Car & Motorcycle NCD issue, Direct Line & Aviva

Charlie_Severn

Have separate Car and Motorcycle Insurances with no claims on Car but 2 recent claims on Motorcycle.
Car Insurance is with Direct Line who have retrospectively taken into account the 2 bike claim. (Bike Insurance is through Carole Nash using Aviva Insurers. Direct Line Car Insurance is through Aviva this year. After buying Direct Line policy Aviva have pointed out that I had 2 recent bike claims and have added an extra sum to Car policy. Direct Line have also stated that the 2 bike aclaims have affected ny CAR NCD and took it back from FULL NCD to No NCD. I have been charged twice for the bike accidents!!)
The Bike claims have affected car Insurance by having an additional premium added which I can understand but also had my Full No Claims discount on my car insurance reduce back to the start.
I see this as unfair as the car insurance has not been claimed against. The Insurances were separate and not combined.
Can you advise if this is correct please.
(History: Last years car insurance was with Hastings who specifically asked about other vehicle accidents. I informed them of one bike accident at the time but this did not affect CAR No Claims Discount.)

rev_henry

The car premium loading due to your bike accidents is correct, the loss of car NCD is not. Make a complaint and follow the complaints procedure.

Charlie_Severn

Is there a typical statement that can be made to ensure the complaint is taken serious and correctly.? I'm assuming the complaint is to Direct Line the Car Policy holders.

Quentin

Follow their complaints procedure which will be set out in the policy docs. Head the letter COMPLAINT. They will take it seriously!


That way should they ignore you for 8 weeks or you are unhappy with the reply you can then escalate the complaint to the FOS for their adjudication at no cost to you.


Complain they are acting unfairly in retrospectively not recognising your valid NCD.

Charlie_Severn

Having called Direct Line I find it is the NCD protection I have lost on the car policy because of the claims on the motorcycle policy.
Direct Line say it is part of their underwriters criteria which has been passed by FOS.
Should the complaint wished to be escalated then FOS would refer to the underwriters criteria and not uphold the complaint. They have logged and closed the complaint as I see no help given by FOS.
It seems to be the criteria that is wrong, unfair.
Essentially I have been penalised twice.

Quentin

Now they have closed the complaint you can escalate to the FOS at no cost to you.

baz8790

I kept my car no claims when I had a bike accident, both policies were with AXA

even though I have 10 years no claims with my car the price almost doubled for the car insurance but I'm allowed to protect my no claims insurance.

I'm staying away from bikes for a few years as the accident and not having and no claims discount makes insurance prices too high.

I don't like how no claims are not interchangeable between cars and bikes but claims on either policy effect both

rev_henry

Charlie_Severn wrote: »

Having called Direct Line I find it is the NCD protection I have lost on the car policy because of the claims on the motorcycle policy.
Direct Line say it is part of their underwriters criteria which has been passed by FOS.
Should the complaint wished to be escalated then FOS would refer to the underwriters criteria and not uphold the complaint. They have logged and closed the complaint as I see no help given by FOS.
It seems to be the criteria that is wrong, unfair.
Essentially I have been penalised twice.

Sounds odd to me. Have you actually seen anything in writing to this effect? Call them back, tell them you either want the complaint dealt with properly or a deadlock letter to go to the FOS. The FOS is empowered to ensure customers are dealt with fairly, which in some cases may mean the T&Cs are wrong. Only the FOS can tell you the FOS can't help you, not direct line.

dacouch

rev_henry wrote: »

Sounds odd to me. Have you actually seen anything in writing to this effect? Call them back, tell them you either want the complaint dealt with properly or a deadlock letter to go to the FOS. The FOS is empowered to ensure customers are dealt with fairly, which in some cases may mean the T&Cs are wrong. Only the FOS can tell you the FOS can't help you, not direct line.

Sounds correct to me.

Insurers normally have a certain criteria they require to be fullfilled before they allow Protected No Claims Bonus. This generally includes no more than a certain number of convictions and also a certain amount of claims.

It appears the OP currently does not fit their criteria.

They have declined his complaint, which as Quentin has pointed out allows the OP to take the matter to the Ombudsman if they desire.

I would lay good money that the OP also has at least one motoring conviction