Insurance companies, dont ya just love them.

Tau · 8th November 2007, 20:15

I drive a Mitsubishi Pajero 4x4 (Shogun is the UK version)

I have for the last two years been Insured with NIG Skandia via ASA Brokers. This Company bought out the brokers that I had been insured with previously (Bradgate Ins) with this broker I did not have to declare any modifications on my vehicle.
Had my renewal come through from Asa which was quite reasonable and thought I would go ahead. I dont remember seeing anything about automatic renewal anywhere.
I rang ASA to confirm that I would like to renew my policy with them, but had noticed that there were a couple of discrepancies which I told them about. This was about a week after the policy had expired. The vehicle had been kept off road and not used during this time.

I mentioned to ASA that the vehicle had some mods to it and informed them what they were. The chap went away to find out about a possible increase in premium, on his return he informed me that NIG would not insure me with the mods listed, but if I removed them and got an engineers report saying that they had gone then that was OK.
Decided to reject that offer and took out a policy with another company.

So far so good.
I did receive a letter stating that the policy would be cancelled seven days after receipt of the latter, didnt think any more of it, until today.

Letter arrives in post, saying that I owe them (ASA) £127.69 FOR SEVEN DAYS COVER. Not a happy bunny.
Rang ASA who said that it was for the time that I had had the policy running. Excuse me but I didnt take out a policy with you and how can NIG offer me a weeks cover hat was invalid due to the fact that they would not insure me due to the modifications to the car.
Ok then we will waive the £35 cancellation fee then

But I did not cancel the policy NIG did and how can they charge me for not being insured as by their own admission they would not insure me. So my insurance in the event of an accident would have been void therefore leaving me uninsured and open to prosecution

I am fuming and it takes a lot for that to happen to me.

Any comments would be welcome.

Told them I am not paying Jack Sh!t

Darkangelsdelite · 15th November 2007, 21:32

Just a few comments. The reason they gave you 7 days cover is beause they have to. They can cancel a policy for any reason (in this case underwriting criteria) but they have to give you 7 days notice of cancelation to give you time to find alternate cover.
I agree that they should charge you for the time on risk as you've still had the cover (even though the cover was "invalid" due to non disclosure of modifications, they still agreed to cover you so would have had to pay out on a claim).
I'm pretty sure that they cant charge you a cancelation charge if they invoke cancelation so i'd tell them to go whistle for that.
I'd ask them to send you a breakdown of exactly what they are saying you owe them cos even without the £35 cancelation charge £100 sounds like a lot to pay for 7 days cover.

Let us know how you get on

DA

Tau · 15th November 2007, 22:04

Hi DA
Thanks for your thoughts.
As far as I am concerned I did not at any point renew my insurance with them. It does not say anywhere in the renewal notice that it would be renewed automatically.
I phoned the brokers about 4 days after the ins had expired, so as far as I am concerned I did not at any point renew my insurance with them. Sorry for repeating myself :o
What made it worse, was them saying they would not charge me the £35 cancellation charge, FFS they cancelled it. I have written them a snotty letter asking for a breakdown of the charge, but I wont hold my breathe.

Darkangelsdelite · 15th November 2007, 22:19

i've just re-read your post and you said you'd taken out cover with another company. did this start from the same date your old cover expired. If so, you could always tell ASA that their cover was not required from renewal as you had alternate cover in force.

Tau · 15th November 2007, 22:27

No, took it out on or around the 26th Oct. Didnt need to use the car as \I\ had the firms van and its parked off road.

Darkangelsdelite · 15th November 2007, 22:58

i'm running out of ideas here mate, they cant renew your policy without your prior authority. This would mean somewhere on your renewal notice it would have advise you the policy would renew unless they heard from you (if you say its not there then i dont doubt you, i'm just playing devils advocate)
The only other thing is if they did it over the phone when you called to accept the renewal but then found out about the modifications problem.

You did say you got a letter saying they had given you 7 days cover so its possible the guy you spoke to didn't cancel the policy like you asked, he instead renewed it then sent you the letter giving you a weeks cover.
Its difficult to tell really whats happened, the only other thing i can suggest you do is take it forward as a complaint and then ultimatly to the ombudsman if necessary.

Tau · 15th November 2007, 23:08

I will wait and see what they say in reply to my e-mail. Thanks for the input anyway mate.

Darkangelsdelite · 28th November 2007, 20:45

Any update on this yet?

Tau · 28th November 2007, 21:26

I sent them a snotty email about a fortnight ago and have not heard a thing since.
Dont think they wanted to give me a breakdown of the charges I had asked for. Mind you didnt send the proof of no claims either.

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