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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to try to take out a financial policy, as woman, in my own name, in 2009?

63 replies

gingersarah · 06/04/2009 13:36

I am trying to get life assurance - a joint policy for me and DP as our first lo is due soon.

I researched prices
I got quotes
I applied online
I had a long phone call in which I answered lots of questions about my medical history.

Then I got a letter, addressed to me individually (well sort of - my name was spelt wrong actually), in which I was asked to sign to confirm my medical stuff.

DP got three letters, addressed to him individually, with policy terms and stuff about premiums etc. There are more letters from the company today, addressed to him individually, I don't know what they are as I don't open other people's post and he is at work.

I called the company and they said that was how they had received the application - that he was the main applicant. They can't change the way the application comes through to them (although they did agree to correct the misspelt name).

I called the broker and they were foul to me. They said yes they had reversed our names on the application, they wouldn't change it, they always put the man first, no one else has complained in 9 years, I was being unreasonable, couldn't I just open his post, couldn't I just wait for him to come back to see what was in the letters, they would absolutely never put the application through with a woman's name as the main applicant where there was a man on the policy so he is always going to be approached about anything that relates to the policy and I just have to put up with it.

I feel like I have fallen through a worm hole into the 19th century. How can I not be allowed to manage my own financial affairs?

I have a complaints address for the broker but the name of the person is the person who was being horrible (I mean really rude) on the phone. Does anyone know if there is a body to which I can escalate this?

OP posts:

trixymalixy · 06/04/2009 14:52

Ask the insurance company what other brokers they deal with as there will definitely be more than one.

cornflakegirl · 06/04/2009 15:07

I would suggest talking to L&G again. Assuming they do sell the policies direct and not just through brokers, you may be able to negotiate the same rate with them (on the grounds that if they can make a profit from you at that price through a broker, paying commission, they should be able to make a profit at that price, not paying commission). Of course, their system might not be set up to allow them to discount in that way, but I'd say it's worth a try.

Original poster

gingersarah · 06/04/2009 15:18

Hello again - and thanks to Figment for suggesting Norwich Union. I have been on the phone to them for a few minutes and they have given me a better quote on the cover I was originally getting, but have also tweaked the life / CIC balance a bit so I think it is all round a more sensible policy - I think I will just go with them.

Thanks Shona for the quidco link - I don't think I can do that though, technically my L&G cover is already on their books as an existing policy now (though I can still cancel it) so I don't think I can go through quidco as a "genuinely new policy". But good to know about quidco! I will have a proper look at their site.

retiredgoth - Sorry to hear about your nightmare, just at a time when you don't need to go through that crap. The wrong name spelling gave me the willies for exactly that reason.

I will definitely be reporting Cavendish in all the ways suggested here. I really did start to think I was going mad!

OP posts:

BoeuffinMum · 06/04/2009 15:31

Ginger, I had this type of problem with my John Lewis fridge warranty, held by a firm called Marsh. They would not believe I was Dr BoffinMum. They assumed the Dr of the household would be my DH, because a Dr couldn't possibly be a woman, and they refused point blank to deal with me about it or believe that it was in fact me who had paid for the fridge and therefore me that was the owner, even with proof.

I think the Data Protection Act might be a good way to get revenge on the broker or even the insurer. You can issue them with a Section xx notice (forget the actual number, might be a section 10 notice) requiring them to change their erroneous records within a certain number of days, and you can also usefully remind them you can claim damages if there are problems for you as a consequence of them holding incorrect data about you that causes distress (there's a technical term for this as well). That should bring them up short, as they would be legally obliged to put things right.

BoeuffinMum · 06/04/2009 15:43

OK, have checked facts now. You can formally issue the broker with a Section 42 notice under the terms of the Data Protection Act stating that the records they are keeping about you are inaccurate, and that you demand they be corrected, giving them the correct information that should be there.

If they fail to make the correction (and they have probably already technically failed from the sound of it), you can shop them to the Information Commissioner. The tosspot you spoke to would then have to account to the powers that be who own his firm as to why he broke the law.

www.ico.gov.uk/Home/complaints/data_protection.aspx

If you want more info email me (you have my address).

jura · 06/04/2009 15:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Miggsie · 06/04/2009 16:04

..might be worth writing/emailing the BBC2 programme Working Lunch, this is the sort of thing they look into, and it might be worth having the company named and shamed on screen!

Original poster

gingersarah · 06/04/2009 16:26

Thanks, Boffin.
I am still feeling hot and strange with outrage. I am struggling to come to terms with the fact that they can refuse to deal with me in favour of my partner because I am a woman! Astonishing.

OP posts:

Original poster

gingersarah · 06/04/2009 16:28

Hi Jura,
they are Cardiff - CF10 5BR

OP posts:

BoeuffinMum · 06/04/2009 16:59

Ginger, I think as there are at least two cases on here of clear sexual discrimination in refusing to put women on policies etc, or assuming the title Dr can only be accorded to a man, Working Lunch would rather enjoy looking into this. By all means mention me as well if you do this.

NotPlayingAnyMore · 06/04/2009 17:29

This happened to me with a tenancy agreement 4 years ago.
I'd found the property
I'd viewed it
I'd agreed to take it
I'd sorted out the finance and paperwork
all in my DP's absence with his agreement, but when it came to signing the tenancy agreement, they put it solely in his name giving me no joint, equal rights to residing there whatsoever. He was mentioned by name on each page so I made them go through it and add mine to every single one

Definitely inform the insurer, FSA and MSE - YANBU!

OhBling · 06/04/2009 18:03

Jura - that was me! Thanks for clarifying!

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 06/04/2009 18:15

I'm annoyed for you.

My council dothis with our council tax statements. I filled out the forms and sent them off, but the statement comes addressed to just my DH.

Millarkie · 06/04/2009 18:53

Not as important as life assurance, but Kew Gardens did this to me 3 years running - every year I would rip up their renewal notice in DH's name and go there, fill out the forms for a family membership in My name.. to have the post come through addressed to him! Really annoyed me!

JacquelineBouvier · 06/04/2009 19:22

Nationwide do this to me when sending the mortgage statements. it's in joint names but everything is always just addressed to dh. have complained and once they sent a letter in joint names but then reverted to just dh's name.

was also once referred to as mrs dh (as in mrs tony blair, as if i took dh's first name as well ) by our home insurance company. they got a rather irate phonecall!

oldraver · 06/04/2009 19:28

Stripey... BT were the same. The bill has always been in my name and they readily excepted Mrs L Oldraver,myself, as the bill payer. Then I applied for BT Chargecards for my dh and I. They were sent as ...Mr L Oldraver and Mrs C(dh's intial)Oldraver.

Once they knew there were two people at my adress they went back to the assumption the bill payer was a Mr.No matter how many times I explained they couldnt fathom this at all

TheOldestCat · 06/04/2009 19:42

Good lord, I'm appalled; what century is the broker living in?

Jura gives good advice. Complain! She's right that your first port of call is the Financial Ombudsman Service. But its aim is to put you back in the situation you've had been in if things hadn't gone wrong (usually financial redress). So a word to the FSA wouldn't hurt - after all, these firms are meant to treat their customers fairly.

Shambolic · 06/04/2009 19:54

I am gobsmacked at the stories on here.

Utterly appalling.

And to think there are threads on here saying that we don't need feminism any more.

Original poster

gingersarah · 06/04/2009 20:35

I am also appalled to hear so many of the same sorts of thing. I thought this must be a random freakazoid occurrence, but apparently not.

I am not married and have not done much official partnery stuff in my life before, so this is such a surprise - and I am sorry to hear that it is so widespread.

I have read some very sad stories on here where women have become very isolated and feel - or are - dependent on abusive men. It may seem extreme for me to say so but after feeling so humiliated and told off today, it seems like this minor inconvenience is sort of related to the same phenomenon. Had I not been outraged that I can't administer my own financial products, what else would I accept? I suppose that is rather over dramatic. Maybe this is the moment when everyone says: NOW YABU!

OP posts:

Shambolic · 06/04/2009 20:41

To cheer you up Ginger, my little story.

Everything in our house comes addressed to me first, DH second. Obviously this is fine, but when we applied for a new joint account recently I said "I'll put you first" to make it a bit more even IYSWIM. I don't want to feel like too much of a control freak!

So we went to the branch and I did the paperwork while DH sat there with DD. She put it all on the computer and printed it off and lo and behold she had put me first! I said - oh you've switched it - and she said sorry. Didn't feel too worried so we left it, but poor old DH still doesn't get any post...

HortonHatchesTheChocolateEgg · 06/04/2009 21:00

Good god, this is appalling. To put things in perspective, I am named first on mortgage, insurance policies, everything. I earn about 1/5 of what DH does, since having a child. I am named first because I deal with it all. No reputable broker should bat an eyelid at a request to put one (equal in the eyes of the law) partner first on an application or policy. Definitely complain, if you have the time and energy. And don't take your policy out with these arseholes!

jura · 06/04/2009 22:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Quattrocento · 06/04/2009 22:45

This is quite extraordinary.

jura · 06/04/2009 22:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheOldestCat · 06/04/2009 23:21

Great acronym spotting from you; enjoy your project! I am well though busy - you? We should do another wharf meet-up one of these days...

Sorry for hijack gingersarah. I can't get over your experience. It's crazy to think this is still going on. Mind you, until fairly recently, didn't single women have to get their fathers or other 'responsible male' to act as guarantors on mortgages, even if they could afford deposits, repayments etc?

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