Swift Cover?!?

[mikejburrett]

Hello everyone (Yes this is my first thread!)

I would like to share with you the experience and see if anyone else has decided to "Click, click" not "Cluck, clucked"!

Basically I have been driving now for about 6 years, and been with various insurance companies, (TPF&T and Fully Comp.) - none of which were bad really. I have been an unlucky driver and been involved in a few accidents of both fault and non-fault status
, so I have had enough experience with the way they work. I always shop around for a good deal. But after getting what I thought was a good quote from the new Swift Cover team I soon found out that you do get what you pay for, if that! read the letter I have just sent them and see what you think, and let me know what I should do next (if anything) I apologise for the length! ;

Dear Sir/Madam,


I am writing to complain about the poor level of service I have experienced in the short time that I have been a customer of Swift Cover.

To start, I was disappointed to learn that the date my Insurance cover commenced was to be the date the Direct Debit was set up. Of course I rang to change this to a date more suitable to me, in line with my salary pay day. I was even more annoyed when I was told that there was nothing that could be done to rectify this, subsequently, I have had problems with my bank account ever since, as I am paying for my insurance before I get paid, then I get charged for the privilege by my bank.

This would almost be bearable if the Insurance service I pay for was to a satisfactory standard. Unfortunately, it is far from that.
I was involved in a non-fault accident, close to my home (Claim Number: 668. So I exchanged details, as would be expected, and then contacted the Swift Cover Team to provide details to commence with the usual claim process - or so I thought...

I was asked for a large payment. When I asked what this was for I was told that this was my excess amount. I explained that the accident was not my fault and that I have never been asked to pay anything when I have been hit by a 3rd Party in the past, and especially not when I have been covered Fully Comprehensive. I was then told that I would have to pay the excess to enable the claim process, following which an attempt would be made to recover these costs. I was obviously confused by this and decided to end the conversation to decide my next approach.
I had some time to talk the events over with family and friends, as I was beginning to think that I was wrong, but they reassured me that this is not at all normal for a non-fault incident.
After recalling some previous accidents I have been unfortunate enough to be involved in, I realised that this was in fact the first time that I had been asked to pay for this type of accident. So I got back on the phone to Swift Cover, explained the situation once again, and was told once again that I would be required to pay the £300 excess. I was then met with long silence, then I was offered a fee-free solution. I was hopeful, but then the lady at the other end of the line said that the only way I could avoid paying the excess was to deal with the whole matter myself, this apparently would also prevent me from having a claim filed against me. What else could possibly happen, as if paying for an accident that was not my wasn't bad enough, I would also have a claim!

I soon ended yet another conversation, now very angry, to work out what was going on. What was I paying for anyway, so that I could do the work myself, or so that I could pay even more for the work to be done?!?

Now if I did decide to contact the 3rd party, or their insurers to sort the matter out myself I could have risked the whole claim.
I was now beginning to think that I had no real option.

Luckily enough for me, I received a phone call that same day from the 3rd party's insurance company, who were very kind, polite, apologetic and helpful, and asked if there was anything they could do to help with the claim. In the end the claim was taken care of promptly and efficiently between myself and the 3rd party's insurers. But why should it be like that when I pay Swift Cover to do this?!

[craigwalton]

Ok.

Technically Swift were right, the excess amount is the 1st amount of any claim you have agreed to pay. You should be chasing (and have been) the TP insurers for this. However, if you have "Legal" cover then Swift should have pointed you in that departments direction.

Regarding the claim being on your policy, it is correct, however, from my experience the fact that you have got a "non fault" claim or no claim at all will make no difference - go on a internet quote site for car insurance, get the quote then add a couple of non fault claims and it will make no difference, so Swift were being lazy there.

With regards to the direct debit - did you ring a few days before the money was due from the bank? If not then this is unacceptable and I would try to pay by Standing Order at a date that suits you!

[mikejburrett]

Originally Posted by craigwalton

With regards to the direct debit - did you ring a few days before the money was due from the bank? If not then this is unacceptable and I would try to pay by Standing Order at a date that suits you!

Thanks for the reply.

I have been promised that they are dealing with my complaint.

I spoke to them about the Direct Debit situation again yesterday (as it forces me overdrawn regularly, thus attracting yet more bank charges!) and they told me that their 'system' does not allow them to change the DD date. I will try to sort out a Standing Order instead. How should I approach this do you think?

[macabethiel]

Why do people get confused with the expression 'No claims bonus' (NCB) and the associated insurance excess payable when making a claim ?

My late father who was a part time insurance agent always made it clear that an insurance excess is payable in the event of a claim that might be refunded if it was proved to be a no fault claim and that excess could be recovered from the third party. This is often not possible e.g. If a pedal cyclist or a pedestrian or animal is involved or an un-insured driver.

Its not called a 'No blame bonus' so in the event of a claim you can still loose NCB even if its not your fault and will have to pay the excess and seek to recover that from the third party.

[Rob S]

The OP's first post seems to suggest that his insurer asked for payment of the excess before any work had been done to his car, and to enable them to commence the claim. This does seem very unusual. In the claims I have made over the years I have only had to pay the excess when the work on my vehicle has been completed and certainly not before that time.