For several years I have used Marks & Spencer to insure my Vauxhall Corsa, with the policy most recently provided by Ageas. I have a nine-year protected no-claims bonus on the policy and have not made any claims in this period. However, last December a delivery driver let his van roll back into my parked car. He drove off, but a kind passer-by noted his details and left me a note. They also informed the police.
I reported the events to M&S’s car insurance arm. Within hours, its legal department contacted me to say I would hear from car hire firm Enterprise to supply a courtesy car, and that the car repair service company would be in touch to arrange a collection date. The police told me that they are prosecuting the driver of the van that caused my damage.
This was all perfectly satisfactory until I got my car insurance renewal from M&S. Instead of the £272 I paid last year, the renewal was £692. M&S told me Ageas was not insuring me this year, and that this was the best quote.
By now it has been established that this was a “no-fault claim” but this doesn’t seem to make any difference. I feel am being unfairly penalised.
GS, Durham
Sadly, you are not the first person to face a much higher premium because of an accident they had no part in.
The timing of the accident was rather unfortunate, given your policy renewal was just a few weeks later. The increase occurred because, at the time the premium was calculated, you had, in effect, made a claim. It’s normal for insurers to do this, however unfair it seems. Had it happened earlier in the policy year, the matter would, ideally, have been resolved prior to renewal.
We asked M&S to look into this case again, and it has removed the fault claim notification which reduces the premium to a much more palatable £363.
You should buy the person who left the note on your car a big bottle of champagne as they will probably have saved you many hundreds of pounds
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