Insurance scam or genuine mistake-You decide

[Bob 4]

I went to renew my Car Insurance a few day's ago, only for the agent to let slip that the comprehensive section had been cancelled last June without my knowledge. He then moved on to this years renewal, but when I queried the cancellation comment he said 'did I not remember coming in and collecting the refund'.
Taken aback I told him that I had not cancelled the policy in the first place and had a receipt for the full third party and comprehensive premiums. I asked how much of a refund was issued by the company and was told the full 175 STG. After a bit of heated discussing I was told he had to speak to the other gentleman (the owner I presume) and could I return the following day.
The following day I returned and was again told that the refund was issued but they could not trace it. I asked to see any documentation with me signing for the returned cash only to be told 'this is Cyprus we don't get signatures for returned cash'.I was asked to return again the following day as they had to speak to a girl in the head office.
I returned the following day only to be told they had not managed to contact the head office. They then changed their story to no refund had been issued by the company and as such I was not due any refund. According to them 'if I had had an accident and had to claim for my car being written off i would have been covered without the policy as I still had the original receipt, even although the police had been cancelled.I left their office in disgust.
I am of the opinion I have been conned out of 175 STG and it is yet another Cyprus lesson learned. However, the worrying thing is I have been driving here for the last 10 Months thinking that I was fully insured and only had third party cover. Had I had an accident I could have lost Thousands.

[Keithcaley]

What Agent, and which Insurance Company were you dealing with please?

My Policy is due for renewal any day now, and I'd like to stay clear of this lot!

If you prefer not to post the details on the forum, could you please either PM me, or email me at keithcaley@yahoo.com - I promise not to divulge any information given to me in confidence.

[geroff]

It would be good to know what company are doing this scam, ...


Please pm me if you dont want to name and shame on an open forum ... thanks ....

[tomsteel]

Name and shame to prevent others being conned please!

[Bob 4]

I had no direct dealings with the insurance company, it was all done through ESTA Insurance Agency, opposite Lokmans restaurant on the road into Alsacak. However every cloud has a silver lining, my neighbour recommended Capital Insurance from Capital Bank, on the main road to Karisiyaka where I got fully comprehensive insurance for 50 pounds cheaper than ESTA. This company had previously dealt with two claims that I know of with with glowing recommendations.

Best of luck

[kayc]

something smells rotten... and it isn't in Denmark.

Which leads me to wonder - how many others have been had and do not know about it!

[Bob 4]

I was lucky in a way as I hadn't had any accidents during the 10 Months I was at risk. However I wouldn't fancy my chance's had I written the car off and tried to claim on a policy that had been cancelled and premiums returned to the agency, when all I had in my hand was a receipt for the initial full payment. The Agency put up a hell of a fight to avoid returning my 175 STG , what chance would I have trying to get 6500 STG off them.

[sophie]

Stinks to high heaven. Those of us who live this end will be aware of the particular office and Insurance company you are referring to, but I doubt others will. Only you, are the one to decide whether to "publish and be dammed"

[Bob 4]

I don't honestly believe it had anything to do with the insurance company. It was ESTA who cancelled my insurance and I was initially told at least three times that they issued a refund of 175 pounds to ESTA. It was once they ran out of excuses that they started changing their story to avoid refunding me my premium. I really hate people treating you like an idiot and taking the piss.

[Gumbo]

This stinks. My advice is to speak directly to the insurance company, not the agent. A while ago we had problems with a vehicle repair by an insurance company recommended repairer. We went direct to the insurance company to complain, they were helpful, polite and listened. They also have now deleted the garage from their recommended repairers list.
For your own peace of mind I think you should speak directly to the company, if the agents are running a scam the company are getting a bad reputation due to the greed of the agents.

[Bob 4]

Thanks, after having slept on it I had decided to chase this up further and contact the insurance company direct. Once I filter out all the lies I'll let the forum know how I got on.

[frontalman]

I guess it was a calculation made by the agent, if your allegation is true. I'm not doubting you, by the way. Your state third party would cover any accident to someone else's car, if it was your fault, and repairs are very cheap here - £175 would go a long way to repairing most things on your own car, so maybe worth a gamble. The chances of a claim being made in any year is quite low too, so on percentages I can see where the benefit is in it for the agent, allegedly.

My only confusion is why they would tell you the policy was cancelled, that part is pretty dumb.

What are the chances this is a one-off, if it is true?

[Bob 4]

I don't know if it was a genuine mistake or a one off or not. If it had been a mistake, they were certainly going well out of there way to avoid giving me a refund. When he mentioned the comprehensive part had been cancelled he seemed to gloss over that part and start on the next years insurance, I even had the 200 pounds on his desk. I then asked him to take a step back and explain the part about the cancellation. I was then asked ' don't you remember coming in and collecting the refund ?' When asked how much the refund was I was told 175 pounds. It may have initially been a genuine mistake but on the third visit the story had completely changed. Both of them said they hadn't been able to contact head office and in any case the policy had not been cancelled. I was then spoken to like an idiot and told I would have been fully covered as I had the receipt for full payment. I mean, the policy had been cancelled, a refund apparently issued, they would just have referred me back to ESTA to try and recover 6,500 pounds if I had had a right off. What do you think my chances would have been.
I'll give them 10 out of 10 for brass neck, as I left they asked if I was going else where for my renewal.

[Hedge-fund]

Thanks, after having slept on it I had decided to chase this up further and contact the insurance company direct. Once I filter out all the lies I'll let the forum know how I got on.

The simple question to the insurers is 'was this policy cancelled?'

If the answer is no then the broker is simply incompitent.

If the answer is yes they will need to tell you when and by whom. If your suspicions are proved correct then the broker will have to explain to you and the insurers what has happened here.