Car Insurance Article Discussion

eddpower1

Thank you for your reply. I will use the provided link to supply the FSA with details as advised

dacouch

This is a guide to Unfair Business Practices

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/northsomerset/link26.htm#list

Note the relevant ones

5. Making an invitation to purchase products at a specified price without disclosing the existence of any reasonable grounds the trader may have for believing that he will not be able to offer for supply, or to procure another trader to supply, those products or equivalent products at that price for a period that is, and in quantities that are, reasonable having regard to the product, the scale of advertising of the product and the price offered (bait advertising

6. Making an invitation to purchase products at a specified price and then—

• (a) refusing to show the advertised item to consumers,
• (b) refusing to take orders for it or deliver it within a reasonable time, or
• (c) demonstrating a defective sample of it, with the intention of promoting a different product (bait and switch).

9. Stating or otherwise creating the impression that a product can legally be sold when it cannot.

It also has a catch all to take action against traders not acting fairly which is obviously open to interrpretation

eddpower1

I would advise anyone who looking to purchase insurance via a comparison site to stick with a reputable company that you have heard from in the past. I was fully aware that we were not the only company using this practice. Avoid brokers if possible. If a broker produces a price ask the sales advisor who the underwriter is and to direct to the underwriter. This cuts out the middle mand and thus the commission.

dacouch

Edd the vast vast vast majority of brokers are not underhand, you just seemed to have worked for one of the few rogues. This is why it i important for you to inform the authoirties about your ex employer

sebandie

Diesel44 wrote: »

Is it possible to name the company please, I need to get my sons insurance quotes down. Thanks.

The company is morethan and the policy is called drive time

dacouch

I thought More Than had dropped Drive Time

diygardener

Hugh_Jass wrote: »

Just wanted to warn others about taking out Swinton insurance. My wife took out a policy - changed the usage from Social & Commuting to Business Use and incurred a £25 fee. She then incurred another £25 admin fee when she changed cars. She wanted to cancel the policy but they wanted another £50 for that! Do other insurers charge 'unfair' fees and to this scale?

I've had a similar experience with insurance through the Post Office. I've had to change my car as it's engine died terminally! I've chosen a second hand replacement vehicle that's in a much lower insurance group (old one 12, new one 5). The replacement car is 6 years old - about half the age of the old one. With 6 months insurance remaining, I expected the admin fee to be just about cancelled out by the savings. So I was very shocked to be CHARGED an extra £54.31 - nearly 1/3 of the premium that I paid 6 months ago. Cancelling and re-insuring elsewhere was not an option because of their high cancellation charges. I wish there were a way of rating the companies so we would know in advance how badly we'd get stung if we need to make changes.

anthonyscrooge

I too am being ripped off by the post office! :mad:

I took out insurance on the 14th of november for a van i was buying off a family friend. I paid a deposit of just under £70 so that i could drive the van straight away. Well this van turned out to be a duff, the guy has been promising to fix it but im tired of waiting so decided to cancel the insurance.

I have been on cover for 20 days. I expected to lose my deposit for this but when i rang up to cancel i was also told about a short term risk premium (£28) again i thought this was fair but finally i was told i would also have to pay a cancellation fee of £45!!!! now this is too much!

So for 20 days cover i would be paying a total of £145!!

What happens if i refuse to pay, can i make a complaint and get it dropped?

So much for going for a reputable company, and i thought the post office was one of the last moral companies around.

scottysteve

Have been using Martin's article on car insurance and my best bet turned out to be first direct at £315 to insure an eight-year-old Saab. This was 10 per cent less than an Admiral quote of £351 as per the first direct price promise.

I did not have an Admiral renewal for this amount because the one I had, had some incorrect details and consequently had a price on it of £300 which was wrong. As the deadline for my insurance was rapidly approaching, I cancelled my Admiral renewal to avoid any charges - insurance and potential admin charge in the event of cancelling after the renewal date.

But I have since realised that this was a boo boo as first direct say they need renewal documentation in order to price match. I should have waited until they sent me an updated renewal - ideally via email - before cancelling my Admiral policy.

First direct have told me to call back on Monday to see if we can resolve the situation by speaking to an underwriter. Admiral have emailed a copy of the quote showing the £351 price and I have forwarded this to first direct.

Does anyone have any similar experience they can draw? Or anyone have any ideas/thoughts that can encourage me that I will still get the price promise.

Thanks in advance
Steve

smartbambi

Just wonder if anyone else has experienced this - was advised to go for third party by current insurers (saga) due to age of vehicle (10 years when insured last year). I was side-swiped on a roundabout in August this year by a an articulated lorry and when I notified the insurers they have basically told me to just get on with it. Thankfully I had legal cover, but the legal firm has really dragged its heels and left me wondering whose side they are actually on! I have so far been given 6 weeks of physio for the whiplash injury, but not a lot els. I was advised by saga that they would not be contacting the third party insurers on my behalf and that I have to do this. The vehicle has already been written off by two independent repairers, but I have finally arranged for the third part insurers to inspect the vehicle and I am awaiting the outcome. I cannot afford to buy another car so I'm currently either having to use my partner's car, when it's available, or drive around in my own damaged vehicle, which I need on a daily basis for my job. My premium was also hiked up by nearly 50% at renewal, coincidentally around the time I reported this incident - and I have only just been informed that my no claims discount has been reinstated at 60%. So I have no idea if the third party has admitted liability, or whether I will get paid out for the damage to my car, or whether I will get my loss of wages paid. Judging by the paltry amount of damages it has been suggested I settle for, I don't hold out much hope of getting back the 4 days wages I have lost, through no fault of my own, because of this incident. I am beginning to think there is not one decent, honest insurance company out there. I also had a bad experience with Diamond several years ago when my car was broken into - I actually had full comp. insurance, plus an additional premium for a courtesy car in the event of my car being off the road - this was necessary because I don't get paid if I'm out of work. After the car was broken into, it took Diamond nearly a week to inspect the damage, I did not get the courtesy car because they decided to write off the vehicle , without informing me, although they had informed the DVLA, which effectively meant I had been driving around in an ininsured and apparently unroadworthy car, of which I had no knowledge! I had to arrange to collect the car from the breakers, get the broken steering column repaired (for under £200- so much for being uneconomic to repair). I then had to arrange for the car to be re-mot'd and then go to the expense of having it declared roadworthy again! In total I lost over a week's wages, plus the cost of the repairs and the mot and test for roadworthiness. I complained to the ombudsman but had no joy from them. I have absolutely no faith or belief in the insurance system at all - they have it all their own way and the British car driving public is just completely ripped off. Is there really any point in having fully comprehensive insurance - they seem to do nothing for you whichever way you go!