Direct Line Car Insurance Mis sell

dave1986

Hi guys

This is the first time I've posted here but i was wondering if you had any advice for me.

Basically i recently bought car insurance from direct line. I used their online quote thing and got a quote of around 1400 (Im 22 bad post code with an 07 Focus 1.8 so not too bad) but there was no place to put in that i had pass plus.

I rang them up and asked if it was worth anything and the customer service guy said 20% but i would have to buy the insurance and send in the certificate after. excellent i thought. However being prudent i rang on 2 other occassions just to check it was correct. the conversation was the same but the last person asked how old i was. i told them 22 they said fine its 20%

anyway i bought the insurance and sent off the certificate with my NCD proof in the mail. after checking with them a few times over 2 weeks they said they hadnt recieved it so i offered to fax in instead.

Having done this they have now told me i cant have the discount as i passed my pass plus in 2004. so the insurance is around 280 more expensive than they said it would be and they made no mention on any of our coversations of a time limit on the pass plus. I even rang them when i first got the car at xmas as i was looking for insurance quotes for a possible change and they told me the same thing then too. so 4 times i call and was never told about the limit.

they have said they will do some call listening and get back to me. however if they say the operators they listened to did it properly what can i do? the only proof i have is 2 conversations in which i mentioned the discount and how it meant i would use direct line. 1 with my dad at xmas and 1 with a work mate.

What can i do?

thanks for reading such a long post.

raskazz

If they listen to the calls and do not accept that the matter was handled incorrectly, then the first thing I would do is request the copies of all call recordings and policy notes (this is under what is known as a Data Protection Act Subject Access Request). There is a fee payable for this, normally £10.

If, after listening to the calls yourself, you still maintain that they handled the matter incorrectly you can escalate an official complaint, details of the procedure to follow will be in your policy documentation.

If you are still unsatisfied when Direct Line have made a final decision on your complaint then you can refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service, again details wll be provided in your policy documentation.

cajef

Insurance companies give a discount for people that have done the Pass Plus course if they are newly qualified inexperienced drivers that have no NCB.

Depending on the company they have slightly different terms and conditions, most usually stipulate that to fully benefit from the course there are a number of requirements that will need to be complied with which include the need for a clean drivers licence and that you have only passed your test and done the course within the last year.

When you took out the policy did you inform Direct Line that it was four years ago that you did the course?

dave1986

Cheers for the replies guys

As i said i did tell them i was 22 when i was asked. they didnt ask me anything else at all dispite me asking if i could definatly have the discount and that everything was ok with it on 3 occassions.

Nothing they said or on the website led me to believe there was a time limit on the pass plus.

Oscar_The_Grouch

Hi there

I wouldn't use the "I'm 22 so they should have known" defence. I didn't pass my car test until I was 23, as I was a bit of a bike freak and passed my bike test first.

Having said that, if Direct Line can find the calls then from what you have said you will stand a good chance of winning. Suggest you wait and see what they say and re-post if they turn you down.