Firstly, on the downside, they are entitled to change the premium, it is your responsibility to give the correct information, and there is nothing here related to unfair terms, trades description, or anything else.
It all falls back to the point that you were asked your estimated annual mileage and you got it wrong. You'll not get anywhere disputing this.
However, there is something strange about the additional premium. Unless you are paying an inordinate amount already, then the AP is out of whack.
You need to go back to them and query further.
Firstly, why is there an AP if there would have been no difference on the original premium ? Especially since this wouldn't just happen if you got it wrong, circumstances can change. You need to enquire as to the justification for 1) the size of the AP and 2) the reason for charging an AP for something which they themselves acknowledge is not an additional risk that they would normally charge for.
You need to speak to a manager, and you need to attack this from a customer service angle, not from any position of arguing with their rules. Ask the Manager to explain because you don't understand, not because you are challenging.
It is extremely unlikely that there is a taped recording of your original call. And even if there was of that one, then there wouldn't be anyway of linking it to other calls. So, for example, if you had rung up a separate time to enquire as to how critical your mileage estimate was and someone had told you that it wasn't that critical and was supposed to be a "best guess" and not that critical, they wouldn't have any record of that, and even if they had, they wouldn't be able to link it. If someone had told you that if you exceeded the mileage you should tell them but that there wouldn't be any AP, then ditto.
So you need to recall very carefully the details of any conversations you had with them on this point. And you need to mention any discrepancy between what you were told then and what they are saying now.
Finally, if you get nowhere, they are quite likely to grant a pro-rata cancellation if you ask for it, and if this is not a year increasing your bonus, that may be worth considering.
Hope that helps..
Mark.
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Blue O - correct me if I am wrong but IIRC, the original premium was 0, zero, zilch ??
In my mind, the free insurance was a carrot to get people to shift stocks of brand new cars and instead let the purchaser take a hit on the depreciation.
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Thanks Mark, it would seem that the way they work it is by setting up the initial policy with the details that you provide, and getting the price for it. In my case this is somewhere a shade over £3,000 for the year's policy. They then do not actually charge you this, but, they reckon that if you change anything and it affects the total policy premium, then you have to pay this difference.
My point to them was that if I had said my mileage was 20,000 to begin with, then yes, my policy price would have been around £4,000 but I still wouldn't have had to pay it. I think it's bad customer service that just because I'm telling them now they want to charge this increase.
If I get no success on Monday when someone else is meant to be ringing me back I'll be writing to the chairman of Ford to explain my disbelief that they value an immediate gain of £360 over the repeat business of a long term customer who has (hopefully!) many more car purchases left in him.
Fingers Crossed and thanks to all who have contributed so far!
Blue
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Am I right in thinking it was a two year free insurance deal?
If so I think they know at your age you will have to lump it and therefore will not budge on this extra charge. Good luck anyway.
--
I'm a loser, baby....so why don't you kill me?!
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Yep, two years free insurance, so I have little choice but to lump it, if I keep the car, which, unfortunately, at present has only around £2,000 of equity in it. :-(
Blue
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A result! Sort of.
I spoke to them again today, this time the call tape which was supposed to reveal all after they listened to it today was suddenly very hard to find and not really possible, I wonder what it might have had on it?
They did agree though to go halfs on it leaving me only £180 out of pocket. Nice of them.
Anyway, they said that the clause saying I was liable for policy changes was in the documentation about free insurance that the dealers gave me. I pointed out that the dealers never gave me any such book and that all insurance literature had came from them, none of which incidentally mentions anything about free cover!
They advised me to go to the dealers if I wanted the other £180. So I did.
They pointed out that they *don't* give out free insurance info, and that it is Ford Insure's responsibility, but they rang Ford anyway. After a bit of discussion Ford agreed that they would send out new cover details free of charge. :-)
I'll believe it when I'm holding the new insurance cover note!
Blue
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Well done Blue, rooting for you and hope it all works out. It *does* pay to be pushy sometimes, doesn't it?!
Hope all's well,
HF
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Good with luck with it.
I think the moral of the story is dont say what you dont have too. after all how would they ever know how many miles you do if you made a claim?! they dont ask.
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Wrong.
If you have a £50 claim, they probably won't ask, although they might.
If you have a P.I. claim they will ask that and everything else they can think of. And then, although they will have to pay the claim, sue you for recovery and cancel your insurance, making you to all intents and purposes uninsurable and with a horrendous debt hanging over you for ever.
Also, the duty is upon you to volunteer the information. They do not have to ask.
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er, no YOU'RE wrong. I work for an insurance company. I have friends in the claims department. I just asked them. They dont.
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Thanks HF, you're right of course, definately pays to be pushy and not just roll over and accept it!
Been sooo busy with uni lately and have a lot to catch up on, let me know when you might next be on and I'll try and get on AOL.
Apols to Mark for this totally OT post! :-)
Blue
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