Car insurance cancelled the WRONG policy!!!

Ann1984

Hi

Ive had a problem with my insurance company which has resulted in me having no insurance without my knowledge for the last 5 days, does anyone know what i can do? Ive written a letter of complaint and written to the FSA but is doesnt seem like enough...they shouldnt get away with it!!

I insured a Ford Escort with Local Broker (on-line via go-compare.com) prior to viewing the car so that if i did purchase it i would be legally able to drive the car home. After a couple of days of trying to view the vehicle with no success we decided not to purchase it so i called up to cancel my policy. I was informed that the only way i could get a refund of my full deposit and not incur cancellation fees was if i was to write in and confirm i hadn't purchased the vehicle and that i wanted the policy to be canceled. I did this and CLEARLY stated the car make and registration number on the letter. This letter was received on the 30th May 2008, or so i am led to believe from telephone calls today.

Between canceling the policy for the Ford Escort and today i purchased a Peugeot 306 which i insured with Marks and Spenser's, this quote was also obtained and purchased on-line.

Today i received a letter from Marks and Spenser's confirming the cancellation of my policy for my Peugeot. I called up as i have NEVER cancelled the policy for the Peugeot and was VERY concerned that the policy had been cancelled since may 30th and i had not found out until today meaning i had been illegally driving my car without insurance as it had been cancelled without my say so.

I was told by marks and Spenser's staff that they had received a letter from me asking to cancel the policy (the only letter i had sent was to cancel the policy for the FORD ESCORT not the PEUGEOT 306) I tried to explain to the staff at Marks and Spensers that the only policy i had cancelled was for the FORD ESCORT but i was told during my second call to them that all they could do was reinstate my policy with an additional £35 charge due to inflation. I decided not to proceed as i had lost faith in the company and believed i could get a cheaper quote and i have now insured my PEUGEOT 306 with another company.

After the call to Marks and Spenser's i called Local broker to try and work out what had happened, they confirmed they had not received my letter cancelling the insurance on the FORD ESCORT and asked me to write in again.

By now i was very confused, how could the letter i had clearly sent to Local broker have ended up in the hands of marks and Spenser's and why did marks and Spenser's cancel my Peugeot insurance when my letter clearly stated that i wanted to cancel my ford escort insurance?

I continued to write yet another letter to Local broker to cancel the ford escort insurance and that is when i realised what must of happened.

Marks and Spenser's and Local broker are both trading names of BISL limited, the letter i sent to Local broker at Bisl limited, Pegasus house was forwarded to the wrong company (marks and Spenser's not local broker) and as a result the wrong policy was canceled. I have been driving round with no insurance, i have still not received the refund promised for the ford escort policy which should have been cancelled, i have spent a whole day on the telephone and writing more letters all because someone at BISL limited didn't pass the letter to the right part of their company and whoever cancelled the letter did not check the car make or registration number of the policy they were cancelling.

As a customer i am expected to read and understand all of the small print in my policy and yet the company themselves cannot even check they are cancelling the right policy before doing so, the letter clearly stated which car insurance i was cancelling. The envelope was addressed to Local broker NOT marks and Spenser's and both companies have a contact telephone number for me.

Surely this should not have happened? If i had been involved in an accident or asked to stop for a routine check by the police i would have been in alot of trouble due to the negligence of the staff at both BISL limited and companies trading for or on behalf of them.

Anyone ever heard of anything like this before??

Ann

Oscar_The_Grouch

The Road Traffic Act requires an insurer to honour the cover provided by a Certificate of Motor Insurance, regardless of whether the policy has been cancelled or not. Provided you have the certificate or cover note for the vehicle you were driving YOU WERE INSURED and there is nothing your idiot company can do about it.

From then on, all you need to do is address a letter to Mr Muppet and Co Insurance Brokers advising them that you want to complain about the service they have provided you with and the fact that due to their inept callcentre staff, you thought you might be uninsured.

As them for a "letter of intent to insure" for the period they cancelled the policy for.

If you do not get at least an apology and the letter of intent, contact the FOS.

Finally (and I think I may have to change my sign-off to this) If you pay the lowest price, expect the worst service.

Ann1984

Hiya

i hadnt and still havent recieved any paperwork from either insurer apart from the letter i got today confirming the cancelation. Now paying MORE for my insurance...hopefully i will now get a better service...cant really be any worse (i hope!!!!)

Thanks

Ann