Auto Insurance Woes

[Cain]

CP - I love you,and the most helpful people can be found here...thus I present my problem.

I took out a 6 month auto insurance policy, as I am a student in edmonton, but come to calgary for the summers and only need a car for work.

Apparently, (unbeknownst to me, this is only my 2nd policy ever) I had to specify I didn't want to renew the policy come october even though I made it clear when I purchased it in April. So the company automatically renewed it, and now is claiming I owe upwards of 200$ for the time that I hadn't paid.

Now I had the car put away for the winter in the beginning of september, so I haven't even used it...they've been insuring nothing - yet now claim that if I don't pay it, I won't get insurance anywhere else because it is now on my "insurance record".

Ironically I had taken out an identical policy the year before all this as well, with the same broker (although they changed companies that they brokered for), and it automatically cancelled when it ran out...so I had no idea that this would happen. They even have records of this yet they won't change anything.

They say that I would have received renewal papers in august (which I can't find, although I wasn't really back in edmonton by then) and it is my fault for not cancelling.

Any thoughts? Help?

I'm pretty peeved at the moment, as I am a poor student so this is not a small sum for me.

[photon]

Hm, any way you can negotiate with them? Provide them proof of you putting the car away and that sort of thing maybe. Explain to them your studenthood and see if they can at least reduce the amount?

[Tailspin]

if you were to come up with a bill of sale to show you were no longer the owner of the vehicle, you might be able to get it straightened out

[Cain]

Well I explained this to my mother, and she phoned the broker and tried as well...the manager said he'd phone the parent company and try to get the sum owed wiped off.

Here's hoping.

Guess I'm just bitter at the thought of paying a bunch of money for something I didn't use. I'm really honest and don't mind payin when I am supposed to, but this sorta stinks.

[kipperfan]

Your kinda screwed, I hate to say.

It doesnt matter what papers, if any, you can produce because they say they sent you the renewal notice that is as good as a contract.

The only way you could get out of this is if you can somehow prove you never recieved the renewal notice, which is virtually impossible as it would be your word against theirs.

Just for the sake of intrest what company are you with?

[Flame On]

I think insurance companies are the lowest of the low.
Sorry to hear about this for you.
Here's some links.
Alberta Insurance Council.

The Alberta Insurance Council is the Regulatory Body responsible for licensing and discipline of insurance agents, brokers and adjusters in the Province of Alberta.

Or speak to an information officer at the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
Finally here's a link to a pdf of a list of the various insurance companies and their complaint liason officers that they use.
You may want to write to them and see what they think. Or before you do that you may want to write to your insurance and tell them what you're about to do, see if that helps sway them.
Good luck!

[sparky69]

Your screwed... insurance company suck