Another Hastings problem

[Vord]

I too am VERY angry & disgusted with what’s transpired with my Hastings problem....

I’d just like to start by saying I have been driving for over 20 years now and I have never had problems with an insurer up until now.

I sold my motorcycle & cancelled my insurance (with MCE/Norwich Union/Aviva) and bought a new motorcycle about a week, got some new quotes (I cancelled with MCE etc as they wanted over £100 increase on my premium for me having the audacity to have an extra years no claims, which is now over 10 years).

Hastings was pretty cheap (not the cheapest) but I went with them as I had heard of them.

I had a call just over a week ago, which I couldn't take as I was driving so my partner answered; when they couldn't talk to me they said it wasn't important and that they would put it in a letter.

Well, imagine my surprise when I got a letter approximately one week later I had a letter waiting for me at home demanding i pay £777.04 extra on my premium + a £35 admin fee (oh and I pay monthly but Hastings do it over 6 months not 12)

To TRY to cut a long story short, they could not get confirmation of my 10 years a claims bonus, (because I lived at a different address?) Surely this is not something new to insurers....people moving house? Also my previous insurers (this will be repeated on THEIR thread too) have said that 'at the time I took insurance out with Hastings I was still insured with them and as a consequence of this my no claims could not be used for my new insurance, hence the large hike in price!

As of Friday 21 September 2012 I have spent over three HOURS on the phone talking to various people from both MCE & Hastings Direct at a cost so far of over £40 (again my fault as I have the audacity to NOT have a land line to call from!)

MCE have a record of someone going into my 'file' around the date I said I called to cancel but no information was placed in the file! also I should have received a document to sign to cancel my insurance with them (which I was neither informed of or received)

BUT....MCE advised me if I sent documented evidence of me selling my old bike and buying a new one with all the dates on, Norwich Union/Aviva would 'backdate the cancellation' to which Hastings said they would update my policy 'as is' and would even 'waive the fee to change my policy'

After having scanned the documents into my pc and emailing them as I was on the phone to the advisor, two days later (last Thursday) I received a call to say 'it was all sorted'

All’s well that ends well i hear you say..... I’m afraid not, i’m not that lucky...

I had another letter through confirming my 'new pay schedule' with over £1200 to pay in the next few months, I called Hastings Direct to see what was going on and I was told 'yes your ten years no claims were confirmed but Norwich Union are saying my policy ran until the end (and so overlapping my new insurance by one day I believe) and it was 'against the policy that they signed up for with the Motor Insurance Database to backdate anything', which I would have thought the broker would have known and NOT offered to me in the first place....

So I am left now with the choice of cancelling my insurance, although Hastings are saying they want the full £1200+ if I do.

I have just finished my complaint letter to all concerned and to the OFT, FOS & FSA hopefully that might kick some common sense up someone somewhere’s backside!

So my advice is make sure you get your WRITTEN cancellation if you’re getting insured quite soon after, also WRITTEN confirmation of no claims to pass on to the new insurer and I would probably steer clear of Hastings Direct AND anything to do with Norwich Union/Aviva.

 

Amos

[Hastings Direct. Joe - Soc]

Hi Vord, Thanks for taking the time to post. I am sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the service you have received from Hastings. I would like to help you get this all sorted out, if you could send me some policy details I would be more than happy to look into this for you. [email protected] Many Thanks, Jamie

[Vord]

A quick update....

 

Having got mixed up in all the rubbish being thrown at me by both parties involved, i'd forgotten that on the very first call i made to Hastings, i was told by an operative (after consulting with her supervisor/line manager) that all i had to do was to get proof of my no claims from MCE/Norwich union/Aviva and that 'they would correct my policy with no cost to me as it wasn't my fault'!

 

It would seem they lied to me and the almighty pound is more important!

 

Funny how only calls that benefit the company are recorded?!?

[Hastings Direct. Joe - Soc]

Hi Vord, I hope that you have now managed to get this matter resolved. If not my offer to help still stands. Thanks, Jamie