Of course they say that there's no record of them ringing up and cancelling leaving it as my word against thiers.
Still I thought it was against various codes of conduct to start up a new credit agreement that I havn't actually agreed to!
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My word, Adrian - you are vindictive. I think you seethed something similar a day or two back on another thread? Are your admin.charges profitable?
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Vindictive implies seeking revenge - I do not advocate that. I am concerned that people do not let themselves get bullied by big companies. I expect that most of the correspondence from these companies is automatically generated, so it can be very easy to find yourself in a cycle of warnings, demands & legal threats. One concisely worded letter can often bring it to the attention of someone who will sort it out for you and defuse the whole situation.
Sadly, I do not think I will be retiring early and living on admin charges - unless I can find a lot more to complain about!
I have only threatened admin charges on a couple of occassions and I would not expect them to pay (although I have recieved gift vouchers in lieu). The threat is to make a point - if they feel justified charging you £20 for an automated task that a computer performs in a nanosecond, a sheet of paper and a franked envelope, then they cannot argue about paying for your time and resources if it is you who are in the right.
BTW, I'm actually very mild mannered;-)
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SWMBO checked the bank statement yesterday.
We have two separate direct debits for our car insurance with the same company.
My insurance was renewed this month at a higher figure and yes , the insurance company have amended the wifes direct debit instead of mine.
This resulted in a long hunt for the paperwork last night and no doubt a time consuming call to insurance company call centre (your call is important to us = we couldn't give a toss )and the bank today.
You pay peanuts - you get monkeys. Why can't they get these things right?
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heli - because if there is any decision point in the 'process' that the co's phone operators follow, there is a 50:50 chance they make the wrong one, as they are under pressure to answer as many calls as poss. Your surname/postcode combination has two d/d accounts - QED.
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Adrian - i agree with you 100%. It really gets my back up that companies charge "administration fees" for tasks that can only take seconds. Yet whenever i try to do anything these days, i seem to be met with idiots. I can spend hours on the phone to these idiots trying to sort things out, without receiving so much as an apology. My time is precious to me, why should i give it to these idiots for free, when there would be no need to spend time on these things if only people could do their jobs properly.
I have also threatened to charge people for my time, in fact i did once go as far as sending an invoice to someone charging £30 per hour. I can't remember who it was, or why, but i never did get paid...
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I am concerned that people do not let themselves get bullied by big companies.
This annoys the hell out of me also. I had a problem last year with a large insurance company, I arranged cover through their website, and when I got the paperwork through they'd added £250 excess to it as I was a young driver. I know this is quite a standard thing - and one of the reasons I went with this company was the low excess on the web-site - no mention of young driver excess.
On my first email, I was told that yes, I was correct, there was an error with the website, they would fix it asap.
All well and good, but I didn't see why I should have to suffer the excess I had not agreed to. I sent another letter saying that under the circumstances I expected the extra excess to be removed from my cover.
Them: Sorry sir, it's a standard extra
Me: I know, but it wasn't mentioned
Them: Not our remit sorry, I'll forward this to another department
Other department: Sorry sir, not our remit, I'll forward this to another department.
other other department: Sorry sir, but the extra excess is clearly mentioned on the website.
So I checked it. You guessed it, in the month that I'd spent talking to them, they hadn't just added this information, they'd completely re-vamped the website. So it continued:
Me: The website has been changed, in the first reply to my first email, a member of your staff told me this would be done, and admitted at the time that the website was wrong
them: sorry we can find no record of this email. Can you ring our supervisor
So I rang them and asked to be put through to a supervisor, the person just asked me what the problem was. I explained it all, and she said 'but it does say it on the website'.
So, despite the fact that I'd said it had changed, she started an argument about whether or not the information was clearly displayed. (which it still wasn't btw)
Anyway, she refused to accept anything I said, and refused to pass me to anyone else, she also refused to send written confirmation that they would not accept my argument, so I told her I'd pursue other avenues.
I contacted GISP, although their actual procedures demand that you have been given a written account of the insurers stance. They wrote back to say that they couldn't help at this point as I had nothing written, but that they had forwarded my information to the insurer, for their information.
Two days later, I got a written apology and a revised policy.
I was happy that it was over, but absolutely incensed that I had argued and cajoled for about three months with them getting steadily less helpful, and a letter from GISP, which didn't have any weight at all at that point sent them scurrying to help. Talk about not caring about the individual.
I just wish I'd thought of Adrians trick.
I very nearly did write a letter explaining what I thought of their attitude, but was so relieved it was over, I just gave it up.
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After reading all these problems i actually feel relieved to work for a company that does car insurance (but i dont work in the car insurance department). I insure my car through them as i get a staff discount (25%) and i know if there is an issue i can just walk over to where they are and physically shout at someone!!! Havent had to yet, but its nice to know i could.
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After reading all these problems i actually feel relieved to work for a company that does car insurance (but i dont work in the car insurance department). I insure my car through them as i get a staff discount (25%) and i know if there is an issue i can just walk over to where they are and physically shout at someone!!! Havent had to yet, but its nice to know i could.
Not at LV Phoenicks? As you probably know, I used to work there in Corporate Governance (and SILD/CSQD before that)
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I am indeed Alan - I used to work for GI as an SCA and then moved over to the financial advice and now IFA side. Whats your surname?
I am aware of SILD - nice people. Good to get on with them for sake of your career.... ;-)
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When I worked in Corporate Governance I was heading up the Back-to-Back project as Technical Manager over in County Gates House - used to spend a lot of time with Stuart Mills and the LVIFA team. Was chatting to Ruth Darling on Monday evening, a name I'm sure you will recognise from the IFA side of the business.
I take it Lee Goodwin still deals with the LVIFA complaints in SILD? If so, say hi from me.
Anyway, enough of the socialising from me, now back to motoring......
;o)
No Dosh
mailto:Alan_moderator@honestjohn.co.uk
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I don't trust these companies bureaucracy machines, I always put my cancellation in writing, and do myself a copy. So far so good.
What does irritate me is when about 10 days before the insurance is due to terminate, another document for the following year arrives in the post, which then requires posting back to the company.
Reggie
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Bazza - I take all your points, and I recognise the symptoms you describe. But at the end of it all I wonder whether you may have spent all the premium reduction you achieved on phoning, AND damaged your blood pressure?
Nice to know there is a watchdog that can bark though.
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You're quite probably right Andrew. Although I mostly used emails actually, and only rang once, so cost was minimal. Apart from the necessary medical care afterwards ;)
And of course, they never offered me a premium reduction, just took the extra £250 from the excess. Which I never used anyway thankfully, but it was a matter of principle, especially when they changed their tune and claimed that the website had always had that information on it.
They also very helpfully at one point metioned that if I was unhappy I could cancel my insurance within 21 days of the start if I was unsatisfied. Very useful to know, especially after you've already been insured with them for two months waiting for them to send a useful response!
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I had a problem with a large insurer who moved their call centre to India. I changed cars 3-4 times last year and kept them up to date. Come renewal they were not competitive so moved to another firm.
About 3 months later received, out of the blue, a "final warning" from previous insurer for £170 unpaid premium. Wrote back asking them to justify it. Letters ignored but they continue to send debt collection warnings. Wrote to MD who passed complaint to some desk jockey who explained where their error had occurred (in accidently refunding balance of whole premium when downgrading from 911 to Golf instead of premium adjustment).
Despite my complaint that their mistake should be at their cost, they threatened to add my name to the credit agencies, so I paid under protest. Never again will I do business with that firm.
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I do a LOT of business over the phone.. and have a simple attitude.
I ask for the name of the person I speak to. I note name, date and time to the miniute.
I write a brief note of conversation as I go along. If it is important: eg cancelling something or buying something.. I ALWAYS confirm what I have agreed over the phone before I finish the conversation.. so it ends like this:-
ME: \"So, Jimmy (or Helen or Fred..) Just to confirm I have ordered a new Rolls Royce Continental at a list price less 20% discount giving a net price of £2220,125 in pale pink with no extras to be delivered on 1st March 2004. You will confirm this in writing within 3 days\"
i.e a summary of the main points etc..
Where I have had a denial that it ever happened , by quoting name date and time, the other party had to reluctantly agree that they had made a mistake.. and refunded me over £10,000 they had lost me by making a mistake. (I have to admit I was forced to threaten them eventually before they made this admission) but
by sticking to the truth (not exaggerating)
and having full details including name time and their reference number
they had to pay up...
madf
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Ah, some progress.
I've spoken to them today and have been told that the premium will be refunded in full once they've processed the documents (apparrently the only do this once a week). Just have to wait and see if they make good on that........
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