Hello all,

wondering if someone can help me here as I just can't get my head around this one!

I was involved in an accident in my van which was a total non fault accident on my part - 3rd party and their insureres amitted full liability. Anyhow, as a consequence of the accident my van was written off. Third party insurance paid out and I bought a new van. Unfortunately due to some of the fitments to my new van my original insurance underwriters refused to insure my new vehicle. I stayed with my broker Autonet Insurance and they arranged alterantive cover with a diferent undewriter. As a consequence of this Autonet are now claiming that I owe them £184 for the old policy in cancelled direct debit costs or something like that?

I didn't cancell the policy the underwriter did. I paid my direct debits without fail and they are paid upfront in advance of months risk. I was only put in this situation due to something that was not my fault - yet I still have to apparently pay for the outstanding policy on a van that is non longer in existence as it has been written off and scrapped and therefore carries no insurance risk. I can't understand why in addition to my new more expensive policy purchased through the same broker I also have to pay for a policy that is effectively defunct for a van that was written off by someone driving into me? Surely if this amount is so important to them as the insurance company (broker) can't they calim it from the third party - as it is they who have put us in this position?

I have received a - You will be pursued through our debt collection team, county court judgement letter unless I pay within 7 days.

Can someone help me understend this direct debit charge business as i just feel that someone is having my trousers down here?

All the best

Big Merv

Have you been in contact with them Merv to ask how they justify this fee ?

If not you should do so, but don't do it on the phone, do it by letter.

Normally after a claim on any annual policy, you have to pay the remaining premium that is due up to renewal. Just because you pay monthly, does not make it a monthly contract.

It does not make any difference that they could not Insure the new van and the brokers had to arrange an alternative policy.

By the sounds of it Autonet are not very good at explaining issues to their customers. You can complain, but the premium is due. Ask for a breakdown of the amount they are asking for.

Thanks for the replies folks.

I have been in touch with them via the phone and I am simply told is part of the terms and conditions. I will write to them and ask for a copy of the said terms and conditons and a breakdown of the outstanding charge.

Just seems like a bit of a con to me.

Big Merv

as the van was wrtten of, your insurance comes to an end for that vehicle, so you have to pay the remaining costs for the year. same as if you had paid in full at the start; you would not expect a refund would you? you paid your insurance and it was sorted.

as the van was wrtten of, your insurance comes to an end for that vehicle, so you have to pay the remaining costs for the year. same as if you had paid in full at the start; you would not expect a refund would you? you paid your insurance and it was sorted.

Depends if Merv made a claim on his policy or claimed directly with the third party. Full premium would be due if a total loss claim was made on the policy, but it's not clear from the OP what happened. Just the vehicle being written off doesn't make the full premium due if that policy didn't pay out anything. Even if it did, I think Autonet are being harsh if all costs were recovered from the third party.

No there was no claim made on my policy as it was a total non fault accident on my part.

As for it being sorted...well that's a whole different matter all together! I get the feeling I was only paying insurance to comply with my legal obligation to do so, because all the sorting was done by me as the insurance company were f'ing useless!

I await their reply to my letter regarding there terms and conditions. It appears that they are counting the fact that there was a need to change underwriters following the accident because my existing underwriters refused to insure my new vehicle as a choice of mine to cancel my existing policy?

Big Merv

The point could be that the t&c's of the policy require the full annual premium to be paid, in the event of any cancellation mid term.