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Insurance made error: now want me to pay for it

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  • 27-02-2017 7:16pm
    #1
    sellasheep
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 231 ✭✭


    I took out a policy with Liberty last month. All grand, great value. I had put my dad and uncle as named drivers on the policy. However, I accidently omitted to tell them my dad had a claim in the last 12 months. I informed them of this and they said they would likely hike the price up €260 so I asked them to void the policy. The guy on the phone told me it was voided and that was it, he never once informed me to send a cancellation in writing. A few weeks later I got a letter by registered post demanding payment for the policy! I called them up asking what the story was, they said just to send the cancellation by email and that would be it. Done all of the above and received another letter today informing me that I was liable to pay €65 for 11 days of insurance cover! I was furious! They said I have to pay and won't acknowledge they made a mistake by telling me it was voided?!

    Does anybody know what I can do? I'm not paying it out of principle.


Comments

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    #2
    amcalester
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,121 ✭✭✭amcalester


    How long into the policy did you cancel it?


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    #3
    sellasheep
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 231 ✭✭sellasheep


    amcalester wrote: »
    How long into the policy did you cancel it?


    11 days.


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    #4
    irishgrover
    Registered Users Posts: 2,496 ✭✭✭irishgrover


    sellasheep wrote: »
    I took out a policy with Liberty last month. All grand, great value. I had put my dad and uncle as named drivers on the policy. However, I accidently omitted to tell them my dad had a claim in the last 12 months. I informed them of this and they said they would likely hike the price up €260 so I asked them to void the policy. The guy on the phone told me it was voided and that was it, he never once informed me to send a cancellation in writing. A few weeks later I got a letter by registered post demanding payment for the policy! I called them up asking what the story was, they said just to send the cancellation by email and that would be it. Done all of the above and received another letter today informing me that I was liable to pay €65 for 11 days of insurance cover! I was furious! They said I have to pay and won't acknowledge they made a mistake by telling me it was voided?!

    Does anybody know what I can do? I'm not paying it out of principle.
    sellasheep wrote: »
    11 days.

    sorry to be clear, are you saying that the bit that is in red/bolded above happened 11 days after the policy started?


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    #5
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    Your going to have to pay for days you were covered.


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    #6
    amcalester
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,121 ✭✭✭amcalester


    sellasheep wrote: »
    11 days.

    You have to pay for those 11 days. You were insured so need to pay.

    I'm guessing your policy was originally for about €500?


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    #7
    sellasheep
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 231 ✭✭sellasheep


    irishgrover wrote: »
    sorry to be clear, are you saying that the bit that is in red/bolded above happened 11 days after the policy started?

    No. I informed them 30 minutes after I bought the policy. They said they would refer it to another department and call me back in a few days but that the price would likely be hiked. They never called back. I called them back to cancel it and they said it was voided on the system and that was it. I bought the policy 3 weeks before it was due to take effect.


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    #8
    sellasheep
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 231 ✭✭sellasheep


    But I didn't know I was insured for 11 days as they had informed me it was voided prior to that?


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    #9
    punisher5112
    Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    sellasheep wrote: »
    But I didn't know I was insured for 11 days as they had informed me it was voided prior to that?

    Only way would be ask for phone call recording you may have to do freedom of info request but email them 1st.o


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    #10
    amcalester
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,121 ✭✭✭amcalester


    sellasheep wrote: »
    No. I informed them 30 minutes after I bought the policy. They said they would refer it to another department and call me back in a few days but that the price would likely be hiked. They never called back. I called them back to cancel it and they said it was voided on the system and that was it. I bought the policy 3 weeks before it was due to take effect.

    If you cancelled it before the policy was due to start and with the 14 day cooling off period then all you should pay is the cancellation fee of €50.


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    #11
    irishgrover
    Registered Users Posts: 2,496 ✭✭✭irishgrover


    OK so you informed them on the 1st day of the policy that there was an error and asked them to void the policy. You thought you were done and dusted and then a few days (not weeks) later got the letter, leading you to send a cancellation email, presumably on the 11th day, which then caused them to cancel the policy and send you a bill for the 11 days coverage (which possibly included some form of admin / service / Mid Term adjustment change ?

    I would contact them, and explicitly ask them to review the recording of the phone call on day 1 of the policy. Inform them that you thought that at that point the policy was cancelled and therefore you are asking that they waive the 11days charge, which you believe to be inappropriate (for the reasons just stated)
    In addition I would ask then to clarify what the €65 charge is made up of. Is it just a pro rated % of the total charge? This would seem unlikely, unless the annual cost of the policy was €7k+. So it would appear that you are also paying the admin / service / Mid Term adjustment change - - but you should ask them to clarify both.
    Either way I would ask them to waive both.
    You could also request a copy of the telephone call, and all other records via DPA if willing to pay the admin fee


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    #12
    amcalester
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,121 ✭✭✭amcalester


    mgbgt1978 wrote: »
    Why would someone have to pay a Cancellation Fee during a cooling-off Period ???

    The whole idea of a cooling-off period is that you are entitled to change your mind and cancel any contact (whether it's for Car Insurance or Phone Services, etc) without any penalty.

    Because that's what he agreed to when taking out the policy.

    https://www.libertyinsurance.ie/customer-care/how-do-i-cancel-my-insurance-policy/


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    #13
    mgbgt1978
    Registered Users Posts: 4,230 ✭✭✭mgbgt1978


    Apologies. I had deleted my post as you were replying.

    As the cooling off period begins from the policy start date, and the OP rang to cancel the policy 3 weeks prior to this the Admin Fee of €50 shouldn't even come into effect.


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    #14
    amcalester
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,121 ✭✭✭amcalester


    mgbgt1978 wrote: »
    Apologies. I had deleted my post as you were replying.

    As the cooling off period begins from the policy start date, and the OP rang to cancel the policy 3 weeks prior to this the Admin Fee of €50 shouldn't even come into effect.

    That's possible, that link doesn't cover a situation where the policy is cancelled before commencement and I'm not trawling through their T&Cs to check.

    On poor service alone Liberty should waive the fee.


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