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Car insurance 'hidden' excess HELP!


icklecat
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Last week I hit a badger (cue badger jokes!) resulting in severe damage to my bumper and radiator. I got a quote from a local bodyshop which was around £700 including labour.

When I phoned my insurance - Direct Line - to report the incident, they went through a plethora of information with me, stating that my excess was £250. They then asked my age - 24 - and she said "Oh well under 25s incur an extra £250 on top of the excess, making it £500.

I was utterly gobsmacked. This was not made clear when I bought the insurance, nor was it on my original quotation, but it is however in the 'small print' booklet sent with the quote.

I'm not happy because I am 25 in October, I've been driving for 6 years, never had a claim or and accident and they're slapping £250 on me without warning.

I feel I haven't got a leg to stand on because it's in the small print, but I think a charge like that should be stated from the off. Is there any way I can get round this?????

 

HELP!!!!

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In a word...No.

 

The compulsory young driver XS is clearly laid out in your documentation.

 

The onus is on you as the policy holder to check this when you take the policy out, it is also clearly laid on on the website and explained to you when you take a policy out over the phone.

 

I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear but I thought it'd just give it to you straight.

 

 

 

DA.

If you find the advice I give is useful, then please feel free to click the scales :)

 

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt" :)

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I have to agree with DA here, the young drivers excess will, no doubt, have been shown on the Keyfacts document at point of sale AND the policy documents when issued.

 

Bite the bullet time, I'm afraid.

 

H

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It is standard practice for under 25s to be charged an additional excess - the same thing happens where I work.

 

I'm not 100% sure what a Direct Line policy document looks like, but I'd assume the young driver excess would be mentioned on the policy schedule as well as in the actual policy booklet itself. If you bought the policy over the phone, then I think the adviser should have told you about the excesses. If, on the other hand, you bought it online, then it is up to you to make sure you understand everything.

 

It is very important when you take out a policy to ensure you fully understand what you're covered for. I'd say just put it down to experience. As you're 25 soon, it's unlikely that you will have any future problems with young driver excesses anyway.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I agree that it is correctly laid out but I still find it really unfair.

 

I realise that under 25's are considered to be mad drivers etc and also that insurance is all based on risk, the age of the driver is calculated in the risk and is reflected in the premium and yet they then charge you twice when it comes to a claim??

 

Young drivers insurance is more expensive in the outset anyway but to then just charge more on the excess.

 

I work with the emergency services so find I get lower insurance at 21 than others anyway but still find the young drivers excess silly.

George Loveless - “We raise the watchword, liberty. We will, we will, we will be free!"

 

My advice is only my opinion, I am not a legal expert.

 

IF YOU LIKE THE ADVICE I'M GIVING AND ARE HAPPY WITH IT, CLICK THE SCALES ON THE BOTTOM LEFT OF THIS POST AND TELL ME.

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Orfoster, if they didn't charge the under-25s higher excesses then it would mean that the premiums for young drivers would have to be even higher than they already are. That would put insurance out of reach of many people. When doing a quote, you should find that if you opt for a higher excess the premium will be lower.

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If the insurance contract was made and binding before you received the small print documentation then you wouldn't be bound by the higher excess.

 

You would have to persuad a court that the way that the business is conducted is that you enter into the contract, say on the phone, or on the internet and that it is only later that the full terms and conditions are brought to your attention (after the contract was made).

 

Have you seen the industry code of conduct? Do they say anything ab out making these terms clearly visible during the sales pitch? If so then you may have a breach of contract by them and especially a breach of CPUT http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/faqs-please-read-these/146460-consumer-protection-unfair-trading.html

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If the insurance contract was made and binding before you received the small print documentation then you wouldn't be bound by the higher excess.

 

With all due respect, are you sure about this? If terms and conditions aren't binding before a customer receives the documentation, then it would mean that the insurance adviser would have to read out the entire policy wording over the phone in order for the T&Cs to be valid.

 

I believe the FSA rules say that it is OK for for T&Cs to be provided after the conclusion of the contract when insurance is being sold over the phone. This is why a cooling-off period is provided.

 

I will always support people if they've been treated unfairly, but it doesn't half bug me when people try to shirk their responsibilities by claiming ignorance of T&Cs/laws/regulations etc (and this goes for both sides - insurers and policyholders).

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You get a 14 day cooling off period in which to cancel the policy for any reason. This is to give you time to check your documentation and ensure that you have the cover that you were lead to believe you had and if not, gives you time to either correct any errors or cancel the policy entirely and get your money back (providing no claim is made of course).

 

This period starts from the day that you receive your documentation and not from the day that you accepted the policy as people often think.

 

This is so that everyone is treated fairly as some companies use 1st class post, some use business class and also the royal mail delivery times vary (some remote locations take longer to receive mail etc).

 

 

DA

If you find the advice I give is useful, then please feel free to click the scales :)

 

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt" :)

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