Insurance - Help wanted Please
Discussion
Hi Guys & Girls – I would welcome any help and advice please.
Some days Insurance and me just don’t seem to go together – here’s the situation.
I’ve just come out of a Company Car scheme and thus the Fleet Insurance policy (big name Insurance Company) and have been hunting around sorting out car buying and Insurance. No real problems and have been very impressed with Direct Line, Esure (by Peter Wood the man who set up Direct Line) and Tesco Finance (!) both over the ‘phone and on the Internet. Slightly surprised but pleased at how little they want in the way of NCD ‘proof’ – simply a letter on my Company’s headed paper stating years of Fault-Free driving and/or number of years NCD. However my reputable Company won’t provide this without confirmation from the Fleet Insurer – and this is quite correct in my opinion.
So I contact Fleet Insurer asking for No-Claims letter, this duly arrives but as you may have guessed brings a problem – it outlines history since 1996 including an incident reported in November 1998 where I don’t believe I was to blame (seriously folks) but has been settled by said insurer with the implication that it was 100% my fault. Result is only 3 years ‘clean’ record rather than 6 years, £150+ increase in quotes for personal car Insurance and 1 very unhappy bunny. This is even more painful as I am already a personal customer with my Classic Car Policy.
Have contacted Insurance Company to try and establish the rationale behind settlement and fault but am getting the “If it was settled - then you must have been at fault” routine. The only bit of information I could get was that there was a personal injury claim from the other party. The incident in question was me 2 points into executing a 3 point turn (no oncoming cars in sight at the start) and the other party suddenly appears and drives straight into me ! I think the personal injury claim spooked them into a quick and easy settlement. As this was a Fleet policy I reported what had happened was told to get the car fixed and thought no more about it, if it had been my own insurance and I had discovered at the time they were planning to settle (and hurt my NCD) then I would have vigourously argued my case.
My questions are;
1. Is there anything I can do to get the decision reviewed (independantly if necessary) - hopefully in my favour or is this just a waste of time ?
2. Does anyone have any advice/suggestions as to how I might proceed – I have had to take insurance at the reduced NCD as I had to collect the ‘new’ car yesterday.
3. What do you think ?
Many Thanks and Have Fun !
Some days Insurance and me just don’t seem to go together – here’s the situation.
I’ve just come out of a Company Car scheme and thus the Fleet Insurance policy (big name Insurance Company) and have been hunting around sorting out car buying and Insurance. No real problems and have been very impressed with Direct Line, Esure (by Peter Wood the man who set up Direct Line) and Tesco Finance (!) both over the ‘phone and on the Internet. Slightly surprised but pleased at how little they want in the way of NCD ‘proof’ – simply a letter on my Company’s headed paper stating years of Fault-Free driving and/or number of years NCD. However my reputable Company won’t provide this without confirmation from the Fleet Insurer – and this is quite correct in my opinion.
So I contact Fleet Insurer asking for No-Claims letter, this duly arrives but as you may have guessed brings a problem – it outlines history since 1996 including an incident reported in November 1998 where I don’t believe I was to blame (seriously folks) but has been settled by said insurer with the implication that it was 100% my fault. Result is only 3 years ‘clean’ record rather than 6 years, £150+ increase in quotes for personal car Insurance and 1 very unhappy bunny. This is even more painful as I am already a personal customer with my Classic Car Policy.
Have contacted Insurance Company to try and establish the rationale behind settlement and fault but am getting the “If it was settled - then you must have been at fault” routine. The only bit of information I could get was that there was a personal injury claim from the other party. The incident in question was me 2 points into executing a 3 point turn (no oncoming cars in sight at the start) and the other party suddenly appears and drives straight into me ! I think the personal injury claim spooked them into a quick and easy settlement. As this was a Fleet policy I reported what had happened was told to get the car fixed and thought no more about it, if it had been my own insurance and I had discovered at the time they were planning to settle (and hurt my NCD) then I would have vigourously argued my case.
My questions are;
1. Is there anything I can do to get the decision reviewed (independantly if necessary) - hopefully in my favour or is this just a waste of time ?
2. Does anyone have any advice/suggestions as to how I might proceed – I have had to take insurance at the reduced NCD as I had to collect the ‘new’ car yesterday.
3. What do you think ?
Many Thanks and Have Fun !
I think you're going to be unlucky on this one.
Regardless of who was at fault (in the real-world, English language sense), the fact that the insurance company paid out anything at all puts you at fault in the insurance sense of the word.
And that's all that your new insurance company is going to accept.
Its a bummer, but the only chance you get to fight these decisions is at the time they happen. Its not in either insurance company's interest to re-open the case and (thieving gits that they are) they'll not be interested in doing you any favours.
{edited for pour spelin}
>> Edited by pdv6 on Friday 4th October 10:40
Regardless of who was at fault (in the real-world, English language sense), the fact that the insurance company paid out anything at all puts you at fault in the insurance sense of the word.
And that's all that your new insurance company is going to accept.
Its a bummer, but the only chance you get to fight these decisions is at the time they happen. Its not in either insurance company's interest to re-open the case and (thieving gits that they are) they'll not be interested in doing you any favours.
{edited for pour spelin}
>> Edited by pdv6 on Friday 4th October 10:40
The circumstances as you describe them sound iffy - it may be that the insurance company has paid out on split liability (50-50, 75-25 etc) - on the basis of witness statements or other evidence. Understand that the insurance company may not have had a choice, and that by signing the claim form you are authorising the insurer to proceed with the claim as they best see fit. Oftentimes it will be cheaper for the insurance company to pay up rather than contest the claim - if a claim goes to court and the insurer loses they get spanked for a bigger payout and all the costs etc; and before anyone gets all pre-menstrual and rants 'that's MY money, they've no right to accept liability on my behalf' - actually they have, it says so in your policy, and your premium is a pittance compared to the average personal injury claim, so don't bother. Remember that the more an insurer pays out this year, the higher your premiums will be next year. If the insurance co pays out ANY money for a claim then it goes down as 'fault'. You are perfectly entitled to ask how much the claim cost, and, if it's cheaper to pay the insurance back than to lose your NCD, you are within your rights to do so. You can also write to the Chief Exec of the fleet insurer and make a written complaint that the claim was paid out and ask for a review; it's unlikely to get a result but you never know. There is no independent review body for claims - the Ombudsman will only look at service issues and not premium or technical issues.
>> Edited by loaf on Friday 4th October 13:11
>> Edited by loaf on Friday 4th October 13:11
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