I was wondering if anyone has had or knows of anyone having a similar experience?

February of this year my wife receives a letter from her insurance company requesting more details of her alleged accident in Birmingham.

We are both stunned and bewildered as Birmingham is 250 odd miles away from where we live and we have absolutely no connection with the city at all. We tell the insurance co. this and they ask did anyone else have use of the car? No! we reply, and then invite them to come and look at the car to prove it is undamaged. That won't be necessary they say there must be a mistake with the index number provided by the other person, we will look into it, but don't worry, everything will be fine.

Now almost three months on we receive the insurance renewal for swmbo's car and the NCD has dropped and the premium has gone up by almost £100.

I phone them up (having momentarily forgotten about "the claim" issue) to query the increase and their change of the NCD when they drop the bombshell that we still have an outstanding claim. I say to them that we already reported our concerns (twice) and were assured that we should not worry about it as it was obviously a mistake.

I feel as we are being fobbed off once again as we were asked, "are you sure the car wasn't in Birmingham on that day?" It would have been impossible because I was at work and can prove it, it was a school day for our kids and it would not have been physically possible to drive down and back again in the time scale after my wife dropped the kids at school and then had to go back for them.

In my mind that only leaves two options, either a mistake with the registration number provided to the insurance company (in my mind most probable) or, there is a clone of her car running about in Birmingham (frighteningly, worrying).

Anyone had to deal with a similar issue? what was your outcome? These people are a law unto themselves and it seems can do as they please, while we have to suffer for their lack of action.

(A very worried) Coffin Dodger

People verywhere are having the same problem.

The Insurance company or the broker know that you re being scammed.

Tell them to take the matter seriously.

Tell them that you consider that a false claim is being made which is illegal.

Get them to confirm in writing to your Letter backed up by a Email that they have noted your notification on this being a fraudulent claim being made against you.

Your Insurance company is taking the Pith, they do this daily and hourly,

they know thae post code areas and the people making the claims.

The Insurance company are failing in their lawful duty by sweeping it under the carpet and bothering honest people.

There lawful/honest customers are bothered and the scammers get away with it untill the enquiries have been proven against them.

george

Hi, not exactly the same I know but I had a very minor bump in my Felly when a van pulled out in front of me. Around 150 quids worth of damage on mine and sod all on the van. Reported through the insurance but I repaired myself due to the low cost set against high excess. The incident was cleary the other parties fault and this was fully detailed in writing to our broker. I was further peed off by a call from the assessor who, after a brief chat, confirmed they'd write off my car and oh by the way would I consent to them disposing of it. Can't repeat my response on here!

Anyway unbeknown to me my insurer placed me at fault and it was only by luck this came to light before my renewal. Suffice to say after a few weighty e-mails the decision was reversed and much of this was due to fact that I threatened to take the matter to the industry ombudsman, with a full chronologically ordered case file and a date deadline imposed by me. The underwriter called me to confirm a day before the deadline!

In short the at fault designation made it financially prohibitive for me to be insured on my lads car, at the time, and they didn't have the common decency to tell me! An extremly targeted approach, holding them to account + the potentail for ombudsman involvement won the day in my case. Buggers!

I sincerely hope you can progress/resolve your particular matter.

Rob.

As above raise a fraudulent claim through your insurer. You may also have to contact the police, but TBH your insurer should do this.

Once logged, you can goto the financial ombudsman.

Yep, apply discretion but equally use every means at your disposal to put right what appears to be an injustice to you. Persistence and sticking to the facts normally wins out. You can equally vote with your feet and change insurer!

Get them to take it seriously as a fraudulant claim and if they don't then write to their complaints dept.

If you don't get a suitable answer from them, then you can get the insurance ombudsman involved.

I'd be tempted to mention it to the police too, as then the ins co will have to do something about it, such as providing the details of the claiming party, so the police can go around and let them off.

Warn them that if you don't get an answer you will go to the Insurance Omburdsman.

Warn them that if you don't get an answer you will go to the Insurance Omburdsman.

It certainly used to cost them if it went there, regardless of who won.

When bored and in the mood to cause trouble,

i like to send in Letter (Emails) of Complaint to the CEO and the deputy about poor service.

This usually works best for Banks and Government agencies but i think also for many Insurance Companies which are actually mostly owned by banks.

Complaints tell against their Annual Bonuses or Satisfaction Performance figures type things.

Always good to do with the BBC, TV licensing, DVLA, Utilities etc.

Hit the Bosses in the pocket since they can not organise a Pith up in a Brewery

(Please never complain about Brewery's)

But then i am just sad that way.

george

Edited 23 April, 201214 yr by sk4gw

BBC Watchdog? If its getting that common.....

It's very common, along with causing accidents to claim whiplash from what I've heard.

It's very common, along with causing accidents to claim whiplash from what I've heard.

And credit hire of vehicles.

We had a motorcyclist bumped in a traffic queue by a minibus (he didn't fall off or over) and for a motorcycle valued at £520 the hire charges came to.... £42,204p !!! (£125 per day plus VAT)

And watch our premiums go up year on year to pay for it all !!

And credit hire of vehicles.

We had a motorcyclist bumped in a traffic queue by a minibus (he didn't fall off or over) and for a motorcycle valued at £520 the hire charges came to.... £42,204p !!! (£125 per day plus VAT)

Credit Hire is an interesting one though, as you've got to prove you not only needed the car, but needed it on credit and couldn't do anything to mitigate the costs. For example going to enterprise/budget/an normal hire co, and renting a suitable vehicle out at a normal rate rather than the silly rate. That plus I'd guess I needed it to go shopping won't wash either.

I've heard the courts are starting to look at these and reject them, although I guess it only comes to that if an individual/their insurance forces the matter to court.

In the above case, if that matter went to court, surely they'd have kicked it out on the cost of a replacement bike, even on credit, would be sub £1k, so that's tough and that's what you'll get max.

What a lot of people don't realise when entering into the credit hire agreements, is that if you don't get the costs awarded through the court, then you're actually liable for these costs.

That's surely enough reason to stay well clear of these. Also take a long hard look when you're investigating insurance, because some companies provide a 'hire car', but when it comes to it, it's actually a credit hire car, which could be a bit of a nasty surprise.

Edited 24 April, 201214 yr by cheezemonkhai

I've heard the courts are starting to look at these and reject them, although I guess it only comes to that if an individual/their insurance forces the matter to court.

In the above case, if that matter went to court, surely they'd have kicked it out on the cost of a replacement bike, even on credit, would be sub £1k, so that's tough and that's what you'll get max.

Yes, we are taking this one to court. Will be interesting to see what happens.