Hasting Direct mistake

A2Z

Just checked our bank and I noticed that Hastings have taken a payment on DD about 20 quid higher than usual. Gone into emails and see 2. 1 stating that they have autorenewed our insurance and then a second stating:

Sorry, we made a mistake with your renewal

Your car insurance policy was due to renew on 02/11/2017. Due to an error, we didn’t send you a renewal quote and your policy renewed automatically. We’re sorry about this.

So you can make an informed decision about whether you want to stay with us, we’ve extended your cooling off period until 30/11/2017 and have sent you a renewal quote in the post.

What do you need to do?

Your renewal quote should arrive in the next few days. Please read it carefully.

If you’re happy to renew you don’t need to do anything.

If you don’t want to go ahead please let us know before this date and we’ll cancel your renewal without any charge.


Now, they've taken the payment already. I am going to be looking to switch first thing in the morning as they have REALLY annoyed me with this. I'm disgusted. How much of a faff is it going to be to get the payment returned? Surely they cant just autorenew and then apologise after the fact? Any advice before I go nuclear on them?

paddyandstumpy

Why go 'nuclear' on them? They've admitted their mistake, given you ample time to sort alternate cover and in the mean time have continued to insure you.

For the sake of £20 extra for this month, why not just shop around and if you can get it cheaper then cancel the Hastings policy and move?

BoGoF

'Disgusted' - bit OTT?

I take it you had forgotten your insurance was due for renewal as otherwise you would have contacted them to query lack of renewal quote. So a bit of blame on both sides and perhaps you should be grateful that auto renewal means you are not driving uninsured.

csgohan4

if you can't absorb 20 pound extra for one month for a mistake you equally have blame as well, you have budgeting issues.


Hit the debt free wannabee forum to reduce your outgoings

Rolandtheroadie

They renewed my insurance even although I had cancelled the auto renew.
Phoned them, got an apology, a refund and a tenner for any inconvenience.
Shows leaving my account on the 24th August, refunded 25th August, so no real hassle.

A2Z

Paddyandstumpy, because its the latest in a catalogue of mistakes and poor customer service from them which at one point ended up with us stranded at the side of the M1 after a tyre blowout after they had sold us the policy with breakdown included and "forgotten" to pass our details on to the breakdown company. I am also concerned about any possible ramifications in future after cancelling this policy, taken out without our permission, as I know cancellation can have repercussions down the line.

BOGOF, see above, and yes we had forgotten as I am currently recovering from major surgery at present so the minutiae of everyday life has taken a little of a back seat, that, surely, is the purpose of the renewal letter though, which I thought was required by law? We have another car and he has been driving that for the last couple of weeks as the main one is off the road having some repairs done so he would not have been driving uninsured anyway, thankfully.

csgohan4, what a horribly condescending and presumptuous post. We could quite easily absorb the extra thank you very much, our bank account is more than healthy. The point is that we shouldn't have to and that we don't want to! By doing the auto renew as they have they've also moved the DD date forward by around 3 weeks, from the 29th of each month, to yesterday so I do feel sorry for anyone on a tight budget caught by this as I'm sure we cannot be the only ones affected in whatever glitch they have.

Rolandtheroadie, thank you. Did you claim via the DD guarantee through the bank or just via Hastings? That sounds like they dealt with it quickly, which would be a pleasant surprise after all the problems we've had over the policy life.

Does anyone know if there is likely to be any future repercussions over cancelling this policy? AFAIK the wording on the question is usually pretty black and white along the lines of "have you ever had any policy cancelled?" Would this be caught up under that and have an impact in future?

Thanks in advance

BoGoF

They have apologised and gave you the option not to renew. Yes, you should have been sent a renewal quote but things do go missing in the post or to junk email folders so my point stands that you have a responsibility to ensure you are driving insured. If you had not had been with an auto renewal company then you would have been uninsured on this occasion.

As for customer service - thats what sometimes happens when you go for the cheapest option on comparison sites.

Rolandtheroadie

A2Z wrote: »

Rolandtheroadie, thank you. Did you claim via the DD guarantee through the bank or just via Hastings? That sounds like they dealt with it quickly, which would be a pleasant surprise after all the problems we've had over the policy life.

Via Hastings themselves.

A2Z

And as already explained, he hasn't been and would not have been driving uninsured as the car is off the road anyway at present, currently with a pair of legs sticking out from underneath it! I am usually very on top of dates and accept that it has slid this time, for circumstances explained.

I don't think its unreasonable to expect a decent level of customer service from a large company such as Hastings tbh.

I have got some better quotes, as most know the autorenew prices usually do not give you the best deal around, in fact ML himself states this!

My main concern at present is any future impact due to cancellation of the policy once we've decided today which insurer to move to. Strictly speaking we will have had a policy cancelled or voided, and it's this that is could have ramifications for life, and which I'd like advice on.

I will then tackle not only the issue that they've renewed the policy essentially without consulting us, but the moving of the date of the DD and the refund of the DD taken.

A2Z

Rolandtheroadie wrote: »

Via Hastings themselves.

Thank you. I was unsure whether to approach Hastings or the bank so I shall give Hastings chance to rectify it first.

BoGoF

You won't have had a policy cancelled - they have given you the option not to renew - totally different.