12 replies to this topic

[yawner]

24th Oct I took out next years bike insurance with Bennetts - changed from eBike due to better quote.

Paid premium - passed on proof of max no claims from eBike.

Today 15th Nov I get a letter from Bennetts:

"We are writing to inform you that, due to a change made to your insurance policy there is an outstanding balance of £10.78 on your account which is due for payment".

Eh?

I ring Bennetts.

Bennetts: "Sorry but you told us you had max no claims discount, but your previous insurers say you only have 5 years. We need 9 years claim free."
Me: "Thats because my previous insurers only record up to a max of 5 years - I've been riding bikes claim free since I was 18, which is (just) more than 9 flippin years"
Bennetts: "Get your previous insurers to put this in writing"
Me: "But they only record a max of 5 years!!!"
Bennetts: "Sorry - we have to have it in writing from your previous insurers"
Me: Hang on - I was insured with you 3 years ago. I had max no claims then. Surely you can look this up and taken with the 5 years claim free Ebike say I've had - this is your proof of 9 years plus no claims!!"
Bennetts: "Sorry - we have to have it in writing from your previous insurers"

AAAARRGGHH! In other words - its a bloody con. Look, I know its only ten quid, but this is theft. I've played the game riding my bike for 30+ years claim free, and this is what I get. Furious doesn`t even begin to cover it.

[trevini]

I'd be asking to be shown where it states nine years required for max ncd on the proposal form. Did you state max ncd or no of years when you completed the form? If they won't play ball, speak to the onbudsman. Thievin' bastards the lot of 'em.

[JollyGiant]

As trevini says but also have a quick look at the compulsory excess as I thought I had got a good deal for my Tuono only find they wanted £700 compulsory....

[arthurbikemad]

They are the lowest! They make it up as they go along, you sound like a loyal customer, I have no loyalty to any of them they all stink!

My attitude is pay as little as you can, claim if you like (other than that's a catch 22) and say "now just give me my papers and get lost".


Do you not keep your old docs? send them copies... I keep all mine now since I was shafted by Nash, still with them now but they said I did not have protected No Claims! They only keep recordings for 6 months anyway won my case with the FOS and now keep my old docs just in case.

Edited by Arthur, 16 November 2012 - 09:05 am.

[jono49]

Yawner this is getting to be common practice now and it's the "Brokers" that are the problem! And YES i do agree it is "Sharp Practice", like Arthur I now keep all my documents as this is the way it works now, the brokers don't have a data base but the insurers do! so the brokers are the ones who keep on asking for the PONC, and claim it's the insurer that is asking for the proof, but they already have that information on their data base! And there is only a handful of Insurers...Equity red star, Ageas, Royal sun alliance, etc etc, and to prove they share the info I went on this paper chase a few years ago, and i could not remember who my first insurer was, So I phoned Royal sun Alliance, and a very nice Lady told me i was insured with the opposition..... "Equity red Star" in my first year!!!!!! so they know, it's these parasite Brokers who are trying it on and if you cant? or cant be arsed to prove you have PONC you get shafted for the extra!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by jono49, 16 November 2012 - 09:56 am.

[tdm850rider]

hmmmm You have to ride 9 years to get the 'safe rider' break... but insurer's only keep records for 5 years...?

[TKH]

Theivin scumbags the lot of 'em. I'm with Hastings who come up cheapest for me. Not had to claim from them yet though....

[Doc]

Had a good one last week on the car policy. Got a renewal note from Admiral a month ago. Compare the Meercat gave a quote for half price from Elephant - same company as Admiral. Called Admiral and they agreed to renew at the same price .

Three weeks later I got a letter saying they were going to take an additional £400 premium because I hadn't declared an incident. Having made no claims in 6 years I called to find it was for a claim they had 'discovered' from 2006 which I hadn't declared, and the £400 was for increased premiums for my policies from 2006-2011 . Can they really do that?! "What claim?" I asked. After two calls and 90 mins trying to get clarification I finally got a clear explanation: "Your wife insured with us in 2009. You were named on the policy. She declared that you made a claim in 2006. You didn't tell us about it when renewing your policy." Well now I had something I could deal with...."But I've been with you since 2005 and I was insured with you when I had the accident in 2006. Do I have to tell you about caims you paid for?!" "Just let me check that sir...." (5 mins) "I'm sorry - it seems we made a technical error!"

Then they tried to sell me breakdown insurance!

Not sure I'm going to be a loyal customer next year!

[jono49]

And! this is another ploy! whilst your on the phone getting you to justify your innocence for whatever, and you do prove you are innocent, they have the balls to screw you for a little bit extra on the policy with breakdown Legal etc! Tossers the lot of em!!!!!!!

[trevini]

Had a good one last week on the car policy. Got a renewal note from Admiral a month ago. Compare the Meercat gave a quote for half price from Elephant - same company as Admiral. Called Admiral and they agreed to renew at the same price .

Three weeks later I got a letter saying they were going to take an additional £400 premium because I hadn't declared an incident. Having made no claims in 6 years I called to find it was for a claim they had 'discovered' from 2006 which I hadn't declared, and the £400 was for increased premiums for my policies from 2006-2011 . Can they really do that?! "What claim?" I asked. After two calls and 90 mins trying to get clarification I finally got a clear explanation: "Your wife insured with us in 2009. You were named on the policy. She declared that you made a claim in 2006. You didn't tell us about it when renewing your policy." Well now I had something I could deal with...."But I've been with you since 2005 and I was insured with you when I had the accident in 2006. Do I have to tell you about caims you paid for?!" "Just let me check that sir...." (5 mins) "I'm sorry - it seems we made a technical error!"

Then they tried to sell me breakdown insurance!

Not sure I'm going to be a loyal customer next year!

I had a similar experience with Admiral/Diamond....

Our Alfa was insured with Diamond in Mrs Trevini's name. Goon in car park left hand brake off on their car, rolled down a ramp between levels and into our stationary car with it's lights being flashed and Mrs T sounding the horn. Fair bit of damage to our car. That was in Dec. In July I received two letters on the same day from Admiral ( my car was insured with Admiral). First one was a £39 admin charge and the second an increase of £89 on my premium due to not disclosing an accident (see above). The £89 charge would have covered less that two months before the poilicy was due for renewal. I rang them within 5 min of opening the letters and at this point I was really spitting feathers. The conversation went along the lines of "so let me see if I've got this right. Some random person I've never met hits a car registered and insured by a named driver on my policy and I have to pay more. Please explain how that works?" We hadn't even claimed through Diamond, as the other persons insurance co (Aviva) sorted it all out for us without any quibble. No explanation was offered, so needless to say the extra premium wasn't paid and Admiral were told where to place their policy. I ended up getting a full year policy from elsewhere (and had disclosed everything) for £157 not the "bargain" £128 + the premium I had already paid. Thievin' bastards, the lot of them.

Edited by trevini, 17 November 2012 - 01:31 pm.

[Studley Ramrod]

I think this kind of behaviour will only get worse because the reality is that the core cost of insurance is actually falling.

You can now get insurance cover for your excess !!!!

[muddy]

They are the lowest! They make it up as they go along, you sound like a loyal customer, I have no loyalty to any of them they all stink!

My attitude is pay as little as you can, claim if you like (other than that's a catch 22) and say "now just give me my papers and get lost".

Loyal customers often end up paying more, as I found out with eBike. Instead of renewing I had to get a new quote to get the discount for new customers. Everywhere you go these days, everyone's trying to squeeze you for a bit more.

[slartybartfarst]

Just to pick up on this and for everyone's info:

Since I've had the TDM nicked - back in 2008 - I've had to declare it for my car insurance <insert rant here> initially the online forms asked for claims in the past 3 years and in year four I said I haven't had any claims. But I hadn't noticed they had moved the goal posts and now it's 5 years I only discovered this because though the insurance co didn't contact me the CUE did: http://www.insurancedatabases.co.uk

Their email went into my junk folder and because of the data protection act the subject line was as clear as mud but luckily I opened it. Even then it merely hinted at some problem with the info I'd given for my car insurance. So I rang them and got it sorted - but during the conversation with them it became clear that this industry funded organisation has our entire claims history on file. Send them a £10 and they'll tell you what they know.

The only reason the insurance co's ask for how much NCD we have is to test our honesty - they all ready know more than we do. When I renewed the car my last insurers have 5 year NCD max but I put down 15 years+ and the new insurers didn't query it. And next year I'll not have to mention the nicked TDM unless they move the goal posts again.

I hope you got sorted Yawner

Chris