Car insurance premium increase

Tom_Sansome

Thanks for your quick replies, I appreciate your help.

This is really all I wanted, just an honest a opinion on what my options are. Now I know there aren't any I shall move on and just redeem myself next year.

Thanks again.

dunstonh

All being said, there is one potential area. There has been some issues where the comparison site questions do not match the provider and the FOS have ruled in favour of the consumer. So, whilst your current track on the complaint side is a bit off tangent, you may want to look at the comparison site giving wrong information.

Blibble

dunstonh wrote: »

All being said, there is one potential area. There has been some issues where the comparison site questions do not match the provider and the FOS have ruled in favour of the consumer. So, whilst your current track on the complaint side is a bit off tangent, you may want to look at the comparison site giving wrong information.

Yes, however OP notes -

"Just a quick update which has taken the wind out of my sail a bit. On one of the last screens before actually paying, there is this warning.

"If not already done so, you must call us to let us know if you or any driver below has been on a driver awareness course""

As long as that's fairly prominent on Admiral's website, I think this wouldn't be a justified line of complaint.

If OP is only raising a complaint about either a) Admiral's decision to load premiums based on their stats or b) The amount that the premiums have been loaded then I feel OP would have to like it and lump it, so to speak.

rudekid48

Seeing as Confused is owned by Admiral you'd think they'd include the question....

Farel01

Are you still within your first 14 days so you can cancel for free? As one of the other posters mentions I believe admiral is particularly harsh on the awareness courses. Go through quidco, find a different insurance that may be more expensive than your original admiral quote but less than the inflated one and apply. If accepted, then cancel admiral (make sure you can cancel for free in your 'thinking about it' time).

I think you have no cause or options with admiral.

Pyxis

Tom_Sansome wrote: »

Just to provide an update after more correspondence with Admiral. I have received the following information from them regarding the charging for the premium increase.

"The Safe Driver Improvement Course that we have included to your policy, although it is not a motoring conviction, is still highly rated upon by us. We are unable to provide data for this as we are unable to provide company sensitive data, however, our claims statistics indicate to us that this does pose a high risk to us as an insurer".

By charging me like this it suggests they view people completing driver awareness courses as more risky than those who have 3 points on their licence. I have asked them if that is the case.

Do you think it is worth going through the complaints procedure with them or is this one of those times where you just suck it up and learn from your mistake?

I have just attended a Safewise Driver Refresher Course for over 50s. It was nothing to do with the Driver Awareness Courses being an alternative to points on licence, but was run by the same people.

What they said was that, after providing Driver Awareness Courses for some years, they felt that they should provide refresher courses for 'non-offending' drivers as well, as prevention was better than cure, and they wanted to get the message out there before an offence occured.

From what you say, the insurance position could be a deterrent to offenders taking the course as opposed to getting points on their licence, and so misssing out on the re-education aspect which might prevent re-offending.
This defeats the object of the Driver Awareneess Course.

If you are feeling philanthropic,, it might be useful to make your MP aware of this anomaly, plus the people in charge of the Driver Awareness Courses. If the latter aren't already aware if it, I expect they would be very interested to hear of it, as it does rather undermine their intentions to prevent/reduce traffic offences.

paddyandstumpy

Farel01 wrote: »

Are you still within your first 14 days so you can cancel for free? As one of the other posters mentions I believe admiral is particularly harsh on the awareness courses. Go through quidco, find a different insurance that may be more expensive than your original admiral quote but less than the inflated one and apply. If accepted, then cancel admiral (make sure you can cancel for free in your 'thinking about it' time).

I think you have no cause or options with admiral.

Do Admiral offer a full refund during the cooling off period? And not charge cancellation fees?

Their entitled to charge time on risk and a fee, I'd be surprised if they didn't.

Farel01

paddyandstumpy wrote: »

Do Admiral offer a full refund during the cooling off period? And not charge cancellation fees?

Their entitled to charge time on risk and a fee, I'd be surprised if they didn't.

Just checked the website and they do; £25. £50 after 14 days + days cover.

Cancellation within 14 days
If you wish to cancel your policy, you must contact us. If you cancel your policy within the 14 day cooling off period of the start of a new policy, EUI Limited will make an intermediary charge to cover the costs of setting up your policy and arranging for it to be cancelled.

Single car/home - £25

Might still be cheaper to have a look around at other insurances. If you save £100 on another insurance the cancellation would be worth it.

It does always annoy me when companies charge a fee within the cooling off period. :mad:

paddyandstumpy

Farel01 wrote: »

It does always annoy me when companies charge a fee within the cooling off period. :mad:

Why?

If you were in business and someone promised to pay you something, and you lost out as a result, wouldn't you want paying for what you'd done so far?

If this was an aggregator sale (which incidentally it was) there will be a £50-£90 cost for that aquasition payable to Confused. That's paid regardless of if it's later cancelled (even in cooling off).

If you're unsure of the terms of the policy, don't buy it till you're ready, then the cooling off period is a moot point.

Tom_Sansome

Thanks for all of the replies. I was outside of the 14 day cooling off period.

I am still waiting on Admiral to reply to my last email, just requesting that they confirm I am being charged more for the awareness course than an actual conviction on my licence. As Pyxis suggests it may be information people find useful.

Frustratingly, Admiral's offer was so much better than the renewal Tesco offered, that even with this lump added on top it still works out cheaper!