Dynamo auto renewed without notifying me

IDontKnow987

Last year I took out breakdown cover with Dynamo. I suppose I should have known what I was getting myself into with them being so cheap. Anyway, as I was happy with their price last year I took out a new policy with them this for this year. Today I received an email from them saying that my policy from last year has auto renewed at more than double the price of last year and that because they had notified me of this 21 days ago, if I want to cancel I am now subject to pay a cancellation fee which works out at about £25 (more than the price of my new policy with them!).

The issue is I was not notified that the policy was going to auto renew, not what the auto renewal price would be. I check my emails, including junk, regularly and would definitely have paid attention to an email about my policy renewing at such an extortionate price. I've also been back through my inbox, junk and deleted folders today and can confirm the only emails I have recieved from Dynamo were when I took out my first policy last year and then some emails in relation to the brand new policy I took out this year. There are no emails mentioning renewal.

I'm just wondering where I stand with this. They did not notify me in advance of the renewal, as they said they had, and now want to charge me fees to cancel. I also now have the issue of having two policies for the same car with them. I won't be able to cancel the new policy without fees either because I am now beyond ghe cooling off period for that one. Looking on Trust Pilot it seems Dynamo not sending the renewal email is a common issue.

Has anyone else had this issue? Did you manage to get the full amount back? Is there anywhere else I can take this to make someone aware they are not sending these emails (I have complained but doubt thag will get me anywhere)?

Brie

wouldn't this fall under the DD guarantee meaning you could reclaim any money in full from your bank?

DullGreyGuy

IDontKnow987 said:

Last year I took out breakdown cover with Dynamo. I suppose I should have known what I was getting myself into with them being so cheap. Anyway, as I was happy with their price last year I took out a new policy with them this for this year. Today I received an email from them saying that my policy from last year has auto renewed at more than double the price of last year and that because they had notified me of this 21 days ago, if I want to cancel I am now subject to pay a cancellation fee which works out at about £25 (more than the price of my new policy with them!).

The issue is I was not notified that the policy was going to auto renew, not what the auto renewal price would be. I check my emails, including junk, regularly and would definitely have paid attention to an email about my policy renewing at such an extortionate price. I've also been back through my inbox, junk and deleted folders today and can confirm the only emails I have recieved from Dynamo were when I took out my first policy last year and then some emails in relation to the brand new policy I took out this year. There are no emails mentioning renewal.

I'm just wondering where I stand with this. They did not notify me in advance of the renewal, as they said they had, and now want to charge me fees to cancel. I also now have the issue of having two policies for the same car with them. I won't be able to cancel the new policy without fees either because I am now beyond ghe cooling off period for that one. Looking on Trust Pilot it seems Dynamo not sending the renewal email is a common issue.

Has anyone else had this issue? Did you manage to get the full amount back? Is there anywhere else I can take this to make someone aware they are not sending these emails (I have complained but doubt thag will get me anywhere)?

You put in a complaint about not receiving the renewal notice, if they can evidence they sent it then it's likely the Ombudsman will side with them. 

What are your mailbox rules set to? Ours auto-deletes junk etc after 7 days so it wouldn't still be there after 21 days as they allege. 

Brie said:

wouldn't this fall under the DD guarantee meaning you could reclaim any money in full from your bank?

No, you cannot buy the policy without agreeing to auto renewal so wouldn't be a breach of the DD guarantee and secondly they only accept payments by card and so its a CPA rather than DD which doesn't have the same guarantees