Octagon car insurance have cancelled my policy. Help please

[Keeleyt2015]

Hi,

I have recently moved and brought a new car, I searched on comparison sites for car insurance and octagon came up one of the cheapest.

I phoned them and set up my insurance over the phone.

They requested additional information documents which I sent via the email they gave me on the 28/5. When I spoke to the customer services they told me that they have received the documents and if there are any problems they would contact me.

I had no contact with them at all until I received an email from them this morning 12/06 advising me they have cancelled my car insurance policy from 08/06 (happily allowed me to drive around for 5 days unnaware)

I have just phoned them to find out what was going on. They advised me that they tried to phone me ONCE and didn't leave me any voicemail, on Monday 01/06 to say that I needed to pay an additional payment as the dates I gave them for how long I have been driving is incorrect (although the adviser when setting up the policy was the one who put the information down)

I did not have any missed call or voicemail from themselves.

Where do I stand with this?

They happily have taken my deposit of £130 and my first install meant of £60 (ironaically was taken the day my policy was being cancelled!!)

Ŵhen j spoke to them this morning the man I spoke to was very unhelpful, advised me that they could not reinstate it and they could pass the info onto the complaints department.

Not sure what to do from here really...

[BankFodder]

Read up on ICOBS.

Monitor this thread for a fuller reply later

[unclebulgaria67]

Octagon are a small Insurers based near Bristol and this is typical of the complaint I have seen about them. They cannot handle the volume of business they take online.

 

On Monday you might be able to get it resolved and the policy reinstated. They should be able to check the original phone call to see whether they have typed in the wrong information. If it is their mistake they can honour the original premium and ensure you have the cover.

 

On a Saturday they won't have the staff in that can resolve it today. If you need temporary cover for car as you need to drive, there are temporary cover providers such as Dayinsure. If your complaint with Octagon is successful, you could try to claim back any temporary cover costs.

 

Hopefully you will get it resolved on Monday. If they say they cannot reinstate the original policy due to their mistake, because they cannot backdate, there is no reason they cannot issue a new policy and transfer the premium across that you have paid to date.

 

They have a local number 01454 410535 or 410536 ( this was their number for customer services).

 

Or even better complaints number appears to be 01454 423233

[unclebulgaria67]

You wIll find many cases like yours online.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?394543-Octagon-Insurance-Policy-Cancelled

 

In future, do some research and try to stay clear of small companies who use Gibraltar registered insurance underwriters. There have been cases where people have had their cars seized by Police for driving without Insurance. They offer cheaper premiums, but do not have the staff to offer customer service. Their claims service is often outsourced to another company and can be poor.

[Keeleyt2015]

I have brought temp car insurance to cover until monday.

I just don't understand how they can get away with doing things like this!

I'm so worried about what will happen on Monday, im currently pregnant and this is so stressful!

[BankFodder]

The advice and the information you have been given above is very sound.

 

There have been a lot of instances recently of insurers cancelling people's insurance for all sorts of reasons without any notice and leaving them underinsured through no fault of their own.

 

I think that this is extremely unfair and it needs dealing with.

 

In the first instance, follow the advice above. I think you need to get a full explanation of what has happened and why. Then come back here, that is no and we will advise you on the next course of action.

 

Read our customer services guide. I think it is extremely unwise to deal with any company on the telephone without recording the call. Read our customer services guide and implement the advice we give their before dealing with this company any further on the telephone or any other company – ever.

 

You will regret it if you don't

[unclebulgaria67]

I have brought temp car insurance to cover until monday.

I just don't understand how they can get away with doing things like this!

I'm so worried about what will happen on Monday, im currently pregnant and this is so stressful!

 

They only have to provide 7 days notice of cancellation in writing by whatever method of communication used at the start of the policy. With a lot of online companies they send out emails which are likely to end up in junk files. Your email has arrived late, after the policy had been cancelled.

 

Octagon complaints have resolved other people's complaints, but you just have to be first in the queue Monday morning. Have feeling that you are not alone and they will be busy. They need to listen to the phone call and see how this compares with what was typed onto their system. If it is their mistake they will have to reinstate and honour the premium. I would also expect them to pay your temp cover premiums and compensate you for costs/hassle sorting it out.

 

In the Bristol area there are a number of online insurance companies, some set up by ex employees of einsurance and they all appear to have the same issue. They offer cheaper premiums, have problems with documents/wrong info and policies getting cancelled, sometimes without policyholders knowing. They all seem to use Gibraltar registered insurers and perhaps they use the same I.T systems. It cannot be a coincidence that their customers are reporting the same problems.

[unclebulgaria67]

Any update ? Did you resolve ? Would help other Octagon customers to know this ?

[Keeleyt2015]

Update:

Complaint was passed on to the complaints department. They said that their advisors had done nothing wrong and they had tried to contact me once.

They are refusing to refund me and they said I could start up a new policy however I would have to pay another £130 deposit!!

Absolutely shell shocked at their cheek!

What do I do now? I am disgusted at the service I have received.

[unclebulgaria67]

Tell them to issue their final response letter and send you the no claims proof, as you now will go elsewhere for insurance, but will continue the complaint with the FOS. If you go to the FOS, it may cost Octagon a£500 case fee and you nothing apart from postage. Always worth complaining to hold Insurers to account.

 

Did they listen to the phone call and say that you gave them the wrong information ? If this is so, you can send them a Data Protection subject access request for a copy of the phone call recording.

[Conniff]

it may cost Octagon a£500 case fee and you nothing

 

That's the bit I like about complaints to Fos.

[Keeleyt2015]

What do I Need to do for the FOS? They couldn't find the phone call and told me that I must had made the mistake! They are a very frustrating company to deal with! They have taken £195 from me and now want an additional £30 for cancellation!!

[unclebulgaria67]

What do I Need to do for the FOS? They couldn't find the phone call and told me that I must had made the mistake! They are a very frustrating company to deal with! They have taken £195 from me and now want an additional £30 for cancellation!!

 

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

 

 

See link above.

 

Tell Octagon you will be going to the FOS, will not pay the cancellation fee and they have to send you the No claims proof so you can use this elsewhere. They are not allowed to withhold the no claims proof tin order to extract any fee they think is due. If you have any problem with Octagon, pick up the phone to the FOS and they will take the complaint on now.

[Keeleyt2015]

Thank you so much for your advice. I will update when I have more information.

[Jamberson]

For what reason was the policy cancelled? If there was just a discrepancy in details, eg your claims history, then they would presumably adjust the premium and hit you with extra charges. I think they would only cancel it is you were ineligible under their terms, eg too many previous incidents, or not having held a licence long enough, etc. If the latter, they can refuse to insure you - but if the former, it seems strange they'd cancel it. Did you ask them what the problem was?

[ericsbrother]

they are obliged to record all of the calls by law so saying they cant find it is utter cobblers. Let them know you will be seeking to recover your costs after your complaint to the FOS is upheld ( as it will if what you say here is anything to go by) That means any additional premiums, fees etc, extra costs of insuring elswhere over and above their premium etc.

[ericsbrother]

look on the bright side, you could have gone to One Call, they really know how to screw things up and tell lies about it afterwards.