Insurance Situation

Enygma

Bit of a rant really, but here goes. Mods, move if necessary.

I was involved in an accident over a year ago that wrote off my car (97 Fiesta). No one was hurt or anything and it wasn't my fault. I told the insurance company about it straight away and got the guys details and everything.

Things proceed very slowly for the next few months as these things tend to do. I'd been in touch with my solicitor about the crash just to be safe, I'd had a bit of a twinge in my lower back for quite a while afterwards and had to be examined by a third party doctor. Not trying to screw the system or anything, just said it to my solicitor and he got it checked out just in case.

Next development is a letter from the other guys insurance company telling me that he's deceased (nothing to do with the crash) and that they're not going to accept responsibility. They're not claiming against me, they're just not accepting that it was the guys fault.

A few weeks later my insurance rolls around and I get a quote of more than double the previous year (it was 1000 on a 1.3L Fiesta, next thing it's 2200 on a 1L Swift). I rang up and asked why and they said I'd lost my NCB, I said I'd never made a claim on my policy (It's TPF&T!) and no one else had either. They said if I can get the other guys insurance company to produce a letter saying that they aren't claiming on my policy then it will go back down. So I get in touch with my solicitor who says there's absolutely no claim against me. We get this letter and my broker accepts that I have not made a claim on my insurance or there isn't one against me.

My NCB is intact, the premium drops to E2100
Went up by a further E400 when I upgraded to a 1.4L Golf

I'm claiming this money back in my claim so I should get it back. Isn't it a disgrace though? As far as they're concerned I'm guilty until proven innocent, even my solicitor said it was despicable.

Has anyone else been in this kind of situation? Isn't this a form of extortion? P*sses me right off just thinking about it!

<end_rant/>

dawballz

Pretty ****e alright, but I think we could go on forever about insurance in Ireland and the treatment of their customers etc.

Banjo013

It's a load of dogs bol*ox ... and I am an ex insurance company employee. They really are a shower of bas*ards.

Something similar happened to my dad a couple of years ago. This guy in an oil truck dragged his front bumper along the full length of my dads car. The truck driver actually kept going - my dad had to follow and stop him ... but that's beside the point.

Anyway as the claim progressed, the letter arrived in the post saying the truck driver has deceased, and therefore the claim is now dead with him.

With a bit of legal advice etc., my dad then went after the oil company the guy was driving for. He eventually got the car repaired this way through their insurance.

Not quiet the same I suppose, but just goes to show how the ins company will try every dirty trick to not pay a legitimate claim. They don't seem to have a problem paying bogus claims though - or so it would appear .... and then moan about it and how it drives premiums up.

Maybe investigate if the driver was attached to a fleet policy is the only thing I could suggest. Might be a long shot but if that was the case, you could have the ins company by the balls.

stratos

In my experience with insurance companies, keep writing to them saying you don't accept what ever excuse they have now come up with now. It seems to me they will try anything, but if you call them on it they seem to collapse. Did twice for me anyway. One odd one was a car was written off on me, and although the car was insured for 2 grand they sent me a cheque for 600 saying this was the market value of the vehicle. I was happy enough with this, ( all the vehicle was worth). But for the craic I sent them a letter protesting that I payed for 2000 worth of insurance. A while went by and I forgot about it. 3 months later a cheque for 1400 arrived in the post, no accompany letter or anything just a cheque. From then on I put everything in writting with them and accept nothing.

Banjo013

stratos wrote:

One odd one was a car was written off on me, and although the car was insured for 2 grand they sent me a cheque for 600 saying this was the market value of the vehicle. I was happy enough with this, ( all the vehicle was worth). But for the craic I sent them a letter protesting that I payed for 2000 worth of insurance. A while went by and I forgot about it. 3 months later a cheque for 1400 arrived in the post, no accompany letter or anything just a cheque. From then on I put everything in writting with them and accept nothing.

That surprises me. Usually the ins company will only pay the market value of the car, and the amount it's insured for doesn't even come into it.

I had some old biddy drive into me few years back while I was parked. My car had a market value of £1,100 (pounds at the time) and that's all I got .... even though it cost me £1,900 to get the repairs done. The ins company used their favourite line on me - "it's an economic write off, therefore we won't pay for the repairs, we'll only pay the value of the car". I got legal advice on this at the time and apparently they are withing their rights - fcuking barstrds.

Shortly after that I stopped working for ins companies through sheer disgust.

stratos

Banjo you are a righteous person to leave your employment for ethical reasons.

Our man in Havana

A claim does not die just because the person dies, the claim is against the insurance coompany and the deceased's estate.

mike65

Same thing happened to me years back. The other driver was charged and I was in the clear, but because I had played ball and informed my company of the crash when the renewal came round the NCB had been removed pending the court case outcome. You'd think the fact the Guards charged the other fella and not me would have sufficed.

If the same situation should occure again I wont tell the compnay anything.

Mike.

pedro ferio-vti

Bond-007 wrote:

A claim does not die just because the person dies, the claim is against the insurance coompany and the deceased's estate.

True, the insurance company provided indemnity to the lad who hit you in the rear at the time of the accident so just because he crokes doesn't clear them of their obligations under the terms of the policy held by that lad....

Does sound like they're trying pull something.... it's not Quinn Direct that sent you out that letter eh??

RicardoSmith

I had the same problem. No claim made and they bumped up my insurance. After two years of arguing with them, and having to pay a much higer premium (which I was told would be refunded) they eventually siad they'd give a refund, but only if I took their next renewal which had increased by almost the same amount as the refund. I eventually got some of the money back but not all.