General Chat

Our house/contents renewal is due soon. I looked at the cost and checked against last years.

Heigh ho - last year there was a maintenance section at no cost. This year they are charging £65.00. Now as most insurance policies will carry on insuring unless they hear otherwise: this could be a nice little earner. In any case we do not need it as we have a policy for plumbing and drains.

I rang and the young man tried to treat me as a child and explained to me several times that unless I told them that I did not want this facility, they would assume I wanted it and would charge for same!

I pointed out several times we had a similar policy.

Ended up he was told either he deducted this category/amount or I moved elsewhere.

JOB DONE. Sxgx is the name

:-D :-D :-D

That's the way to treat them!!

When you phoned him to tell him you didn't want it - what part of 'I don't want it' do you think he had difficulty with??? :-|

You can opt in or out of auto renewals - but they still have to inform you a number of weeks beforehand what the renewed policy includes and the cost of the premium and ask if there is any change in circumstances.

As with all insurance, telephone the company and stick to your guns until they reduce the cost - they will, believe me.

Because you already had a maintenance clause (or add-on) then they are quite within their rights to start charging for it. Indeed, if you checked last year's policy you may well find that it is a normally charged-for item that they were giving you for free for that year.

One tip I have is that when your policy comes up for renewal, say that henceforth you will go for auto renewal if they give you a discount (each "rep" will be able to offer a discount automatically if you push). Then, a few weeks later, cancel the auto renewal.

Errol - I check all paperwork (I am in charge of admin!) and this was a newbie last year.

Maggie, I began to wonder if he did not understand 'I do not want it, I do not need it, I have a similar one'.

Although it is not exactly illegal to have dual insurance, it can lead to BIG problems in the event of a claim - always check the small print.

You should never ever have insurance cover for one thing twice.

Erroll, I think Chris told the man in no uncertain terms that she neither wanted it nor needed it. Perhaps someone should inform the Insurance companies about the problem with dual insurance!!

we have just renewed our house insurance ................

the renewal notice arrived about 6/7 weeks ago, and it contained a summary of what we were covered for under last year's policy, plus the cost last year and this year.

There was also information on any changes that might be made or we might wish to make.

OH took that renewal notice down to one of the company's offices and sat down with an insurance specialist to go over the policy, determine whether we needed to change anything (ie up the amount) or add anything .............. he and the specialist were in agreement that we were fully covered as WE wanted, and he handed over the cheque.


This company was BCAA ............... our version of the Automobile Association.

I do not see the need to keep names of companies "secret" ........... there's nothing wrong with posting the full name. GR doesn't care!

But he didn't say he didn't want it, he just said he had a similar policy. Which in my book doesn't mean you don't want it . It just means that maybe you are willing to pay for two polices that way you are really insured for any kind of trouble.

Did the words I DON'T WANT IT" once come out of your mouth Chris HMMMMMMMMM :-D

It is down to the insured rather than the insurer to make sure that they are not dual insured, surely.

The insured should be informing the insurance companies.

You cannot insure the same thing twice.

I give up. I feel as if I am in a witness box. I only posted this to warn others. Rocky read again 3rd paragraph of OP. Errol - your 3rd paragraph - exactly.

Am beginning to regret to posting this in the first place.

Chris, don't regret posting it, always sensible to review policies each time, I had Saga for a few years, but switched when it went up by what I felt was an excessive amount. I now have more insurance for a lower premium. edit to add , elderly friend pays exorbitant insurance for odd things she is never likely to need...like invasion of scarab beetles ( not quite that, but just as unlikely lol)

I wonder if the maintenance ins. you are paying elsewhere is less in total than the new charge on your Saga insurance? It's a lot easier to make a claim if everything is under the same umbrella so might have been easier to go with the new ins and cancel the separate one.

Last time I received a renewal notice I rang to complain and they reduced my cost to the same as the previous year.

Lizx

CHRIS
WE ARE MADE TO FEEL INADIQUATE SOMETIMES
WE ARE NO STUPID,WE READ THE SMALL PRINT
BEFORE WE SIGN

Apart from the fact that I am a year older, and nothing else has changed, my car insurance renewal quote went up by over £200 pounds.........
I went elsewhere (meerkat) and got cover for £400 pounds less........

Hi Chris,

Have just read this thread, and was a bit confused, when you said in para.4 of your op 'we have a similar policy'.

I take it to mean the 'similar policy' is for maintenance only, (plumbng and drains) so that you are not dual insured in general, but just for the maintenance.

Just trying to clarify this as i dont think people are having a go, but are confused as it could be taken in two ways,. If you see what i mean!
Please keep posting


:-D :-D :-D :-) :-) :-D

I did not dual insure - the insurance company did by adding maintenance on to my contents/bldgs. insurance.

I need to keep my separate maintenance policy of over 25 years as it insures what
the contents/bldgs. does not - PRIVATE DRAINS.

This post is getting silly.

Chris, don't worry, I understood exactly what you meant. :-D

No, the post isn't silly, but it seems one or two are picking up on odd bits of detail which is detracting from its original purpose.

Surely the main message is that you should alsways read the renewal in detail to ensure that it still covers what YOU want. Most companies do give you a 'one pager' outlining any differences so it isn't that hard to do.

Also do check around to see what other companies are charging but make sure you are comparing like with like, just because it seems cheaper it doesn't mean to say you are getting the same cover. Check on what the excesses are as these can make a big difference to premiums.

I was with Saga for many years for both car and house untill I became worried that premiums were rising way above inflation each year. Two years ago I dumped them for an East Anglian conpany with a huge saving in premiums and with better terms of cover too.

Saga no longer seem to offer much by way of discount to the over 50's especially since their merger with the A.A. and subsequent flotation on the Stock Market.

I was not picking the original comments apart in the slightest - just offering a bit of advice, as others are.
Apologies if you have misunderstood.