Car Insurance Auto renew - Advice Pls

Jodes112

Hi,
Please can you tell me where i stand with this.

Im so angry.

I was with green insurance for 2 years. At the very first year i set it up on DD but then a few days after the policy started, and called and payed the annual fee.

The following year i remained with green and when i got the renewal through i called and paid annually again.

This brings us to now.
This morning i was checking our bills account and £69.00 left the account yeaterday. With the narrative kwik fit. On looking back this amount is a DD and has been coming out of the accoun monthly since October. I dont check this account as i know what goes in and out.

So i call kwik fit to see what it is, and am told its the green car insurance, kwik fit took them over. Fair enough. But why is there a DDcoming from my account. So they say that in September the policy auto renewed. I didnt receive any renewal doc!!! I also didnt receive any polocy documents to say the policy had been taken out 😱

Usually what happens is i get the renewal doc i check for cheaper quotes then i either accept the renewal (or let it roll) and pay the annual fee. Because id not got the renewal doc i had no idea it was ready for renewal at that point.

Anyway, i was concerned how they had got my dd details as i pay annually! And they said becauze i once input them, the auto renewal has gone on monthly dd's!!

I found out that the policy was £650 for the year, i would never have accepted this when i can get a price of £280 for the year!!!!

I therefore cancelled the policy today and they waived the fee (£50) because of the circumstances. However, i am so annoyed that they have renewed this policy without me knowing (no renewal or policy docs received) AND them doing a dd without my authority!!

Obvs if i had got the docs in the first place there would be no way id have taken the policy, let alone agreed the dd as we pay annually!!

So, i raised a complaint and he basically said because they have actually provided me with cover on the car they cant do anything more. Which i thought is what he would say. He asked if i was happy with that response but i said no so he has logged it to be passed further. He asked what i wanted and i said a full refund haha.

But im wondering where i stand with this??
My point is if id have received the renewal doc, and/or the policy docs i would not have allowed the policy to go ahead! I imagine they will say 'well we sent the docs' but i didnt bloody get them!!

Should i just accept this?

Thanks

rudekid48

You don't say if you had purchased alternative cover? If not then the autorenewal has saved you a fine for being uninsured..

If you did purchase alternative cover and can prove it (from renewal date) then you should have no problem getting the premiums refunded..

cajef

Did you get a new insurance certificate when they auto renewed the policy, if not did you take out a new policy with another company and who have you been insured with since then?

Jodes112

No other insurance �� Just this one. As i didnt know it was ready for renewal as no renewal doc came through!

So yes, they have covered me when i had no other cover. My point is though, had i got the renewal doc and policy doc id have gone elsewhere without a single doubt and not paid £650 for the year when i can get it for £260!

Also the fact they have done it by dd when i had no ide about it

Quentin

You should now make a claim against the DD guarantee with your bank.


Also cancel the dd


They will credit your account immediately (and sort it with the merchant)


(If KF do want to pursue you for it they will do so and you can dispute it with them)

cajef

Jodes112 wrote: »

I dont check this account as i know what goes in and out.

Sorry but this is obviously not correct as the DD has been taken out without your knowing since last October, had you checked the account you would have been aware that £69 had been coming out monthly, also were you not aware of when your insurance was due?

dunstonh

Quentin wrote: »

You should now make a claim against the DD guarantee with your bank.


Also cancel the dd


They will credit your account immediately (and sort it with the merchant)


(If KF do want to pursue you for it they will do so and you can dispute it with them)

However, if the provider tells the bank they had a valid instruction which was not cancelled by the account holder then the bank will take the money back from the account holder. This is not a solution but a temporary way to get funds.

So yes, they have covered me when i had no other cover. My point is though, had i got the renewal doc and policy doc id have gone elsewhere without a single doubt and not paid £650 for the year when i can get it for £260!

It is your responsibility to know these things. The fact is that auto-renewal stopped you getting pulled over and fined and points on your licence.

Also the fact they have done it by dd when i had no ide about it

If you monitored your bank account, like most people, you would have known about it. You are blaming the insurer but in reality you are more to blame than they are. Possibly Royal Mail too. Indeed, RM are not in my good books at the moment as we have had several letters not received recently and had other peoples mail delivered to us.

Quentin

dunstonh wrote: »

However, if the provider tells the bank they had a valid instruction which was not cancelled by the account holder then the bank will take the money back from the account holder. This is not a solution but a temporary way to get funds

.

No.


The DD guarantee isn't just about with whether or not the DD is "valid",


It is the way the merchant has broken the rules in operating the dd that the guarantee is for.


And as posted, the merchant fights it out with the customer if they dispute the indemnity claim.

dunstonh

Quentin wrote: »

No.


The DD guarantee isn't just about with whether or not the DD is "valid",


It is the way the merchant has broken the rules in operating the dd that the guarantee is for.


And as posted, the merchant fights it out with the customer if they dispute the indemnity claim.

The originator has not broken any rules. They will have evidence that they notified the premium in advance in accordance with the rules.

And you are wrong. The bank can re-debit the account. Plenty of examples of that seen under the guarantee scheme. Both options are available. i.e. the originator can get the bank to take it back from the account or they can go direct to consumer and sort it directly.
Also, the guarantee rules state:
* The Guarantee covers Direct Debit payments. It cannot be used to address contractual disputes between you and the billing organisation.​

DCFC79

2 tips

Use a calender or a phone calender to make a note when it's up for renewal and when you can start looking for new quotes.

You should check your accounts on a regular basis despite you knowing what's coming in.and out.

Quentin

dunstonh wrote: »

The originator has not broken any rules......​

The DD was resurrected when the customer thought it was defunct


The customer wasn't notified that his dd was to be used and how much was to be taken (see the OP)


The OP should use the dd guarantee which if you google you will see protects us from just what has happened (and is not just a protection against merchants using a dd when no instruction is in place as you suggest)