Insurance auto-renewal

[bungeejumper]

Whoops, we nearly came a cropper there. The wife got a letter in the post yesterday, saying that General Accident were about to cancel her car insurance cover because the renewal premium hadn't been paid. It's quite a good job we were at home, really - if we'd been away it could have ended badly.

This was the second year that we'd been with GA. The first year, January 2017, I'd paid her premium with my credit card. So when they wrote to us four weeks ago to say that they'd be renewing the cover automatically (at a premium that was only £5 higher), I assumed that they'd simply dock the new premium from my card. Job done, go ahead, I thought.

Wrong. They renewed the cover, and sent us the documents, but they didn't take the money. And then ten days later came the letter saying that we were in default and they were going to cut us off.

So who was at fault there? Me, I suppose, for not checking that the payment had gone through. But I can't think of any other insurance policy I've got that doesn't automatically draw the money whenever it rolls my cover forward into a new year. Probably because I've got into the habit of paying them by direct debit?

Anyway, forewarned is forearmed, etcetera.

BJ

[swill453]

So when they wrote to us four weeks ago to say that they'd be renewing the cover automatically (at a premium that was only £5 higher), I assumed that they'd simply dock the new premium from my card.

In my experience, when they say that they'll renew it automatically it always means they'll take payment for it using the same method they used the previous year.

If there's a reason they can't, like a credit card expired or something, it would be up to them to contact you about it (in advance of the renewal date).

Scott.

[Dod101]

I did not realise that General Accident was still used as a trading name by ........is at Aviva that now owns it? It has not been an independent insurance company for a very long time.

Anyway unless your credit card was in default, I would have thought that they were the ones at fault as they had said they would take the renewal premium so I think you are being generous to them. I would have got very upset with them.

Dod

[swill453]

So when they wrote to us four weeks ago to say that they'd be renewing the cover automatically

Thinking about it, that letter must have said what was happening regarding the payment. Do you still have it?

Scott.

[bungeejumper]

So when they wrote to us four weeks ago to say that they'd be renewing the cover automatically

Thinking about it, that letter must have said what was happening regarding the payment. Do you still have it?

I can do better than that. I've got the email they sent us, which says:

"Thanks for staying with us for another year. We're happy to confirm that your General Accident car policy xxxxx renewed at 00:00 on 20/01/2018. Annual payment confirmation £252.86".

I don't think I'd have had much trouble in telling the ombudsman that that didn't sound to me like I'd defaulted on a payment.

BJ

[tsr2]

I did not realise that General Accident was still used as a trading name by ........is at Aviva that now owns it? It has not been an independent insurance company for a very long time.

According to Wikipedia "Aviva reintroduced the General Accident brand in April 2013. The new General Accident brand is aimed at customers who use car insurance price comparison sites."

[swill453]

"Thanks for staying with us for another year. We're happy to confirm that your General Accident car policy xxxxx renewed at 00:00 on 20/01/2018. Annual payment confirmation £252.86".

I don't think I'd have had much trouble in telling the ombudsman that that didn't sound to me like I'd defaulted on a payment.

So I would have replied to their more recent communication - Here is your confirmation of our payment, dated 20/01. Kindly sod off, or sort out your systems.

Scott.