from them!!) so that their pay off is higher - They were not happy that I cancelled the hire car and bought another car instead.
Swinton said that the increased premium was what happens when you have a change of vehicle mid policy -despite the fact that the vehicle is same type of vehicle,same age and lower cc.

Quentin

Check with Swinton the full cost of cancelling (their cancellation charges can be high), and that you will get any refund at all if you cancel.


Then if it is cost effective make your decision (you won't get any NCD for the part year you have been with them if that is of any significance)

AdrianC

loneranger wrote: »

Swinton said that the increased premium was what happens when you have a change of vehicle mid policy -despite the fact that the vehicle is same type of vehicle,same age and lower cc.

So it's purely down to the change of vehicle, then.

We recently changed car, two months into a policy.
The original premium was £120, through a comparison engine.
The same insurance brand quoted £220 for the newly acquired vehicle on the same comparison engine.
The cost to change the vehicle on the existing policy was quoted as over £400 for the remaining ten months.

We cancelled the policy and got £60 back.