What are Admiral trying to tell me???

Okell

Can anybody explain to me exactly what Admiral are playing at here?

I currently have home contents cover with More Than which will expire next week.  More Than wrote to me several weeks ago to say that they would not be able to renew my policy as they are moving out of that line of insurance.  They advised me that I would need to find an alternative provider and Admiral was mentioned by name.

I ’phoned More Than about ten days ago to confirm when the policy expired.  They asked me if I’d received a “migration letter” (I think) from Admiral offering a replacement policy.  I hadn’t received anything from Admiral at that stage, but received a letter from them outlining an offer of insurance the next day.

I couldn’t be bothered comparing different insurance providers but I had a couple of queries as to what Admiral’s policy covered so I phoned them for clarification last week.

After considering what they’d told me I decided I’d contact Admiral today to take up their offer.  However, today I’ve received two contradictory letters from Admiral that I don’t understand.

They are both dated 30 September 2024 and one is welcoming me to Admiral and is telling me that my policy will automatically renew.  The other letter appears to be telling me that my policy has been cancelled by Admiral and to ignore any other correspondence from them.  Both letters are dated 30 September.

I tried to call them earlier today but their offices were closed – despite their letters indicating that they should be open.

Before I try to contact them again, can anybody explain what Admiral are trying to tell me?

Is the “cancellation” letter simply telling me in a totally cack-handed and inept way that my current policy with More Than is expiring next week, or is it trying to tell me that an insurance policy I’ve never had with Admiral is being cancelled?

I don’t want to have to declare in future that I’ve had any kind of insurance policy cancelled by the provider, but how can Admiral cancel an insurance policy I’ve never even taken out with them?

Or is this the level of competence I can expect with Admiral?

Can anybody help me understand what they’re playing at?

 

(Ps  -  I don’t have access to all the documentation at the moment so the above is from memory. I'll have the papers in front of me tomorrow if anyone needs more detail as to what Admiral told me)

dunstonh

I tried to call them earlier today but their offices were closed – despite their letters indicating that they should be open.

Have you tried accessing the online portal that will show policy documents?

Okell

dunstonh said:

I tried to call them earlier today but their offices were closed – despite their letters indicating that they should be open.

Have you tried accessing the online portal that will show policy documents?

Not yet. 

Because of a previous problem with insurance online I prefer to speak to a living human being via 'phone when buying or renewing insurance so they can answer any difficult queries I have and to minimise the chances of me misunderstanding anything.  But I'll look later today as that might be the only way forward.  (As you may be aware Admiral have an overseas 'phone customer services.  When I spoke to them last week I could barely understand them and they could barely understand my accent.  We both might as well have been deaf)

Just to clarify:

Policy expires 23:59:59 on 08 October 2024

The original letter from More Than to me informing me they would not be able to renew my policy and that Admiral would contact me was dated 22 July 2024

First letter from Admiral offering me insurance and headed "Welcome to Admiral, your Contents insurance is due to expire on 09/10/2024!" was dated 18 September 2024

Second letter from Admiral headed "Welcome to Admiral, your Contents insurance policy will automatically renew!" (but content appears identical to first letter) was dated 30 September 2024.

Third letter from Admiral headed "Confirmation of Policy Cancellation" was also dated 30 September 2024.

This "cancellation" letter said:  "We can confirm your policy will not be renewing this year.  All cover will cease with effect from 09/10/2024 for the following [my address].  If you receive any documents regarding renewal, please ignore them"

The first two letters from Admiral say I can renew by 'phone or online at any point before expiry.  There's nothing to say they will "cancel" the policy if I don't renew a week or more before expiry.  There's also nothing about the policy automatically renewing if I take no action.

I suspect - and hope - that Admiral have simply chosen an extremely stupid and inappropriate way of reminding me that the current More Than policy will not automatically renew - but I don't know.  If that were the case why would the last letter be headed "Confirmation of Policy Cancellation" rather than "Confirmation that your existing policy will not automatically renew"?

It's all contradictory and very confusing.

[PS - All three letters from Admiral - including the cancellation - refer to an Admiral policy number which is different from the existing policy number with More Than.]

Brie

Do you want to be insured by Admiral?  I'd wonder given the fuss with the paperwork before you actually join them.  

I would decide that and then consider what your alternatives are so you can get it sorted.  If you decide to not go with Admiral I'd send them a message (assuming it's possible) or an email to tell them you are taking their letter that the policy is not renewing at face value and would like them to delete any payment methods that have been provided (illegally?) by MoreThan.  And also contact your bank and confirm to them that Admiral is not allowed to take a payment.  And then watch your account/credit card in case they take money in any case. (which I would assume is likely - but I'm a cynic)

Okell

@dunstonh -   I can't access anything online.

The first two letters from Admiral advised me that I could accept their insurance offer either online by registering for "MyAccount", or by 'phone.

If I follow the instructions to register for "MyAccount" it tells me that it can't find my details.  But then why would it as I've never had an account or a policy with them previously?  Or does it mean they've cancelled me?  Or are they overwhelmed by online traffic?

Trying to 'phone them yesterday and today I get a message saying they are closed despite their letters telling me that their 'phone lines are open at the weekend at the times I've called.

So I can't look at anything online and I can't talk to anyone by 'phone.

I'll try again tomorrow.


@Brie -  I'm actually quite happy with Admiral's offer*. 

I was very happy with More Than and the Admiral quote is significantly cheaper.  The cover might not be exactly like for like but up until I received the two letters contradicting each other yesterday I'd already decided that I was going to accept the Admiral offer this weekend.  Also I can't be bothered hunting down and comparing a whole load of insurance quotes at this late stage when I've got one that I have no issues with.  (Or thought I had no issues with...)

I'm not particularly worried about Admiral taking money from my bank account or credit card because they don't even know my bank account or card details yet,

What I'm really worried about is that they've sent me a letter saying that they have cancelled my insurance policy.

If this is true - and I don't know if it is or not - isn't it something that I'm going to have to declare for evermore when buying any type of insurance?


*I appreciate your comment about why go with Admiral after the evidence of their contradictory letters received this weekend, but I'm happy with the price and the cover and I CBA'd to start looking for an alternative provider in the next two days.  After I'd spoken to Admiral last weekend I'd more or less made up my mind to accept their offer but waited until this weekend before actually doing so.  I didn't expect them to send me two contradictory letters of the same date exhibiting corporate schizophrenia.

If they continue to demonstrate colossal ineptitude I'll find another provider next year, but I'm not doing it now unless I have no alternative

Okell

OK - I've managed to renew (or accept) Admiral's offer via webchat.

As I'd already decided to accept their offer anyway I'm happy that that's out of the way, but I'm not happy with their correspondence telling me that they'd cancelled a policy before it had expired and before I'd had an opportunity to renew it.

I don't think they should be telling people that they (Admiral) have cancelled a policy when they really mean it will shortly expire if I don't take positive steps to renew it.

(@brie -  bearing in mind that I've paid today but they had also previously told me that it would renew automatically, I will note your advice and will be careful to check that they don't take the one-off annual payment twice...)

Thanks for your help both of you

DullGreyGuy

Admiral should only be referring to the potential renewal as they are not the insurer for your old policy, RSA hasn't done a Part VII transfer to move old policies across to them and they should have informed you if they were outsourcing admin to another company who won't operate under RSA brands. 

You dont say what date you spoke to the Admiral people on? My guess would be whoever you spoke to either misunderstood how you left it at the end of the call or fat fingered something and then corrected it. The "cancelled" would be on not auto-renewing... I dont know if they bothered to update their normal auto-renewal letter which would ordinarily mean that you hold an expiring policy with them and in that context the letter would make more sense. 

I know Admiral much better from a Motor perspective, in that space they have always been in the cheap and cheerful category. Before the rule changes they were always a bit cheeky on their renewal prices but would always knock a slug off just for saying you'd found cheaper elsewhere. Staff, when you got through to them, were normally friendly and competent enough. Had one claim whilst with them and it was fine.  With their UK offices in all in Wales it's one company I am unlikely to do work with.