AA Cancelled Car Insurance

akf

Basic Details:
I have lived at same place for nearly 10 yrs
Insured the same car for 11 yrs


I work offshore a lot and sometimes am not in the UK for months.


Car insurance was up, so I went online and got quotes. In the end went with the AA on 17th May. No issues. I was out of the UK and arrived back 6th July. I had no emails from AA or phone calls in that time, except for the one confirming my policy.



I sort post out when I returned and AA have sent me a letter from their anti-fraud team saying further information required (V5C and driver's license). Another letter also said they were cancelling my insurance if I did not respond within a certain number of days. They then cancelled my insurance as I obviously didn't send the info as I was not in the UK to read the mail.


I contacted AA thinking I would be due a full refund, as letters came from anti-fraud department. If they suspected fraud how could they insure a car? They disagreed, saying that even though they couldn't verify info they still insured me temporarily. I then asked, if they couldn't verify address, how could they insure and why did they not attempt to call me if the address and other details were suspect. They have charged my a big admin fee, and also do not refund legal protection as they say this is for the year. They then tried to tell me that if I removed admin fee, and legal protection that actually I'd had good value cover for two months. They were doing calculation as if they had insured me up to the date I phoned them, and not actually the real length of time that they covered me. I found their service irksome and rude.



They said it was my fault for not providing info, and that I should have told them I would be out of UK. Why would I even think to mention this, when I have had a similar job for 15yrs, the same house and car for 10yrs and have never had an issue before?


I dealt with insurance and fraud departments and they have been extremely unhelpful. I will no doubt have to put on forms that I have had insurance cancelled and this will increase premiums. They say that they didn't phone me but did email. I did not receive any emails, and I am sure I checked spam as I do this regulary for the account I supplied. The email I provided is one used for only official things like insurance, and utilities, it is separate from my social email.


I offered to send in the info, but AA said it would be a new policy which means I would pay legal cover again, which I was disgusted with.


I am unsure what I can do now, so would like some advice.

johnshearing

I suggest escalating the complaint with the insurance company as you don't appear to have exhausted that avenue yet.

When you have received the final decision from the insurance company you could always submit the case to the insurance ombudsman if you are still unsatisfied and you would then have the case independently reviewed.

paddyandstumpy

What does the OP have to complain about? He can't hold the AA responsible for the fact he didn't read his post.

The T's + C's the OP signed up to will state they will write to you if they intend to cance, they did this.

I'm sure they don't have time or resource to be chasing every set of documents which aren't sent in. Not for the level of commission they make in year 1.

Quentin

Having a cancelled policy on your record is bad news. It has to be disclosed to other insurers and will mean that most will refuse to quote, those that will will be expensive

So well worth trying to get this decision reversed using whatever means you can

Assuming no fraud was attempted then do complain about being treated unfairly because you were unable to deal with the enquiry due to your employment, and ask them to look again at the decision.

(Presumably the query was easy to answer and shows no fraudulent intent??)