aa insurance direct debit last payment

[slurp]

i recently changed from the aa car insurance to hastings(much cheaper), i paid the aa by direct debit, and thinking that i had made all the payments i cancelled the direct debit at my bank. a week later i got a letter from the aa stating i had not made the last payment and they were adding £12 pound admin cost for failing to pay, as it turns out when you take the insurance out you pay a deposit then the first direct debit does not go out the bank for 60 days making the last payment on the day the insurace expires. is this normal? (shouldn't the first direct debit payment be 30 days after beginning and the last 30 days before expiry) and has anyone else experienced this?

[bednobs]

it's not really important what is "normal", what is important is what is in your contract with them. Is what they are saying true?? have you missed a payment. This is all that matters really

[slurp]

yes they are correct, and i did miss the last payment. when i realised this error on my part i promptly rang them and paid my dues. the issue i have is that i was then liable to pay the extra admin charge of £12. i feel this was due to a misleading direct debit aggreement. quote "an initial deposit of £xxx and 11 equal monthly payments of £xxx" was easily seen in the main body of the text. as ever the small print which was so easy to overlook stated the fisrst payment would not be until sixty days after the deposit had been paid. what i was wondering, although £12 is relatively small for one policy if they got that from thousands of people.....see what im thinking?

[bednobs]

i see what you mean but 1000's of people don't cancel their insurance before the end i guess

[slurp]

thanks bedknobs
i didnt cancel the policy, it ran the full term. the last direct debit payment was due on the same day the policy expired. as it happens through a complaint i was refunded the £12 pound admin fee, good result, so any readers who are unfortunate enough to do the same as me, complain strongly, you never know!!