Wife been paying contents insurance for years

sheff6107

Pretty sure we haven't got a leg to stand on here, but the wife has been paying contents insurance for the last 5 years without our knowledge because she never told them about her change of address. So ever year a renewal letter has been going to the old address unanswered.

I'd seen the payments coming out of her bank but assumed it was public liability insurance for work. It just says BISL Insurance, so every time I saw it I thought it was British Illustrators insurance, not Budget Insurance.

Anyway, that's £1300 down the drain presumably unless anyone knows any differently?

rs65

Can you evidence your new cover for your new address since you moved? If so, send to Budget and explain the oversight and ask for a refund.

sheff6107

Yes, we arranged replacement contents insurance with a different company when she moved in with me out of her old flat.

But does that have any relevance when Budget will just blame her for not informing them she moved?

rs65

Your argument is that you had arranged cover for your new home and effectively their policy could never have paid out.

sheff6107

Thanks.

I've also checked the T&Cs:

"It is important that the email address and mobile / contact numbers we have for you are kept up to date as we will use them to contact you regarding your policy, which could include your renewal offer."

"23. Any notice of communication given to you under this Agreement will be sent by post or, where permitted, by email. Notice given by post shall be deemed correctly served if sent by post to your last known address and shall be deemed to have been given two days after it was sent by ordinary post. Notice given by email shall be deemed correctly served if sent to the email address you gave us and shall be deemed to have been delivered when sent. We will communicate with you in English for the duration of this Agreement."

I have checked here emails and the only emails they ever sent was in 2011 when the policy was taken out and shortly afterwards a confirmation that she had requested a password change in the online service centre:

"How to renew my policy
Your renewal offer will be available in your Self Service Centre before it is due. You will receive an email advising you when it is available.
It is important that the email address and mobile number we have for you are kept up to date. We will use them to contact you with important information regarding your policy, including your renewal offer. Please also check your junk folder as emails do get redirected.
If you don't register for your Self Service Centre your renewal offer will be sent to you by post before it is due.
In all cases your renewal offer will explain what you need to do next."

It states she would receive notification that her renewal document was due. They have never emailed notification of this in any year.

flashg67

Anything in there about auto-renewal? Some insurers have it. some not. or allow an opt-out

sheff6107

Right, ignore me. Actually found the old emails and she's been getting auto renew notifications every year. She's just not noticed them somehow.

Auto renew stuff seems legit to me.

jonesMUFCforever

sheff6107 wrote: »

Pretty sure we haven't got a leg to stand on here, but the wife has been paying contents insurance for the last 5 years without our knowledge because she never told them about her change of address. So ever year a renewal letter has been going to the old address unanswered.

I'd seen the payments coming out of her bank but assumed it was public liability insurance for work. It just says BISL Insurance, so every time I saw it I thought it was British Illustrators insurance, not Budget Insurance.

Anyway, that's £1300 down the drain presumably unless anyone knows any differently?

So has the liability insurance premium been paid?

SavvyShopper01

Perhaps you / your wife should check your bank statements for anything else you're paying out for that you don't need?