insurance company

[bobblewobble]

Hi have checked my bank this morning and my car insurance company has taken my monthly payment twice this month. Payment is due to go out on or after the 4th and they took it the 5th and again this morning, the 8th. They are an online company only so cannot phone them to sort this out. Have spoken to the bank and they can only help if I cancel my direct debit.
Have emailed the company and they have high demands so could take days to get back to me. By taking the extra amount I have been left with £1.54 of my overdraft which I can't increase. Husband doesn't get paid until Thursday. Have no petrol and need nappies and food. Anyone know what I can do and where I stand at getting the money back please? Thanks

under the direct debit guarantee the bank should be able to refund the money and then reclaim it from your car insurance company - you dont need to cancel the direct debit to be covered under the direct debit guarnatee - phone the bank again and ask them to return the direct debit (as it only came out today they should be able to return it quite easily).

What is the car insurance company and i am sure they should have a customer services number you can call?

The Direct Debit Guarantee

This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.

If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit (insert your organisation name)will notify you (insert number of) working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request (insert your organisation name) to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.

If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by (insert your organisation name) or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society.

If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when (insert your organisation name) asks you to

You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

Hi thanks for your replies. My bank have told me the only way I can get it back is to cancel the direct debit; but in my terms it messes up my insurance and I don't want to not be insured. Will I get in trouble for putting their name here? It's Quotemehappy.com Been with them since Nov and this is the first time they have taken any extra. Bank have checked and all payments were up to date which I knew anyway.

I haven't had any email or letter to say they are taking two payments this month. Have emailed them but their phone line is a claim only line and they cannot help me. Due to high demand they are taking longer to reply to emails :(

your bank has to refund you under the direct debit guarantee so dont let them fob you off - call them back

Thanks have just written on their facebook wall to and they have replied straight away and asked for my email address. If they do not do anything then I will phone the bankk right away. Do you know if I can insist on having the money repaid straight away today by Quote me happy please? Thank you

Doubt I will get anywhere this way. They are denying taking the second amount out :(

your bank can give you the money back today as per the direct debit guarantee - the guarantee is offered by the bank not the company claiming the direct debit.

QuoteMeHappy are notorious for ringfencing money twice.

That means the amount will show as being gone from your available balance twice, but hasn't actually left your bank account. It usually takes a few days for the bank to automatically release this back into your available balance. The bank should be able to confirm if that's what has happened.

If not, you'll probably need to send proof that they've taken the money twice, and apply a lot of pressure to try and get them to refund it today. They can do it, but most companies don't like too.

Otherwise you will need to claim under the direct debit guarantee, and set the DD up again. You'd need to check your T&C's carefully to see how that will affect your insurance - a quick google suggests that they wouldn't be overly happy - and not drive until you are insured again. Under the DD guarantee, the bank will return the amount to you immediately, and then claim it from QuoteMeHappy themselves.

It has cleared from my bank account twice. The bank have confirmed this although Quote me happy are denying taking it and have sent me a record of payments without todays payments taken. I was hoping to get it sorted through the insurance company today to save the hassle of changing things on my policy. As far as I can see I will incur a £30 charge to re set up the direct debit :(

Will phone the bank again and hope they will refund and not cancel direct debit although he was adament he couldn't do that :(

they do not have to cancel the direct debit they just have to return the payment that has come out the account today - ask to be put through to a complaints department if they are being unhelpful.

Have phoned the bank and again they were adament the only way it could be done was by cancelling the direct debit which is what I've done as we really need the money as I now need to put petrol in to take my husband to the hospital.

They said they can refund it straight away to my account but not without cancelling direct debit. they said I would have to contact the insurers to reinstate it; which is what I will have to do when I get home. thank you for all your help. Very much appreciated.

Don't call the insurance company, they'll charge you.

Just find the details for the DD on an old bank statement or your contract or online, and set up the DD on internet banking or on the phone to the bank. The insurance company will probably not notice if it's set up again today.

Hi all. After believing this problem was sorted today I get a text to say that they have tried to take money from my account again and it has been refused. There is no reason for it to be refused so i am unsure why that has happened. If they cannot take payment when they try again on the 27th they are cancelling my insurance? Payment is not due until the 4th. Any ideas what I can do please?

Ring them and ask why they are trying to take payment early. Also contact your bank and find out why the direct debit was refused.

They are an online company so no phone number :( Have to wait up to 24 hours for a reply by email. Will try the bank. Thank you. Can't take any more stress from insurance companies again.