Miles Brignall 

Automatic car insurance renewal that I didn’t Budget for

I cancelled my policy with Budget Insurance but was sent a bill for £158
  
  

Counting the cost of motoring insurance
Monitoring the cost of motor insurance … why it pays to keep on eye on your bank account. Photograph: Keith Leighton / Alamy for the Guardian Photograph: Keith Leighton / Alamy/Guardian

Last year I took out car insurance with Budget Insurance, and in April of this year I cancelled the policy and said that I did not want to renew it. I also cancelled the monthly payment from my bank account.

I was told that there was £24.15 outstanding, which I subsequently paid, and obtained a new car insurance policy from another company.

On 1 July, I received a demand for £158.07 from Budget. It seems it auto-renewed the policy I had already cancelled. I have looked up this company on online blogs, and it is clear that I am not the only person this has happened to. It has now threatened to forward my details to a collections agency. JL, Dyfed

The company says it has no record of you cancelling the original policy. This strikes us as odd – why would it ask for the £24 outstanding if this was the case? Happily, it has looked again at this matter and is no longer chasing you. The fees has been dropped as a gesture of goodwill.

If this has happened to other Budget cancellees – let us know.

We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number

 

Leave a Comment

Required fields are marked *

*

*