Beware! Hidden excess @ 1st Central car insurance - is this even legal?

kutnarga

Having recently taken out a new policy, after comparing many comparison sites, I found what i thought was a comparable quote beating my soon expiring policy.
I opted for a £250 voluntary excess along side the £150 compulsory excess. this is clearly shown on the website when taking out the policy and also in my documentation and the accounts page of my policy.
Unfortunately for the first time in my life i have had to make a claim, only to discover there is an additional hidden excess of £400 in the fine print of my documentation under the heading of "extra conditions - endorsements" 
I should mention I have a full clean license so wouldn't expect any endorsements to be present. but this is different, this states:
"You are responsible for the first amount of each claim under section 1 Accidental damage and section 2 Fire and theft in relation to loss of or damage to your car.
This amount is increased from the standard excess listed on your Schedule by one of the amounts below. The additional excess is shown by having Endorsement 1 printed on the Schedule. This excess will apply as well as any standard excess (or excesses) which applies to the policy section under which the claim is being made. A £50 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess C £100 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess E £150 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess G £200 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess O £400 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess"

How is this legal? and how is this endorsement different from the compulsory excess.?

kutnarga

provided info

born_again

What happened to cause the claim?

QrizB

kutnarga said:

... this is clearly shown on the website when taking out the policy and also in my documentation and the accounts page of my policy.

What does it say specifically on your Schedule regarding Endorsement 1?

MattMattMattUK

kutnarga said:

Having recently taken out a new policy, after comparing many comparison sites, I found what i thought was a comparable quote beating my soon expiring policy.
I opted for a £250 voluntary excess along side the £150 compulsory excess. this is clearly shown on the website when taking out the policy and also in my documentation and the accounts page of my policy.
Unfortunately for the first time in my life i have had to make a claim, only to discover there is an additional hidden excess of £400 in the fine print of my documentation under the heading of "extra conditions - endorsements" 
I should mention I have a full clean license so wouldn't expect any endorsements to be present. but this is different, this states:
"You are responsible for the first amount of each claim under section 1 Accidental damage and section 2 Fire and theft in relation to loss of or damage to your car.
This amount is increased from the standard excess listed on your Schedule by one of the amounts below. The additional excess is shown by having Endorsement 1 printed on the Schedule. This excess will apply as well as any standard excess (or excesses) which applies to the policy section under which the claim is being made. A £50 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess C £100 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess E £150 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess G £200 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess O £400 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess"

How is this legal? and how is this endorsement different from the compulsory excess.?

kutnarga said:

provided info

Does a specific endorsement actually show on your schedule?

kutnarga said:

How is this legal?

Why do people immediately try and make the leap that something they do not like must be illegal? It is legal because it is in the terms and conditions, clearly laid out in the document you said you would have read before you signed up for the insurance...

kutnarga said:

and how is this endorsement different from the compulsory excess.?

They may apply in only specific circumstances, for example it may say E applies if you leave your car in a public car park overnight.

What has happened to the vehicle, is the vehicle a type that is known targets for theft?

cw8825

those endorsements only apply if shown on the schedule.
You need to read both together

DullGreyGuy

kutnarga said:

Having recently taken out a new policy, after comparing many comparison sites, I found what i thought was a comparable quote beating my soon expiring policy.
I opted for a £250 voluntary excess along side the £150 compulsory excess. this is clearly shown on the website when taking out the policy and also in my documentation and the accounts page of my policy.
Unfortunately for the first time in my life i have had to make a claim, only to discover there is an additional hidden excess of £400 in the fine print of my documentation under the heading of "extra conditions - endorsements" 
I should mention I have a full clean license so wouldn't expect any endorsements to be present. but this is different, this states:
"You are responsible for the first amount of each claim under section 1 Accidental damage and section 2 Fire and theft in relation to loss of or damage to your car.
This amount is increased from the standard excess listed on your Schedule by one of the amounts below. The additional excess is shown by having Endorsement 1 printed on the Schedule. This excess will apply as well as any standard excess (or excesses) which applies to the policy section under which the claim is being made. A £50 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess C £100 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess E £150 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess G £200 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess O £400 additional accidental damage fire and theft excess"

How is this legal? and how is this endorsement different from the compulsory excess.?

Do you have the rest of the Schedule to show which endorsements are applying to your policy? 

Endorsements are non-standard terms that are added only in certain circumstances, I'd expect endorsement 1 is used for people with "problematic" or high value vehicles. It's different to a compulsory excess because that will remain the same no matter what whereas were you to change the vehicle on cover the endorsement would be removed and no additional excess would be payable. 

The other common one that catches is people is the Young/Inexperienced Driver Excess, which is normally in the paperwork somewhere that those under 21 or less than 2 years since passing their test have to pay an additional XS. This one may be more "acceptably" seperate given its driver dependent and many young drivers have an experienced driver on the policy too so the excess becomes variable depending on the driver. 

LeafGreen

kutnarga said:

How is this legal?

Why do people immediately try and make the leap that something they do not like must be illegal? It is legal because it is in the terms and conditions, clearly laid out in the document you said you would have read before you signed up for the insurance...

I have to say I don't necessarily agree with this, T&Cs could be unfair for a variety of reasons and therefore not be legally enforceable.  Google unfair contract terms. 

Marvel1

Endoorment 3 is worrying, how would I/you know if the vehicle  has a Thatcham 1 or 2 immobolising device - I thought it was factory standard - maybe best ticking no when asked when taking out the policy?

born_again

Marvel1 said:

Endoorment 3 is worrying, how would I/you know if the vehicle  has a Thatcham 1 or 2 immobolising device - I thought it was factory standard - maybe best ticking no when asked when taking out the policy?

You would be paying for it & had it fitted.

Most ins polices ask if you have factory fitted security or other devices.

Marvel1

born_again said:

Marvel1 said:

Endoorment 3 is worrying, how would I/you know if the vehicle  has a Thatcham 1 or 2 immobolising device - I thought it was factory standard - maybe best ticking no when asked when taking out the policy?

You would be paying for it & had it fitted.

Most ins polices ask if you have factory fitted security or other devices.

Thank you, best saying no then if second hand as unsure.