Swinton Insurance Mayhem

[Boogler]

This is a very long story but I will try and tell it as best as I can.

 

Basically it revolves around an issue that I believed had been rectified then to my dismay find it had got worse!

 

Basically last year my Suzuki GSXR was insured through Swinton and renewal came I got the usual calls to try to get me to renew. On the first call I stated that I wasnt interested in renewing. The advisor said he would call back with some better prices to try and tempt me. I said 'ok'. Over the next 2 or 3 weeks I had several calls which I ignored as I knew it was them on the caller display. In the meantime I moved house and as far as I was concerned that was it once the policy expired in October.

 

About 3 weeks later I recieved a load of forwarded mail and to my suprise I found a welcome pack to Swinton with new policy details and paperwork (including about every concievable extra included..helmet and leather cover, breakdown etc..none of it what I had the year before!!!Plus a hefty renewal premium)Of course I called up to ask what was going on and the advisor spouted a load of rubbish about how I hadnt told them I wasnt interested in renewing etc. I replied that I had and that I wanted the policy cancelled. I am then told that to cancel it would cost £180 as the extras are not refundable etc. I stated I never asked for breakdown and helmet and leather cover etc the year before so why had they added this year let alone renewed it automatically. In the end I was getting nowhere and I could feel myself starting to boil so said I wasnt going to pay the £180 so would be sending a letter to the complaints department only to be told if I didnt pay they would start legal proceedings. In the end it was left that I would carry on paying the direct debits until I resolved the situation.

I then set about writing a letter to the complaints department only to recieve a letter from them a few days later saying they were sorry to hear I wasnt interested in renewing and another documant stating my no claims entitlement I had earned and that policy had ended on the date in October.

 

I assumed then that my call to complain must have worked and forgot about it.

 

I checked my Direct Debits the other day and was shocked to find they were still taking money from my account in Novemeber and December. I cancelled the Direct Debit and have now sent them a letter asking why they are still taking money and also a copy of the letter they sent me.

 

Has anybody got any advice as to what may happen next or been in the same situation.

 

Thanks

[Jan4a]

They are a nightmare. There are other Swinton threads on here if you search.

 

Write to their head office in Manchester again (per their complaints procedure on their website). Send it recorded delivery.

 

Hopefully they will sort it properly. If they don't, go to FOS.

 

Watch them with cancellation charges, make sure you get everything back. If you have cancelled direct debit it is likely they will set debt collectors on you (even whilst they're investigating your complaint). It is their usual practice to try and frighten people into paying what they do not owe.

 

After it is sorted complain to FSA anyway - especially if they do have debt collectors chasing you whilst you are waiting for a response from head office.

 

Jan

[Mossycat]

Contact your bank, they operate the Direct Debit Gurantee scheme, which caters for instances like this (ie where a Company takes Direct Debits that it is not entitled to).

 

If for any reason that fails then go back to Swindlers (I mean Swinton) and point out that you advised them you were not renewing and they sent you proof of NCB for the policy that expired in October and you want a full and immdeiate refund

 

Mossy

[Boogler]

They are a nightmare. There are other Swinton threads on here if you search.

 

Write to their head office in Manchester again (per their complaints procedure on their website). Send it recorded delivery.

 

Hopefully they will sort it properly. If they don't, go to FOS.

 

Watch them with cancellation charges, make sure you get everything back. If you have cancelled direct debit it is likely they will set debt collectors on you (even whilst they're investigating your complaint). It is their usual practice to try and frighten people into paying what they do not owe.

 

After it is sorted complain to FSA anyway - especially if they do have debt collectors chasing you whilst you are waiting for a response from head office.

 

Jan

 

I cant see how they have a leg to stand on as i have a piece of paper in my hand from them dated 6 Nov stating the policy finished on the 6th Oct and another letter stating they were sorry I wasnt renewing with them.

 

Im really hoping to hear from them with a nice cheque for refund of the money they took for a policy that dosent exist-lol..I doubt it though..from reading other mishaps I think I could be in for a battle. Though The Direct Debit would have been taken on the 1st or 2nd of January I would have thought They would have tried ringing me to find out why I hadnt paid.

[Jan4a]

In my experience the problem with them seems to be communication - their branches and head office don't communicate, they contradict each other. That appears to be such a problem they are basically stealing money from you.

 

Ask them if they've ever taken PPI from you whilst you're writing - they've just been done by FSA for adding PPI to quotes and charging people for it without even telling them they had it. Details on FSA website.

 

See what head office say - I thought the canx charge on their website t&c's was £50 but someone else posted a while ago it was £40. Ask them for a full statement of your account with them so you can see exactly what they've taken and what it was for. You need it in writing for Ombudsman. If they refuse that's a mark against them if it gets that far.

 

Please report to FSA when sorted - they need a good hard kick.

 

Good luck

 

Jan

[Boogler]

Recieved a letter to say the problem was being looked at and would get a reply in 20 working days.

[Mossycat]

Recieved a letter to say the problem was being looked at and would get a reply in 20 working days.

 

I wouldn't accept that, I'd be on the phone to them twice a day demanding action. Make a nuisance of yourself, they screwed up, you want your money back and you want it now and not when they get around to looking at it.

 

Mossy

[Jan4a]

Recieved a letter to say the problem was being looked at and would get a reply in 20 working days.

 

 

I think that's a standard letter they send to everyone. From memory, it did take them that long to get back to us. But they were chasing us for money (that we didn't owe) so wasn't bothered.

[Boogler]

**Update**

 

Have since been forwarded two letters to my old address ( amazingly the reply to my complaint letter came to my new address and these 2 new ones went to my old address- shows they update their records!!!!NOT!)

 

First one said they wanted to know why I have cancelled the direct debit,the second one saying the insurance has been cancelled and they want the cancellation fee paid up.

 

Should I write back saying the issue is being dealt with by head office or should I just wait for the reply from my complaint letter ( should recieve it back anyday now- 20 working days they said)

[Jan4a]

I think I'd write back and remind them that you informed them of the change of address on x date as well as advise them head office is dealing and keep copy.

 

It won't do any good - they'll still chase you for canx fee but the more ammunition you have of their inefficiency in writing the better for when/if it gets to FOS/FSA.

 

 

Jan

[Boogler]

Well I drew up a letter having a good moan about the address mishaps. I waited until midday yesterday to go send it ( incase something came in the post) and 5mins before I was going to leave I got a phonecall from them.

 

After expalaining the whole situation ( to someone who actually listened to me instead of interuppting) I was offered my money back and the insurance cancalled at no charge.

 

I wont be happy until I actuallyget my cheque and it clears in the bank but at least I SEEMS to be sorted.

 

I will NOT be using them again though- so they have lost out on getting the policy on 1 bike,3 cars and a motorhome insurance from now on. When I insured one of the cars recently they came up as cheapest but refused to use them.

 

All im worried about now is will the this cancellation come up on the insurance database when I get insurance in the future? Even if it was their mistake? I know on insurance forms it states ' have you ever had insurance cancelled?' I presume if I keep hold of my complaint paperwork I can forward it it any future insurance companies it should suffice.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

Edited January 29, 2010 by Boogler

[Jan4a]

Hi

 

I am really pleased for you

 

Please still consider sending complaint to FSA - is the only way to stop them doing same thing to other people.

 

Sorry can't help on way forward with other companies - but wouldn't think it would effect you. Hopefully insurarance experts will comment.

 

Jan

[frankieg]

I made a complaint to the FSA about Swinton. Swinton admitted they knew my sons drivers licence wasnt valid in the UK( he didnt know)when they gave him a very expensive policy. After 20 months he discovered that his invalid licence invalidated the insurance and ,if he had an accident, they wouldnt have had to pay up!!. All FSA did was send me links to the DVLA but totally ignored my contention that Swinton is partly at fault. We're americians so dont really know what the FSA does

[Surfer01]

I will never deal with Swindles again. Most uselss bunch of airbags on this planet.

[Labcat40]

I will be hassling Swinton insurance till i get suitably reimbursed for the stress and anxiety they have caused due to their staff not doing their job properly. Back in October we got a call offering personal accident an sickness insurance. At the time i was undergoing surgery for cancer my husband said he would be interested but would not take anything out until we had seen more information. As we didn't hear anything from them we assumed they weren't going to lose sleep over it, we had more important things to worry about.

 

Just after Christmas i checked our bank account only to find they had set up a irect debit and started taking money and had done so in October, November and December. I promptly called the direct debit and alerted the bank about this.

 

To cut a long story short a number of calls back and forth saying they had nothing on record then they did i have got my money back. I have requested a copy of the initial telephone recording but no one seems to be to bothered to help.

 

The latest they are telling me is that documentation was sent out, however the address they told me it went to, was an address we lived at more than 2 years ago. Strange because my home insurance for where we currently live is with them until it's due for renewal.

 

I WILL keep hassling them, as the stress they incurred on me by their fraudulent activity has not be good for my health. I am in the process of insisting on compensation for the stress and anxiety caused. Chemotherapy is bad enough with out them pulling stunts like this to exacerbate things further.

 

Rest assured i will be placing a note on the Macmillan site to warn everyone of Swinton's antics. I used to be deal with Colanade without any problems, then Swinton took over and it has gone down the pan.

 

I will never use Swinton again even if they prove to be the cheapest.