Direct Debit by my EX wife

Foxboy1

Hi, help please as I am at the end of my tether. I have been with an insurance broker who I was happy with for 20 years. during a messy mess up with my (now) Ex wife she moved into rented house and it appears I agreed to pay her house content insurance in 2016. she has moved about 7 times and had various policies and until  a few months ago I have no idea I was paying for the policies. I contacted the company and they said because I agreed the first one they could continue taking all of her policies? surely this is not right as I have had no DD mandates, no payment schedules anything??? now I am £1000 out of pocket and basically they said I agreed a DD mandate in 2016. my argument is this was for that policy and since then she has had another 6/7 polices all on my account. please help as I really don't know what else to do. 

WillPS

Call your bank. Ask them to process a refund under the Direct Debit guarantee. Let us know how far this gets you.

An argument they might legitimately ask you is 'how have you only today become aware of payments which have been occurring for 6-8 years'. Try to make sure you don't sound negligent.

MorningcoffeeIV

Foxboy1 said:

. please help as I really don't know what else to do. 

You need to cancel any DDs going forward. Your wife can then arrange to make payments herself.

You argument that you only wanted to pay for one year of policies won't wash. You should have given your own details for communications so that you could cancel the renewals if you didn't want to continue. 

Also a good idea to check your bank account more than once every 7 years, just in case there is anything that needs actioning.

eskbanker

Foxboy1 said:

now I am £1000 out of pocket and basically they said I agreed a DD mandate in 2016

So you've been paying about a tenner a month on average - obviously that sounds like a more substantial figure when aggregated over eight years but conversely if you didn't miss that money during that whole time it weakens your argument about its significance now?

Foxboy1

Thanks everyone. I get your feedback and I have cancelled the DD. I didn't realise because I also had a policy and on my bank I just assumed it was my insurance. I only noticed because on one day they took 2 payments, I then checked and realised but it was not all of the time, she had cancelled a policy, then started a new one, then cancelled and then started a new one. so basically 7 different policies. my argument is I agreed one policy, we got divorced, she had moved 7 times but set up new policies with my DD. at no time was I contacted or new apart from the first policy which I agreed to, also they said that she said she would have the conversation with me about the payments, clearly they should have had the conversation with me about was I happy to add a new policy for her through my bank and share a schedule of payments. also for those that think I was negligent. we had a horrible divorce and at the time I was depressed on medication and my life was in ruins, sleeping on a friends settee and wanted to die. it is now I have turned my life around and paying attention to everything I have noticed. 

sausage_time

Glad you are getting life sorted @Foxboy1.  Valuable lesson for all here - monitor and track/explain every payment.

Grumpy_chap

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the ex-wife setting up ongoing home insurance (whether contents or buildings & contents), the OP has been paying these premiums and has now stopped paying the premiums (cancelled the DD).

Out of common decency, the OP should inform the ex-wife that the premiums are no longer being paid as this will give her the opportunity to put in place suitable alternate payment provision.  The risk of saying nothing is that the policy is cancelled and leaves her without cover yet she may have cause to claim against the policy.  The OP may feel that is none of his concern, but the ex-wife might well retort that it is unreasonable behaviour and / or cite that there was an agreement for the OP to make these payments as part of a spousal support arrangement (whether true or not).

The OP can hold their head high by at least doing the best thing in the circumstances.

friolento

Grumpy_chap said:

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the ex-wife setting up ongoing home insurance (whether contents or buildings & contents), the OP has been paying these premiums and has now stopped paying the premiums (cancelled the DD).

Out of common decency, the OP should inform the ex-wife that the premiums are no longer being paid as this will give her the opportunity to put in place suitable alternate payment provision.  The risk of saying nothing is that the policy is cancelled and leaves her without cover yet she may have cause to claim against the policy.  The OP may feel that is none of his concern, but the ex-wife might well retort that it is unreasonable behaviour and / or cite that there was an agreement for the OP to make these payments as part of a spousal support arrangement (whether true or not).

The OP can hold their head high by at least doing the best thing in the circumstances.

She'll be notified by her insurance company/ies that the DD could not be taken.

Unless there is an existing Court Order which compels the OP to pay her insurance premiums, she hasn't got a leg to stand on. In any event, she fraudulently set up DDs as she pretended to be the owner of the bank account that got charged. The OP might seek the advice of a solicitor or the men's abuse helpline to understand the merits of possible action against her.