Dubious business practices - car insurance

[andy]

Hi
Thought I would ask the collective on here - I'm more likely to get an intelligent answer than elsewhere!
I have car insurance (Liberty)
I sold the car. told the agent that I would not renew the insurance.
Now getting threatening letters from Liberty - saying I should pay for my contracted insurance.
WHAT??
The contract is 12 months and has expired - it is not an open-ended contract where renewal is expected!
Is this something others have come accross??
could it be the agent is not doing their job?

[Nova]

All the insurance companies here seem to require two months advance notice of cancellation in writing, regardless of renewal date, but I don't see how that's actually enforceable.  The bottom line is if you don't pay your premium they cancel your cover.  I recently switched from Linea Directa to Liberty and I only told LD I was cancelling with them a week before my renewal date when they phoned me.  They tried enticing me to stay with offers then claimed I couldn't cancel because I hadn't given enough notice.  In the end, after I had ignored their phone calls, they sent me a letter after about a month, which I had to sign for, stating that as I had not paid the premium they were cancelling my cover as of the now passed renewal date.  Clearly by making me sign for receipt of the letter they were ensuring I was in agreement without me needing to reply.

Without knowing the content of your letter or having read the small print of Liberty's cancellation policy, I can't say with absolute certainty, but the small print on these things usually says that you must give two months notice of cancellation, then goes on to say that if you fail to pay they will cancel your cover.  It sounds as though Liberty are just kicking up the same sort of fuss as Linea Directa did with me, in which case it's nothing to worry about

[Perikles]

All the insurance companies here seem to require two months advance notice of cancellation in writing, regardless of renewal date, but I don't see how that's actually enforceable.

That might be true in theory, but I've had serious fights with insurance companies on two occasions here in Tenerife, one with buildings insurance, one with life insurance. In both cases, it was impossible to tell them I was cancelling the insurance because they don't tell you how to do it, nor do they give you a contact address to send a cancellation to. Of course they do this on purpose because they are complete shits and thieving bastards.

I'm pretty sure that the only effective way of cancelling an insurance is to stop paying the premiums. If you have to, tell them you wrote to them 3 months ago. But they won't say how to contact them unless on a premium phoneline. Do you have to do this by burofax? I think not. It's not your fault their postal service is crap. Stop paying the premiums and that is the end of it, except to throw their threatening letters in the bin or use in the bathroom for the next six months. There is nothing they can do about it, the lowlife can fuck off.

I get so uptight about this I might start using strong language. 

[Nova]

  

[andy]

Thanks for the replies
I would actually like to go to court, just to see a judge tell them they are a load of thieving gits!

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Well if it comes to pass, let us know and we'll make it a forum event!  Who knows what they'll make of all of us in court.