What an outfit these Brokers are..
I recently bought the Alpina so phoned my Insurance Brokers on 19 Jan, for a revised quote. Originally paying £280pa for the 2.5SE, they came back saying that the current company (Ageas) wouldn't insure me on the Alpina, but they had got me an alternative quote through Aviva for £658pa !
At that point I had both cars, but the Alpina was still off-road, so I said "OK, leave it for now, I'll phone around". I did and got a quote through Adrian Flux for £340p.a.
I sold the 2.5SE a week later on the Sunday and called Bewiser next day on Monday 26th Jan to cancel the original Policy. This is where the games start...
Insurer: Can I ask why you are cancelling ?
Me: Because Ive sold the car and bought another.
Insurer: Can we quote you on the new car ?
Me: You have, at £658 which is way more than I found elsewhere.
Insurer: What have you been quoted?
Me: Why, what is your best price ? (not being prepared to tell them my best quote)
Insurer: We've a note on file to say we could do it for £430
Me: Why wasn't I told/quoted that ?
Insurer: We rang the insurance company back and told them that you've been driving a Z4 before, so they reduced it.
Me: a) You knew that in the first place, when obtaining quotes b) Why did nobody call me to tell me. Anyway thats still £90 dearer than Ive got elsewhere.
Insurer: OK, well we can cancel your policy halfway through and your refund will be... £42 after we've deducted our £25 penalty fee.
Me: Hang-on, I paid £280 up-front, you cancel 6 months in and I get £42 back ??
Insurer: That's our Terms and Conditions, you cancelled and went elsewhere through your choice...
Me: No, you mis-quoted me. I gave you the opportunity to re-quote using the information you held on-file and you misquoted by over £200 and now you are going to penalise me for going elsewhere ? Had I accepted £658, would you have called me back with a £228 refund ? I doubt it very much !
I then advised them that the car was sold and should come off cover, but not to cancel the policy with a £42 refund until I could speak to a Manager. A week or so went by of me trying to speak to the Customer Service Manager, waiting for calls back, chasing again, etc. After more phone calls, they now want to cancel the Policy from the 10th Feb, which I've disputed, and sent in a copy of the sale receipt dated 25Jan (as they requested) and they will still now only cancel from 10th Feb, reducing the £42 even more !
They also are telling me to allow upto 60 days for my refund as they will not pay it until the Insurers refund them !
I have phoned them 4 times in the last week asking to speak to Jenna, the Customer Service Manager, but she will not speak to me or return my calls. I asked for her e-mail address and they will not give it me ! The Head of Complaints (Dawn Givor) will not speak to the public as she only speaks to her internal Managers apparently !
The lesson I have learned here is never to pay the insurance up-front, as if I'd paid installments, I would have stopped them, giving me the upper hand whilst they chased me.
They have my money and they have now written to me advising the Policy is cancelled from 10th Feb and to wait 60 days for refund. (They know I have no power, other than bad publicity I which have threatened if they didnt call me back today !)
Have I got the time and energy to go to the Financial Ombudsman for approx £100 ? Probably not, but the principle of the thing and how little they are bothered really gets me
I suppose the clue was in the title...Be Wiser..
Anyone else had dealings with them ?
I recently bought the Alpina so phoned my Insurance Brokers on 19 Jan, for a revised quote. Originally paying £280pa for the 2.5SE, they came back saying that the current company (Ageas) wouldn't insure me on the Alpina, but they had got me an alternative quote through Aviva for £658pa !
At that point I had both cars, but the Alpina was still off-road, so I said "OK, leave it for now, I'll phone around". I did and got a quote through Adrian Flux for £340p.a.
I sold the 2.5SE a week later on the Sunday and called Bewiser next day on Monday 26th Jan to cancel the original Policy. This is where the games start...
Insurer: Can I ask why you are cancelling ?
Me: Because Ive sold the car and bought another.
Insurer: Can we quote you on the new car ?
Me: You have, at £658 which is way more than I found elsewhere.
Insurer: What have you been quoted?
Me: Why, what is your best price ? (not being prepared to tell them my best quote)
Insurer: We've a note on file to say we could do it for £430
Me: Why wasn't I told/quoted that ?
Insurer: We rang the insurance company back and told them that you've been driving a Z4 before, so they reduced it.
Me: a) You knew that in the first place, when obtaining quotes b) Why did nobody call me to tell me. Anyway thats still £90 dearer than Ive got elsewhere.
Insurer: OK, well we can cancel your policy halfway through and your refund will be... £42 after we've deducted our £25 penalty fee.
Me: Hang-on, I paid £280 up-front, you cancel 6 months in and I get £42 back ??
Insurer: That's our Terms and Conditions, you cancelled and went elsewhere through your choice...
Me: No, you mis-quoted me. I gave you the opportunity to re-quote using the information you held on-file and you misquoted by over £200 and now you are going to penalise me for going elsewhere ? Had I accepted £658, would you have called me back with a £228 refund ? I doubt it very much !
I then advised them that the car was sold and should come off cover, but not to cancel the policy with a £42 refund until I could speak to a Manager. A week or so went by of me trying to speak to the Customer Service Manager, waiting for calls back, chasing again, etc. After more phone calls, they now want to cancel the Policy from the 10th Feb, which I've disputed, and sent in a copy of the sale receipt dated 25Jan (as they requested) and they will still now only cancel from 10th Feb, reducing the £42 even more !
They also are telling me to allow upto 60 days for my refund as they will not pay it until the Insurers refund them !
I have phoned them 4 times in the last week asking to speak to Jenna, the Customer Service Manager, but she will not speak to me or return my calls. I asked for her e-mail address and they will not give it me ! The Head of Complaints (Dawn Givor) will not speak to the public as she only speaks to her internal Managers apparently !
The lesson I have learned here is never to pay the insurance up-front, as if I'd paid installments, I would have stopped them, giving me the upper hand whilst they chased me.
They have my money and they have now written to me advising the Policy is cancelled from 10th Feb and to wait 60 days for refund. (They know I have no power, other than bad publicity I which have threatened if they didnt call me back today !)
Have I got the time and energy to go to the Financial Ombudsman for approx £100 ? Probably not, but the principle of the thing and how little they are bothered really gets me
I suppose the clue was in the title...Be Wiser..
Anyone else had dealings with them ?
By the seaside...
