Car insurance

[alfie13]

hi after some advice cancelled my car insurance not problem , now few weeks later they are saying I need to pay 300 pound because of claim last year the claim has been reopened do I pay thanks for any advice

[des8]

Presumably when you cancelled the insurance you received a return of premium, or your direct debit (if paying monthly) was cancelled.

The reopened claim is a third party claim against you following an accident?
Was it originally settled without any payment?
Why has it been reopened?

Basically if a claim occurs during the period of insurance the whole annual premium becomes due and there would be no return of premium in the event the policy was subsequently cancelled by the policy holder. If a claim is made following an earlier cancellation the insurer is within his rights to request the outstanding balance of the annual premium

[ostell]

Was the claim for a period before this year's renewal?

[alfie13]

Hi thanks for reply the accident was last November I was reversing out my drive and my car slid across road hitting another car causing damage to car door , I phoned them last month to cancel my policy, they said my claim was still open and it shouldn’t be because it was sorted in December so they closed it , spoke to them today and they are saying it’s been reopened by third party what am not understanding if it’s been closed

[des8]

Sorry, but need full details
1) to what extent was it "sorted".?This is not a technical term I recognise for a claim which has been settled
2)how was it settled i.e. did they make a payment to repair other parties car?
3) on what grounds has it been reopened?

As technically the third party claim is against you , you are entitled to see the documentation.
WRITE to insurers asking for fullest details.

I suspect they cocked up and marked the file as settled, no payment.
When you cancelled did you get a return of premium/ cancel direct debit?(RP)
If a claim had been paid you would not have received an RP.
I would not be surprised to find they have just been presented with a bill for the damage to the other car, and have realised they allowed the RP.

What was the renewal date of the policy?

[alfie13]

Hi sorry got s letter from insurance confirming the claim was settled in December on a fault basis.they said third party has reopened the claim but wouldn’t say who .The renewal date was July. The ask for full payment on the phone of £300 pound thanks

[des8]

when you cancelled the policy did you receive a refund of premiums paid or if you were paying monthly was the direct debit cancelled?
Are you dealing directly with the insurers or through an intermediary? Names might be useful

[alfie13]

Paying by direct debit that was canceled , didn’t get any refunds . The insurance is through covea insurance thanks

[des8]

So by cancelling the direct debit did you save more than the £300 they are now requesting?

The accident you were involved in was, if as described,relatively minor
The damage would have been assessed and repaired
Most unlikely (but not impossible) that something was missed which caused the third party to say the repair was unsatisfactory/incomplete and cause the claim to be reopened.

If a claim occurs which is paid by the insurers and the policy is later cancelled, the insurers (in my experience anyway) never allow a return of premium.
The whole of the annual premium is forfeited when a claim is made, so if the policy is subsequently cancelled by the insured there is no money due back.
When you cancelled the policy I would have expected the insurers to tell you that you had to maintain your monthly payments or pay the balance immediately.

Probably someone somewhere has made an error, and they are trying to cover their mistake
It is accepted that a person should not benefit from another's error (so you will probably have to pay eventually), but this doesn't mean that they do not have to account for it, or that you should not query it.
I would be writing asking for a full explanation of this reopening of the claim by the third party, and copies of supporting documentation.
If you know the third party ask them about it as well.
Also ask for a copy of their calculations to support the figure of £300 (surprisingly round amount!)
Does it equate to the total of the cancelled direct debits?

DO it in writing, and request the response in writing (email acceptable)

[RoyFollman]

Man, next time you choose insurance company, choose wisely. I guess, they're just pulling your leg. There are a lot of services on the internet, which provides Discount Double Check. Last year I canceled my previous insurance and bought new one. In order to find a better proposal, I've searched for more information about searching... and found it https://www.cheapautoinsurance.com/a...t-double-check. Then I used Discount Double check. Now I pay almost half less than a year ago. You can use my advice and find something for yourself. Usually, they don't try to add some extra payments to your insurance price.