AIBU to expect my money back in full?

[billyokey]

I have an ongoing complaint with an insurance company, and I need to know if I am generally in the right before taking it further to get my money back.

My home insurance policy expired on 31st Jan, and I had decided to switch provider and had set up new cover in plenty of time to begin when that one expired. I paid the annual premium in full. Two weeks or so before the cover was due to begin I got an email from new insurance provider, accusing us of 'omitting' information from our application - the information we supposedly ommited was to do with a claim made by the previous owners of our house, 3 years ago. They stated they needed to 'look into the omission' and may decide to cancel/void our policy, which would affect us getting insurance in the future. I'm still baffled as to how we would even HAVE this information in order to be able to omit it. Anyway, after numerous phone calls they requested a copy of the survey report from when we bought the house, which I sent to them on the 16th of January. I then heard nothing. When the 31st came around and our old policy had lapsed, I started ringing them to find out what their decision was re voiding the policy. They couldn't tell me as were waiting for the underwriters, who take 3-5 days to give a decision. Given that it had been over 2 weeks I wasn't happy with this, and they also informed us that while this was pending our house was uninsured. I told them that in that case I want to cancel the policy, and want the premium back in full. They told me then that they couldn't cancel the policy until the underwriters gave a decision, and when they do get a decision if they decide to continue with the policy I would have to pay for all of the days I'd been insured if I wanted to cancel - even though I wasn't insured while the underwriters decision was pending!!!! I argued that I would not be paying them for the days they have left my property uninsured, and they had left me in a position where I can't take out a different insurance policy.

I've now finally had the decision from the underwriters today that they will insure us, this is almost 4 weeks after sending them the info they wanted. I want to cancel the policy due to the frankly shocking customer service I've had from them (absolutely not interested in the issue whatsoever, numerous promises of call backs to get it sorted that never came, even from managers/complaints team) - AIBU to want all of my money back, considering they've never actually provided us with any insurance cover?

[LaGuardia]

YANBU. Name and shame!

[SparklyTwinkleGlitter]

Appalling customer non service. YANBU.

I wonder what the Insurance Ombudsman would make of this?

[Stinklebell]

YANBU

How can you reasonably be expected to know about previous owner's insurance claims in the first place?

[ajandjjmum]

Who is it?

[youmakemydreams]

Yanbu I would be taking this to the ombudsman.
I am also wondering who it is with and hoping it's not JL who I've just taken out a policy with.

[Braganza]

Write to their compliance department, heading the letter 'Complaint'. If they don't give you what you need, you can escalate it to the Financial Ombudsman. You have to make an official complaint first though, which they have 8 weeks to answer. It's absurd - they can't tell you that you're not insured and then ask you to pay.

[everythinghippie29]

Take your complaint to the FCA, Finacial Conduct Authority. They regulate all insurers and underwriters and have VERY strict guidelines for complaint handling which can result in company fines if not upheld. Google FCA for their website, you should be able to contact them from there. Advice the company that you have taken this course of action because of their poor responses.

If you are ultimately unhappy with the FCA descision, you can then take it to the financial ombudsmen. If you go directly to the ombudsmen they will just likey reroute you through the standard complaints procedure.

I used to work in the industry and FCA complaints are a source of fear! If you would like anymore advice to put some fire to their asses and get them moving feel free to PM me!

Some of their procedures will have been industry regulated but their follow up and timescales have obviously been appalling.

Good luck.

[wetaugust]

Get insured through another company immediately. If anything happened you may not be covered.

I thought the consumer had 28 days to change their mind in these circumstances?

[billyokey]

thanks for your replies everyone. they have just called me back and have FINALLY seen sense, and they're processing a full refund! It's zurich insurance - I would avoid at all costs!

[everythinghippie29]

Ahhhhh, I would have guessed Zurich...

Congrats on getting it all back!

[Hegsy]

Glad you are getting it back - shocking service.

[SoulJacker]

How can you reasonably be expected to know about previous owner's insurance claims in the first place?

There are some things that you might be expected to know having bought a house, e.g. underpinning/flooding even if you hadn't made the claims yourself.

[CwtchesAndCuddles]

Was the issue to do with a claim by previous owners in respect of flooding / subsidence? If that was the case you would be expected to know - that said it sounds like it was handled appallingly!!!

[billyokey]

the claim was to do with subsidence but that's all Zurich would tell me....how would I have known about? genuine question

[ToffeeOwnsTheSausage]

Really cheeky to say you aren't covered until we make our oh so important decision and then if you leave us you will be charged for the not insured period as we have decided you were covered after all and we want some money off you .

[CwtchesAndCuddles]

Any issues of subsidence should have come to light when you bought the property - it's something your solicitor should have asked the seller.

It's not unreasonable for the insurance company to investigate if there is a record of a claim and you have not declared it when you took out the policy.

I still think they handled it very badly!

[billyokey]

hmm, this is worrying then. nothing declared to our solicitor and nothing in survey report. there wasn't even anywhere on the insurance application that asked about claims by previous owners . Now quite concerned that this is gonna keep coming up again and again, when I actually still am completely in the dark about what the claim actually was/what happened!

[BakerStreetSaxRift]

Not surprised it's Zurich, terrible company. Frankly, they don't care about personal lines insurance, they make alltheir money through large businesses.

ALWAYS complain with them, you will most likely get something. There internal set up for things like claims and underwriting is so shoddy, they will fuck up most simple tasks.

Glad you got a refund OP, you deserved one, you should put in a complaint for compensation too, you'll get something.

[BakerStreetSaxRift]

Their. Whoops