47 replies to this topic

[E.L.M.O]

I have a couple of letter arrive, very strange.

They are for car insurance I havent taken out. I did own the vehicle about two years ago. I cant remember who it was insured with though.

all letters sent to my old address

The first letter dated 20th november says that there are a few points on my car insurance that need clarifying before my insurer can issue my policy.

The second letter dated 21st November contains the insurance documents (certificate, terms and condt, and direct debit info.) it reads that a deposit has been payed and that I need to pay a further £330 in monthly installments!

The third letter dated 22nd November says "thank you for buying your insurance from us and agreeing to pay our insurance payments by direct debit.

having received your details we would like to confirm they are correct. then lists dates money will be debited on and my bank details.

WFT?!!

I didnt take out any insurance!
I havent owned the vehicle for a couple of years.

Anyone else had anything like this happen to them?
I am wondering, is it a scam.
if so by who?

• Some randomers?
• The insurance company trying to meet a quoter?

or is it a genuine mistake by the insurance company. A mix up on their computers perhaps?
When the insurance ran out I let it and didnt do anything about it. If you were paying by direct debit can an issurance company renew your policy without you giving permission? If so I might having been paying for insurance I didnt need for the last couple of years! I need to check my online banking and see if they have been taking money out over the last few years without me knowing. And I need to phone them on Monday to find out what the hell is going on. I just hope its not a phone scam, might google the insurance companies number rather than use the one off the letter.

Thoughts anyone?

[buddylove]

Google the company and see if anyone else has had any issues. Hope they haven't been debiting your account, but if they have you would be in for a nice refund.

[Guess-Works.com]

Sounds like someone getting vehicle owner details from somewhere and using them... just its probably a couple of years out of date...

Do what you like, but certainly don't give out any money... or bank details.

On the other hand, when you sold the car you did cancel the insurance didn't you ???

[Bungle]

have you checked with you bank that a direct debit exists ?

[rozzer!]

as far as i know, insurance carries on running unless you cancel the policy.just had to do it with mums car insurance. and saved myself £100 a year in the process!

[stickycreambun]

About a few months ago my dogs insurance was continued for another year, but the monthly DD was increased. And when I called to ask I was told so long as they inform you of the continuation its ok.

[Mini_the_Minx]

About a few months ago my dogs insurance was continued for another year, but the monthly DD was increased. And when I called to ask I was told so long as they inform you of the continuation its ok.

Thats disgusting!! So they could be upping the prices for everybody that is on a continuous direct debit as they won't know til its too late?

I'll be checking all my insurance DD when it comes to them ending!

[E.L.M.O]

have you checked with you bank that a direct debit exists ?

Not yet, going to do it Monay. I wasnt really one for "filling" in the past so i will have to go in to the bank and ask them to check for me

Sounds like someone getting vehicle owner details from somewhere and using them... just its probably a couple of years out of date...
Do what you like, but certainly don't give out any money... or bank details.

They already have my bank details. they were on one of the letters and its not out of date, it has Nov 2008 date on the insurance and the letters.

On the other hand, when you sold the car you did cancel the insurance didn't you ???

as far as i know, insurance carries on running unless you cancel the policy.just had to do it with mums car insurance. and saved myself £100 a year in the process!

No I never canx the policy. I didnt think I had to. It ran out naturally and I have always prusumed that the policy would end after what I assuemed was a 12 month contract. Thats insaine that they can renew the policy! I know they should have written to me but I dont remember seeing any letters and I presume they got mixed up. Whats stranger is that when I owned the vehicle I was living at a completely different address (Kent) I moved out soon after selling the van so wouldnt have seen any letter they woule have sent. I recently briefly moved back to my parents and thats where these new letters went. I was register at my parents while I was there but I didnt give them their address. I am not sure where they got my parents address from. Its very strange. I would never have given them my parents address when I was living in kent as the kent address what where I was living, plus its a lot cheaper to insure a car in kent than it is in east london. so how did they get my parents address?!!

Google the company and see if anyone else has had any issues. Hope they haven't been debiting your account, but if they have you would be in for a nice refund.

A nice refund would be nice. But I doubt they are going to refund my money without a fight! I can prove that the vehicle was sold years ago (DVLA and I guess I could contact the current owners, I know the people who I sold the vehicle to.) But its never that simple is it!

I have googled the insurance company and havent as yet found this particular complaint, however reading over most of the complaints made against this company It looks like I will have to also fight not to be charger a fortune in canx fees!

EDIT: This is certainly the end of me ever having car insurance by direct debit. or I just live and learn that I need to canx any outstanding insurance I might have had! My god that might explain where all my money goes! Well over 10 years of driving if every company was doing the same I would be in - every month! I seriously need to look in to this

Edited by E.L.M.O, 14 December 2008 - 11:23 AM.

[E.L.M.O]

http://forums.moneys....html?t=1352709

[dave21478]

Some policies renew automatically, others dont. Its up to you to check your documents to find out which is applicable in your case.
The problem is if you didnt inform them of your house move, they may well have sent the notification of renewal to your old address where you wont have received it.

Phone them up and see what the story is - dont expect a refund though - if its an auto-renewing policy, its up to you to stop it and its also up to you to inform them of address changes.

[E.L.M.O]

The problem is if you didnt inform them of your house move, they may well have sent the notification of renewal to your old address where you wont have received it.

Phone them up and see what the story is - dont expect a refund though - if its an auto-renewing policy, its up to you to stop it and its also up to you to inform them of address changes.

I didnt think I had to inform them of a house move because as far as I was concerned the policy had expired. I was under the impression it was for 12months only. I hadnt ever heard of the auto renew policy before now. Looking at these renweal documents it is on the second page but wouldnt I have been required to sign a new 12month credit / direct debit agreement? Without this signature wouldnt it be void anyway? I am at fault for not reading documents correctly and not keeping a closer eye on bank statements. I still think its pretty shifty (the sort of thing an insurance company would do come to think of it.)

What interests me more is how did they get my parents address and who took it upon themselves to change the address details on the this years "renewal" to reflect the address of where I was registered. They have never been given that address by me. Can they look up your details on the electorial roll and change your details if you see the need? In a way its good that someone did, because the letters turning up at my parents house is what flagged all this up. Without that I wonder how long this would have gone on for. I am confident that I canx any "old" direct debits also. So I wonder if I am going to be "billed" for last year seeing as they wouldnt have had access to my account. I have googled this insurance company and like a lot of other insurance companies / brookers they seem to be trying every trick in the book legal (if in most cases somewhat imoral) or even dam right shady to get money from people.

Edited by E.L.M.O, 14 December 2008 - 12:13 PM.

[dave21478]

Well, it .looks like unfortunately you have fallen foul of the auto-renewal. It re-started the policy ( you dont need to do or sign anything) without you realising, then you moved house and forgot about it.
More and more, insures are pooling resources to prevent fraud, so probably got your parents address through other insurers or some other thing you have registered at that address.

Get the policy cancelled as soon as physically possible. You have been lucky that whoever owns the car now hasnt had an accident - this policy you (unknowingly) have on the car would be involved, possibly jepordising your NCB.

[E.L.M.O]

I would agree. It certainly looks like that is what has happened.
Its pretty darn shady in my opinion. Protects from fraud! I dont think so. Protect themselves more likely

I am also concerned about this "pooling" on details and chaging details to suit them. in this case it was good becasue It led to me finding out about this auto renewal rubbish, but chagining details when they see fit is certainly open to abuse. And I really think this Auto renewal thing was set up to try and cash in rather than "protect" people.

[minili]

Unless you tell them otherwise an insurance company will always renew a policy automatically. They have every right to do this as long as they inform you - which they have done. Always read the letters dude! And how did you not notice them taking the money?! You must earn too much haha

Having just studied contract law (and generally being careful with anything involving money) I'm kinda short on sympathy - that's why they send you 2 or 3 letters before it renews - to make sure you're happy to go ahead, and they make it clear that by taking no action you are agreeing to the contract. If it didn't automatically renew you'd have loads of people blaming their insurance company when they got arrested. *shrug*

[E.L.M.O]

Unless you tell them otherwise an insurance company will always renew a policy automatically. They have every right to do this as long as they inform you - which they have done. Always read the letters dude! And how did you not notice them taking the money?! You must earn too much haha

Having just studied contract law (and generally being careful with anything involving money) I'm kinda short on sympathy - that's why they send you 2 or 3 letters before it renews

I didnt get these letters due to moving address and not being aware that I needed to inform an insurance company who I believed I had an expired agreement with that I had moved address.

to make sure you're happy to go ahead, and they make it clear that by taking no action you are agreeing to the contract. If it didn't automatically renew you'd have loads of people blaming their insurance company when they got arrested. *shrug*

I disagree!
I dont think auto renewal should be the norm. I certainly dont think that they should go ahead and do what they want to do if they dont hear from you! And as for blaming the insurance company when their policy expires and they havent renewed is more than a little silly! I was under the impression that it is comon knowledge that it is your responsibility to renew your car insurance yearly when it expires, This is how I have always believed it to be (seems I am wrong?) So anyone blaming their insurance company for the laps in their insurance would quite rightly be at fault in my opnion. I still strongley believe that the auto renewal is wrong.


I get that it is my fault. A combination of being lazy in my youth, not reading the small print, not keeping and eye on my direct debits (but still wondering why I was hemriging money- I know i am a fool!) and general ignorance towards not being aware of this auto renewal policy has left me largely out of pocket.
Whats more apparently I will have to pay a £50 cancellation fee for this policy that has just gone through!!!

To sum up, I think this auto renewal policy is in place to take advantage of people and NOT to stop people blaming the insurance company for them having insurance that has expired. I believe it is in place to extort money though legal loop holes and I hope that anyone not aware of this auto renewal policy reads this post and is the better for having the knowledge. You live and learn.

Edited by E.L.M.O, 14 December 2008 - 01:35 PM.