The Perils Of Privatisation - Part X
News13 mins ago
Car Insurance Claim
I wonder if there is anyone out there that has had this situation happen to them, and how they resolved it.
A few weeks ago we received an e-mail from our car insurers to say that a claim had been made against our insurance, for an accident that took place almost 200 miles away from our residence. We contacted the insurers immediately, as our car had not been in any accidents anywhere. They gave us the information as to the location, date, time etc, but could not provide any details of the description of the car. On the day in question we were parked in a car park locally, and as this car park has number plate recognition we obtained evidence of this.
After contacting the insurance company again, they more or less said don't worry about it, it's probably a case of a mistake in the number plate yada yada. Nothing further to do. Did not ask us to provide the evidence of our location on that date. We presumed they would look into and that would be it.
We now come to insure our car again, and it's due in 2 days, to find that they are showing an open claim against our insurance. Even if we wanted to declare it on the insurance, which I don't because it will increase the premium, we can't do that, we can't give the information they ask for because we weren't there, it never happened!!
Has anyone got any ideas, obviously there is no-body to speak to today as it's a sunday, but if anyone has experienced this, what did they do to make the insurance company remove this claim from their system. It's not just our insurers, of course all these claims show in all the insurers databases.
A few weeks ago we received an e-mail from our car insurers to say that a claim had been made against our insurance, for an accident that took place almost 200 miles away from our residence. We contacted the insurers immediately, as our car had not been in any accidents anywhere. They gave us the information as to the location, date, time etc, but could not provide any details of the description of the car. On the day in question we were parked in a car park locally, and as this car park has number plate recognition we obtained evidence of this.
After contacting the insurance company again, they more or less said don't worry about it, it's probably a case of a mistake in the number plate yada yada. Nothing further to do. Did not ask us to provide the evidence of our location on that date. We presumed they would look into and that would be it.
We now come to insure our car again, and it's due in 2 days, to find that they are showing an open claim against our insurance. Even if we wanted to declare it on the insurance, which I don't because it will increase the premium, we can't do that, we can't give the information they ask for because we weren't there, it never happened!!
Has anyone got any ideas, obviously there is no-body to speak to today as it's a sunday, but if anyone has experienced this, what did they do to make the insurance company remove this claim from their system. It's not just our insurers, of course all these claims show in all the insurers databases.
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I think that’s been done diddlyo and Ins Co said not to worry, yet the issue remains open on the records.
I can only suggest ringing again tomorrow and not hanging up until the claim is cleared down. Probably a mistaken identity- is not an adequate answer now. If the operator is less that positive ask to speak to the supervisor and keep going.
I can only suggest ringing again tomorrow and not hanging up until the claim is cleared down. Probably a mistaken identity- is not an adequate answer now. If the operator is less that positive ask to speak to the supervisor and keep going.
When we contacted the insurance company, they couldn't even say what the description of the car was to see if it fitted the description of our car. Or what damage had been sustained, whether there were injuries - nothing. It would appear that this car was involved in an accident, obviously details have not been exchanged, the registration number has been seen, or thought to have been seen, and the car ownership has been obtained through the DVLA.
Now, either someone is running around the country on false number plates, or they say someone has genuinely misread the number plate of the car in question. But seriously - you have been able to get the number plate but not a description of the car? And no further information.
It looks like this has been entered into the insurance company's system, and basically sat on. The claim hasn't been settled, and this is supposed to have happened 3 months ago. One would think if it was genuine, someone would have been pursuing them for their pay out. It smells badly of some kind of dodgy going on to me and no one has bothered to investigate.
We are really stuck now because our renewal is £100 more than a similar policy would be without this so called claim. As well as which, the renewal doesn't reflect our current circumstances, and can't be changed, we need a new policy writing. We can't get anyone to quote us for a fully new policy because of this, what they are calling an 'open claim', of which we have no information because it never happened. The owner of the car now uses it for business purposes which should be reflected on a new policy. Without having it added, he can't work.
I am hoping that the insurance company's claims department is going to be able to get this removed tomorrow, or we may well be stuck with no insurance, or have an insurance that doesn't meet our needs, and is costing significantly more as well. If they won't remove, I don't know what we can do.
Now, either someone is running around the country on false number plates, or they say someone has genuinely misread the number plate of the car in question. But seriously - you have been able to get the number plate but not a description of the car? And no further information.
It looks like this has been entered into the insurance company's system, and basically sat on. The claim hasn't been settled, and this is supposed to have happened 3 months ago. One would think if it was genuine, someone would have been pursuing them for their pay out. It smells badly of some kind of dodgy going on to me and no one has bothered to investigate.
We are really stuck now because our renewal is £100 more than a similar policy would be without this so called claim. As well as which, the renewal doesn't reflect our current circumstances, and can't be changed, we need a new policy writing. We can't get anyone to quote us for a fully new policy because of this, what they are calling an 'open claim', of which we have no information because it never happened. The owner of the car now uses it for business purposes which should be reflected on a new policy. Without having it added, he can't work.
I am hoping that the insurance company's claims department is going to be able to get this removed tomorrow, or we may well be stuck with no insurance, or have an insurance that doesn't meet our needs, and is costing significantly more as well. If they won't remove, I don't know what we can do.
you could by a cheap number for the car then it will all go away:
https:/
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Something similar happened to a colleague many years ago – fortunately it was a workday and the firm’s security cameras confirmed his car was parked on site.
He did wonder how someone came to claim his vehicle was involved in an accident.
Another colleague had an accident where the fault was disputed and the matter went to court with his insurer and the other driver. Both vehicles only suffered superficial damage, but the other driver was claiming for whiplash injuries. The court case went against the other driver, but what with covid causing extensive delays in the court case, my colleague paid increased insurance premiums for two years – but there seems no mechanism within the insurance industry whereby he could claim back those increased premiums (where it was ruled in court that he was not at fault).
He did wonder how someone came to claim his vehicle was involved in an accident.
Another colleague had an accident where the fault was disputed and the matter went to court with his insurer and the other driver. Both vehicles only suffered superficial damage, but the other driver was claiming for whiplash injuries. The court case went against the other driver, but what with covid causing extensive delays in the court case, my colleague paid increased insurance premiums for two years – but there seems no mechanism within the insurance industry whereby he could claim back those increased premiums (where it was ruled in court that he was not at fault).
It’s a total nightmare. Wouldn’t mind if we’d just ignored the letter they sent to tell us about it but we didn’t. We’ve spoken to them at least twice and they just brushed it off as not important, probably a mistake. But never looked into it, just left the claim sitting there.
I’m sure getting a new registration was a joke but the irony is, if this is a cloned plates situation, we may well have to get a new plate. We’ve had so little information from the insurer we don’t know what to think.
Typical they’re not there just when you need them to be. In the meantime they’ve sent notification that they’ll auto renew which we’ve told them not to. Now that department isn’t there. I assume we can cancel if they do. Always presuming we can sort this in the short term and get a fresh policy.
I’m sure getting a new registration was a joke but the irony is, if this is a cloned plates situation, we may well have to get a new plate. We’ve had so little information from the insurer we don’t know what to think.
Typical they’re not there just when you need them to be. In the meantime they’ve sent notification that they’ll auto renew which we’ve told them not to. Now that department isn’t there. I assume we can cancel if they do. Always presuming we can sort this in the short term and get a fresh policy.
The renewal is £100 more than a new policy would be. They are saying they cannot price match, which is what they normally do, because of the ‘open’ claim. That’s been there since 22nd June with no action. We gave them the information that it was nothing to do with us on 3rd July. We called them again a few weeks later for an update to be told again, don’t worry probably just a mistake. Then did nothing to establish whether this is error or fraud.
When you ring, if you don't get a satisfactory answer tell them politely but firmly that you wish to speak to someone senior. Keep doing that until you get to speak to a decision maker with authority.
I found with a situation with a utility company that front line forces just don't deal with difficult things. They promise, but do nothing.
With my problem it all changed once I made an official complaint.
I found with a situation with a utility company that front line forces just don't deal with difficult things. They promise, but do nothing.
With my problem it all changed once I made an official complaint.
Well what a tarradiddle that all was. About 4 hours of my life in the last couple of days I'll never get back.
The upshot of all this is that, yes it appears there was a case of mistaken identity of the car registration, and eventually, some time in September it was referred back to the correct insurer (not mine). At that time this claim should have been removed off my policy. But it wasn't. At no time have I been kept in touch with what's been going on.
So it seemed that I was going to have to renew a policy, which didn't fit my needs, and was going to cost me £100 more than a new policy, with the same company, which did fit my needs. Once it became obvious that this claim needed to be removed, evidently it could take 24 hours, or actually no, 48 hours to be removed. No one could answer the question why.
After much toing and froing, between various different people, in various different departments, in the end they accepted the application for a new policy, which I have now bought. My instincts were to avoid Tesco like the plague, but I wasn't able to get a policy elsewhere due to information I didn't have to enter into the compare websites.
That was 2 hours ago. I was reassured that the policy wouldn't be declined due to the presence of a claim, that shouldn't be there, but isn't yet removed, and which I haven't declared, because I wasn't able to. So far so good. I have asked them to contact me to let me know when this claim is removed, but I am not holding my breath.
So for now, I have insurance, and have asked how to complain about this. Because I am going to complain. Somebody, no idea who, has not done his/her job properly, and someone needs to know.
So - if anyone else gets into this position, my recommendation would be to keep contacting the insurance company, every week if need be to find out what's happening. No you shouldn't have to do this, but better that than getting right to the point of renewal and finding there's a major issue.
The upshot of all this is that, yes it appears there was a case of mistaken identity of the car registration, and eventually, some time in September it was referred back to the correct insurer (not mine). At that time this claim should have been removed off my policy. But it wasn't. At no time have I been kept in touch with what's been going on.
So it seemed that I was going to have to renew a policy, which didn't fit my needs, and was going to cost me £100 more than a new policy, with the same company, which did fit my needs. Once it became obvious that this claim needed to be removed, evidently it could take 24 hours, or actually no, 48 hours to be removed. No one could answer the question why.
After much toing and froing, between various different people, in various different departments, in the end they accepted the application for a new policy, which I have now bought. My instincts were to avoid Tesco like the plague, but I wasn't able to get a policy elsewhere due to information I didn't have to enter into the compare websites.
That was 2 hours ago. I was reassured that the policy wouldn't be declined due to the presence of a claim, that shouldn't be there, but isn't yet removed, and which I haven't declared, because I wasn't able to. So far so good. I have asked them to contact me to let me know when this claim is removed, but I am not holding my breath.
So for now, I have insurance, and have asked how to complain about this. Because I am going to complain. Somebody, no idea who, has not done his/her job properly, and someone needs to know.
So - if anyone else gets into this position, my recommendation would be to keep contacting the insurance company, every week if need be to find out what's happening. No you shouldn't have to do this, but better that than getting right to the point of renewal and finding there's a major issue.
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