Post-car accident "Wasted Journey Fee" from a recovery company a year later? £150!

ecstaticstatic

Hi all,

I was in a crash about a year and a half ago, unfortunately someone stopped very suddenly in front of me and I hit the back of their car. Naturally my error, insurance claims were filed and I thought that was that, an unfortunate mistake but at least no-one was hurt.

When the crash happened my father came to help me, and I phoned my insurer who put me through to a breakdown cover provider that was included as part of my insurance. After a short time waiting for the truck my dad and I realised the car was drivable, I straight away called to cancel the breakdown truck and we left the scene.

...
So flash forward to a week or two ago and I received a phone call from my old car insurer from the crash car. The say they've been invoiced for £150 for a "Wasted Journey Fee" from the breakdown provider and that I am liable for it, not them. It's completely out of the blue, I cancelled than truck well within an hour and this was a year and a half ago. I can't find anything in any documents that mention this fee and nothing online.

Basically - has anyone heard of this? Can I dispute it? I simply can't believe that they can justify such a huge fee, and I didn't agree to any kind of a cancellation fee when I called them to cancel the truck (and I wouldn't have for such a big amount). The insurer also told me that at first the recovery agency had given them the impression that they *had* picked me up, which was a bit iffy to me.

Any help is very much appreciated!

AdrianC

Recovery charges arising from collisions are almost always chargeable back to the person recovered - to be passed on to insurance - unlike if you're calling because you've broken down. So, no, I'm not altogether surprised that a cancelled recovery would also be charged.

What do the Ts & Cs of the recovery policy say?

arcon5

If you paid the full excess and nothing in the paperwork tell them to swivel

SteveJW

Not getting into the argument relating to the OP been asked to pay, but looking at the cancelled recovery charge of £150
Working in the haulage industry our recovery company charges from the moment the engine is started, minimum charge of an hour

ecstaticstatic

Recovery charges arising from collisions are almost always chargeable back to the person recovered - to be passed on to insurance - unlike if you're calling because you've broken down. So, no, I'm not altogether surprised that a cancelled recovery would also be charged.

What do the Ts & Cs of the recovery policy say?

The recovery policy T&Cs are included in my main motor insurance policy documents. They do state breakdown cover, however it was my insurer who put me through to the recovery company when I called them immediately after the crash when I enquired about the "recovery that was included in my policy", I guess omission on their part that it might not be included isn't necessarly their fault? Or is it? In any case I cancelled it fairly quickly (I'm trying to find the call records, as iPhones seem to be hard to search through when it's past a month). There's no mention in the T&Cs that cancellation of a callout must occur within a certain timeframe, nor does it state anything regarding a cancellation fee. Without this it seems legally dodgy to me that they can enforce anything.

If you paid the full excess and nothing in the paperwork tell them to swivel

I did, and there is nothing in the paperwork regarding this, and I wasn't informed there'd be a cancellation fee when I called to cancel. Also it's not me that's been invoiced, it's my old insurance company who seem to be trying to get me to accept the invoice.

Not getting into the argument relating to the OP been asked to pay, but looking at the cancelled recovery charge of £150
Working in the haulage industry our recovery company charges from the moment the engine is started, minimum charge of an hour

I think the concern is that they mentioned nothing of a cancellation fee, there's nothing in my policy documents that mentions a cancellation fee, and they took a year and a half to contact me. It feels like extortion here, and I can't see how I can be liable for a fee I was never notified might exist and never agreed to before nor after the fact. There has been no agreement to it? The invoice is directed at my insurer, not me?

bod1467

Dear old insurance company,
The claim pertaining to this invoice was settled in full, and all pertinent excesses were accounted for. As such this invoice you have sent me has no validity - it is part of the original claim for which you retain liability. I deny this debt in its entirety and will not be making any such payment.

Yours faithfully,
ecstaticstatic