Insurance company accessed my bank account

[sparryboy]

Hi all
I'm new to this site and very glad there is somewhere to get legal advice. My issue is that in July 2018 I helped a neighbour insure her car as she is a single mum with 3 kids of school age. I paid for her car insurance online with my debit card, we unchecked the auto renewal box and she repaid me as and when she could, I thought no more of it until I reviewed my bank accounts for July 2019 and found the insurance company had taken money out of my account. I contacted the insurance company to see what this was for and discovered that it was for my neighbours insurance for this year, I explained that I had paid last year to help her but I was not responsible for 2019! to cut a long story short I had to get the neighbour to contact them as she no longer has the car in question and her new car is insured with a different company. when she contacted them they said she had not cancelled the insurance and she maintains that she did so they have repaid me a portion of the money they took out but say she owes them £90 so I will have to chase her for the rest. Is this legal? can they do this? any help and advice would be welcome thank you

[ostell]

No, there was no contract with you and they should be refunding all that they took.

Shame you got a partial refund, it would have been better to dispute the transaction with your bank.

Keep going at them to get the full amount. Ask them for the contract they with you

[sparryboy]

No, there was no contract with you and they should be refunding all that they took.

Shame you got a partial refund, it would have been better to dispute the transaction with your bank.

Keep going at them to get the full amount. Ask them for the contract they with you

Thank you for your response. Yes they just decided to go ahead and do a partial repayment without asking for my agreement! I had contacted my bank about the issue but they were no help and said the insurance company had the right to do it! it was obvious to me the two people I spoke to at the bank (1 at the fraud department the other at my branch) were talking off the top of their head and didn't really know the legal position on the scenario! thanks again for your reply!

[ostell]

I'd change banks!! So put in a formal dispute on the full charge that was made on your card without your authorisation. Forget that they've given you a partial reimbursement, sort that out later.