Direct Line Insurance

Posted on 2007/12/04 19:54:09 (December 2007).

[Tuesday 4th December 2007]

It's now six months since my car got stolen. And it is six months since my insurance (Direct Line) is refusing to pay for the car since I was insured with an arson and theft policy.

It's getting really out of hand, the solicitor that I hired to uphold my interests against the car park where the car was stolen is actually doing his job only for my insurance, the very one that should have paid right away.

The ordeal is nothing but started, as we are now suing the insurance company to have something that it's my RIGHT to have (since I have paid after all).
They have not replied to our letters, documents (that they requested by the way) and phone calls.
Finally my solicitor managed to speak to the person in charge for my policy and apparently this person told him that I still had to send them another document, that I need to get from a notary public.

The fact is that on the list of documents that I had to provide this one was not written!!

Then when I went to see the notary the guy asks me if the insurance company had given me the "indispensable" pre-printed form needed to get the document.

Needless to say that after 3 weeks we are not in possession of any pre-printed form, so we are now going to make this document without it.

It's so incredible, they are so quick in asking for money when you make a policy with them but then when it comes to paying they are completely useless.

The real problem is that I still do not have a car, because (hear that) they will not release the bonus/malus document needed to stipulate another car insurance, UNTIL the previous one is "closed" (i.e. until they pay!!!

HOW STUPID IS THAT!!?

So, to recap, they do not pay for some strange reason that I am not given to know, but even if I had the money to buy a new car I cannot insure it at the correct bonus/malus level because they will not give me a document that states my position.

Basically if I want a new car I must insure it at the highest possible premium, as if I have had 10 accidents in the last 2 months... :(

So now we are about to go to court. I do not place a lot of faith in the Italian legal system, it's long, troublesome and since we are in Italy even in a case like this my lawyer said that 9 out of 10 I will win the lawsuit (in 10 years), but that 1 chance is really bugging me!!

Oh well, I guess that it's part of having a telephone/internet insurance policy, but it shouldn't really be like that, I am really disappointed at how these companies (that are protected by the government on almost everything wrong that they do), they are forcing me to go back to a normal insurance policy once I manage to get my new car...

Just in case someone thinks that I am stepping out of boundaries denouncing this fact (because on the internet you shouldn't make the names of private companies), well, I am just reporting the ordeal that this company is giving me.

I am sure that there are a lot of people working there that are honest, but this doesn't make things better for me at all, and as a matter of fact I am a customer that they have lost FOREVER.

All was good until they had to pay, which is too easy in my opinion, they should make sure that the same quickness in asking for money is adopted when having to pay.

But that's another world probably, and this realization just makes me sadder.

Oh dear, Lox. This story saddens me - but do not think it is because you are in Italy, or bought from the Internet. Nor that you are alone...

I am insured with the same company and when some one crashed in to me while I was stationary (I think perhaps they were on their mobile phone at the time) it took a full year before I had my money back and my no-claims bonus reinstated. I did not resort to the courts though.

Posted by Nigel at 2007/12/05 22:44:38.

Originally I did not want to go to court but I needed the lawyer because the people of the garage started acting in a "funny" way.... Then when my insurance started to refuse any sort of reply, he took action against them too... I am not happy about the situation, mostly because I do not own a car and I cannot buy a new one until this story is over!

Posted by Lox at 2007/12/06 07:27:33.

Er... we will be sending the boys round in the morning to show you the benefits of taking out our new "Grievous Bodily Harm" insurance... ;-)

Posted by Direct Line Insurance at 2007/12/06 20:16:58.

Sorry, Lox, couldn't resist putting that last post up :-)

Posted by Bryan at 2007/12/06 20:17:31.

Bryan: NO problems at all, I actually would love to have a "chat" with these people! And by the way welcome to my bit of the maison too :) It's good to have new readers... :D (by the way I would have blamed it on Sheri)

Posted by Loc at 2007/12/06 22:29:11.

Keep calm, Lox, keep calm! Burn the agency and be done with it!

Posted by Sheri at 2007/12/11 18:53:21.

Post a comment