Why do Post Office want to cancel my car ins because my NCB has been reinstated? HELP

[BBLB]

Short version (!):

Involved in car accident - not my fault.
Policy expired - renewed with Post Office (underwritten by Fortis).
Advised PO at renewal of ongoing claim and that I should get NCB reinstated when claim resolved - they advise me if this happens, the price will be recalculated and I'll get a refund.
Claim resolved - not at fault - previous insurers advise proof of NCB in post.
PO advise when they receive proof of NCB, they HAVE to cancel my existing policy midterm (with a partial refund) and offer me a new 12 month one. They say that the advice given to me when I took the policy was incorrect - due to training issues with new staff.
(Fortis have advised me this is nothing to do with them.)

So for the last 7 months, I have effectively not been building up my NCB on a ridiculously expensive policy.

Has this happened to anyone else? (I have read through several pages of posts but can find nothing similar to this.)

Is this legal?

Please help

[craigwalton]

You should be able to gain compensation for the time you have not accrued NCD for this, or when your 12 month period is up, by your original inception date, you should be able to cancel it and still obtain a full years NCD... However, they will say that they are unable to do this, due to computer restrictions - don't believe them!!

[Trojan1401]

The PO / Fortis are talking rubbish. There is no reason why they cannot do this. I've done it many a time. It is simply a recalculation of premium from inception. Someone will have the authority to over-ride the computer or if not do it manually...it appears to me that they are saying this as it causes extra work. Craigwalton is correct.

Get back onto them and insist that you speak to someone senior. If it is the PO you are dealing with, ring Fortis direct & speak to a personal lines underwriter.

[Darkangelsdelite]

I agree with trojan, just sounds like they're being lazy. All they've got to do is calculate your premium with the NCD you had before, the premium with the NCD you have now, and refund you the difference., a school child could do it. Cancelling the policy mid-term sounds like a cop out, get back onto them and find out what they're playing at.


DA

[cazzaswfc]

"they HAVE to cancel my existing policy midterm (with a partial refund) and offer me a new 12 month one."

as above have stated this doesn't sound right, certainly not with Co's that I have worked for! now I could be 100% wrong however it could also be an error by the person you spoke with? (or a bit naughty?) most advisors for ins co are targetted on various things, lets say for example the above advisor is targeted on sales? and recieves a bonus if they hit targets?

(although all co's will have trained staff to be FSA Compliant, and train and listen to calls it's easy for this to happen and not be picked up - out of the 1000's of calls taken per day only a small number will be monitered,)

As above people have stated, escalate it to a complaint. I'm sure it will get sorted out.

[BBLB]

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies

I've sent a written complaint about this to the Post Office which they've had for almost 3 weeks now - all I've recieved back from them is a standard holding letter. This worries me because if it was a straightforward error, then surely they would have sorted it out by now...

Also it isn't just one person who has advised me that they have to cancel the existing policy, it's several, including a manager.

Will just have to wait and see what they come back with I guess...