Old Insurance Company Demanding Money?

[ciaranrb5]

I recently renewed my insurance.

It was when I went renew with the same company they informed me that I had gone over my agreed mileage by 1100 miles and that if I wanted to renew with them I would have to pay an extra £200 on top of what they quoted. So i told them i would not be renewing with them and she informed me I would still have to pay £65 because I had gone over my agreed mileage limit, this being 1 day before the years insurance runs out. I ignored this request and renewed my insurance with a different company. I have now received a letter saying they are going to get debt collectors involved if I don't pay the £65.

So what do I do? Ignore it or pay it? I not bothered about the money but don't see why I have to pay £65 when I am no longer insured with them? Fair enough if I had made a claim but I haven't.

[RA Dunk]

I dont think you should worry about it, when ever I renew my insurance they only ask me for a "estimate" of how many miles I do per year, you can't really help it if you strayed about your estimate TBH after all it is only a guess as to how many miles you will be doing, look at all the years you have done under your estimate do you get a refund for that? do you feck!

This is all IMO though

Edited December 28, 2009 by RA Dunk

[C_WRX]

I guess some kind of legal/citizens advise ??

Have you had a read though the insurance docs you would've received at the start of the year, see if there's any reference about it all in there ?

Wonder though how it would have been IF you had had a claim and they found out you were over the mileage limit, would they have paid out then !!?

[graeme_mcfarlane]

Ok so if you are out in Glasgow and want to head back to say aberdeen, you have to get the car towed or its not insured....I dont think so, name and shame the insurance company so we all know to stay well clear

Graeme

[BalliSTIc]

Just watch you're not liable for an admin charge if you've cancelled your renewal late... £65 still sounds a bit steep though... maybe £25-30 for something like that.

Check your small print VERY carefully and go citizens advice if in doubt. If you ignore it and you ARE liable for this, £65 will seem very cheap indeed if you start having to involve solicitors etc. Bear in mind it might also bounce your credit rating.

I agree it sounds like they're at it... just watch your back with them, mate, that's all.

Glyn

[StewartyBoy]

This wouldnt have been a brokerage on behalf of Adrian Flux would it. Like Highway!?

They tried to sting me before for going over by 110 miles. I point blank refused to payup on the grounds that if you did go over the allocated limit, was I just to STOP my car phone them and ask pretty please if it were ok if I proceeded on my journey!? And then what, they would bump my policy up by a couple of hundred which I wouldnt be willing to pay and at that point in my journey, my policy would be null and void!?

After a couple more phonecalls to the customer relations they scrapped the charge, changed to Elephant and never had any hassle. Really hope you get this settled mate because there is nothing worse than having a company like that trying to string you up.

[jcscoob]

I would tell them to take you court, prove you went over your mileage then swivle !!

[ciaranrb5]

This wouldnt have been a brokerage on behalf of Adrian Flux would it. Like Highway!?

They tried to sting me before for going over by 110 miles. I point blank refused to payup on the grounds that if you did go over the allocated limit, was I just to STOP my car phone them and ask pretty please if it were ok if I proceeded on my journey!? And then what, they would bump my policy up by a couple of hundred which I wouldnt be willing to pay and at that point in my journey, my policy would be null and void!?

After a couple more phonecalls to the customer relations they scrapped the charge, changed to Elephant and never had any hassle. Really hope you get this settled mate because there is nothing worse than having a company like that trying to string you up.

Bingo it is highway through Green light. I will need to have a look through the small print. It is not a charge for cancelling the renewal late bacause

1.In order to renew you have to phone up and actually except the renewal.

2.I did it a day before my renewal was due.

Will have to check it out as im not wanting my credit score affected for a measly £65.

Could I tell them that the car has new clocks as the old ones broke? They are going to be hard pushed to prove otherwise aren't they?

[RA Dunk]

Could I tell them that the car has new clocks as the old ones broke?

No, you should tell them to go f%*k them selfs, AFAIK you only need to give an estimate of your rough milage not an exact figure because you can not give an exact figure when it comes to milage, like others say check your insurance small print

[RA Dunk]

Could I tell them that the car has new clocks as the old ones broke? They are going to be hard pushed to prove otherwise aren't they?

Ohh I wouldent be doing this either, they will probably do you for fiddeling the oddometer or driving with the incorrect milage which could land you in a whole world of s****

[ciaranrb5]

Ohh I wouldent be doing this either, they will probably do you for fiddeling the oddometer or driving with the incorrect milage which could land you in a whole world of s****

good shout actually. I might just pay it and never use the bar stewards ever again

[paul555sti]

What actual proof do they have that you exceeded it?

[ciaranrb5]

What actual proof do they have that you exceeded it?

I told them what the mileage was when i started and when i went to renew. I know I should have lied but I didn't think i would have gone over the limit. plus i couldn't remember what I told them at the start of the policy

[paul555sti]

I told them what the mileage was when i started and when i went to renew. I know I should have lied but I didn't think i would have gone over the limit. plus i couldn't remember what I told them at the start of the policy

So really they have no proof other than you making a " mistake " on the phone by giving them the wrong figure. Cant see them getting far with that in court.

[RA Dunk]

So really they have no proof other than you making a " mistake " on the phone by giving them the wrong figure. Cant see them getting far with that in court.

better watch he dosent get caught out by legal implictions on this though as he would have given them false information (unknowingly though) but still false information all the same...

I would say check your small print and find out if your insurance states a maximum milage per year or a rough estimate

[cullenmin]

I wouldnt pay it. You'd be mad to pay it. Seek advice from whoever it is that deals with this kind of stuff or ignore it.

How do they knew YOU done the XXXX amount of mileage over what you said you would? What if it was your dad/mum/brother that done the extra mileage being insured under his/her own motor policy 3rd party or whatever???

I'd imagine you had 10,000 miles annual or so (like normal) and not a very low limited mileage?

Rich

Edited December 28, 2009 by Cullenmin

[thefastone]

Yeah, with the guys here, I'd seek legal advice on this one, or at the very least from Citizens advice...

My opinion though, is that its b******s. Ive never had to tell them my millage, only just to give an estimate of what I think that I will do. and, further to that, if you were bound extra charges for going over a milage limit, then they should have made that very clear to you when you took out the policy.

I've been with Highway for a long time, though, through different brokers, and I've never even been asked for current mileage.

[thefastone]

Ohh I wouldent be doing this either, they will probably do you for fiddeling the oddometer or driving with the incorrect milage which could land you in a whole world of s****

If they are being ****ty on this, then it wouldn't surprise me that they might try that one on... say, if you were to challenge it court, so best to just stick to the honest answers, you cant get bitten then, and you have done nothing wrong.

I told them what the mileage was when i started and when i went to renew. I know I should have lied but I didn't think i would have gone over the limit. plus i couldn't remember what I told them at the start of the policy

No, dont lie about it, because it will just bite you in the ass...

So really they have no proof other than you making a " mistake " on the phone by giving them the wrong figure. Cant see them getting far with that in court.

Ah, but thats exactly it, they would just rape you for not ENSURING that you have given full and correct info, unfortunately ignorance is no defence... the onus is on you to provide them with the correct info. then your insurance would be instantly null and void...

[jcscoob]

then your insurance would be instantly null and void...

Yeah last years insurance. Deffo a wee bit legal advice is must, DO NOT PAY !

[thefastone]

Yeah last years insurance. Deffo a wee bit legal advice is must, DO NOT PAY !

Yeah, but they can still charge you with it... I still agree with you though Jon - get legal advice and dont pay till you do!

[euan_r]

if shoe was on other foot i cant see them giving refund for any unused milage allowance.

i wouldnt ignore or tell them to **** off. nae worth buggering up any credit score for the small amount it is, if you have any plans to move house etc.

[jsfenty]

Hi there,

Just newly joined tonight but can offer some advice, as I am an Insurance Broker.

All insurers have a rating structure to determine a premium to charge you. The type of car, age of the car, where you live, if the car is garaged at night, your occupation, how many drivers you want on the policy, any previous claims/convictions, type of cover, etc..... and maximum miles driven per year. The answer to all these questions either loads or discounts the premium by varying percentages. Some insurers give quite generous discounts for drivers who drive lower miles per year than others. Why should Jo Bloggs who drives 40,000 miles per year pay the same premium than Scooby Bloggs who may only drive 4,000 miles per year. Obviously Jo is far more likely by the law of averages to have a claim than his twin brother Scooby. You do not state if you had taken the policy out more than a year ago but when it was taken out you would have been asked the question "What is you maximum miles driven per year?" You must have stated a lower amount and this is how your premium had been calculated. Doing this type of thing online is not easy for your average buyer as all the information is there on the screen and in your policy documents but who reads this until it is too late. If you spoke to a human being all this should have been explained and does make life easier. Your insurers are however correct in asking for this additional premium as this was the discount you had received when the policy was renewed/taken out last time. Unfortunately they can send in the debt collectors and give your credit score a yellow card. If you go and talk to them saying this was not explained properly you might get a sympathetic person who could get this waived but you will be lucky. It is not worth the aggro for £65. It seems a hard lesson learnt. The answer is get a good local broker to you and as long as the premium difference is not too high compared to the directs/online insurers it could be worth its weight in gold. Free advice and when something like this happens your local broker may have a large account with the insurer and be able to pull a few strings. Sometimes it is not what you know but who you know.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Stuart

[RA Dunk]

Hi there,

Just newly joined tonight but can offer some advice, as I am an Insurance Broker.

All insurers have a rating structure to determine a premium to charge you. The type of car, age of the car, where you live, if the car is garaged at night, your occupation, how many drivers you want on the policy, any previous claims/convictions, type of cover, etc..... and maximum miles driven per year. The answer to all these questions either loads or discounts the premium by varying percentages. Some insurers give quite generous discounts for drivers who drive lower miles per year than others. Why should Jo Bloggs who drives 40,000 miles per year pay the same premium than Scooby Bloggs who may only drive 4,000 miles per year. Obviously Jo is far more likely by the law of averages to have a claim than his twin brother Scooby. You do not state if you had taken the policy out more than a year ago but when it was taken out you would have been asked the question "What is you maximum miles driven per year?" You must have stated a lower amount and this is how your premium had been calculated. Doing this type of thing online is not easy for your average buyer as all the information is there on the screen and in your policy documents but who reads this until it is too late. If you spoke to a human being all this should have been explained and does make life easier. Your insurers are however correct in asking for this additional premium as this was the discount you had received when the policy was renewed/taken out last time. Unfortunately they can send in the debt collectors and give your credit score a yellow card. If you go and talk to them saying this was not explained properly you might get a sympathetic person who could get this waived but you will be lucky. It is not worth the aggro for £65. It seems a hard lesson learnt. The answer is get a good local broker to you and as long as the premium difference is not too high compared to the directs/online insurers it could be worth its weight in gold. Free advice and when something like this happens your local broker may have a large account with the insurer and be able to pull a few strings. Sometimes it is not what you know but who you know.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Stuart

Excellent, At least this gives a proper explanation, So just say my insurance asks me my anual milage I say 10K, am I correct in thinking that I'm not covered after I have done my 10K?

and just say I only do 5K but have insured myself for 10K shouldent I get a refund as I have only done 5K thats a 50% less chance (going by the law of averages you mentioned) that I am going to have an accident?

[bob wrx]

didnt post about this before? and you had gone something like 5k over your limit?

[jsfenty]

Excellent, At least this gives a proper explanation, So just say my insurance asks me my anual milage I say 10K, am I correct in thinking that I'm not covered after I have done my 10K?

and just say I only do 5K but have insured myself for 10K shouldent I get a refund as I have only done 5K thats a 50% less chance (going by the law of averages you mentioned) that I am going to have an accident?

Yes you are correct but only if that particular insurer offers a limited mileage discount. Most insurers/brokers however will not be too helpfull in getting a refund sorted out. If you have declared a certain mileage and go over this then you are usually still covered but there will usually be a much bigger excess to pay in the event of a claim. Say you have a £250 excess this may be increased to £500 or £1000 in an extreme case.

Regards,

Stuart