Albany Assistance - accident management on behalf of Admiral
Discussion
As an addendum ensure that before signing on the dotted line you have some solid form of proof that the third party has accepted liability and that it has been confirmed by their insurer.
You don't want to have to foot the bill of the extortionate hire car costs that you're gonna be racking up.
You don't want to have to foot the bill of the extortionate hire car costs that you're gonna be racking up.
A few years ago I had an accident which was my fault. The car I hit was an old Audi worth around £450. The accident handling company wanted to hire for 5 days a brand new Audi from a company 25 miles away although there was a company hiring out 1 year old Astras less then 2 minutes walk from the other driver's home. They also insisted the car was repaired at a cost of £800 - the damage was purely cosmetic. I phoned the other driver's insurance company and offered to buy the car for the market value and they agreed - car written off so no hire car offered. A friend bought it off me for £300 and drove it for the next 3 years. The £150 'loss' was less than my excess at the time.
My partner had her car written off around her today. Thank god for airbags.
I have just had my first Albany experience (and yes, the legal claims people have also already called) and heard a (at best) pitch which had scope to disadvantage a customer. Given the woman there was told my partner was in shock, she went ahead with her script anyway.
I did a quick search here about them, and online, and it more or less confirmed my experience. They deal with people who are not thinking straight, possibly in shock, and aren't fully aware of how companies should act. Complaint #1 duly submitted.
These people and their business practices seem to be not much short of carcinogenic. Treating customers fairly? My arse.
I have just had my first Albany experience (and yes, the legal claims people have also already called) and heard a (at best) pitch which had scope to disadvantage a customer. Given the woman there was told my partner was in shock, she went ahead with her script anyway.
I did a quick search here about them, and online, and it more or less confirmed my experience. They deal with people who are not thinking straight, possibly in shock, and aren't fully aware of how companies should act. Complaint #1 duly submitted.
These people and their business practices seem to be not much short of carcinogenic. Treating customers fairly? My arse.
Albany Assistance, I can't believe they are still going!
In 1999, they stalled for 7 months before I had to escalate a claim. I was in no rush due to being away with work..But a fax to the assistant of the MD of Admiral got an instant response (The MD phoned me at work and promised to investigate personally).
The 'handler' got told to resolve it, but had the cheek to ask why I had to speak to Admiral about it. I'm normally quite unemotional about his sort of stuff, but suggested to him that as a good little boy he should as he had been told and maybe he would keep his job after ignoring my correspondence for several months.
My car then got fixed within a week.
In 1999, they stalled for 7 months before I had to escalate a claim. I was in no rush due to being away with work..But a fax to the assistant of the MD of Admiral got an instant response (The MD phoned me at work and promised to investigate personally).
The 'handler' got told to resolve it, but had the cheek to ask why I had to speak to Admiral about it. I'm normally quite unemotional about his sort of stuff, but suggested to him that as a good little boy he should as he had been told and maybe he would keep his job after ignoring my correspondence for several months.
My car then got fixed within a week.
Had the 'pleasure' of dealing with them recently. Despite telling them on multiple occasions that my car was unoccupied at the time it was hit, they repeatedly asked if I had any injuries and to make sure I call them if problems develop.
It's not surprising people are tempted to fake PI claims.
It's not surprising people are tempted to fake PI claims.
About 5 years ago, someone ran into me at the back at a set of temporary traffic lights.
I was insured with Admiral at the time and used Albany Assistance. It all worked fine - I had a hire car while mine was repaired, didn't have any costs, didn't have to run around doing anything as Albany did it for me. From my perspective, using a claims management company worked as I would have expected it to work.
I was insured with Admiral at the time and used Albany Assistance. It all worked fine - I had a hire car while mine was repaired, didn't have any costs, didn't have to run around doing anything as Albany did it for me. From my perspective, using a claims management company worked as I would have expected it to work.
Why not though? My idea is that it is one of the companies under the company that admiral, elephant or bell etc. belong to. Either that or it's an accident management company because you defend Albany for the effort to get the claim resolved despite the fact they charge £100's per day for hire cars.
Haven't most insurance companies farmed out no-fault claims to AMC's for some years?
One snag with dealing with the 3rd party insurer yourself if you're in an unclear position if you're not happy with the repairs to your car. You're not a customer of the 3rd party's insurer and of course your own insurer won't want to get involved at that stage. It's even worse if you picked the bodyshop - the insurer will say you should have used ours.
One snag with dealing with the 3rd party insurer yourself if you're in an unclear position if you're not happy with the repairs to your car. You're not a customer of the 3rd party's insurer and of course your own insurer won't want to get involved at that stage. It's even worse if you picked the bodyshop - the insurer will say you should have used ours.
Al U said:
Why not though? My idea is that it is one of the companies under the company that admiral, elephant or bell etc. belong to. Either that or it's an accident management company because you defend Albany for the effort to get the claim resolved despite the fact they charge £100's per day for hire cars.
Wrong on both counts. Is your plan to run to the company and tell teacher on me?Al U said:
Why not though? My idea is that it is one of the companies under the company that admiral, elephant or bell etc. belong to. Either that or it's an accident management company because you defend Albany for the effort to get the claim resolved despite the fact they charge £100's per day for hire cars.
Are we reading the same thread? I don't see any defence of Albany (or AMCs in general).Admiral reckon Albany's income reduces premiums for its policyholders. So if you choose to insure with any Admiral Group company then you reap what you sow.
LoonR1 said:
Wrong on both counts. Is your plan to run to the company and tell teacher on me?
Oh ok, well even if you did work for them you have said you wouldn't say anyway without saying why so I guess we will never know. Do you work for a teacher? And no I wouldn't "tell on you", I haven't seen anything you have said that would warrant disciplinary action. If you do say things that would on other threads and hide behind the fact that no one knows where you work that's your choice.Edited by Al U on Thursday 11th June 11:27
LoonR1 said:
Al U said:
Why not though? My idea is that it is one of the companies under the company that admiral, elephant or bell etc. belong to. Either that or it's an accident management company because you defend Albany for the effort to get the claim resolved despite the fact they charge £100's per day for hire cars.
Wrong on both counts. Is your plan to run to the company and tell teacher on me?I was with Admiral when I had an accident (not my fault). It should have been a very clear case, but Admiral made it the most stressful thing ever- Albany were involved, but the only thing they did was provide a hire car (which was necessary).
Admiral took ages to do anything but told me that I could use my car until a decision was made (it was still roadworthy). They then wrote my car off whilst I was on holiday and cancelled the cover on that vehicle. Brilliant. The spastic I spoke to on the phone failed to see the problem, but eventually his manager (who was still intellectually challenged, but could probably spell his name correct, so was the 'superior' of the call centre) provided temporary cover.
The person handling my case was also bloody useless. Everything was passed off- don't agree with the valuation? Deal with the engineer themselves. Anything else? Ask Albany (who then tell you to ask Admiral).
The whole experience still makes me angry almost 3 years later.
Since the OP is now in a disputed claim he can look forward to an almost endless dragging of heels by all involved.
OP will lose his excess and have to pay very high insurance (since has a potential fault claim on the system) until resolved.
For me this took about 18 months even though the 3rd party eventually admitted full liability.
You then have to claim back the higher insurance premium from your insurer.
Total nightmare from start to finish.
This is just how insurance works.
OP will lose his excess and have to pay very high insurance (since has a potential fault claim on the system) until resolved.
For me this took about 18 months even though the 3rd party eventually admitted full liability.
You then have to claim back the higher insurance premium from your insurer.
Total nightmare from start to finish.
This is just how insurance works.
OP – I feel for you and it’s a sad time when people can’t just accept liability for their actions.
2 years ago my wife and I were parked up in a supermarket carpark, very empty and loads of spaces. Wife had got out and I’d been sitting in the passenger seat about half a minute with the door open. Cue little old granny (about 80 odd) decides to pull in the space to our left, crunching the side of her car into the leading edge of our open passenger door.
She gets out, all shocked saying she had no idea what happened, she was sorry etc etc. We swap insurance details.
2 days later her insurers are saying they’ve been told we opened our door into her as she was turning into the space – which was absolute b
ks as my door had been open way before she even got near our car. Ended up going to court and going 50:50, she had tried for 100% liability and on principal we weren’t going to take it. Unless you have witnesses stating you were not moving/out the car at the time it may end up the same for you. Sweet old ladies my arse!!!
2 years ago my wife and I were parked up in a supermarket carpark, very empty and loads of spaces. Wife had got out and I’d been sitting in the passenger seat about half a minute with the door open. Cue little old granny (about 80 odd) decides to pull in the space to our left, crunching the side of her car into the leading edge of our open passenger door.
She gets out, all shocked saying she had no idea what happened, she was sorry etc etc. We swap insurance details.
2 days later her insurers are saying they’ve been told we opened our door into her as she was turning into the space – which was absolute b
ks as my door had been open way before she even got near our car. Ended up going to court and going 50:50, she had tried for 100% liability and on principal we weren’t going to take it. Unless you have witnesses stating you were not moving/out the car at the time it may end up the same for you. Sweet old ladies my arse!!!
Hi All,
I will update progress so far.
Albany assistance no longer handling the case. They are blatant liers as they told me that old lady had accepted liability over the phone (they were just saying that for me to go ahead with the claim, as her insurer tells me she disputes claim).
Admiral are no better, and have made no effort to resolve liability issues. Thus, today I went to the Waitrose store the accident happened and requested the CCTV footage. They have the incident on camera. They cannot release it to me but will release it to the Admiral when they email Waitrose customer service.
What riles me about Admiral is that I asked them two days ago to contact Waitrose for CCTV, they said they would but didn't. Today the manager said the footage from 26/05/15 would be deleted by midnight 11/06/15 unless Admiral requested footage today by email. I called Admiral, claims handler said she will email them before store closes, but she didnt.
Thankfully, the manager has burned the footage onto a DVD and sent to Waitrose customer service for Admiral to request in the next few days. Essentially Waitrose have helped me out a lot here.
How do I go about getting Admiral to the job that I pay my premium for? Shall I tell them that if they don't get their act together and resolve liability issues that I will involve the Financial Ombudmsan?
I will update progress so far.
Albany assistance no longer handling the case. They are blatant liers as they told me that old lady had accepted liability over the phone (they were just saying that for me to go ahead with the claim, as her insurer tells me she disputes claim).
Admiral are no better, and have made no effort to resolve liability issues. Thus, today I went to the Waitrose store the accident happened and requested the CCTV footage. They have the incident on camera. They cannot release it to me but will release it to the Admiral when they email Waitrose customer service.
What riles me about Admiral is that I asked them two days ago to contact Waitrose for CCTV, they said they would but didn't. Today the manager said the footage from 26/05/15 would be deleted by midnight 11/06/15 unless Admiral requested footage today by email. I called Admiral, claims handler said she will email them before store closes, but she didnt.
Thankfully, the manager has burned the footage onto a DVD and sent to Waitrose customer service for Admiral to request in the next few days. Essentially Waitrose have helped me out a lot here.
How do I go about getting Admiral to the job that I pay my premium for? Shall I tell them that if they don't get their act together and resolve liability issues that I will involve the Financial Ombudmsan?
I resurrected this thread in light of an incident my partner was involved in the other day and because it was so similar to one I had last year (and another loosely similar experience) the year before that. I had hell on earth with staff at LV who tried to flannel me in respect of valuations.
As ever, with these companies, it depends not on the ads but on the person you're dealing with. If you get a diligent and conscientious one, job jobbed. At the EARLIEST sign that you feel you have been dealt with in an unprofessional manner, submit a complaint, get it on record. I received a number of calls from Albany and e-sure yesterday and am content. I suspect too, that because *they* suspect I'm content, they'll not bother progressing with my complaint. If the service levels drop back, then that fact too, will be added to the original list and it'll be a slamdunk. I only restarted this thread because I told them I would do so.. it all adds critical mass to your case (if delivered to someone who gets the implication of it).
Become a (legitimate) pain in the arse - if you think you're not being treated fairly. Make copious and contemporaneous notes of your exchanges with company employees, for instance, carefully ask them to spell their names to you for your record and/or complaint and ask if they would mind you recording the chat too, for your records. In the matter of the Waitrose CCTV incident, I'd have a complaint in so quickly their heads would spin. Make sure you are able to speak with someone within the corporate food chain, who has a signature of suitable gravitas and value. Ask them at outset for a Data Subject Access Request so they know you'll be all over them like a rash if things go wrong.
If they tell you their 'policy' doesn't allow that, ask them if their internal policy transcends your rights afforded under legislation, if you get into a bun-fight, ask them politely to tell you the company regulation number they're relying on (chances are, some team leader once heard it, passed it on and it has become shop floor folk-lore). Either way, having them back up everything to officially makes you a costly nuisance, it tells them you're serious and they know - the longer they mess you about, the more expensive and difficult it will become to extricate themselves.. so they may as well play ball as soon as possible.
Those people are there to provide a service, that's it. Bear in mind they exist to support the shareholders - not you. You have to apply compulsion through force of personality and pointing out to them, their obligations. In my first example (above), through a data subject access request and close questioning of the valuer on the day he made a shocking valuation, I was able to deduce he had written his report in 5 minutes at 0645, having spent 2 minutes on Autotrader.
In respect of my problem with LV, I realised quite early that the shop floor staff had subordinated my rights to the shareholder's ones quite early on. They were given enough rope to hang themselves as clearly as I wanted, at which I connected with the Chief Exec and Head of Compliancy Services on LinkedIN and delivered a package of information and my copy of a covering letter to FOS. The matter was resolved later that week to my complete satisfaction.
Once they are on the back foot, keep attacking for as much value as humanely possible - you just know that the middle ranking manager has received an edict from the top floor to "sort it" and you may as well make hay whilst the sun shines. I'm lucky in that I understand their obligations and don't give a stuff about their 'rights'. Read the ABI Code of Conduct, understand in depth just one or two high level aspects of the FCA code of business practice and its principle about how you should be treated, and walk softly but always have a big stick mentality to hand if needed. As an aside, this link might be useful for anyone experiencing valuations snags.
http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications...
As ever, with these companies, it depends not on the ads but on the person you're dealing with. If you get a diligent and conscientious one, job jobbed. At the EARLIEST sign that you feel you have been dealt with in an unprofessional manner, submit a complaint, get it on record. I received a number of calls from Albany and e-sure yesterday and am content. I suspect too, that because *they* suspect I'm content, they'll not bother progressing with my complaint. If the service levels drop back, then that fact too, will be added to the original list and it'll be a slamdunk. I only restarted this thread because I told them I would do so.. it all adds critical mass to your case (if delivered to someone who gets the implication of it).
Become a (legitimate) pain in the arse - if you think you're not being treated fairly. Make copious and contemporaneous notes of your exchanges with company employees, for instance, carefully ask them to spell their names to you for your record and/or complaint and ask if they would mind you recording the chat too, for your records. In the matter of the Waitrose CCTV incident, I'd have a complaint in so quickly their heads would spin. Make sure you are able to speak with someone within the corporate food chain, who has a signature of suitable gravitas and value. Ask them at outset for a Data Subject Access Request so they know you'll be all over them like a rash if things go wrong.
If they tell you their 'policy' doesn't allow that, ask them if their internal policy transcends your rights afforded under legislation, if you get into a bun-fight, ask them politely to tell you the company regulation number they're relying on (chances are, some team leader once heard it, passed it on and it has become shop floor folk-lore). Either way, having them back up everything to officially makes you a costly nuisance, it tells them you're serious and they know - the longer they mess you about, the more expensive and difficult it will become to extricate themselves.. so they may as well play ball as soon as possible.
Those people are there to provide a service, that's it. Bear in mind they exist to support the shareholders - not you. You have to apply compulsion through force of personality and pointing out to them, their obligations. In my first example (above), through a data subject access request and close questioning of the valuer on the day he made a shocking valuation, I was able to deduce he had written his report in 5 minutes at 0645, having spent 2 minutes on Autotrader.
In respect of my problem with LV, I realised quite early that the shop floor staff had subordinated my rights to the shareholder's ones quite early on. They were given enough rope to hang themselves as clearly as I wanted, at which I connected with the Chief Exec and Head of Compliancy Services on LinkedIN and delivered a package of information and my copy of a covering letter to FOS. The matter was resolved later that week to my complete satisfaction.
Once they are on the back foot, keep attacking for as much value as humanely possible - you just know that the middle ranking manager has received an edict from the top floor to "sort it" and you may as well make hay whilst the sun shines. I'm lucky in that I understand their obligations and don't give a stuff about their 'rights'. Read the ABI Code of Conduct, understand in depth just one or two high level aspects of the FCA code of business practice and its principle about how you should be treated, and walk softly but always have a big stick mentality to hand if needed. As an aside, this link might be useful for anyone experiencing valuations snags.
http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications...
Sheepshanks said:
LV= doesn't have shareholders. It's not a PLC.
Doesn't have to be a PLC to have shareholders - it could be a Ltd. by share capital. However, Liverpool Victoria is a mutual, so members - not shareholders.http://www.lv.com/assets/non-product/pdfs/about-us...
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