Had you been involved in an accident you WOULD have been covered (Which is why they are only going to refund you what is remaining on the policy and not all of it). They agreed to the policy and hence you were covered but after they have checked records they have realised they have insured people that they didn't mean to and are cancelling them now. I know it doesn't make it any better (At all!) but I s'pose at least we got cheaper insurance for the months we did have it (Considering for me it is at least £250 more for the second cheapest).

 

Still, I'd love to do something more active about it and will keep an eye on here and check out any further details.

 

Cheers.
 

Hi Dan

 I hear what you are saying but what I wonder if if we actually will end up paying more, as we all know insurance goes up at the end of each month (the rates go up at the beginning of each new month) not sure exactly what it is or how they work it but I do know that most will tell you it could be more in the following month if you dont take thier insurance out there and then although they say the quote is valid for 30 days. I believe I am one of the lucky ones in that I have found a quote for approx £40 more than my Hastings one was albeit a very minimal policy based on what I can afford to pay. Now someone may of got a quote a few months ago that was £50 dearer than Hastings and decided to go with Hastings but now can only find a quote which is £200-£250 dearer. I dont think they would class it as having cheap insurance for a few months as it would of been cheaper for them to of gone for the dearer one. My problem is that i now have to find a deposit again which I really cant afford to do but I desperately need my car for one because I have no local shops and also because of health problems and such things like taking a 10 mile round trip twice a week so my children can see their father. I have no other option than to find the money somehow which will no doubt be funded by cutting down on the food shopping which isnt good for anyone. I wonder do these companies really understand or care what they put their customers through at all?

 Eggy

Hiya

This morning I have received a letter from Hastings with regards to my complaint saying I will be given a full response within the next 28 days. Enclosed is a copy of their complaint procedure and it says they are always concerned if a customer feels dissatisfied and that they aim to find a fair and reasonable solution as quickly as possible

(one awaits with anticipation)

I have also received a new quote off them today. The one they cancelled was £187.00 and my new one is £367.50 rising to £404.00 if I pay monthly. A deposit of £73.50 followed by 10 payments, 1 of£33.12 & 9 at £33.07,,,,,,, This is after them telling me they will waiver the deposit! If they did and split it over 11 payments this is almost double what i was paying monthly

 Well guess where they can stick their quote

Eggy

thats not bad, im male, 19 and live in county durham, my insurance with hastings was £1,200 and the new one was £2,200, how i supposed to afford that.

 

last night i contacted my local trading standards, and the financial ombudsman, to see what i can do, i will post any reply i get

 

kev

We would have been covered apparently (I asked) and I think its important to stick with the facts. I'll be writing to them today and I'll contact to Watchdog. Companies should not get away with treating their customers like this without as many people as possible knowing about it.

eggyineggsile:

This is after them telling me they will waiver the deposit!

The laughable thing for me was they said they wouldn't charge me the cancellation fee!

Hiya

I just wish there was a way we could contact more of the people who have had their policies cancelled, I personally can't think of anything else we can do other than to hope theres more who will find this thread. Would it be worth e-mailing somewhere like granada reports I wonder or something along them lines to try and get some wider awareness? What do you think, any ideas anyone?

Eggy

I'm glad I've found other people talking about it at least. I guess is to keep up the communication on this forum for starters and we have the threads on money saving expert. For what its worth I've set up a group called Hastings Direct ripped me off on facebook (http:// www. facebook.com/group. php?gid=4574698157) (remove spaces). So any one looking there will find it and we can discuss there as well if you wish. I'll drop the link to this thread there and to MSExpert too. If you have a blog, blog it. The internet is where a lot of people will look to find information. And to a certain extent if we get this  stuff coming up on a google search. That will affect Hastings more.

---

My 19 year old son has just recieved his phone call cancelling his insurance which he has had for eight month for which he paid in full at the time. At the end of this year he would have had three years no claims but what can he do with eight months, as this is not taken in to consideration by other insurance companies.

As a yoiung male driver he is penalised anyway, now he loses nearly a years no claims, has a cancelled policy against him (Hastings doesn't seem too keen to put the details in writing for him) and has to find money for a new policy four months before he should.

Why can't Hastings offer a bridging policy to cover the rest of the year?
They say not possible.

If a shop advertises its goods at a certain price, it has to sell at that price. Are insurance companies above such common courtesies?

Anyone any ideas on any further action we can take?

Customer care!!! I don't think so.

Any other insurance companies out there willing to take up Hastings shortfall and let people complete the years no claims.  Would be excellent customer relations.

Annnie0:

Any other insurance companies out there willing to take up Hastings shortfall and let people complete the years no claims.  Would be excellent customer relations.

I doubt it very much. The advertising for the sales gimmick for the affected 3000 people would outweigh the profit.

Besides, without proof of a full cycle NCD, no company will take it.

Anyone any ideas on any further action we can take?

As in my previous postings, Complaint to Hastings Customer services dept' firstly, They have to look into it. Get in touch with BBC's Watchdog, The site is easy to find online, complaint to Financial Ombudsman service, the details are in a reply I received from them in a previous post

 We can only do our best

 

Eggy

There is nothing that can be done as they haven't violated any term or condition. It does state that they are able to terminate the insurance by giving notice as one enters the agreement.

It is bad business though, and therefore the name can be tarnished and this may make people think twice before taking out a policy with them. However, in all honesty, I don't think it will be a big impact.

I am also affected by this recent event.  They contacted me on the 17th Aug. and said what was going on.  They said I would be refunding me for the remaining period for which I won't be insured for.  But I was outraged that they could just do what they did.  I'll complain, but I'm going to HAVE to go else where for insurance as the complaints won't be dealt with for a long time and in 3 days time I won't be insured! 

Very strange and quite unbelievable but what is very annoying is that (I'm 19, drive a 1.6 ASTRA) I have no NCB and this is my first year driving, so when I go to other companies for new quotes, they won't be interested in 5 months claim free driving on my own policy...all they want are full years, so I'm having to renew my car insurance as though I'm in the same situation as I was as I just turned 19, NO NCB! 

If they're playing it by a contract we/I agreed to, nothing can be done. 

This happened to me 2 days ago but with a different company, The A&A Group, I confirmed all details over the phone and paid for the policy in full. They called me back the next day and said that I had not disclosed something (a claim), I said that was rubbish and to check their recording, I called back later and they said that actually I DID dislcose it but they got confused (even though I confirmed it with them three times that they had it down right before purchasing!), and now they want £900 additional premium. Anyway I wasnt going to argue forever so I cancelled the policy, they refunded me in full and I got a cheaper quote elsewhere.

However when I spoke to the ombudsman they said that it was likely that I could be awarded an inconvenience claim of up to £250, and that initially I was to write to the broker to action this.

I have not bothered to do this as I was able to source a cheaper quote elsewhere, but if this had not been the case, I would most certainly have pushed it. As their error would have cost me consequentially as I made decisons and actions based on their sale.

I also think that it should be made clearer to the consumer, what key facts or assumptions the insurers are using to estimate their risk for each policy, I imagine that some of the information is gathered from third parties so may not be known to us at all, and other details given over the phone or the internet could be transcribed incorrectly or even missed out, unless we have access to this information, how are we able to confirm its accuracy? Yet that onus is on the consumer...