Maybe it's just me, but I'm a little disgruntled. Allow me to elaborate. 

 

I took my policy with my insurer in March of 2014 when I picked up my car. This policy, as I'm a young (I was 18 at the time) driver, so I opted for the Black Box option to lower my insurance (I drive sensibly anyway, so I don't see a need not to put it in, especially if I'll reap the benefits after a year's sensible driving with regards to lowered premiums. Result - or so I thought.

 

When I took out my cover, I spoke to the gentleman on the phone, very pleasant and very informative. Gave me great detail on how the Telematics Black Box worked, and one question that I asked explicitly was if there was any 'score' penalty based on the time of day driven. (I could understand if there was, it's just that as a student who goes to friends houses, and works late at uni, and also works as a musician, I am often driving home between 10pm and 1am). He told me explicitly no, as that would make no sense, I was insured so could choose to drive at whatever time suits me. Makes sense, I thought.

 

When my cover started, I checked regularly at my score (which has remained for 10 months as the top possible score), and the time of the day made no impact. Fine, sorted.

 

Recently, though, without any new terms&conditions, or any notice, they swapped to a new web-app. This web app now monitors the time of the day, and penalizes exponentionally for driving after about 10o'clock at night. Which is massively inconvenient, and completely what I didn't want to have happen.

 

Where do I stand on this? I asked explicitly about the 'curfew' as such, and was told explicitly no. This was the swaying factor in me taking out this particular policy. They haven't updated their terms and conditions, or notified me of these changes, but now there is a curfew. 

I was considering phoning them tomorrow to raise the concerns. My driving, other than that, has been classed as 'excellent' according to my black box recorder.

I understand that perhaps the time of the day is a factor for your score, although it records the fact that I'm driving sensibly at that time, surely that supersedes the importance of the time itself? It's the fact they've changed it after explicitly telling me it wouldn't affect my Black Box, which was essential in my decision for taking out this policy.

 

Do I phone them tomorrow to raise the concern? Can they technically do that, cause haven't they effectively sold me insurance under false pretenses? 

 

</rant>

I was considering phoning them tomorrow to raise the concerns.

 

This. I dont think thats fair or allowed so I'd ring them and expect them to sort it out. How/what have you received to tell you about these new charges? 

Matt is probably right but you need to check all the Terms & Conditions that you have agreed to.

Never, repeat never, accept what is told you over the phone; always get it in writing.

Of course "they record all calls" so use that to your advantage.

Call their bluff.

If they are not reasonable when you speak to them make a formal complaint and if no joy with that go to the insurance ombudsman. If what you say is correct it sounds like they are forcing unfair T&C's on you which is a trading breach in itself.

Good luck let us know how you get on.

This. I dont think thats fair or allowed so I'd ring them and expect them to sort it out. How/what have you received to tell you about these new charges? 

 

Yes, my plan is it to ring tomorrow and see what they say. Charges? There's been no charges, by 'penalized' I mean my online 'score' (which is my extrinsic feedback on my driving, based on the different categories they set) is affected now by the time of the day. As for notifications for change to terms and conditions, there were none. They released a new website rather than they're old app - and my details carried over. No email was sent to my email, no letter through the mail, no phone call and no section on the website in their FAQ about the changes. So, they haven't notified me in any way about the changes, that's what concerns me the most. 

 

Matt is probably right but you need to check all the Terms & Conditions that you have agreed to.

Never, repeat never, accept what is told you over the phone; always get it in writing.

There were no terms and conditions on their app or website, simply and FAQ - which this is not mentioned in, nor are changes to their measurement of driving level.

The latter part of your message, however, is definitely apparent. Lesson learned, on my behalf. Didn't even occur to me it'd be a problem. 

 

 

Of course "they record all calls" so use that to your advantage.

Call their bluff.

If they are not reasonable when you speak to them make a formal complaint and if no joy with that go to the insurance ombudsman. If what you say is correct it sounds like they are forcing unfair T&C's on you which is a trading breach in itself.

Good luck let us know how you get on.

If they do say that I won't have been told this, I will use the fact that all calls are recorded to my advantage, thank you, again hadn't thought about this. 

I shall have to wait to see what they do say tomorrow, but as I say, I wasn't best pleased. I reiterate; it's not the fact that they monitor the time of the day to affect my score, but the fact that they've changed to doing it without telling me after I was explicitly told it wouldn't be the case. 

 

I'll phone tomorrow morning, and hopefully get back with good news. If not, a complaint and lots of unwanted hassle will be caused. Sigh. But it does matter to me, my driving is sensible and the last thing I want to do is risk putting my premium up - literally the exact opposite of what I took the black box policy for! 

 

Thanks for your help, all. Appreciated. 

So you're potentially around 19 years old and like to be out after 10pm?  As Dad to a 22y/o and a 19y/o, I'd have said that was perfectly normal and would be more unusual if you were home at 10pm.

 

If it affects your online score and you've previously been told it wasn't a factor, but it now is, and you've not been advised of this, it sounds a bit like a change to the conditions to which you originally agreed.

 

It sounds like you've got your head screwed on.  I'd hesitate to complain unless you get to the point where they tell you it's your next option.  Resolving it amicably with as little ado as is needed is what you want.  With a nod to the good advice you've already been given, you could ask for a verbatim transcript of your previous phone calls with them.  If their contact centre phone system is half decent, voice to text reporting will be straightforward enough.  Just a thought.

 

Gaz

So you're potentially around 19 years old and like to be out after 10pm?  As Dad to a 22y/o and a 19y/o, I'd have said that was perfectly normal and would be more unusual if you were home at 10pm.

 

If it affects your online score and you've previously been told it wasn't a factor, but it now is, and you've not been advised of this, it sounds a bit like a change to the conditions to which you originally agreed.

 

It sounds like you've got your head screwed on.  I'd hesitate to complain unless you get to the point where they tell you it's your next option.  Resolving it amicably with as little ado as is needed is what you want.  With a nod to the good advice you've already been given, you could ask for a verbatim transcript of your previous phone calls with them.  If their contact centre phone system is half decent, voice to text reporting will be straightforward enough.  Just a thought.

 

Gaz

 

Indeed, I am 19. 

 

I phoned today, and was told that they weren't aware of this change taking place.

 

I explained that I'd taken out the policy under the distinct impression (after being told explicitly that this was unequivocally the case) that it wouldn't monitor the time of the day. This has now changed.

 

She told me that this was not a 'curfew' as such, but rather monitored busy times on roads. I explained that the information on their website claims that 'to avoid bad scores, try to avoid driving later at night/early morning'. She hesitated. Then repeated herself. I asked her to explain how, if it was about peak times on roads, driving on the road from Denny to Falkirk (less than 10 miles) at 22:40 last night was deemed as 'average' rather than 'excellent' on their site. I assured her that twenty to 11 on a Sunday night was NOT a peak time for this road, she agreed that this was probably the case and couldn't answer.

 

She said that my score on my black box was sufficiently good that come renewal at the end of next month I would be offered a significant discount, especially with my two years no claims bonus. 

I figured that it wasn't worth full on complaining and raising a battle for something, after all my insurance is up for renewal soon and then won't be with the black box in my car anyway. 

I did however explain to her that I was more than unhappy with the changes to the information the black box stores. I said that I read and accepted the information the black box would store when I first took out the policy. There has been no change or updated terms and conditions, so they are now storing information that I did not give them permission to store - especially after telling me explicitly they would not record that information. This, I believe, is a little bit touchy with regards to the data protection act. She sounded slightly out of her depth and a little panicky, and resorted to trying to sell me roadside assistance (something which I have already got through Skoda). 

 

Not exactly sorted, but at least have peace of mind that it isn't affecting my chances of getting a discounted premium come renewal, and thus ultimately the black box is still fulfilling its purpose. I think my point has been well and truly made to them, though. I'd say with any luck maybe something will be done about it in the future to stop other future Black Box drivers from having similar problems, but I remain cynical... 

If you're 19 and your policy is paid and you're going to have a full years no claims at renewal, I'd just roll with it and ignore your score altogether - it really doesn't matter. The company aren't going to be sharing their telematics data with other companies, who to be honest couldn't care less anyway, and regardless of your driving history on said black box you're pretty much guaranteed to get a cheaper quote elsewhere come renewal time.

 

Just get a better quote elsewhere at renewal, and move - and complain!

Put it in writing, the girls on the phone are more sales orientated and as such their help and support will be limited.

 

Get it down on paper or in an email. This creates a physical record of the concerns you have rather than a "he said, she said" telephone conversation.

 

You should then get an official response that you can choose to respond to or ignore.

 

I don't know you but from your posts and through your choice of vocabulary and sentence structure you are clearly quite knowledgeable on what you were sold. If your correspondence to the insurer is of a similar theme / standard then I think you will get a positive response...

Edited 10 February, 201511 yr by silver1011