Breakdown cover from recovercover.co.uk - unfair excess?

[colin1096]

Just needed some advice please .

 

I took out breakdown cover in july on the go compare website . It was £27 with max 4 call outs.

In august i had a flat battery at my home called them they came out and jump started me everything sorted drove and got a new battery , no problem .

 

Today i get an invoice for £ 30 saying that there is an excess on every call out and i should of seen it on the go compare website .

 

I read all documents sent to me , and it does not mention £30 excess on them , also the lady i spoke to when i needed them never once mentioned there would be an excess cgarge .

I rung them today furious and this was there reply below .

 

Dear XXXXXX

 

Thank your call please see attached documention and screenshots of the go compare site were you puchased the policy.

 

I must make you aware unless you pay the excess on the policy you will invalidate the insurance and as a result will be liable for the full cost of the recovery ( cira £204 + VAT ) if you fail to pay the outstanding in 5 working days we will be instrycting our debt collection team to procede to follow official avenues to collect the amount of recovery and you may also be liable for our costs in collection aswell.

 

signed XXXXXX

 

Just wondered if anyone has any advice . The guy has cancelled the policy and was very threating on the phone .

[disgruntled2007]

With whom did you arrange cover? They surely provided you with full terms, no?

 

First thing to do is check them....

[dx100uk]

added costs for debt collection...thats unlawful too..

[colin1096]

the cover was with recovercover.co.uk and on the go compare website it is on there on the left which i didnt see . if i would of done i would of never taken the cover .

 

 

The same company were also listed about 4 down with no excess and priced £44 .

i did notice on the key facts . below

 

Excess

If you have selected a policy where an excess is payable, you will be required to pay this amount before you will receive our breakdown service.

 

 

Should we fail to collect this amount prior to your breakdown service, then we will aim to collect the outstanding amount within the following 48 hours

–

Should we fail to collect this, then we reserve the right to cancel your policy.

 

https://recovercover.com/breakdown/ is the website , just done it again and there still does not say any excess ????

[steampowered]

Can you find your original emails from gocompare? These should hopefully have a copy of your policy documents attached to them.

[CraigMcK]

There is a comment on the policy wording that says about the £30, but is very unclear using the words "if you have selected a policy..." It does not clearly say if you have selected one of those! I would expect you have a strong case for cancellation, but they may not play ball, so as suggested get as many screen shots as possible before they fix it.

[colin1096]

the screenshots they have sent me it is clear now to me that it says there is an excess .

But if i had known would of never taken this out. this is what i sent them ..

.

I manually entered my details on https://recovercover.com/breakdown/

 

and at no point does it say a £30 excess charge .

 

The lady i spoke too to arrange for the breakdown to comeout,

not once did she say there would be a £30 excess charge .

 

The quote 2 below you on the go compare website was 5 pound dearer no excess and 6 callouts i would of had that but yours to me was 26 pound.

 

There is no way i will paying an excess charge when on your website it does not state that otherwise i wouldnt of taken out the policy .

 

I still should have left 3 call outs which i have paid for but you have now revoked the policy .

 

I think this is absoultely disgusting and your website needs to be alot clearer .

 

If the lady on the phone said there would of been a £30 charge i would of sorted the problem myself if i could of done , and it only did actually boil down to a jump start so i could get a new battery.

 

and

 

Also in your documents you sent it says ....

 

 

Excess

If you have selected a policy where an excess is payable, you will be required to pay this amount before you will receive our breakdown service.

Should we fail to collect this amount prior to your breakdown service, then we will aim to collect the outstanding amount within the following 48 hours

–

Should we fail to collect this, then we reserve the right to cancel your policy.

 

Not once like i said was i asked for this amount as i would of refused because i did not know of it .

You are trying to [problem] me and i think this is wrong .

 

I will be forwarding all this information to the FOS and Trading Standards

[Hammy1962]

What sort of car is it? Not just being nosy, there is a point to my question which I will explain if I get an answer.

 

H

[colin1096]

It is just a ford mondeo 2011 titanium

[Hammy1962]

Because most franchised Dealers, most brands, nowadays offer free 12 months breakdown cover as part of an annual service. So, for instance a service at £150 gives you a service and breakdown cover which usually works out much cheaper in the long run.

 

H

[colin1096]

received this today from these cowboys

 

Dear xxxxxxxxxx

As no payment was received from yourself, we have begun the process to seek recovery of costs

 

In line with procedure;

I must now also inform you that we have also updated the Motor Insurance Bureau database to inform them that you have had a motor related insurance policy cancelled by the insurer for failure to pay an excess.

 

 

As a result; you must declare to any insurer (Car, Home, Etc) if asked; that you have had an insurance policy cancelled by an insurer.

 

 

Although this may increase your renewal prices, failure to disclose this fact could invalidate any future claim made.

 

If you have any questions or queries, don’t hesitate to contact me on

[king12345]

Since when a breakdown cover is considered insurance???

Can they really put a mark on the insurance database?

[sgtbush]

I think breakdown cover is a form.of insurance policy in case of breakdown.

The event may or may not happen so its classed as insurance.

[geoff1248]

I am a bit puzzled as to why the details on the web site are significant.

 

 

Your contract is with the insurance company and the policy issued by them has presidence over any third party web site details.

The insurance company cannot refer you to a third party web site for salient and important details.

Although what you can do about this I have no idea.

[unclebulgaria67]

Seems to me, the OP pays the £30 excess and takes up the point of sale information error with Go Compare. Go Compare and other comparison sites do come under FCA/FOS, so they have to comply with legal compliance standards, as well as complaint handling.

 

Go Compare are acting as brokers earning a commission. They are responsible for the information they provide to consumers.

[Ganymede]

the screenshots they have sent me it is clear now to me that it says there is an excess .

But if i had known would of never taken this out. this is what i sent them ..

.

I manually entered my details on https://recovercover.com/breakdown/

 

and at no point does it say a £30 excess charge .

 

The lady i spoke too to arrange for the breakdown to comeout,

not once did she say there would be a £30 excess charge .

 

The quote 2 below you on the go compare website was 5 pound dearer no excess and 6 callouts i would of had that but yours to me was 26 pound.

 

There is no way i will paying an excess charge when on your website it does not state that otherwise i wouldnt of taken out the policy .

 

I still should have left 3 call outs which i have paid for but you have now revoked the policy .

 

I think this is absoultely disgusting and your website needs to be alot clearer .

 

If the lady on the phone said there would of been a £30 charge i would of sorted the problem myself if i could of done , and it only did actually boil down to a jump start so i could get a new battery.

 

and

 

Also in your documents you sent it says ....

 

 

Excess

If you have selected a policy where an excess is payable, you will be required to pay this amount before you will receive our breakdown service.

Should we fail to collect this amount prior to your breakdown service, then we will aim to collect the outstanding amount within the following 48 hours

–

Should we fail to collect this, then we reserve the right to cancel your policy.

 

Not once like i said was i asked for this amount as i would of refused because i did not know of it .

You are trying to [problem] me and i think this is wrong .

 

I will be forwarding all this information to the FOS and Trading Standards

 

 

I think you may struggle with this one.

 

If the excess is clearly stated on both the Go Compare website and in the breakdown cover T&Cs you might be best putting it down to experience and checking what you buy more carefully next time.

[BazzaS]

Although the T's & C's do say "IF an excess.....", the OP was put 'on notice' by this and could have clarified it.

They then could have cancelled within the cooling-off period.

 

https://recovercover.com/files/broker/1/breakdown/Motor%20Vehicle%20Breakdown%20-%20Aug17%20Clean.1.pdf

 

I concur they are facing an uphill battle.

[geoff1248]

"Go Compare are acting as brokers earning a commission. They are responsible for the information they provide to consumers."

 

They are responsible for the accuracy of the information.

This information could only have been provided to them by the insurance company.

Unless of course Go Compare are making up terms and conditions.

 

I would suggest that the OP is bound by the T&C for the insurance company not additional stuff which appears on a third parties web site.

 

However UNclebulgarea he will have an uphill fight to have the black mark removed from his insurance data.

[steampowered]

the screenshots they have sent me it is clear now to me that it says there is an excess

 

This makes it sound like you were told there was an excess when you took out the policy.

 

If that is the case, unfortunately I think that you do need to pay the excess.

 

You should probably have been reminded of the excess when you rung to make a claim, but I don't think this excuses you from needing to make payment.

 

I just went to the gocompare.com website and searched for breakdown cover quotes. The gocompare website does clearly state the excess is on each quote. The excess is listed underneath the monthly cost of each quote. I don't know whether the website has changed since you took out the policy.

[ukguy2k]

gocompare never tell you terms you after check the site you buy from which you didn't so you will be liable for the cost

[colin1096]

gocompare never tell you terms you after check the site you buy from which you didn't so you will be liable for the cost

 

Never heard a thing since August so they can sing for there money but they won't get it

[dx100uk]

well done thanksfor updating us

 

dx