Octagon Insurance - diabolical

bigpappa

Has anyone ever dealt with this lot?

So I have been with Octagon Insurance since 2010 - just kept renewing as they were the cheapest.

June 2014 I go through Quidco but remain with Octagon. I send them back the NCD they gave me in June stating 9 years NCD. Yes Octagon issues me with the NCD and I then emailed it back to them to confirm my NCD.

June 2015 they send me a renewal saying I have 4 yrs NCD. I call up and they say its an error I have been rated correctly on 10 years protected.

June 2016 they send me a renewal and it states 5 years NCD when I should have been 11 years by now.

I contacted them and they say I have been rated correctly its the printer is not showing the correct NCD. I have asked for my NCD but I suspect it will show 5 years.

I want to leave Octagon as though I have been with them for 6 years and they have been the cheapest they have very poor CS. I shudder to think what would happen in the event of a claim.

I have never made a claim with Octagon or had any points.

So do I fight this or should I just use my 9 years NCD document that was from them that expires 22/3/2016 (ie it was issued 22/3/14)

Looking at their website they don't issue NCD for more than 9 years. Is this not illegal?

Quentin

Nothing illegal - there are no laws governing NCD!


Take care using your old cert as any insurer will want you to explain the time gap - (as using an old cert like this is open to abuse!) - and when you explain you have been insured and made no claims throughout you will then have to explain why you have presented an old cert.


Check the difference in premiums by doing dummy quotes with 9 and 5 years NCD to see whether it's worth while going through all this

bigpappa

Quentin wrote: »

Nothing illegal - there are no laws governing NCD!


Take care using your old cert as any insurer will want you to explain the time gap - (as using an old cert like this is open to abuse!) - and when you explain you have been insured and made no claims throughout you will then have to explain why you have presented an old cert.


Check the difference in premiums by doing dummy quotes with 9 and 5 years NCD to see whether it's worth while going through all this

But then that means I am stuck with them. Their error not mine. Well they can check all day long that I have not made any claim or been involved in a claim or have points.

Will going to the Ombudsman make any difference?

Quentin

Why are you "stuck" with them?


The FOS will adjudicate if you escalate a complaint to them after first exhausting the insurers complaints procedure. (Make a complaint then if you are unhappy with their reply or they ignore the complaint for 8 weeks you can escalate to the FOS)

bigpappa

But my insurance runs out end of the month so I will have to renew as you said explaining to other insurers why I have a 2 yr old certificate.

Quentin

Did you check the difference 9 years v 5 years NCD makes to your quotes?


Getting away from octagon may be worth what little difference is involved! (And if your complaint succeeds you can ask them to reimburse you any extra cost their poor admin has caused you)

bigpappa

So I asked for my NCD but they said they cannot issue me an NCD until my policy expires. But even if I have my NCD protected?

I did check with 9 years and 5 and there is some difference but I feel I am being penalised. I have a clear record and due to a clerical error I am not considered as safe a driver.

Quentin

"Protected" NCD only protects any NCD you had at the start of the policy year.


Thus they need to await the completion of the policy before issuing you the proof of your NCD at the policy end date (you might need to make a claim before the end of the policy). Your new insurer will happily wait to get proof if they need it.


If you end up with a 5 year NCD you won't be considered "unsafe" - 5 years NCD doesn't mean that it is how long you have been driving safely.

bigpappa

So finally I have it in an email that though I have accrued 11 years NCD they only issue a 9 years NCD which they will issue as a pdf 24 hours after my policy expires.

So what do I tell my new insurers? That I have 11 years or 9 years NCD?

Also is it correct for them to limit NCD to 9 years?

huckster

11 years no claims as confirmed by them.

For their own particular no claims scheme they only go up to 9 years, but they note you have 11 claim free years.

bigpappa

huckster wrote: »

11 years no claims as confirmed by them.

For their own particular no claims scheme they only go up to 9 years, but they note you have 11 claim free years.

But what happens when my new insurers turn around and say I only have an NCD stating 9 years and call it fraud?