Motor >1 yr since accident - insurer refusing NCB

Mrs Vimes

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Hi all,

My husband had an accident a year ago, about a week before his renewal date. He had already paid for the next year's premium and when he rang them to ask whether there would be an adjustment they said there would not since he had already paid. They further stated that come renewal time he would have a year's NCB built up.

His renewal docs arrived last week and they have stated "years claim-free under this policy = 1" and "no claims bonus = 0".

He has written to them insisting that they honour what he was told last year and a person rang him this afternoon to basically say "computer says no" and "but we have to be able to reset your no claims bonus". The person who rang said that no-one had listened back to the call last year and no-one had investigated anything.

His argument is that if they wanted to "reset" his NCB they should have done so last year and that he should be entitled to rely on their promise last year. They should at least have given him a choice in the matter.

Fwiw the accident in question appears to have been set up by the other car, who went through a junction, then stopped and he went into the back of them, at which point they jumped out shouting "Ow my neck". The insurance co wrote to him a month later stating that the claim had been settled, then a few months later they reopened the claim and closed it again last week.

It appears to have been a bit of a shambles from their side.

He is awaiting a call back from a supervisor.

Anyone have any ideas on how to get a reasonable renewal quote? If they won't give him a year's NCB he will have to sell the car and he isn't insured on my car either so he will be off the road.

Any help appreciated as ever!
 
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He should have gotten that in writing at the time. Whoever told him that may have assumed the case would be closed quickly and not drag on as long as it has, or likely cost them as much as it has.

Allowing his cover to lapse will effectively mean he will be considered as a new driver with premiums in the thousands if he needs to arrange insurance in the future.
 
> they have stated "years claim-free under this policy = 1" and "no claims bonus = 0".

Whatever about what they said verbally perhaps this is correct?
The claim in question was filed over a year ago but was settled less than a year ago in which case those figures could add up?

Can't suggest anything other than continuing to try to clarify this with the insurance company (or broker?).
Keep notes of all interactions and if necessary/merited make a formal complaint.

The stuff about the accident being allegedly set up seems irrelevant here unless he wants to report his suspicions to the Gardai?
 
Thanks for the responses.

@Leo, the accident was only a few days before his renewal date, it wouldn't have been possible to even repair his car in the time-frame, not to mind dealing with the third party but it fully settled within the year which I don't think is dragging on in insurance terms.

@ClubMan, if they had taken the NCB back to zero last year that would have been fair enough, but he had more damage to the car earlier this year which he fixed himself as he was trying to build up his NCB again - if they had told him he would have zero NCB now he would have claimed for that.

I realise the circumstances of the accident are irrelevant, he did say it to the Garda at the scene but got the usual "civil matter" line. It just makes us more angry really o_O

Could anyone confirm whether a person rebuilds their NCB while claims are being dealt with? I see reports in the papers sometimes about claims relating to accidents 10 or 20 years earlier. If a small child was in a car which was in an accident they could have nearly 20 years to open a claim!
 
You must lose it sometime after the accident. He was going to lose it last year or this year.
 
Just an update on this - Alliance have apologised for misleading my husband when he was renewing last year and said that he should have been offered the option to lose his NCB then or now.

The person he renewed over the phone with then insisted that if his insurance expired on the 10th then he did not have to renew until the 11th! She actually rang him back 10 mins later in a panic to say that that was wrong.

Meantime, my insurer insisted that no way would a person be able to use their own "driving other cars" extension to drive a spouse's car, but he now has it in writing from Alliance that he is covered for my car.

Honestly, where do they get the people in the call centres? And why don't they train them?
 
Just an update on this - Alliance have apologised for misleading my husband when he was renewing last year and said that he should have been offered the option to lose his NCB then or now.

The person he renewed over the phone with then insisted that if his insurance expired on the 10th then he did not have to renew until the 11th! She actually rang him back 10 mins later in a panic to say that that was wrong.

Meantime, my insurer insisted that no way would a person be able to use their own "driving other cars" extension to drive a spouse's car, but he now has it in writing from Alliance that he is covered for my car.

Honestly, where do they get the people in the call centres? And why don't they train them?

Surprisingly people who are experts on the matter don't want to work for 9 euro an hour in a call centre.
 
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