Car insurance auto-renewed, payment failed - what to do?

foxtrotoscar_2

joetopper wrote: »

I didn't drive it during the week and it was parked in a locked garage so I'd have done well to have had an accident. My issue with the £22 is a matter of principle. They sneak the auto renewal into the T&C's then have the cheek to raise the premium for the following year.

So cars don't get damaged or go on fire due to an electrical fault when safely parked up?

ThinkingOutLoud_2

foxtrotoscar wrote: »

So cars don't get damaged or go on fire due to an electrical fault when safely parked up?

Or get stolen.

You got lucky it was when you were not driving it.

Axa are being very fair as already noted.

Nasqueron

joetopper wrote: »

I didn't drive it during the week and it was parked in a locked garage so I'd have done well to have had an accident. My issue with the £22 is a matter of principle. They sneak the auto renewal into the T&C's then have the cheek to raise the premium for the following year.

I have my renewal notice from my insurer in front of me. It explicitly states in bold on the first line

Your car insurance will be renewed automatically on xx/xx/17

The third sentence of the next paragraph states the same thing.

Further down it states:

"If you do not wish to automatically renew please call us to let us know"

I'd bet your policy letter stated the same thing and you just didn't read it

Nasqueron

On the Axa website, their sample insurance summary states on page 1 :

The policy is renewable annually and to ensure your cover continues provided you still meet our acceptance criteria we will seek to automatically renew it. Your payment details will be held securely on our files so that your next renewal premium can be collected. Your payment details can be changed at any time. Ahead of your renewal date we will send you an e mail to remind you the policy is due

http://www.axainsurance.com/car/policy-summary/2_1_190_CarPolicySummary.pdf

Page 5 of the sample policy wording

Renewal
Your policy will renew automatically. You will be contacted prior to the renewal date to check that your details are still correct and current. Please see general condition 14 on page 30 of this policy
.

http://www.axainsurance.com/car/policy-wording/2_1_190_CarPolicyWording.pdf

RuthnJasper

As someone else has posted, £22 is a relative bargain. Post Office charged me nearly £60 to cancel!


I don't really approve of admin. charges (though yours seems to be for the week's cover itself) as I doubt it's worth that much of a call-centre worker's time to amend a few details - but it is in the policy terms as accepted, so there's little chance of successfully arguing.


Probably best to be thankful that you didn't have an accident whilst uninsured and accept the £22 hit.


Best wishes.

Quentin

RuthnJasper wrote: »

As someone else has posted, £22 is a relative bargain. Post Office charged me nearly £60 to cancel.......

Axa's cancellation fee is £52.50 if you cancel outside the 14 day cooling off period


(The OP cancelled within the 14 days)

mattk_180

joetopper wrote: »

Correct paddy, I wasn't insured during that period - is that any of Axa's business though? If I got caught I'd be paying the fine not them...

Agree with everything others have said.


The only thing I can add is the reason they asked is that if you can prove you had insurance elsewhere they might have been kind enough to waive the charge (although they wouldn't necessarily have to).


Due to the not-so-new Continuous Insurance Enforcement though, they are obliged to at least charge for the time they were covering you as insurers are expected to promote the new enforcement and get tougher on drivers who aren't continuously insuring their cars.

System

joetopper wrote: »

My issue with the £22 is a matter of principle. .

Some principles are worth fighting for, others are better let go.
Wisdom means knowing the difference.