Insurer charges due to price comparison

[juggsy]

My wife has been insured for several years with the same company, synonymous with a senior navy rank.

This year we went through the usual rigmarole of getting her renewal notice, finding the cheapest price through price comparison, haggling over the phone and getting the renewal cost reduced to just below the cheapest quote we could find. Everything went through fine.

A few days after the start of the renewed policy she received an email from said insurer saying that they had noticed a discrepancy between her policy and a quote taken from a price comparison site, where she was quoted a premium including the cost of a modification (alloy wheels). This modification isn't listed on her insurance schedule, and thus they are going to 'shortly' take another £35 from her card to take into account the discrepancy.

Now her car (57 plate Vauxhall Astra SXI) has factory alloy wheels for that model so I have no idea why she/we/I listed it as a modification when doing the price comparison. However my question is this - can an insurer use a comparison site quote as a basis for actual facts? I can understand if they use information from previous insurers, however I like many change details round out of pure curiosity when performing price comparisons just to see the differences in premium. However as far as I'm aware I'm not declaring true facts until actually taking out the premium, as when it comes down to taking out the premium I'll ensure everything is accurate and squeaky clean, so I'm pretty surprised by this.

I'm also surprised that they are not giving her the opportunity to explain the discrepancy (such as a mistake on the price comparison), and are taking the money automatically, straight away! Of course we're going to phone up and dispute, however I'm curious if anyone else had ever seen this, and in particular whether price comparisons can be used as factual information whether or not an actual premium was taken?

[ikarl]

Phone them and tell them and they won't take the money. Simple

[juggsy]

ikarl said:

Phone them and tell them and they won't take the money. Simple

Thanks but my question is not how to ensure they don't take the money, as said we're going to dispute and sort today. My questions are whether anyone has seen/experienced this before, and whether a price comparison quote can be used as a basis of fact.

[ikarl]

Yes, pretty normal nowadays. Happens often.

[RCBRG]

Insurer tried it with me. When I spoke to them on the phone, they said I need a letter from a garage to prove the car is not modified. I told them I am innocent until proven guilty, and they can stick their £30 fine up their ass. Strangely, they never did take the money...

[juggsy]

The plot thickens. They are demanding proof/paperwork proving that her wheels are standard factory. All because of a cock-up on a price comparison site! I can understand if they saw this contradiction on a previous policy, insurer db or official source of information, however they are using a generic quote as fact and now we need to prove otherwise. I'll certainly be less blasé when quoting for insurance in the future.

[Tuvra]

They do this regularly by all accounts. At least Admiral do.

[thecremeegg]

This is why you ALWAYS use fake names and numbers on these things!

[NickGibbs]

How odd. How do you reckon the insurer managed to get access to information you put into a comparison site form?

ETA. Unless the comparo site was Confused? Which Admiral owns...

Surely nothing's set in stone and legally binding until you say - yes, have my money. Insure me

Edited by NickGibbs on Wednesday 13th August 08:57

[Mr SFJ]

Alternatively (perhaps morally wrong) it came with aftermarket alloys, but you've just secured a set of OE ones and are fitting them today?

[ZOLLAR]

NickGibbs said:

How odd. How do you reckon the insurer managed to get access to information you put into a comparison site form?

ETA. Unless the comparo site was Confused? Which Admiral owns...

Surely nothing's set in stone and legally binding until you say - yes, have my money. Insure me

Edited by NickGibbs on Wednesday 13th August 08:57

All quotes done on comparison sites are sent to the insurer.

[juggsy]

NickGibbs said:

How odd. How do you reckon the insurer managed to get access to information you put into a comparison site form?

Surely nothing's set in stone and legally binding until you say - yes, have my money. Insure me

I think when performing a comparison the insurer in question would have been part of that comparison, and thus had a seperate quote in their system. But as you say, unless I've actually agreed to take out a policy they shouldn't be using a seperate quote as a basis of fact.

Mr SFJ said:

Alternatively (perhaps morally wrong) it came with aftermarket alloys, but you've just secured a set of OE ones and are fitting them today?

Haha, unfortunately they are factory fit (had the car from new), and my wife isn't the modding type

[texasjohn]

juggsy said:

The plot thickens. They are demanding proof/paperwork proving that her wheels are standard factory. All because of a cock-up on a price comparison site! I can understand if they saw this contradiction on a previous policy, insurer db or official source of information, however they are using a generic quote as fact and now we need to prove otherwise. I'll certainly be less blasé when quoting for insurance in the future.

I think you have a number of options depending on how much you want to argue the point.

You can write to them and tell them you were just seeing the impact of adding aftermarket wheels on one of the quotes you requested and confirm in writing that the car is factory standard.

Or you could probably just send them some evidence relatively easily...Download a pdf brochure for the car. Take a picture of your car with a copy of the policy in the frame. Send both by email to the insurer.

If you're really annoyed you could formally complain thereafter I guess?

[cirian75]

Mr SFJ said:

Alternatively (perhaps morally wrong) it came with aftermarket alloys, but you've just secured a set of OE ones and are fitting them today?

IIRC all SXi's have alloys from new went built.

[juggsy]

texasjohn said:

I think you have a number of options depending on how much you want to argue the point.

Cheers, in terms of resolution its simple for us really. We're within the 7 day cooling off period, we're going to send a snottogram email now, if no joy it's cancellation with full refund and go to another insurer who would like our business without the hassle. A bit cut your nose to spite your face, however if this is how they want to treat a customer with several years of loyalty, sod em.

[Joeguard1990]

If it were me, I would just phone them up and say that if they don't take your word for it, you'll leave and get insurance elsewhere.

Too much hassle faffing about sending letters for proof when you could just do another online quote on a different comparison site, get it right this time and take out another policy

[ZOLLAR]

Unfortunately with the rise of comparison sites there has been a sharp rise in quote massaging i.e. entering many different quotes to get prices then amending facts in order to reduce the price.

I'm not saying you have done this OP but the scale on which it is done is huge, insurers are entitled to ask for proof as they're the ones accepting the risk.
Of course you don't have to provide it but they also don't have to then insure you.

[JordanAtFlux]

It's very common. If, on the comparison site, that particular insurer offered a quote - Your details are on their system - It's usually a case of people will quote a heavily modified car & then purchase the policy standard, other times (As in your case) it's a genuine mistake.

The best thing to do is explain the mistake, offer to send a photograph of the vehicle in to show the wheels are standard (Get a couple, one including the registration) - This will prove it, and is usually sufficient proof.

If I can be of any further help just fire me a PM

Cheers

Jordan

[ChasW]

I once inadvertently prevented money being taken from my credit card for an auto renewing travel insurance policy that I no longer wanted. They were unable to take the money because my card had expired So as a precaution you could report your credit card lost/stolen so you are issued with a new number.

[texasjohn]

juggsy said:

Cheers, in terms of resolution its simple for us really. We're within the 7 day cooling off period.

Good point!