WARNING - Experimenting with online quotes

[G_F]

Ripped this from Williamsclio..


====================================================

I have bought car insurance from elephant.co.uk couple of weeks ago for £627 (0 years NCD). A week later they sent me a letter (and an email) stating that they will add a claim (and increase my premium) to my policy even though I have told them I have had no claims in the past. Here is the actual letter:

_______

A system check of your policy has highlighted that you gave different
claim details when you obtained a quote from Admiral, prior to taking out
this policy.

We appreciate that when you took out your policy these details may have
been overlooked but our records indicate your claim details need to be
amended as follows:

claim dated February 2005

Unless we hear from you within the next 7 days, we will assume the above
information is correct and amend your policy details accordingly. We will
then write to you separately to confirm any additional charges that may be
generated as a result of the amendments.

=====================================

I called them and told them that:

I have had no claims in the past and before buying my car insurance I did shop around on many sites entering different details trying to understand how the UK insurance market works. I added claims to past dates to see how they would have affected my current premium. I entered 3 or 5 years of NCD to see how they would affect my premium. This was in order to understand what voluntary policy excess I need to have.

However, they are not accepting this and they are saying they will add the claim to the policy anyway. I told them that if they are to trust what I have entered on other sites (without signing any contract) rather than what I have actually signed for then they should add 5 years NCD since I was also experimenting with this but they said no.

To sum up, they said that they need a letter from my insurance company stating that I haven’t had any claims. However, I haven’t owned a car in the last 3 years so I haven’t had any insurance.

Is there anything I can do? Can they just add claims to my policy just because someone (this time it was me but it could be anyone) enters something on a website?

Thanks for your help!



another guy had this info

There is small print on ALL the sites Martine. It's the same as when you ring up for a quote.

If you enter your correct name but lie about other things, then that person is stuck TBH. There are things that say information you provide us with may be shared with other insurers.

It's just tough .
they should have entered a phoney name with their correct postcode, because as they have declared a crash on another quote, that insurer is entitled to share that information with other insurers.

Especially as admiral and elephant are the same.

 

[Nigel]

I'd try and cancel the policy as it's only a few weeks in. Do you really want to be insured by someone causing so much grief before you've even made a claim?

I must admit when I was looking for insurance I changed a few details on various sites to get a feel for how they would possibley affect my insurance in the future.

 

[jprlaw]

does that mean if you p**s about looking at insurance for a ferari and then actually buy a 1.2 clio they will charge you ferari insurance because they think you lied about what car you are insuring??? Go figure!!!

if i ever have an accident i will make sure i do a few quotes where i have not had one and hope they think i am telling porkies about having one and give me cheaper insurance!!!!!

 

[G_F]

I thought it would contravene the Data Protection Act, but cant find anything specific.

But maybe not if they are the same company?

 

[Brand86]

That is a farce mate. I played around with loads of different quotes before getting my policy. Like you said, if you had asked for a quote on a Ferrari, or changed your age, would they like to accept that information?

I would tell them in no uncertain terms that unless they change policy you will cancel it. This sounds like a story for Watchdog to be honest - highlighting the ineptitude of a company to listen to their customers. They are basically saying that they do not trust you. I wouldn't want to continue a contract with a so called professional firm who choose to believe what they want.

 

[Alex_225]

Thats a total joke. Elephant.co.uk are a bunch of monkeys when it comes to changing things.

They had my car registered as a 2004 model instead of a 2006, they were told this on my last policy and at renewal but never changed it. Then when I called em again they tried to charge me for changing it, they got it wrong in the first f*cking place!!!

They also tried to put up my premium for my R5 due to a claim I had in my Megane. Yet the claim was paid in full by the 3rd party as it was their fault. I argued it when I came to take out the policy with them for my 5 and I told them that it wouldn't affect my premium and they put it down to its original quote.

Just keep on at them mate, they'll knock the price down they just try it on initially. JOKERS IMO!!!

 

[G_F]

Just keep on at them mate, they'll knock the price down they just try it on initially. JOKERS IMO!!!

The lad its happened to isnt on this forum mate lol.

I posted it just to highlight a potential problem, as i myself c**k around with quotes all the time. The simple way round it, would just to use a different name and your neighbours address.

 

[MCG]

The insurance company aren't allowed to do that, the only place they are allowed to check for undisclosed claims is on the national insurance claims database, that customer should complain to the financial ombudsman on 0845 0801800 and they will sort it out.

 

[G_F]

The insurance company aren't allowed to do that, the only place they are allowed to check for undisclosed claims is on the national insurance claims database, that customer should complain to the financial ombudsman on 0845 0801800 and they will sort it out.

Good post. Does this apply even if both admiral and elephant are basicly the same company?.

 

[MCG]

yeah

 

[Da]

Also, as I have recently found out, the Admiral group (including Elephant and Bell) will do a search on your credit file whenever you do online quotes before you even take out the policy. I recently signed up for online credit files and to my amasement in the last 12 months there is about 10 unrecorded searches by the above group!