I had exactly the same experience with communications from Direct Line.
Insurance expiry c30-01-22. In early January I received a communication advising of the 22/23 premium and either in the body of that message or upon checking on line there was a clear statement that the policy would auto renew.
Subsequently I received, like Fullchat, messages by various channels reminding me to pay. After the third of those I rang DL. The agent I spoke to advised my policy would *NOT* auto renew. I cannot remember the reason I was given.
I paid up on line there and then.
Like Fullchat I was alarmed to have been put at risk if driving uninsured. At the time I was still working in Northampton so that as well a ordinary social use I was commuting two days a week.
I made a strong verbal complaint. No insurance is a very serious offence; at least six points and a fine and likely severe difficulty/cost in finding insurance in the future. I too was assured that in the event of being caught they would indemnify me in some way. Frankly, I didn't believe they would produce such a document; they'd wriggle on the basis of their reminders and my responsibility to check. Even if such a document were issued I doubted it would be legally valid.
The agent clearly though I had no cause for complaint; the policy was after all now renewed.
I had an email a day later saying the complaint was closed. It was about the same time that I was placed at risk if redundancy due to changes in the DWP contract that funded my post. I should have pursued it further but did not
When I was caseworking for the Court of Protection one of my 'customers' was driving without insurance. If I recall the circumstances involved various disreputable hangers on he had. He was stopped and somehow managed to secure a backdated cover note - he was well educated, articulate and had money - hence the druggie hangers on. So far as I recall the Police pointed out that insurance law forbade backdating cover and he was convicted and fined.
If I'd been in an accident, at fault, and had caused injuries requiring life long care and millions in lost earnings would they have stumped up?
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 7 May 22 at 08:24
|
Walk of Shame :( 
Walk of Shame :( 