Kwik fit car insurance - one to avoid like the plague

[F3DUPCONSUM3R]

I looked around and it looks like Kwik Fit is very "kwik" to cancel unilaterally car policies. Obviously they must be making a good profit out of that, right?

 

It happened to me too. I get paid weekly, and Direct Debits which are imposed as the only payment method by most insurers, are maybe good for monthly salaries, but matching a date of the month to a day of the week when I get paid weekly, is a total nightmare.

 

So, after a text message telling me of the usual 7 day notice and asking to get in touch, I sent Kwik Fit an email via their website for customers, on Tuesday 16th of June that due to payment mismatch date, the instalment would be paid on the Friday of that same week, 19th of June. That's just 3 days away! I always get paid weekly on Friday.

 

Kwik Fit did not bother to get in touch, but I did not expect them to get in touch because they never do. This kind of date mismatch happened on two previous occasions with Kwik Fit and it was not a problem.

 

Anyway, on Friday 19th of June I called Kwik Fit, as promised in my email to them 3 days earlier, to pay the insurance instalment. The Customer Rep was not able to process the payment and had to investigate. I was put on hold. He then returned to the call to tell me that the policy had been cancelled.

 

I called them again an hour later and was put through another Customer Rep and had a massive discussion about this. He did not reinstate the policy.

 

A few days later I got a demand for £430! Now, the matter has already been passed on to the Financial Services Ombudsman.

 

Basically, I really do not care about what the rules say! Whatever they say, it is clearly unfair to the Consumer and the rules are far too easy for the companies. It is clear they hammer the consumers left, right and centre!

 

I actually suspect Kwik Fit did not respond to my email on purpose, then let the policy cancel in order to then claim an outstanding balance. Good strategy for Kwik Fit, maybe. But as far as I am concerned, I will not pay this.

 

I understand that if I did not bother to contact them, then they would have a good reason to act like that. But I DID contact them and promised to settle the instalment on Friday, just 3 days away. And I fulfilled my promise to pay because I DID call them to pay the instalment on that Friday!

 

I just find Kwik Fit utterly despicable to do this. I find those in charge of regulations also at fault for not changing rules which run against the consumers all the time. :mad2:

[AndyOrch]

Will move your thread to the appropriate forum F3DUP...you will get a better response.

 

Regards

 

Andy

[unclebulgaria67]

Some companies do cancel policies if the Direct Debit payment option is not working for them. They just don't want the hassle of doing the admin work required, as it costs them to employ staff, buildings, equipment etc. So they allow 1 or 2 hiccups with payments, but if it happens again they will often cancel the policy.

 

I see you have already complained to the FOS and i hope they look at how Kwik fit dealt with you. They should have been clearer with their communications and understood more the consequnces of cancelling the policy, when you would be asked for £430. If you struggled to manage the DD's, it was hardly likely you had a spare £430 to pay them.

 

Why is the whole remaining premium due ? Claim made during year ? Type of policy ?

[F3DUPCONSUM3R]

[...] I see you have already complained to the FOS and i hope they look at how Kwik fit dealt with you. They should have been clearer with their communications and understood more the consequnces of cancelling the policy, when you would be asked for £430. If you struggled to manage the DD's, it was hardly likely you had a spare £430 to pay them.

 

Why is the whole remaining premium due ? Claim made during year ? Type of policy ?

 

I have had no claims for a whole 10 years and I do not have any claims filed with Kwik Fit. Presumably they feel they have the right to claim from me the outstanding balance of the rest of the Policy right up to its renewal date. I did not have breakdown insurance or third party additions to the Policy.

 

It is ridiculous that Insurance companies are allowed to impose just Direct Debits as their one and only payment method, and then allowed to cancel policies under circumstances like mine and even allowed to claim the rest of the policy term, even though they cancelled it.

 

The rules rig the system in order to transfer as much capital from the consumer to them as possible. Fact! In the UK, the constant rip-off of consumers is a reality and neither governments, parliament MP's, or regulation bodies do anything to change it.

 

It is our fault! We allow this to happen by sitting around without pushing them to the wall. I am FUMING!

[unclebulgaria67]

Not usual to require full annual premium for private car policy cancelled mid term.

 

Make sure they provide a full breakdown calculation of the cancellation amount they are asking for. Ask for this as part of your complaint.

[Conniff]

But they cancelled mid term. I don't think I would pay it either as they are not at any further risk.

 

These aren't 'rules' F3DUPCONSUM3R, they are terms they themselves make up and expect you to sign up to without having had any input in drafting a contract. As they are all 'boys together' in the insurance industry, you might have a problem with another company. Have you taken out a policy or enquired about a policy with another company ?

 

Kwik Krap insurance belongs to Ageas Retail Ltd along with RIAS, Castle Cover, Express Insurance, Auto Direct, Cover Direct and Done Deal Insurance.

Edited August 6, 2015 by Conniff