Direct Line will not refund overpayments

[missy]

Last August my daughter who is a named driver on my policy had an accident in my car. As a result my premiums went up. What I did not notice due to me not checking, was the premmiums increased from £40/month to £120/month. I finall noticed this month and contacted Direct Line who said that my no claims had dropped from 5 years to 1 year. I thought the premiums excessive and shopped around. I found another company that would insure me for £30 even with 1 Years no claims.

 

I contacted Direct line to initiate cancelling my policy and when asked why I explained as above. However after checking I was told the reason for the big drop in no claims was that the accident last august had been entered twice and it showed 2 accidents in 1 day.

 

My no claims was increased to 3 years. I then realised I had been overpaid nearly £400 due to their error. I asked for this money to be refunded to me and was told I could not have it back and that because I paid by direct debit then the overpayment would be deducted from the rest of the years premiums.

 

I was not happy abut this and asked if there would be a charge for cancelling my policy and was told £30. I said I would be ok with that and asked if i would get the £400 refunded when the policy was cancelled and was told, no, I would lose it.

 

I then agreed to have the original option of having it deducted from my balance but the new payments were still £60 obviously more than the other quote.

 

I now feel trapped by Direct Line where if I leave I lose £400 and if I stay I have to pay more that that qoated by another company.

 

Can they do this?

[crem]

I don't understand why your premium went up following the accident?

 

If it was within the current premium year, then whatever they had quoted you in the first place should stand. Any change to the premium because of the accident should only take effect at the time of renewal

[dx100uk]

if they did not notify you by letter that the dd was increasing

contact your bank and demand the over payments back under the dd guarantee

 

they MUST refund within 14days [i think] regardless to any 'investigation' they have to do.

 

dx

[deep in the whatsit]

Hope your bank is better than mine, Halifax were useless when i tried to reclaim a payment wrongly taken.

 

Bank even sided with the company despite my proof.

 

Insurance policy for 1 year with 10 monthly payments, No mention of any automatic renewal i double checked.

After the 10 months were up i cancelled the direct debit, Sold the car a few weeks later but as there was such a short time left

on the policy i left it to expire. Classic policy.

 

Then i heard nothing more from the insurance but 6 weeks later they took a payment from my bank, How when i had only signed

an agreement for 10 payments and had also cancelled the direct debit.

 

Even when i showed the person in the halifax they said i needed to jump through hoops to get my money back. I gave up and forgot

about it. It was under £20.

 

I would have been a bit more insistant if it was £400 though.

 

How do you get them to refund without quibbles??

[crem]

 

How do you get them to refund without quibbles??

 

You get them to do it by clearly stating you are requesting it under the terms of the direct debit guarantee. They must refund that money same day, and it is then down to them to pursue the 3rd party, not you.