Cancelled car insurance

Mjhaycocks

I insured my car with Brightside a few weeks ago. They had emailed me for additional documentation (d/licence and NCB).

Unfortunately, due to family issues at home I missed the deadline for uploading the docs, and the policy was cancelled last night.

I uploaded the docs first thing, then called them - but the cheapest policy they could give me was £800 instead of the original £345! They said it was due to the policy cancellation. I could have appealed and gone through to the Underwriting team - although they didn’t open until 9am and I needed to get insured in time to take my school.

I am cross with myself but feel like the increase in premium is totally unjustified for a simple mistake.

I have reluctantly paid on my credit card.

What are my options? Can I get it reviewed and potentially some sort of refund? Or am I stuck with this policy and the cost?

Will the policy cancellation affect future premiums? Is there anything I can do?

Your help is much appreciated. Thank you

Aylesbury_Duck

Mjhaycocks wrote: »

I insured my car with Brightside a few weeks ago. They had emailed me for additional documentation (d/licence and NCB).

Unfortunately, due to family issues at home I missed the deadline for uploading the docs, and the policy was cancelled last night.

I uploaded the docs first thing, then called them - but the cheapest policy they could give me was £800 instead of the original £345! They said it was due to the policy cancellation. I could have appealed and gone through to the Underwriting team - although they didn’t open until 9am and I needed to get insured in time to take my school.

I am cross with myself but feel like the increase in premium is totally unjustified for a simple mistake.

I have reluctantly paid on my credit card.

What are my options? Can I get it reviewed and potentially some sort of refund? Or am I stuck with this policy and the cost?

Will the policy cancellation affect future premiums? Is there anything I can do?

Your help is much appreciated. Thank you

There's not much you can do now, because the policy was cancelled correctly.

As to your last question, the answer is probably "yes", because a question always asked when taking out insurance is something along the lines of "have you ever had insurance refused or cancelled". That will mean that some companies won't even quote and those that do may add a premium (which is what your insurer has done this year). I suggest that at renewal, you use a broker who can help you find an insurer that will cover you and won't heavily penalise you for what was an administrative mistake on your part.

AdrianC

Brightside's Ts & Cs are clear - they require you to upload the documents within 14 days of the policy start date. There's nothing very onerous - proof of NCB and your driving licence. (I'm surprised at them needing any more than just your licence number, but they do, so...)

https://www.brightsideinsurance.co.uk/help/help-landing/i-need-to-send-you-documents-to-validate-my-policy-how-do-i-do-that

Sharkshack

All,

AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS. I had insurance with them for one year, no issues (no claims etc).

They offered me renewal price, I checked sites, looked good, so paid them and received email confirmation of renewal and online account updated.
THEN ON DAY OF INSURANCE RESETTING THEY EMAILED ME AND CANCELLED MY INSURANCE. A 'system error' apparently. They then refused to renew at the renewal price, and as you should know, getting insurance on the day of expiry is expensive - £700 rather than £500 in this case.
Despite accepting full responsibility for the !!!!!! up, they didn't fancy doing anything to fix their mistake!
Genuinely shocking experience - can you imagine if you actually need to make a claim?!

MEM62

Sharkshack said:

as you should know, getting insurance on the day of expiry is expensive - £700 rather than £500 in this case.

Rubbish, it no more or less expensive that arranging it further in advance.  

chrisw

MEM62 said:

Sharkshack said:

as you should know, getting insurance on the day of expiry is expensive - £700 rather than £500 in this case.

Rubbish, it no more or less expensive that arranging it further in advance.  

Rubbish. It's a hell of a lot more expensive.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2019/12/car-insurance-optimum-time-to-buy/

foxy-stoat

chrisw said:

MEM62 said:

Sharkshack said:

as you should know, getting insurance on the day of expiry is expensive - £700 rather than £500 in this case.

Rubbish, it no more or less expensive that arranging it further in advance.  

Rubbish. It's a hell of a lot more expensive.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2019/12/car-insurance-optimum-time-to-buy/

That news was written in 2019 based on research from 2018-2019.  Not sure they actually got more than 50,000,000 quotes though...they would need to get 137,000 quotes a day, based on an 8 hour day that would be 17,000 quotes per person.  If they had a team of 10 for 12 months working 8 hours a day 7 days a week (even over Christmas) getting research then all seems possible.

MEM62

chrisw said:

MEM62 said:

Sharkshack said:

as you should know, getting insurance on the day of expiry is expensive - £700 rather than £500 in this case.

Rubbish, it no more or less expensive that arranging it further in advance.  

Rubbish. It's a hell of a lot more expensive.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2019/12/car-insurance-optimum-time-to-buy/

Just tested my statement with the meercats.  There are some variations but, generally, the opinion I voiced is correct.  Certainly, there is nothing like the 40% loading that @Sharshack claims.  

born_again

Mjhaycocks said:

I insured my car with Brightside a few weeks ago. They had emailed me for additional documentation (d/licence and NCB).

Unfortunately, due to family issues at home I missed the deadline for uploading the docs, and the policy was cancelled last night.

I uploaded the docs first thing, then called them - but the cheapest policy they could give me was £800 instead of the original £345! They said it was due to the policy cancellation. I could have appealed and gone through to the Underwriting team - although they didn’t open until 9am and I needed to get insured in time to take my school.

I am cross with myself but feel like the increase in premium is totally unjustified for a simple mistake.

I have reluctantly paid on my credit card.

What are my options? Can I get it reviewed and potentially some sort of refund? Or am I stuck with this policy and the cost?

Will the policy cancellation affect future premiums? Is there anything I can do?

Your help is much appreciated. Thank you

Well you could ring and talk to the underwriting team. Kids could have walked to school.

Dr_Crypto

Bit late now. An expensive day at school. 

Sandtree

Sharkshack said:

can you imagine if you actually need to make a claim?!

They're a broker not an insurer so you wouldn't have much to do with them. If its a non-fault accident then I am sure they'd sell your details to an accident management company (like some insurers do too) but most other things you'll deal with your insurance company or their TPA