Motoring Discussion > Saga insurance certificate saga. Tax / Insurance / Warranties
Thread Author: Fenlander Replies: 20
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New Tue 28 Feb 12 14:54 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Fenlander
After two moves in 4mths I've just about had my quota of hassle phoning/notifying re change of address/utilities etc and can do without extra aggro but Saga are adding their bit to the pile.

Saga have been fine for a couple of years insuring the cars with decent premiums, efficient UK call centres and clear paperwork. But this renewal they are way up on alternative quotes so we're going elsewhere.

About a month before renewal Saga send an e-mail with a link to your new documents on their website and a code to access them. Instead we phoned to confirm we were not renewing due to the high quotes and didn't have reason to access the links.

But they now say as we were given the opportunity to access the links which contained the insurance certificates we have to print the certificates and return them before the polices are regarded as cancelled as "it's the law". Apparently until we do so they will regard the policy as live and payment due.

Idiots.

Odlly in all the e-mails they've sent chewing over this issue each has a statement reminding you to think hard before printing the mail to help save paper and the environment.

Last edited by: Fenlander on Tue 28 Feb 12 at 14:55
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New Tue 28 Feb 12 15:17 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Slidingpillar
So that means in their eyes, they've 'issued' the certificate before receiving payment.

Not the way I've ever had an insurance company act, and to my mind, not the way to run a business.

If you feel like arguing, not that I think it's either a good idea or worth it, unless they can prove you visited the link - they've not issued the certificate.
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New Tue 28 Feb 12 15:20 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - rtj70
>> So that means in their eyes, they've 'issued' the certificate before receiving payment.

My wife always gets a certificate from MoreThan on renewal before she pays. This year we got it with them online for cheaper. Never had to return the certificate sent either.
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New Tue 28 Feb 12 15:19 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - rtj70
Make sure you send all copies ever possible from the electronic downloads.

What I would do is print "enough" copies. Put them in an envelope and attach a 2nd class stamp and post it. Hoping it costs them additional postal charges.

In fact I'd put a CD with the document on it in there too for them to print out additional copies too.

Idiots as you say.
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New Tue 28 Feb 12 15:19 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - John H
>> But they now say >>

Who do you mean by "they"? A junior clerk with no leeway to use common sense, or a senior manager also constrained by "computer says no" HQ dictat?

>> we have to print the certificates and return them before the polices are regarded as cancelled as "it's the law". >>

1. ask them to give you chapter and verse of "the law" they are referring to.

2. then, if you are satisfied by that, tell them that you are using the law reported here
www.out-law.com/page-10910
to return the copy of the policy/certificate to them by email.

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New Tue 28 Feb 12 18:41 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Dave
Tell them you have no computer or internet access
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New Tue 28 Feb 12 21:27 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - swiss tony
Looks like this story could turn into a right saga......

....I'll get my coat.
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New Tue 28 Feb 12 21:55 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Fenlander
The "they" I refer to seems to be employees who are disgruntled at our leaving enough to be playing attempted one upmanship games.

The link John H provides is in line with our understanding of the road traffic act concerning electronic certificates.. and that is the firm line we'll keep to.

Interestingly the total for our two cars (both renew same day) with Saga was £664. Got them both through LVE for £407. Big difference.
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New Tue 28 Feb 12 22:42 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Roger.
Same with us for house & contents. Saga were cheapest last year, but not this year. I've saved around £40 AND will be getting my Meerkat toy!
i spoke to Saga telling them I would not be renewing and followed up by email requesting written confirmation that not only would they cancel, but also that no attempt would be made to collect £££ from my bank account.
I received a reply in confirmation but will be checking my bank account to make sure!
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New Tue 28 Feb 12 23:06 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Fenlander
Actually mucking me about on the home insurance throughout this extended move was the start of things. We'd been with them a while for Buildings & contents and when we needed an overlap with two places insured at the same time for about 6wks they explained the new place (as we weren't living in it while I did some work) would have to be insured as a second "holiday" home type policy at an elevated premium because being unoccupied at night was an extra risk.

Then once we moved in and it became our sole property they would revert to a normal policy and that would be cheaper.

Nope... it was just the same and they said they really couldn't understand it but this "just happened sometimes".

So we will leave them for house insurance too next time.
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New Wed 29 Feb 12 08:24 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Dave
Isn't the renewal stuff just an 'offer to renew'? I've always regarded it as such, and if not interested, I simply haven't paid.
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New Wed 29 Feb 12 09:49 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Robbie34
I have been with LV for some years and nobody has offered a lower premium so I don't bother to do a search. When the car is due for renewal I receive an invitation to renew and I need do nothing if I wish to do so. The certificate then arrives a day before my insurance expires.

I also have the house and contents insured with LV and get 10% discount on my car insurance, and vice versa.
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New Wed 29 Feb 12 10:24 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Zero
>> I have been with LV for some years and nobody has offered a lower premium
>> so I don't bother to do a search.

If you don't search and compare you will never know if anyone has offered you a lower premium.
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New Wed 29 Feb 12 15:05 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Robbie34
>>
>> If you don't search and compare you will never know if anyone has offered you
>> a lower premium.
No need to do a search as there has been minimal increase, and I get cold called by various companies that I have asked for quotes previously. RIAS do this every year and they are almost £600 dearer than LV.

LV was £340 this year, and RIAS wanted just over £900: no contest. Other companies will price match, but they will only shove the price up next year. And, I get 180 days cover for European travel.
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New Thu 1 Mar 12 10:53 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Bill Payer
I have both our cars with LV. Both went down again this year and we're below many other companies minimum premium now.
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New Thu 1 Mar 12 11:01 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Bill Payer
>> So we will leave them for house insurance too next time.
>>
My next door neighbour has auto-renewed his house insurance with SAGA for years, but last year he thought £800 was a bit high and asked what I pay. I pay £200 with LV.

He called SAGA to query the difference and they assured him the premium was correct but offered £150 'loyalty discount'. What really made him annoyed him was the suggestion that the premium is high because our area (rural Cheshire) is high risk!

He switched to another insurer and this year got a mailer from SAGA offering house insurace for....£200. To say he's not happy is an understatement.
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New Wed 29 Feb 12 10:37 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - swiss tony
>> I received a reply in confirmation but will be checking my bank account to make
>> sure!
>>
Do what I do.
Just close the Direct Debit against that company.

I did that with NTL some years ago, after getting the confirmation letter that all dues were paid.
A month later a flood of letters followed saying that the DD wasn't operating, so I waited for the phone call.
When that came, I asked in no uncertain terms why they wanted access to my account, when I didn't owe them anything. the reply was mostly 'umms and errs.......'
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New Wed 29 Feb 12 12:45 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Roger.
......not a D.D. - I paid by debit card the previous year, as I have this year with Swiftcover, but I take your point.
It is very easy to cancel a D.D. with on-line banking with HSBC and I have done so for other lapsed instalments on the drip.
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New Mon 5 Mar 12 10:26 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Fenlander
Well all joking apart this has developed into an admin saga. Their latest idea is that we should complete a signed declaration that we have lost the certificates (virtual ones we never accessed!) before they will consider the policy cancelled.

They have also been confused by husband and wife both having policies... e-mailing with the header showing my wife's details but the body of the mail relating to my policy.

Oh dear.... their Director of customer services will have one more case this morning.
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New Mon 5 Mar 12 11:22 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - -
>> I did that with NTL some years ago, after getting the confirmation letter that all
>> dues were paid.

Thats done it, just as my blood pressure was settling back down you had to mention that bunch didn't you.
Incompetence of olympic standards.

I've mentioned this before and VX fan kindly posted it at the time but several here may not have seen this letter to NTL....warning contains some bad language..
www.derbygripe.co.uk/ntl.htm

..;)

Just substitute Saga for NTL in this case, the mentality seems to be epidemic.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Mon 5 Mar 12 at 11:24
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New Tue 27 Mar 12 11:23 
 Saga insurance certificate saga. - Fenlander
Don't get to post much now but just to round this off...

Raised this muddle with the Saga complaints management team and all the hassle from the routine admin people stopped instantantly. After 10 days complaints guy phoned and offered us £50 compension for the time and trouble we'd been put to. Amusingly this guy wouldn't admit they were wrong though and said they were looking into their procedures regarding electronic certificates.

Oh well that's a couple for Chinese takeaways paid for.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Tue 27 Mar 12 at 11:25
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