Tawnyowl here with how to completely mess your car insurance up.Through rushing,not checking,many things.

Now when i write a story when completely stressed out with a situation i mix a lighter look at things,helps me cope somehow.Knocking on a bit now so things prey on my mind.Especially after reading many stories over many years in the CAG

So i hope before you read this you can understand that.I expect some stick,fair enough i can take that.

I might even make a couple of mistakes but over time things usually become clear.

Writing this at 1 in the morning so it is bothering me slightly.

Been a driver for 29 years,no accidents apart from two write offs when i was not in my cars.

One a lad borrowed his mums car and wrote my Ford Capri 1.6 off after flying round a corner.

I was working on a clients house many years ago,rather large and did not hear the crash.

Client came home at dinnertime and said have you seen your car.No i replied so went outside and there it was about one third the size it was when i parked it.

Nobody hurt thank goodness.

Glad i did not hear it really because i was papering rather a large hallway where one roll did one drop,

i might have fallen off my ladder and double trouble then.

Other when i was in a shop,a wagon reversed slowly into my car and wrote it off once again.

Thought i was in Beadles about or Smile You Are On Candid Camera,completely unreal to watch such a thing.

So two cars written off speed travelling 0 miles per hour.

Move on many years end up with Saga,very cool,nice quotes everything great,1O Years plus no claims.

Then my daughter wants to drive,so i say well young owl,i will phone Saga and insure you.

Put you on my insurance so you can learn to drive.

The old owl gets on the blower to Saga saying my young owlet wants to learn to drive so can you insure her on my insurance.

No sorry no youngsters taken on under twenty five years old.

Well my eyes glazed over and feathers drooped,sad that i had to say goodbye to Saga and move on.

At the time i was looking at a quote 200 fully comp with breakdown 3 years no claims only because i had had a break for a couple of years previously.

So i must admit the insurance market had me baffled slightly but googled away and cheapest seemed to be One Direct,1043.94p

A great shock to me,but had to be done,wanted to help youngster.

Struggled to pay each month,in fact late payments perhaps 50% of the time but always paid including charges.

Anyway,received late payment letter,could not get through to usual place so paid,in a rush by card direct to One Call.

On web including usual late payment charges.

Received this back.

1st mistake perhaps

Dear Tawnyowl.6th April.

Thank you for keeping your policy up to date.

Your request has been sent to our renewals team who will manually process the payment. Please note that funds will not immediately debit from your account until the payment has been accepted.

Cover will not commence until you receive confirmation that cover is in force and payment has been processed.

One Call do not accept responsibility or liability until we have issued your policy documents to you.

Now i did not think much about this and left it.15 th April comes,

Policy started on 15th Oct cancelled on 15th April letter said Cost of Insurance 1043.94 Discounts applied to policy 15.00

Cancellation charge +55.99. Total cancellation cost 617.29.Amount paid 538.99 Balance to pay 78.30

2nd mistake

Panic set in,good grief if i had travelled yesterday i would not have been insured,Was my thought.

Feathers nearly fell out,just imagine that.

Did not think clearly,just wanted insurance as quick as,so googled away and found one Autonet.

About 600 including breakdown.Myself only.Talked to them about cancellation on phone,had to tell them i thought.

Asked Saga did not want to touch me because of cancellation.I had to tell them i thought.

Daughter is going on crash course ready to take test,just wanted any bad habits i may have passed on to be ironed out.

Daughter had had lessons before i gave her extra ones.

3rd mistake perhaps.

Autonet want proof of NCD or i suppose another cancellation is looming.

Thought to myself this insurance is sure costing a bit,let me root out the paperwork see why.

Then i noticed One Call had me down for 0 years NCD-

Good grief i must have on inception put 0 years NCD so must have paid more last year.

I will phone One Call and try to sort this.Tell them last year was wrong and should have been 3 years NCD.

Not try to get anything back just update things.

After explaining,final quote from them was.

Your new insurer should when looking at Sagas

combined with ours confirm your claim should be 4 years NCD.

So i talked to Autonet again,their reply after chatting away.

It may reduce the premium slightly by applying the extra 2 year discount, yes. We do need this to be your most up to date no claims bonus.

If you double check this and then come back, we can then look in to this for you.

But at the moment One Call have me down as 0 years NCD what a mess,to put it mildly.

Because when Autonet receive that proof it will be 0 years,and puff up in smoke goes my insurance again.

Or increased massively.

Should be 4 years NCB

I am

1-Thinking of challenging One Calls cancellation charge as payment was made to the company.

Thoughts are

Shame they do not check all NCD whether 10 years or no years just in case someone makes a mistake.

Benefits one way it seems.If there is a NCD Data Base,does anyone know if there is such a thing.

Well i do not expect many if any replies but just thought i would pop in and show you what a mess i have managed to make on my insurance.

And who knows may help someone,kind off do not rush,take your time when getting insured.

Keep things filed,easy to get at,not like myself forgotten about,thrown in a box somewhere.

At the moment i feel i am Donate to the Insurance Industry on a giant scale.

Well good morning to you all,enjoy the Bank Holiday Weekend,when it arrives,it is a little cool though.

The problem is off my chest now, written down so a hot chocolate and off to roost.

What will be,will be.

Sorry ,still bothering me slightly.Last bit of info.

From Autonet.When i asked if i could send Saga proof and One Calls to prove my mistake.

Craig says:

We can only accept the no claims bonus proof from the previous underwriter, we are not able to add two together to form one. You would need to speak to the previous insurers to see if this is something they can look into for you as we can only apply the discount from the last insurance.

Tawnyowl says:

I see so it seems although i really am entitled to nearly 4 years no claims in your view this would not be taken into consideration.With Autonet that is.

Craig says:

If the company that you were with prior to setting up your insurance with us will send written proof confirming you have an entitlement of 4 years, we will accept that, what we cannot do is put two sets of bonus together.

So that's it really.I hope it is reasonably clear.

As i said a mess i have made and looks like i will pay heavily for it.

Be careful when getting reinsured.

There is no central database for no claims discounts. Each Insurers you go with need the no claims proof from your last Insurers. If a mistake has been made, you need to go back to the Insurers holding the no claims proof you had.

Did One Call make a mistake with 0 NCD or did you send the NCD proof of 0 NCD ? Perhaps due to the claims you lost NCD entitlement ? If you don't have protected NCD, you lose 2 years per fault claim, based on the normal maximum of 5 years NCD.

You don't actually state when you had any claims on Insurance and whether your NCD was affected.

There is no central database for no claims discounts. Each Insurers you go with need the no claims proof from your last Insurers. If a mistake has been made, you need to go back to the Insurers holding the no claims proof you had.

 

Hi unclebulgaria 67 i will get in touch with One Call now and see if they can help.

Saga would be the insurer i had,before that. Have policy saying as i left them show to new insurer,3 years NCD

 

Did One Call make a mistake with 0 NCD or did you send the NCD proof of 0 NCD ? Perhaps due to the claims you lost NCD entitlement ? If you don't have protected NCD, you lose 2 years per fault claim, based on the normal maximum of 5 years NCD.

 

No i had three years,should have had 20 0dd years but a break for a couple of years from driving sent my no claims back to zero.

I did not send One Call proof of No Claims,perhaps my mistake when starting policy.

Claims were 20 years ago,in my favour.

You don't actually state when you had any claims on Insurance and whether your NCD was affected.

No claims in last 20 years.

Think i will ask One Call again see if they can help somehow.

Autonets conversation dried up rapidly.Could not type back,think they felt perhaps they had said enough.

Mistake 5

Might as well admit to another mistake i have made as a warning to others.

Or perhaps others do not make this kind of mistake.

Changed my email from Yahoo.co.uk to Yahoo.com.

Not realising that they are two different things.

Mistake 6

Storing passwords in my head for many sites.

Of course i forget some after a while.Combine that with changing mobile numbers you will never get back some.

So store passwords perhaps in a safe maybe best option.

Just saying.Utter idiot comes to mind.Life is so busy.Others must make similar mistakes.

Perhaps not.

Just find out when the NCD level went wrong and get it corrected. They should backdate to correct an error, but you might need a letter from any company issuing NCD proof ages after the event.

Thanks for the advice unclebulgaria,i will crack on with this.

NCD must have gone wrong at beginning of last policy

Interesting about possibilities of backdating.

I will update let anyone reading know what happens.

Not vanish without a conclusion.

Last proof of NCD Saga 14th April 2015 59% discount representing 3 years.

New policy started One Call 5/10/2015.

Just updating where i am up to. As i said i would.

And like i say i might have made mistakes and if i have i will admit to this and learn my lesson.And in this case probably pay more.

But after many years on the CAG I now like to get to the bottom of things.

Not throw in the towel to early.

Now unfortunately today the people i speak to seem to be away and i have been on the markets making a few pounds this weekend so have not moved on much.

But have prepared a note.Seems fair to myself and may find out where things have gone wrong.

Here it is i may change things slightly.

What roughly i plan to say to One Call.

Hi XXXX

I need some help.

I have a few questions about my insurance i had with One Call.

Regarding 1- Cancellation charges

2- NCD.

First regarding NCD.

It seems when the insurance was set up a NCD was applied to the policy of 0 years.

This should have been 3 years.I moved to your company from Saga.

On speaking to yourselves it was suggested that my new company should look at my Saga details and yours

and realise a mistake had been made and give me the NCD OF 3 years at least.

The new company Autonet Insurance says they will only take into consideration the details from the last company,yourselves.

Which at the moment has 0 years NCD

They will not look at two policies to make one NCD. And to get back to you to see if you can help.

Obviously last year the policy cost me more than it should have done but i am more interested in getting my NCD correct.

2nd.

Cancellation of policy.And cancellation charges.

Although late payments have been made a few times with the policy,all late payment charges have been made within the time limits given.

The last payment was made on the 6th April and received the message Thanks for keeping your policy up to date etc.

Then cancellation letter was received on 16th April along with bill.

Saying a DCA would be involved unless cancellation payment was made by last working day of the month.

I am wondering why policy was cancelled as it seemed to be up to date.

So am challenging that decision and while i am would appreciate not passing on to DCA Till the matter is sorted out.

If mistakes have been made on my end i will pay the charge no problem but just want things looking at,correcting if needed.

I do not know how much experience you yourself have in dealing with this kind of problem

and wonder if you could move this up the chain of command if it is a little complex.

Appreciate your time in looking at this.

Tawnyowl.

Try not to make it as complicated.

Get the NCD years correctly stated. The policy with One Call should state the NCD of whatever proof you sent them. If it is wrong, then they can check the proof you sent them and get it corrected. Once corrected, they can issue proof of the correct NCD.

As for cancellation, just find out why this is. It might be automatic, if there are payment issues,

do you have a copy of the NCD as issued my saga ? this should still be valid as NCD is good for 2 years after policy, this would at least get you 3 years discount on your current insurance, sadly if you have been regularly paying late for your insurance instillments I think they can cancel your policy , if you havn't completed the final year then you don't have an extra year of NCD just part year which isn't counted (unless on a NCD accelerated policy)

Hi liverpoolluke

Yes i have copy of the Saga NCD.

I understand the 2 year valid NCD or even 20 years NCD.Then seems to revert to 0 years,if you have a break from driving.

For two years or more

Looks like three years NCD as you say,as other is part year.Oct till now.

Although i had paid some payments late including charges,seemingly within the time limit given perhaps they still can cancel.

So tomorrow i hope i will find out when i contact them once again.

And will update.I will be happy if i manage to get my 3 years NCD.We will see.

Thanks for your helpful posts and advice unclebulgaria67 and liverpoolluke.

I will return tomorrow.

you can miss out one call altogether and just send the saga ncd to autonet as it will still be valid. the part years cover is irrelevant as it will not generate an extra years ncd until renewal

you can miss out one call altogether and just send the saga ncd to autonet as it will still be valid. the part years cover is irrelevant as it will not generate an extra years ncd until renewal

NCD proof is normally from last Insurers, even if policy only lasted for a few months. If there is any gap in between NCD proof and taking up another policy, they normally want this explained.

Well i spoke to a very pleasant lady on online chat.One Call.

Suggests as not been with them a year,NCD would not be a year anyway,so show Autonet old Saga policy.Showing 3 years NCD.

Policy had been cancelled unfortunately on 16th April due to a balance owing despite making a payment on the 6th.Not enough.

They had sent a voicemail.Which i had not picked up,so my fault completely.

So will pay the cancellation charge.When i have stopped kicking myself round the room.

Interesting that when i asked for copy of Online Chat they said 10 SAR Charge,Autonet always send me a copy.One to think about.

Not that i am tight or anything like that.

Now i move onto Autonet to explain this.They have taken my first payment this morning,so here we go.

Not that sure how this will go.I must have that 3 years NCD.

I will return,but wondering a few things.No i am not a pessimist,i am a optimist.

I will return.First a cup off very strong coffee.

Thinking to myself,do you know how long you have spent on trying to sort this mess out.How many hours.How much this has cost you in lost hours on your latest entrepreneuriel adventure.

Thinking of that i will give myself another kick around the room.

I like to tell a story about such times,i apologise if it seems long winded.Just the way i am.

Right,latest development,feel finally this is reaching a conclusion.

Now years ago without coming onto the CAG by now i would have given up and just paid and taken the hit.

Really in my mind although having over twenty years of no claims because you have a break over two years from driving,whether illness,not being able to afford a car and the running costs perhaps,hundreds of reasons your NCD reverts to 0,which i find a little strange.

But seems the rule.

So had built up a NCD of only 3 years which because i did not send,or entered 0 NCD when rushing into insurance with One Call and was not asked for proof of NCD.Why would they ask.But i feel insurers should check,ask at least in case mistakes are made by customers.

Whether 20 years NCD or 0 years NCD.

That is why i would like,although i am not technically minded a NCD Database.Surely in this day and age this is possible,though i do not know,do you.

Now there is no doubt i live on the edge as many do,juggling finances from day to day,getting by.

Someone said to me "If you are not living on the edge you are taking up to much space".

But certainly this time has cost me some money,although i am still thinking about that.

Surely if mistakes with NCD are made you can ask whether you can seek redress perhaps,what harm that that do.

I have paid 6 months of a insurance policy on 0 years NCD when should have been three years NCD

Which brings me back to the thought checks should be made whether 0 years or twenty years NCD.Just in case.

Now when talking to Autonet another twist of fate got me a little hot under the collar.

My screen on my laptop is blank,a fault,so i run a monitor so i can use it.

After perhaps 15 minutes talking,right at the vital moment when my Saga Details had just been taken my electric meter ran out.

And conversation ended abruptly.Screen instantly went out.

Nearly threw it out of the window and pulled my hair out,not that i have any.

After calming down i went out to buy electric,with a small diversion looking for bargains locally for my market sale tomorrow.Got to pay the insurance somehow.

On coming back,chatted again and finally after previous conversation was tracked,said Scan Saga document,send to us by email or other means as well as policy showing no claims have been made with One Call and underwriters will check this.

On asking whether insurance would be cheaper perhaps with extra year they said the policy would then be amended to reflect this.

So that is where i am up to at the moment.

There maybe some twists and turns yet but i was very impressed today with Autonet and One Calls chat service.

Although i am not that keen on One Call charging 10 pounds for copy of chat.

Where Autonet give you a copy for nothing.

Not that i am tight or anything:-)

Will update to tell what the Final Conclusion and outcome is.Thanks for all the advice.

Be careful when taking out insurance,take your time or it could cost you.

Latest update for anyone who maybe following this thread or may do in the future.

Cancellation charge on One Calls insurance paid.

My new insurer Autonet has phoned Saga for proof of NCD.

Saga told them they need my permission to talk to them.

Then Autonet phoned me on my market stall and had a very pleasant conversation with a few laughs.

I phoned Saga and said i agree to the company asking for this information.

It will be interesting to see the new amended details hopefully showing 3 years NCB.

It is not over yet but seems to be heading that way.Unless a unexpected complication arises.

Still thinking of time this has taken me to sort out.Due to mistakes made.

Thinking now about the voicemail message i did not see which led to cancellation of the policy.

And also shame that i did not have a final warning letter in the last ten days.

But has taught me a lesson.

Then Autonet phoned me on my market stall and had a very pleasant conversation with a few laughs.

Just correcting that sentence,should read Car Boot Paste Table in a farmers field,no use building things up to what they are not.

But that is another story soon to appear in the Bear Garden

Now this story of insurance has not finished yet.I thought it had but nothing for some reason ever goes to plan.

I know probably some feel i mix things a little to much perhaps but i hope it appeals to some.I know it is a serious business.

But like a little lightness in the story as well.Life is so serious for many of us.

Now things happened today and i am writing about it now.It will be rather a long post and i have run out of steam for today.

Some of you may find it hard to believe but if needed i can prove what i write is true.

So i will finish the post tomorrow when time allows.

Prepare for more Tales of The Unexpected- to do with my insurance well i would find what i am going to write hard to believe,but is true.

See you tomorrow,probably evening.

Tawnyowl.

Latest developments.Now i understand i do write a long post and apologise if it winds anyone up.But i am not going to change.

Here we go.

Woke up this morning,the birds were singing,mists were slowly rising from the lake down the lane.

I felt like singing and nearly did.

Breakfast then out to my garden to begin planning for this weekend.A fine forecast so lots of work to do.

To make a few pounds on my latest venture in business.

Then a text arrived from Autonet.

Sorry your latest Direct Debit has failed and we will try again on the 13th May,a suitable date i feel probably a Friday to collect again.

There will be a Default fee of 30 pounds.Friday the 13th,can you believe it.

So picture it,working away,sun shining,birds singing,mists swirling, propagating money trees of all things.

Supposed to bring wealth to those who buy them,or own them.I probably have 3 or 4 hundred now.

Then that text arrived.

Well my mood went down faster than a lump of lead in water.And so did the plants,trying to gather my thoughts.

How could this happen.Because of illness a while ago i had to change the work i was in,

so having worked with plants when young decided this was the way to go.That and Driftwood work.And selling

a few everyday items.And a cleaning job in the evenings for a few hours a week.

Left to myself but after a couple of hours usually i ache all over.

Now as many know,you do not make that much with crafts for a while at least so had to apply for a benefit called Working Tax.

Applied much later than i should have but received it,and helps tremendously.I am 60.It goes in my Bank on a Monday.

Wages as they are go on everyday living expenses we all have rent,or mortgage,food,Council Tax etc,etc,etc.

Walking to the kitchen to make a brew 3 letters landed with a bang on the carpet.

One was a letter from the bank saying i was overdrawn,another saying the cheque from the Gas Board

you paid in was out of date.Strange,i only received it 2 weeks ago,but hey.Looking at the cheque it was.

Another from the TV people saying,you pay your 10 pounds now boy,or else.

Perhaps a few of us get those,they are very keen these days.

So as i have already said,money is tight but with my payment from Working Tax the payment to

the insurer should have been paid.I was stunned to put it mildly.

To many i suppose 30 pounds is not to bad,but to myself that 30 pounds is a lot.How hard i work for 30 came to mind.

Early days of business.

So in my mind i was thinking good heavens,there will be Bank Charges,Insurance Default fees,

every fee imaginable was heading my way.Remembering the days back in 2009 when we were getting ripped off right left and centre by the Banks.

And thinking how has this happened.Baffled.

But why,money was in the Bank,i thought.

I will check the Bank by phone,not done that before.

Surely enough it was as they say not in the Bank.

Which had me going again.Just could not understand what has happened.

Now i noticed the Working Tax Credit was not in the Bank.I had received this for the last couple of months

I had asked the Tax people previously about a Award letter they sent me about 2 months ago,i had not received it.

When you have this notice you can see if you can get a little knocked off your Rent,Council Tax if on a lowish wage.

Said previously where is it have you sent it to the right address and went through things in great detail.

Left it when they said we will send another one.And double checked my address.

I know,i will phone them see what has happened.So did.My payment did not go in i said could you tell me why.

Yes we can,we sent a renewel notice to you and did not receive back so suspended the payment.

Well, can you believe it,i said or words to that effect i have not received 2 Awards notices,or a Renewel Pack.

Despite feeling under pressure we had a friendly chat and went through things again.

Finally he told me,well this has not happened before,strange things do, but it appears despite you giving correct address

and post code the letters have been going to a address half a mile away with a very similar post code and similar

Road name.The computer must have got things mixed up and when you phoned the second time

the operator must not have understood your accent perhaps.I spelt the name of the road out,what can be clearer than that.

And was acknowledged.

Then said it is our fault,will you lift the suspension was my reply,yes came back the answer.

But the money may be spread out over time.Spread out,how thin can i spread things,but the matter had been sorted.

Told him about charges and he said phone the insurers and your bank and see what you can do.

He was a friendly fellow and we discussed Bank charges and a few other things and even had a laugh about life.

Phoning a Bank and a insurer did not fill me with joy,

and already a couple of hours had passed,production thoughts and loss of time in my head again.

I do not need a watch,you just work from when it comes light till when it goes dark at the moment.

For little reward,but live in hope.

Well i phoned my insurer Autonet and talked to a friendly lady who could not have been more helpful.

She was that friendly i said after a brief discussion about the weather if i could send you a plant down the phone

i would do.Thoughts off one less Money Tree.

She laughed and then we got back down to business.

Thought came back of a time i had to go on Universal Credit for a month or so,

i tried to flog some money trees to the staff,saying your desks are a touch bare nowadays.And i can maintain them and

look after them.Told me they used to do that kind of thing but times have changed.You are not kidding i thought.

And did not get that contract anyway.Shame,it would have looked nice,visions had appeared in my mind.Countrywide.

And i would have a job,

Sorry diverted there for a moment.Back to it.

Explained that they are a Broker and the charge was not theirs but hold on a moment,

i will phone the insurer now and explain things,see what can be done.

Came back and said i have spoken to your insurer and a very friendly lady said they will scrap the charge

and reschedule payments.

I was pleased with this news and left after a few more pleasantries.

I may write about this on the Consumer Forums which i do say sometimes if people impress me,or the opposite.

And i do not want to say to much about the magic powers this can have or i may have to Donate,

and i am poor,at the moment that is.But i assure you it can work,and has worked.But that is another story.

She was very pleased about this.And conversation ended.

On to the Bank.When i went Bankrupt 7 years ago,lost the lot as they say i joined the Cooperative Bank,a basic Bank Account

A bank that i like the way they look at things.Ethical approach,but i believe have had some hard times lately.

Phoned them and said ,once again to a very friendly lady i am worried i think i have messed my Bank Account up.

Went throught things and explained.Well there will be no charges,no overdraft charges,times have changed at this Bank.

So after a few hours things went back to where they were a couple of days ago.

Waitng for amended details of NCD when Autonet phone Saga.

Now it is 7.47am,and time to get back to my plants and prepare for the weekend.I hope nothing happens today.

We will see.I will update when the final curtain will come down on this Thread.

Some of you may think i wish it would end now.The longest performance ever already.

Have a nice day and if you want a money plant,you know where to find me.

Tawnyowl.

Well it is weeks later now.Letters have been sent again and again.

Autonet say they confirmed NCD with One call showing for the seven months i was with them no claims.

And asked for Sagas Policy which i uploaded on their online chat service a few days ago.Showing 3 years NCD

Today i received a letter saying please forward your NCD from Saga which i already had done.Saying we will cancel in seven days if you do not.

Other option remove NCD and pay another 300 pounds roughly.

So once again online chat explaining this finally they stopped chatting .

I can see the conversation you had with my colleague and they advised they would pass this onto the administration team to check this.

They have checked this now and they have emailed you to advise this is not acceptable as it was not

from your last insurance company.

So even though i have now proved i am entitled to 3 years NCD by Sagas policy and the time i was with One Call this is still not acceptable to Autonet.

Only option i see is pay another 300 which i have said i will not do.That is when things went dead on online chat.

Other option i see is phone direct to who i am insured with if possible.

Or complain to Insurance body when i have looked at that option.

I have to be insured.A right old mess.

Suggest you make an urgent complaint to Auto-net

You would be better to use a local brokers in future, given your issues with online arrangements.

Latest Update.

The customer relations team manager from Autonet has just rung me.

I talked to a pleasant chap who had read the story on the Consumer Forums.

And he said reading the story made things easy for him as usually he has to do quite a lot of investigating.

The matter has now been resolved.

My 3 years NCD has been accepted and also now has a slight discount.

I am pleased after many years on the CAG i do not give up as easily as i once did.

Thanks for everbody's advice.

Now after a full morning trying to get this sorted out i will return to my small business that will hopefully grow.

What am i doing some may wonder.Making a Driftwood Ostrich about 3 metres high.Amongst other things

Eccentric or mad i will let you decide.

One thing is for sure i can see the light again.The sun has once more appeared from the clouds.

It is going to be a pleasant afternoon.Enjoy your weekend,when it arrives.

Bye for now.

Tawnyowl.