Car insurance

Hi

i have been insured by Linear Direct for my car. Each year there is a delay in sending out renewals and often ends with me making long phone calls, you know the sort, please hold the line your call is important etc, etc.

Last year i contacted them a month before as i was off to Australia. They couldnt give me a renewal that early. Again a long phone call from Australia.

This year a daily check of the post box revealed nothing. So called them again. I advised that I would not be renewing citing no renewals, lomg waits on the phone etc. The girl said we sent you newal by post and it came back, we emailed you and texted you. No records of either. She then states that I have to give a months notice. My insurance is due next week.

I have checked all documents and there is no mention of this.

Anyone come across this before. I really dont want anything to do with this company.

Regards

I'm sure if you look at the original documents there will be a bit about automatic renewal. You used to have to give 2 months notice of cancellation or change but this has been reduced to one month. Note that this one month is from the time they receive it, not the time you send it so always make sure you give plenty of time and record the cancellation details.

Note that this procedure of automatic renewal is pretty standard in Spain whether it is for insurance policies or whatever. 

However, Linea Directa. They always let me know the renewal cost about 3 months in advance. Often by a phone call and followed up by a letter. Never had a long wait on the phone with them either. I usually have to say I'm looking around for cheaper deals and, in the last three years anyway, they have reduced the premium when I say that.

I too finally got rid of Linear Directa. I gave them 10 months notice prior to the renewal in 2017 and fought them off over several attempts to renew. Finally they took the money from my account despite earlier guarantee that they would not do so. I rejected the payment and blasted them with a threat of legal action unless I got a written abject apology from them. Got it (that must have hit them hard). Success at last!

I too have had a run in with Linea Diredta today.....I was in Spain 3 weeks ago & checked my mail box for a renewal quote for my car insurance, but there wasn't one there.

On the 16th May, I phoned them to say they haven't given me a quote for renewal & they said they had posted it to me.

I said it wasn't in my post box some 3 weeks ago when I was in Spain & I'm now back in England, so she gave me a quote over the phone, I said I was waiting for another quote from another company & would ring them back if I wanted to renew.

Today to my surprise, I got an email with a renewal cover note for my renewal, I immediatley phoned them to say I hadn't confirmed that I wanted to renew it with them.

I asked them how they had taken payment & they told me by my credit card ending **** & gave me the last 4 didgits of my card that I had paid with on the previous year.

I was un aware they had kept my details & thought it was illegal to do so without my permission?

There response was they telephoned me & text me a message (which was to my Spanish phone, which I keep in Spain) & they need notice to canel, NO mention of this NOTICE when I spoke to them on the 16th May.

They knew I was in England & they had my email address, so why didn't they contact me by this method if they had no response by phone?

They soon emailed me to say they had taken payment,  I phoned them to tell them I didn't wamt to renew & to refund the money back to my card.

The response was in Spain we have to renew your policy automatically by Law & we couldn't get hold of you & we DO NOT refund any money if you cancel!

I contacted my card provider to report it, who are in the process of trying to get the money back.

I have heard so many bad reports about this company, not paying out when claims were applied for on house insurance, saying bad workman ship etc.

I had a friend who was with them & recently had a flood due to the heavy rain in December, when she put a claim in, they only paid a fraction out to her compared to other people with other insurance companies, who's premiums were half the price!

So beware they are not the company that we thought they were, we thought they were connected with Direct Line her, but apparently NOT?

I will keep you posted if I get my money back!!

We insure both our cars with Ibex at their Casada office. I know that they have other offices dotted around, not too sure where, tho.

MUCH better prices than Linea Directa, no hassle, if they have anything to tell me then all communication is via e-mail, pop into the office for a chat and pick up any paperwork as and when needed.

They auto-renew WITH YOUR PERMISSION - they DO NOT keep payment details on record!

Very highly satisfied!

Steve

They are not the same as Direct Line advertised by Cliff Thorburn

Frank

I am given to understand that Direct Line and Linea Directa are two totally unconnected compnies.

Steve

Hi, My Wife and I insure our cars with Ibex of Lloyds through their Fuengirola office. Very good service and compatitive premiums

Hi, My Wife and I insure our cars with Ibex of Lloyds through their Fuengirola office. Very good service and compatitive premiums

Direct Line sold Linea Directa to Bankinter years ago. Nothing changed with regards to their customer service or policies that I am aware of.

Pricewise, I have been with them for over 13 years, every year I have challenged their renewal quote, comparing with other companies, and when I have quoted the lowest alternative quote obtained, they have ALWAYS matched it or bettered it. I have consistently paid slightly less every year. So my message is simply: haggle!

"I was un aware they had kept my details & thought it was illegal to do so without my permission?"

Whether it is legal or not is a moot point, this is Spain. You should be aware that ANY company that has your bank account details can take money from it at any time. It is up to you to reject any payments you disagree with. Outrageous, yes, but that's the way it is, so my second message is: be carefull!

Yes Lines Direct always dropped the quote after haggling. This year the failed to send a renewal either to the UK or Spanish address or via the Internet.  When I contacted them I was told that my renewal had been sent and returned, they had contacted by email and also by text message. I was told I have to renew and when challenged they said you only thinking about going with a " cheap" company and they could not match the price. I said I would not renew and was told I had to as there was not enough time to give them notice.Things got heated and I put the phone down. I checked this notice with a local broker who said" they all try that on with the British.  The Spanish wouldn't stand for it. I rang back to LD to check that my renewal had been cancelled. I was told yes my paper renewal had been returned but the email reminder system hadn't yet been implemented and the text wouldn't have gone to a non Spanish phone.  Suddenly the renewal halves. I declined and they accepted my termination. I am now with a local broker who I can see, speak to and I can get to. LD have no customer service.

I have no idea why any customer would renew a policy, or even take one out in the first place, without knowing the absolute minimum that you needed to pay. All of you are saying that with L.D. they have lowered the premium, BUT ONLY AFTER YOU COMPLAINED. How do you know that the agreed price is the lowest for you. How can you have any faith in a company like that, unless you are happy that the guy next to you with exactly the same car etc. is paying far less than you are, because he is a better haggler than you are. Outragious.

However the main reason for taking out a policy with any company is that you are happy that, in the event of a claim, they will pay out and with the least amount of problems. Price is not everything but also is is not to be ignored.

With every insurance policy try and find out how good they are when a claim is made and make that info. as one of the top 2 points you need to consider.

It is also worth thinking about the difference between a 'broker' and dealing direct with any company. If you are in dispute with your own company and you deal directly with them, all you can 'threaten' them with is that you will not renew. In that scenario they only lose 1 customer, big deal. However if you go through a broker, and the broker also thinks that you are right and the company is wrong, you have much more leaverage with the broker as they can 'threaten' to take all their business away from that company.

Just words of advice and my usual ramblings.