Postcode Problems

After some 25 years of asking, I finally got the Post office and local council to agree on a post code for my house, as it was in a large postcode area covering tens of square miles, and there were many properties within it that had the same number. People could not find us on their sat navs, so we were always losing mail or having to travel 20 miles to the nearest depot to collect undelivered parcels.
As soon as it arrived, all these past problems ceased and we are now on the Sat Nav maps- until yesterday.

I had been involved in a traffic accident a while ago, and when I spoke to the insurance company about it, I gave them the new postcode.

Yesterday I got a letter from them. They would not renew my policy as the original underwriters would not quote and they had been unable to find any underwriters who would cover the area in which I live. By this, they mean the Post Code. What else could it be?

As there is only my house in the post code, and it is the same house that has been standing there for the last 200 or more years, previously part of a post code that was perfectly acceptable until I told them it had changed, I protested.

Got a letter back with a list of underwriters who would not cover the area in which I live (new post code,) but no reason was given. This left me with a car that runs out of insurance in a few days and must be declared SORN to stay legal, or find a company that could insure the "new "area.

Luckily I have dealt with a good broker for the last 35 years for other insurance, and a call to them produced a policy at less cost that the one that should have been renewed within three minutes of calling and a long list of others as backup just in case.

So if you are insured via Insurance Services of Colchester Essex, then be warned: please do not change your post code.

Got any more ridiculous insurance stories?


Edited by Howard - 08 Dec 2014 at 6:06am

thepits wrote: What a PITA, but maybe you should have done this earlier and saved even more money?

Lats time I tried them they were £150 more expensive.

ok

Not just a simple as it first appeared. In addition to changing the postcode, the local council had posted an incorrect address for me on the voters list. This gave companies searching for credit ratings (which insurance companies do, despite saying that they don't) a great problem. Experien gave me a poor credit rating (not that I want any credit - I always pay cash or card and promptly) and this it seems is a part of the problem. Now Experien have been informed of this by the local authority directly, as well as by myself. However, trying to get any sense out of them is really hard work, and I am still not aware if that problem is sorted.
I spoke to most of the underwriters on this subject, and they all came up with the same story. Brokers make the decision whether or not to turn down a policy application - not the underwriters.
I persued this with the brokers to a high level, and got no sense out of them at all.  My local broker, and Compare the Market were able to give me cover at various prices, most of them way below the cost of last year's insurance policy, so in a way it has done me a service.
What Ian Arthur above has said is also correct.
I am of the opinion that when an application is turned down for any reason, the broker should be duty bound to tell the applicant exactly why, and not hide behind the "commercially sensitive information" banner.
The Financial Ombudsman is now dealing with this complaint, and we will see what happens within the next 6 weeks.