Insurance cancelled - policy documents claimed as Not Received

[100]

Hi All,

I passed my driving test on 20 Sep 07.

I took out an NIG policy through Insureyourmotor/Hyperformance Ltd on 4 Oct 07. (£1,220). I paid over the phone by creditcard. I received the documents and filled them out the same day and stuck them back in the post with the postage-paid envelope.

About on the 4th Dec, I received a warning in the post saying they still hadn't received my documents so I sent them in again with the stuff attached.

I phoned them saying how disorganised this is making them look, the lady operator said it was probaby the royal mail strikes or something like that (it looked really bad from my perspective, I think they are completely understaffed or something).

And finally, on the 18th of December or so, I received another warning. I filled out the third set of paperwork and sent it back to them by recorded delivery.

It was signed-for on the 24th. I rang them up today, having found an old letter in a bag I was going to throw out. So I rang them up today, just out of interest, because over christmas lunch my dad said that I should have 'wised up' and questioned why they hadn't sent me a full insurance policy documentation by the 4th december, and it was my fault for not having followed it up (it was my first insurance policy ever, and I didn't know about them sending a full policy documentation).

The result of today's phonecall... Turns out, they cancelled the insurance on the 19th Dec , due to having not received any of my policy documentation (even though I sent it to them via undisputable recorded delivery), and didn't reinstate it , (having seen the postmark). They said I am due a refund of £535. In my mind, £535 is a bit short of £1,220!

I'm completely baffled by all of this, it's really difficult to absorb all of it, and basically I use my car on a daily basis, and now knowing this, I can't use my car (legally) at all.

1) Do I have any rights to get my insurance policy back on track?
2) Or even a more-substancial refund? (although would rather not, because NCB is in full-years).
3) A friend says I can do a charge-back on my mastercard, but isn't that illegal?

4) And also, since the operator on the telephone said today, that the insurance had been cancelled... and the thing is... I distinctly recall (after looking on insurance websites for ages), that there is a field where you need to declare if you 'have ever had insurance cancelled, refused or something else', would this count as 'cancelled'? Argh, I have a sneeky suspicion this will make any future premium go up loads.

Thanks for reading this, and thanks in advance for your post!

Best regards,
Gabe

[rudekid48]

Hi Gabe,

Can you be abit more specific with some info please?

1/ The letter you received on 18th Dec, what was it dated and did it say that they were going to cancel the policy in 7 days (or something similar)?

2/ What exactly did you have to return to them -was it just a proposal form or were there other things?

If you can answer these then people may be in a better position to offer some advice (good or bad).

[bazaar]

Hi 100
I ve got the same problem with sons insurance, but unfortunately they wrote to him so he had to go to court for no insurance, all after having his car crushed because he couldnt afford to pay the release fees.
Anyhow, we have written to his insurers asking for the price of his car, they stated that he didnt have a policy, Not So, I had made him go to the office and very politely ask for details before we wrote to them, a lowly clerk then printed off his policy, which he took to court and got the case thrown out.
So we are now compiling a letter to the ombudsman, before going to court.
Thats my history.
My advise is keep every piece of paperwork you have, especially where it says policy number etc.
Write to the insurers stating exactly what you have stated here, DO NOT PHONE, they will deny it.
Demand a refund of the missing amount of money, point out that you have the recorded delivery confirmation ready for future use.
They will probably write back denying liability and 'its for our costs, blah blah'.
We can then start further action if this fails.
Oh 1 more point, get yourself off to a reputable insurer,