Insurance rant

bic_bicknell

bic_bicknell

Recently I bought a private numberplate.

On top of the price I paid for the plate it only cost £25 to have the DVLA transfer the new number across and issue and new log book and tax disc. Then I had to get a new numberplate which cost a tenner. All together pretty reasonable I thought.

Till I rang my insurance broker to let them know the number had changed. Then were fine about the change but wanted a £37.00 fee payable to the insurance company and an additional £37 for their "administration"!!! I was like, "You want to charge me nearly £80 for changing a number?" They went off and came back and said there was nothing they could do, they had no option with the insurance company and the admin fee was just a thing they had to do - it was in the small print of my policy they said.

Then I said that I was moving house in a few months and what about when I wanted to change my address? They said that probably the same charge would be incurred again. I said that this was insane because the whole years insurance was only £160 total premium for fully comp. I said I'd be better off just cancelling the policy and starting again - so what was the amount they would pay back if I cancelled? They said it was £67.00 but there would be a £60 cancellation fee! Ha ha ha.

So I just went off on one and asked to speak to a manager and after about 20 minutes of him accepting that they were a shit company and that their policies were ridiculous they agreed to change my new number at NO COST!

So it just goes to show that you can get your way but it takes a long time and you have to listen to a load of crap. They always have room for negotiation and threatening to leave often gets you what you want.
ktmguy

ktmguy

Nice one Bic!

Also send them an invoice for wasting your time!
That is what I do recently.
Superdan

Superdan

I had that issue recently with my car insurance when I moved house, they wanted to change my premium to a higer rate because I was in a higher risk area.

I said where I was before I was parking on the street in the middle of town and now im parked on a drive, there reply was that I was in a higher risk area, my reply was, no I wasnt, cars dont get stolen in the village I live now and where I was before there was more risk. (I should know!), I then asked why I had just changed my bike insurance the premuim stayed the same, they could not answer that one.

After being on hold they refused to budge but offered me a load of clubcard points, however when I was on hold I did went on an insurance compare site and found a cheaper premium, I have full no claims so told em to shove it and went with someone else.