Home Insurance Renewal

Booksandcandles

We have been with Direct Line for more years than I care to remember. Just got the renewal invite. Rang them and suddenly they cannot offer insurance because our address is not on the database they now use!!!

Madness. Have raised a complaint. I want to know the name of the database they use and why our address is not listed.

I pointed out that if other companies start using this database we will have the same problem.

Any other ideas?

( never had a claim always paid upfront)

XRS200

Do you have a renewal offer from them?

What was the purpose of the call to them?

flaneurs_lobster

What's the basis of your complaint? That they can't quote for your property because they've changed their system?

Might be annoying but it's not grounds for a formal complaint. Direct Line could choose not to quote for any property with a green front door or an address in Yorkshire - it'd be daft but not complainable.

Booksandcandles

Yes I do have a renewal offer from them.

It was £100 more than last year that was why I was ringing but I did not even get far.

Booksandcandles

But they have already quoted with the renewal

Booksandcandles

Well their loss. Just insured somewhere else with no problem and over £100 cheaper than the renewal quote.

Stupid way to run a business.

MyRealNameToo

Most large firms just buy the Royal Mail PAF file, what can vary is the frequency that they buy it at. RM offer a new file every day but most firms subscribe to it monthly or quarterly. It's not however cheap and there are other options out there that are materially cheaper.

I'd be surprised if DL have made any major changes to their systems, they agreed to be sold in December 2024, completed July 2025 and Aviva as new owners will no doubt have plans which is likely to include harmonising them onto the same platform as they are using. Direct Line did exactly the same after they bought Churchill many years ago. Realistically thats a 2-3 year programme given Aviva are in the process of replacing their own core system too.

Inevitably if you are mid programme when you do such a deal there is a Q on if you continue and finish it or abandon it because all will change again after the transaction completes but many would at least pause it… the one exception was a merger I worked on where the company was 10 years into developing a new system and they decided to push on mainly because they had several people who's whole career had been working on the new system that it would be a risk to can all their work months before go live.

Whilst insurers can't price walk on Home and Motor these days its always worth shopping around and firms positions do change over time and who did a good price 5 years ago isnt necessarily the same as who does a good price today. Home however is a complex product so it's worth checking others arent cheaper because they are offering lower coverages. Controversial on this forum but it's worth checking the value of the product not just the price. Saving £50 can prove very expensive if it means your £10,000 gets declined because your cheap policy has less cover.

Booksandcandles

They said that the person who renewed my insurance last time input my address manually but they should not have done that.

I have gone on their website and tried to do a quote. All the houses with our postcode have house names. They are all listed and there is a listing for just our road name that must be ours but with the name of the house missed off.

The cover on our new policy is actually better.

flaneurs_lobster

Have you tried their database yourself?

Stick your postcode in here, no need for any other details, see who else is missing

https://www.directline.com/home/quote-policy/policy-holder

Booksandcandles

I have checked with Royal Mail. They have confirmed our address is listed correctly on both their internal and external systems.

Does anyone have any idea how I can find out who Direct Line are using so I can contact them to put this right?

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81901693#Comment_81901693

Realistically? No. It's the sort of thing their IT team will be dealing with and not the sort that deal directly with customers or even front line staff like their call centre.

Given DL has been bought by Aviva there will be lots going on and lots of change to happen. Who they use today isnt necessarily who they will be using tomorrow as these sorts of things are the basic synergies/ cost savings you can achieve when merging two companies and removing duplication.

When it happens will depend on Aviva's ultimate plan.