Insurance!They have got you by the b@lls!

[The GMan]

I’ve just had a call from my mother concerning her Car Insurance. Her policy was re-newed in January this year. She just ignored the personal details part of her documents as she assumed this would just be the same as she gave them last year (I do the same! Not any more now though), checked the price, saw she was saving a couple of quid and continued her policy thinking everything was okay. She checked her bank statements today and 2 lots of monthly payments for her insurance were taken from her bank account at the end of January. She called the insurance company this morning to check why. Upon giving her account details they confirmed that she was an Astronomer, had been driving for 9 years and had a Mercedes Benz immobiliser fitted to her MGF? Well she has been driving for over 20 years and works in a department store as a floor manager and has no Mercedes components fitted to the car at all. She is then told she is not saving that much money because her new policy is based at the wrong information they had down for her, and her monthly payments will be going up to compensate for her paying the lower monthly payments in January and February. She gave the insurance company permission to let me discuss this with them. I was told that they turned into an insurance broker at some point last year, and have had problems with their database when they changed systems. This resulted in some people’s information changing to default, e.g. Job Type “Astronomer” and so on. So my mother’s policy was based on default job type, time holding a driving license and immobiliser type on car. But correct name, address and bank details and car(I don’t know how, and I work in IT). I asked what would have happened if she had an accident while the wrong details were on her account. Guess what? They didn’t know as it had not happened yet!!!

I would be concerned if I was insured with them. I can’t name them but they provide a brake down service, and use to sponsor or may still sponsor, a large rally in the UK!!!

[pbrettle]

If the data stored is a concern start using the Data Protection Act on them. You pay them £10 and they provide you with ALL (and if they dont they get fined) information held on that person.

Check the details and how long they stored them. The changes for the DPA recently mean that it is the holders responsibility to ensure that the data is correct - if they knowingly use incorrect data, or have corrupted it then they MUST admit it and correct it. If they have charged you incorrectly then you also have cause to report them to the Data Protection Registrar and have them investigated for failure to comply with legislation.....

That will put the willies up them - however thats what the DPA is there for... to correct and fix this type of numptie behaviour.

Cheers,

Paul

[icamm]

Always, always, always, always check the details. This is a legally binding document and can mean the cancellation of your insurance at the least and prosecution and jail at the worst.

Never assume anyone has got anything right. I have had cases of insurance policy details being wrong compared to application form details. You must make sure they are corrected.

The last thing you need is for a "clerical" error screwing up your insurance so you are not covered.

I have even had a broker fail to send me the correct payment form so they tried to collect payment of last years credit card details. Luckily the card had been cancelled so they had to do it properly.

[mike_e]

I totally agree with icamm. The schedule lists the details of the contract and it's your responsibility to check these details for accuracy. Sadly most people only find out about these 'discrepancies' when the worst happens.

Insurers will use any excuse to avoid paying out a claim, don't hand them one on a plate.

[The GMan]

mike_e said: I totally agree with icamm. The schedule lists the details of the contract and it's your responsibility to check these details for accuracy. Sadly most people only find out about these 'discrepancies' when the worst happens.

Insurers will use any excuse to avoid paying out a claim, don't hand them one on a plate.

I agree with all of what you are saying. My mothers details on her last policy where correct though, and she assumed that through not changing cars, moving house or changing banks her details would have just been carried forward onto her re-newed policy. I have asked said insurance company when her details where changed? Was it at policy renewal or during her policy when they changed to brokers? They are getting back to me!