Car insurance hike up by £1800 after a minor accident! fair?!

marjolijn

Hi everyone,


My husband and I are both insured with Direct Line and are both insured on each other's cars (he has a truck Nissan Navara).
About a year ago I did the morning nursery run in his truck and on a slight downward road I was stood in a queue of traffic with my newborn in the back. I was clearly not paying attention (major sleep deprivation with newborn AND toddler :sad: ) to my foot and accidentally released enough pressure off the brake to roll forward into the car in front.
It's my fault, I accept that, but I was going barely any speed at all as it was from standing still to a slow roll.
We exchanged details and I let my insurance know. I told them what happened and that I took pictures of the incident (you can see the bumpers touching which indicated the speed i was going).

Direct Line have been terrible at communicating and after a few months I phoned about something else and enquired about it, when they informed me they were about to settle for £1100! I was outraged that they hadn't been in touch and not even asked to see my pictures or asked about my side of the story!!! I was given an email address to send the pictures to with a promise of an update after an expert had looked at the pictures. I sent the pics and got no response. My husband has just now phoned and asked about it (as again we havent heard anything for months) and the settlement has already completed without notification to us!!
It's unknown if an expert looked at my pictures and it's unknown what was concluded if an expert did look. As a result my husband's insurance has gone up by £1800 a year!!!!


Is that even possible? First of all, could a bumper be that damaged to cost £1100? There was a tiny crack in my pictures of their bumper, (2010 Vauxhall astra), could that have been been caused by my tiny roll into it? Is it fair that our insurance has gone up by more than the claim? He only had 1 year of no claim (because he had a company car before that so no insurance in his own name for a good few years before this one) so that can't be the main reason either.
I myself have been a customer with direct line for yonks and have many years of no claim (which I think are unaffected, because I drove my husband's truck).
My husband has put in a complaint and is promised to get a call back from them in a few days. He will ring them Monday if he hasn't heard back. He's asked me not to call, because it's being dealt with, but I am furrious!!!!!


Would anyone know what our rights are and how to proceed please?


What's the point in insurance if the hike in price is more than the cost of the claim :sad: :sad: :sad:


Thanks for reading x


PS I've had a previous accident which wasn't my fault and that guy took me to court where it was concluded it was his fault and not mine and Direct Line were absolutely fantastic so I'm really disappointed to get such a different service this time and I wonder if it is because I am at fault this time? You would think they look after their customers regardless?! The other party this time is not with Direct Line so it's not that either. Really disappointed with them

foxy-stoat

You should be shopping around every year at renewal. You MAY get a reduced renewal if you call them up with a genuine quote for a cheaper rate.

Your insurers could not of denied liability so its just the value you are complaining about - this is not relevant as your insurance will go up if the value was £500 or £5000 - the third party is claiming for the damage, the assessors would of agreed the repairs and any other losses, hire car etc etc.

Welcome to the forum by the way, obviously joined due to what happened so hope you can update once you find a cheaper quote.

AndyMc.....

Go elsewhere.

Car_54

Sorry if this sounds unsympathetic, but:


1. You ran into the car in front, and admit it's your fault. Your insurers therefore have to pay for the other party's repairs. Your photographs, or your explanation, are not going to change that.


2. Your explanation (major sleep deprivation with newborn AND toddler) does not help. It suggests you shouldn't have been driving at all.



3. £1,100 doesn't sound unreasonable. The bumper may have had to be replaced, and there may have been underlying damage.



4. Your husband doesn't have to pay the extra £1,800: he can go elsewhere.



5. Although the claim was on your husband's policy, you do have to declare it to your own insurers. You need to check your policy to see whether that needs to be done immediately, or just at renewal. Your NCD won't be affected, but your basic premium might.

marjolijn

Thanks foxy-stoat and AndyMc. I've shopped around before but still found Direct Line the cheapest previously, probably not now with the hike so will shop around!

I think we've just renewed though so we can't leave until that year is up I believe (or leave but still pay for it!)


Yes I'm complaining about the value, the fact we've not been kept up to date at all and the incredible hike of the annual price. I'm not an expert so perhaps £1100 is a decent price, but to me it sounds ridiculous when it was just a tiny bump and tiny crack...

marjolijn

Thanks Car 54,


Ok. Thanks for your honest reply.


Point 4: can he still go elsewhere now? The claim was dealt with months ago but we have only just found out


Point 5. We are with the same insurer and I have told them both our account numbers every time I've been in touch. Do you think I should call to double check? They should have amended both policies?


I still think I can complain about the lack of communication, don't you? I would have liked to have heard what the expert had to say about the pictures and the damage, the £1100 broken down and be told about the decision before it was actioned? I just think it was poorly dealt with and that is mainly why I'm so upset

AndyMc.....

marjolijn wrote: »

Thanks Car 54,


Ok. Thanks for your honest reply.


Point 4: can he still go elsewhere now? The claim was dealt with months ago but we have only just found out


Point 5. We are with the same insurer and I have told them both our account numbers every time I've been in touch. Do you think I should call to double check? They should have amended both policies?


I still think I can complain about the lack of communication, don't you? I would have liked to have heard what the expert had to say about the pictures and the damage, the £1100 broken down and be told about the decision before it was actioned? I just think it was poorly dealt with and that is mainly why I'm so upset

And yet you chose to renew with them. You’ve got no rights to feel agreeved when you allow this behaviour to happen.

Arklight

I don't understand this. Have you renewed the policy at the cost of £1800?

Direct Line don't want your business anymore so they've put the premium up to a level where you will leave.

There are other insurers willing to take on higher risk drivers so you should sign up with one of them.

£1100 for a bumper repair, respray, a few days of a hire car, plus the other party's admin costs is about normal for an insurance job. It didn't come out of your own pocket did it?

BoGoF

Did you seriously expect them to clear the bill with you before settling?

As has been said the value of the claim is academic.

Car_54

marjolijn wrote: »

I still think I can complain about the lack of communication, don't you? I would have liked to have heard what the expert had to say about the pictures and the damage, the £1100 broken down and be told about the decision before it was actioned? I just think it was poorly dealt with and that is mainly why I'm so upset

How would communication have helped you? There was no dispute over fault. AFAIK you have no expertise in repair costs (and there may well have been other costs, such as hire car), and so no valid input to any decision.


For what it's worth, I have been involved in quite a number of claims over many years, and have never been given an update such as you seem to expect. The whole point of insurance is that if you have a fault accident you can leave everything to the insurer to sort out, while you get on with life.

foxy-stoat

Arklight wrote: »

I don't understand this. Have you renewed the policy at the cost of £1800?

No, they increased the premium by £1800 at renewal is how I read it so its going to be north of £2000.

OP you can still shop around and pay the cancellation charge, I am sure you can get a better deal.

Dont waste your time/effort in complaining.