Cancelling car auto-renewal (Admiral)

rdwarr

We have a car insured with Admiral and were expecting the first renewal (changed car a month ago) to come through for about £450. But they're asking £880! I know I can get insurance elsewhere for £400ish but the problem is cancelling the renewal. This can only be done by phone and it's proving impossible to get through at the moment due to reduced staff.
Does anybody know if there another way to do this? I have a couple of weeks to sort it but don't want to leave it too late. 

D_M_E

Is it possible to do it on their website?

wongataa

You are just going to have to keep calling them until you get through in these difficult times.

rdwarr

D_M_E said:

Is it possible to do it on their website?

No, it would make things so much easier all round if you could. 

timespeedsup

I'm trying to do the same. Can't sign in to their website, can't even get a password reminder sent, and told it could be over an hour's wait by phone. Website was like that last weekend too, was hoping it was a weekend thing, but they appear to be struggling. 

EdGasketTheSecond

email them? So long as you can prove you wanted to cancel and have tried to let them know then even if they do deduct another payment, you should be able to claim it back (well in an ideal world anyway).

Peepoz

I'm in the same situation with Admiral, due to 'auto-renew' in 3 weeks, haven't received the email with the quote, but it's always a few hundred more than it should be.  I've found a cheaper quote with another provider, but on Admiral's website they say you HAVE to call the renewal hotline, even if you just want to cancel the renewal. I called the renewal hotline and they are not taking any call regarding renewal - ONLY for new customers.  Don't know what we're supposed to do! I don't want to end up being forced to pay hundreds of pounds over the odds because I can't get through to someone. 

chrisw

Peepoz said:

 I called the renewal hotline and they are not taking any call regarding renewal - ONLY for new customers.  Don't know what we're supposed to do! 

I would phone as a new customer and then tell them about the auto renewal. Hopefully they will sort it or put you through to the right team. I've done this successfullly in normal times but I guess this isn't normal times.

barbiedoll

EdGasketTheSecond said:

email them? So long as you can prove you wanted to cancel and have tried to let them know then even if they do deduct another payment, you should be able to claim it back (well in an ideal world anyway). 

lt’s about time that this was looked at, having to cancel your auto-renew by phone only, at a time like this, is ridiculous. It wastes everybody’s time and is frustrating and expensive, having to hang on the phone for hours, even at “local rates” for the call.
I ALWAYS cancel the auto-renew, as soon as I purchase any insurance policy. I make a note of the call date and time, and who I spoke to. I was insured with Hastings last year, I cancelled the auto-renew as usual, plus I called them again to confirm this, exactly one month before the renewal date (I had already purchased 
a new policy with someone else). Despite this, Hastings still took out over £500 from my bank account, which they have now promised to refund “within 5 days”. I’m now overdrawn, and am having to wait for my own money, which was taken without my consent. Funnily enough, you have to email them when you want to complain, but you can’t email to cancel your auto-renew. I think auto-renew is a scandal anyway, maybe after all of this other stuff has calmed down, a new consumer campaign should be launched against it. I don’t buy into the jibber-jabber about “making sure that you’re protected” etc, etc. It’s not like they don’t send enough letters and emails to remind you when your policy is nearing it’s end. I’m sick of having to spend an afternoon, hanging on the phone, just to tell someone that I don’t want to buy something that I didn’t ask for in the first place! 

silvand

My car auto renewal is due in a week and I sent them a Facebook message last night whilst they were shut. This morning they got back to me and was able to sort it all out. Was suprised as thought they'd have a backlog but it was really quick and easy. So try Messenging them (or DM on Twitter).

rdwarr

wongataa said:

You are just going to have to keep calling them until you get through in these difficult times.

In the end, I resorted to that (having tries a couple of other routes) and it worked in the end. I'd advise people in a similar position not to leave it until the last couple of days though!