Insurance Company and data protection

Johnnio13

Hi,

Looking for some direction on this.

Recently a friend rubbed a car in front at a roundabout. There was some paint work scrapes but other than that no damage. The friend checked the undercarriage and boot of the car and all was ok.
That was on a Friday.
On the Sat the friend got a call from the aggrieved to say that she priced the damage at 1700euro. When questioned about the quote she said that the back needed respraying and the hatch back boot had to be replaced because it wouldn't open.
He reminded her that they had tested the boot and it opened fine at the time.
So he asked to get an independent quote for the damage as he didn't want to go through his insurance, he would pay for any damage himself.

She later rang back to say that she was not allowing an independent assessment and that the cost was 1700.
He later got a call from someone in an insurance company stating that a claim had been lodged against him and can the ins company proceed. He said no and said he was dealing with it privately.

Over the course of Sun, Mon and Tues he received 10 calls and a bunch of texts from this employee (mobile) of the insurance company asking can he proceed with the claim.
Again he said no. Has not heard from the girl since by the way.

On Wed and Thurs of this week, the employee of the Ins Comp rang his family home and requested approval from his mother to process the claim and when she said he does not live here, how did you get this number the employee hung up.
The friends mother also has her insurance with the same company but a different address to the son.

My query is on what grounds does the insurance guy have to firstly use other customer data to contact family members, to request approval from another member of family, to harass the other party even though he said he wanted to deal with the situation privately and to contact the friend in the first place when no claim was lodged by the friend.

My friend is now thinking of ignoring the whole thing as there were no witnesses and it is her word against his. (She also mentioned that she wants to sell the car - and for 1700 you could have the whole car sprayed)

Sorry - bit long winded!

Tom Young

Report it to the DP commissioner - Don't hold breathe.

Johnnio13

Thanks Tom,
I have also just mailed the insurance company in question to see what there take on it is.

Hooch

Johnnio13 wrote: »

My friend is now thinking of ignoring the whole thing as there were no witnesses and it is her word against his. (She also mentioned that she wants to sell the car - and for 1700 you could have the whole car sprayed)

Def dont ignore this that would be a bad move.

Tom Young wrote: »

Report it to the DP commissioner - Don't hold breathe.

+ 1 agreed

Johnnio13

An update on this. My buddy got a renewal notice from the insurance company and his no-claims bonus was gone and the cost of his cover had risen to €2k

Personally I am fuming that they were allowed take away his no claims bonus when he has not authorised a claim against his policy and has had no contact with either the company or the person since. Realize he was wrong to ignore it but the company shouldn't have processed the claim with his input surely?

Told him to contact the DP.