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"Null and void" car insurance cancellation letter

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  • 25-07-2017 9:57pm
    #1
    bayner555
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭


    Hi,
    I took car insurance last week with one of the big companies. They asked how many years driving experience I had, giving only "0", "1", "2 years" as options.
    I have 9 months experience so I wrote "1 year"
    I sent off my documents to be checked.
    They came back this morning to say that my policy was invalid and that with less than 1 year experience I am outside their acceptance criteria.
    But the real problem is seemingly - they insist on sending a registered letter stating that "they" cancelled my policy.
    Would declaring this letter make me uninsurable in the future? Would declaring this letter not be a problem as it is a minor issue? Would the regulator help? would i be mad to be declaring this?
    Thanks a lot for your time.


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    #2
    bayner555
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭bayner555


    was online


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    #3
    alig123aileen
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 117 ✭✭alig123aileen


    hi there this is a typical reaction by high handed insurers but there are ways around this. Get the e mail address from them for complaints and say you want to take your case to the insurance ombudsman (it won't come to this). Send an email outlining the options on the drop down menu you code and ask them to reinstate your policy if they can't do it at the same provide to send you the letter needed for ombudsman. In the unlikely event they don't reinstate or if they try to increase your premium go to another insurer and tell them what happened they will take it on. Happy to help if you send me a PM. Good luck


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    #4
    bayner555
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭bayner555


    alig123aileen wrote: »
    hi there this is a typical reaction by high handed insurers but there are ways around this. Get the e mail address from them for complaints and say you want to take your case to the insurance ombudsman (it won't come to this). Send an email outlining the options on the drop down menu you code and ask them to reinstate your policy if they can't do it at the same provide to send you the letter needed for ombudsman. In the unlikely event they don't reinstate or if they try to increase your premium go to another insurer and tell them what happened they will take it on. Happy to help if you send me a PM. Good luck

    thanks a lot Alig123. I complained but the manager in complaints department said "that's our policy" and I said next step is the regulator.


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    #5
    Sue Pa Key Pa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,060 ✭✭✭Sue Pa Key Pa


    If they issued you with any confirmation of cover, they have to issue the formal cancellation letter. This must be declared to future insurers but a good broker should be able to explain it to an alternative company and get a quote. The Ombudsman won't help as the error was yours and don't consider not declaring it. That could bring you a heap of trouble down the road


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    #6
    bayner555
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭bayner555


    Sue Pa Key Pa wrote: »
    If they issued you with any confirmation of cover, they have to issue the formal cancellation letter. This must be declared to future insurers but a good broker should be able to explain it to an alternative company and get a quote. The Ombudsman won't help as the error was yours and don't consider not declaring it. That could bring you a heap of trouble down the road

    Thanks Sue Pa - so you are telling me that I'm shut out of most insurance companies in Ireland now and will only get more expensive cover from smaller companies?

    and not declaring such a minor administrative error (which is clearly an honest mistake that they frankly set up) is a major problem?

    I can't really say I agree with you about the mistake being mine - rounding up is quite normal. but I do appreciate your reply.


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    #7
    mikeybrennan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 869 ✭✭✭mikeybrennan


    How are they cancelling when they said you are out their acceptance criteria


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    #8
    happywithlife
    Registered Users Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭happywithlife


    But it wasn't rounding up - it was simple question and obvious answer was 0 - if you were driving 1 yr and 9 months would you 'round up' to 2? I wouldn't think so. When it comes to no claims protection experience isn't rounded up- not sure why you thought it was okay to round up on an insurance policy. But I would try and get a cancellation notice erased if possible as it's one of the first things you'll be asked on any quote going forward


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    #9
    bayner555
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭bayner555


    mikeybrennan wrote: »
    How are they cancelling when they said you are out their acceptance criteria


    because I told them I had 1 year of experience. I have 9 months. The only options were "0" or "1 year". so they view the policy as never having really started


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    #10
    bayner555
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭bayner555


    happywithlife wrote: »
    But it wasn't rounding up - it was simple question and obvious answer was 0 - if you were driving 1 yr and 9 months would you 'round up' to 2? I wouldn't think so. When it comes to no claims protection experience isn't rounded up- not sure why you thought it was okay to round up on an insurance policy. But I would try and get a cancellation notice erased if possible as it's one of the first things you'll be asked on any quote going forward

    getting it erased would be ideal. but a previous reply said the regulator won't help


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    #11
    Yawns
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,255 ✭✭✭Yawns


    The answer was 0. It's standard in the insurance industry. It's one full year. You have not had one full year so your answer should have been 0. You entered wrong information to obtain a quote and the insurance has been declared invalid as a result. You didn't do it intentionally but you still did it. If they let you away with it, what's to stop me saying I have 5 year NCB when I have only 1.

    If ever you are unsure, always pick up the phone or email the company in question about it. Especially with insurance.


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    #12
    bayner555
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭bayner555


    Yawns wrote: »
    The answer was 0. It's standard in the insurance industry. It's one full year. You have not had one full year so your answer should have been 0. You entered wrong information to obtain a quote and the insurance has been declared invalid as a result. You didn't do it intentionally but you still did it. If they let you away with it, what's to stop me saying I have 5 year NCB when I have only 1.

    If ever you are unsure, always pick up the phone or email the company in question about it. Especially with insurance.

    thanks, I know that now. Clearly I knew I would have to provide the info. I wasn't trying to pull a fast one.

    am I seriously damaged going forward?


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    #13
    mikeybrennan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 869 ✭✭✭mikeybrennan


    bayner555 wrote: »
    because I told them I had 1 year of experience. I have 9 months. The only options were "0" or "1 year". so they view the policy as never having really started
    That's a different thing to a cancellation

    It's a voided policy afaik


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    #14
    bayner555
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭bayner555


    mikeybrennan wrote: »
    That's a different thing to a cancellation

    It's a voided policy afaik

    yeah - fair point, thanks


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    #15
    Sue Pa Key Pa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,060 ✭✭✭Sue Pa Key Pa


    mikeybrennan wrote: »
    That's a different thing to a cancellation

    It's a voided policy afaik

    They will cancel the policy "ab intitio" (from inception). It is still a forced cancellation to be declared. As I mentioned earlier, if cover was confirmed to you, they have to go through the formal cancellation process described under the policy. If cover was never confirmed, awaiting supporting documents, you may get lucky


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    #16
    mikeybrennan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 869 ✭✭✭mikeybrennan


    Where does the OP go next

    Broker?


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    #17
    Sue Pa Key Pa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,060 ✭✭✭Sue Pa Key Pa


    mikeybrennan wrote: »
    Where does the OP go next

    Broker?

    I would. The reason for cancellation is on the minor side of the scale and a good broker has relationships with many insurers. If it is explained correctly, he may get a quote at standard rates from some of them


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    #18
    bayner555
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭bayner555


    Sue Pa Key Pa wrote: »
    They will cancel the policy "ab intitio" (from inception). It is still a forced cancellation to be declared. As I mentioned earlier, if cover was confirmed to you, they have to go through the formal cancellation process described under the policy. If cover was never confirmed, awaiting supporting documents, you may get lucky

    Cover was never confirmed, thanks for the idea.


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    #19
    NUTLEY BOY
    Registered Users Posts: 2,344 ✭✭✭NUTLEY BOY


    On a strict view OP can be said to have misrepresented a material fact and that is a serious matter in the context of insurance contracts or the preliminaries preceding formation of a contract.

    I accept that it was an unintended act on the basis that OP was trying to make a best fit for the insurer's straightjacket.

    However, can the erroneous statement be "disappeared" in the context of dealings with other insurers ? I would be concerned that failure to disclose this unfortunate event could be used against the OP in time. If the episode is disclosed there should be no problem as OP will have acted honestly in disclosing it and acting with utmost good faith.

    I appreciate that there may have been no contract formed technically but that representation still lingers.


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    #20
    Marcusm
    Registered Users Posts: 10,351 ✭✭✭✭Marcusm


    bayner555 wrote: »
    because I told them I had 1 year of experience. I have 9 months. The only options were "0" or "1 year". so they view the policy as never having really started

    To be blunt, they view you as having made a misrepresentation to obtain insurance. It does sound as if you will not be able to use online quotes etc as your y will answer "yes" to "have you ever had cover refused or cancelled". Explaining that will take a broker or an experienced, I.e. Non call centre, sales agent.


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