...
He was apparently sent out by and on behalf of Direct Line PLC; he explained he was a consultant and that he was to go over some abnormalities in my claim.
Ok I thought fair enough I mean my financial position was bad at the time this may have raised a few eyebrows of suspicion I could see ... Read review
Advantages: Good if your training for hostage situations Disadvantages: I was treat like low life scum in my own home.
...by and on behalf of Direct Line PLC; he explained he was a consultant and that he was to go over some abnormalities in my claim.
Ok I thought fair enough I mean my financial position was bad at the time this may have raised a few eyebrows of suspicion I could see it from their point of view and half expected to be asked a few hairy questions.
So he sat down in my front room and out came a Dictaphone, oh here we go I thought I could ... ...done and it is all direct lines fault for rendering the services of this horrid tyrant and ever letting him loose on the human race.
THE OUTCOME
As you can guess direct line refused to pay out on my claim and cancelled my policy with no redemption for the 5 months left to run on it and no apology for the way me and my family and friends were treated.
Like I said they took one look at me and my unfortunate situation ... more
BRIEF CASE BACKGROUND
Hi there to all who know me and also to those who don't, I haven't written a review for a very long time now. Although I am going to really steer hard to keep this as a review and not as some kind of personal rant that should be sent to the doldrums of the ciao café then filed under lost.
So the story begins with the taking out of the policy, this was done online it was a pretty painless and quick procedure as it should be I hate complex websites and tend to avoid them like the plague. However this is not a review of the site so I shall press on with the relevant stuff, this is where it starts to get a bit complicated so do bear with me. I would like to point out that this review is mainly about how they dealt with my claim and in parts about how they treat me as a customer, neigh as a fellow member of the human race. In all fairness it was not in any way a simple claim however here we go anyway.
It all started back last August 2007, due to family bereavement and an absence of a will to that effect a rather large personal estate was left hanging in the balance. This was then cocked up royally by an incompetent solicitor which left me in the financial crapper and bankruptcy. I was by now financially broken and slightly miffed to say the least. I then had my house repossessed by the mortgage company which probably could have been helped but that is far and beyond the point in question and my own demon. They arranged people to come and change the locks and make sure we left the property vacant; the keys were then left in the care of the estate agents who were going to market the house for them. We however had nowhere to put all our possessions and couldn't afford the hefty storage charges or removal fees either. We spoke to the agents who told us we had 2 weeks grace in which we could contact them and arrange a mutual removal date once we had secured alternative accommodation arrangements. I specifically remember asking if our home insurance would still cover our effects and was told that yes it did/should, so as far as I was concerned that was covered and in a safe place.
THE BURGLARY & THE SCARY MAN
Thanks for bearing through the background stuff but I do feel that it is relevant to the review as it gives a good picture to the circumstance of the claim.
Once I had gone through the process of reporting the break in a couple of weeks later whilst I assumed that the claim was being processed, which I should know better than just to assume. Suddenly there was this rather large and very intimidating man turned up on my doorstep, I mean this guy looked like one of those big dodgy bouncers outside seedy nightclubs you would not want to meet him alone down a dark alley. He was apparently sent out by and on behalf of Direct Line PLC; he explained he was a consultant and that he was to go over some abnormalities in my claim. Ok I thought fair enough I mean my financial position was bad at the time this may have raised a few eyebrows of suspicion I could see it from their point of view and half expected to be asked a few hairy questions. So he sat down in my front room and out came a Dictaphone, oh here we go I thought I could see where this was going and prepared myself for a grilling. However nothing could prepare me for the sheer arrogance of this horrible obnoxious man, I mean he was asking some real personal questions and twisting my answers to a really unreasonable point. This guy was not going to stop until he got the answer he wanted or he was just going to keep going until he contorted all my information to fit his idea of a fraudulent claim. By now I was really starting to feel uncomfortable in my own front room, now I am sorry but I don't care who they are or who they work for that is not right. I mean this guy had obviously taken one look at my claim file then one look at me and made his mind up there and then, though forgive me if I'm wrong but he was supposed to be impartial to either side. After he finished the grilling and by now was leaving me feeling quite literally dirty and in puddles of cold sweat were pouring down my back he informed me he was going to speak to my old next door neighbour who was also a friend.
So a few more days passed then I bumped into my friend at the local shops which where quite nearby also to my new address. Upon speaking to her I was mortified to find out that not only had he spoken to her although that wasn't what she called it exactly. Apparently he caught up with her just as she was just arriving home after a long day with her parents who had been minding her two very young children as she is a single mum living alone. Bearing in mind that it was getting late on in the day and this large cumbersome kind of guy who she did not know or have any prior arrangement to speak to her. Naturally she was actually quite scared and told him that it was not a good time to through the grilling, however instead of taking light of her situation and backing off and making other arrangements he persisted with his line of interrogation. Now this is the part that really shook me to the core, he asked her what sort of person I was and then the real baddie, did I or my wife take drugs and were we addicts of any kind and HAD WE EVER TAKEN THEM INFRONT OF HER??????. He carried on apparently with these kind of questions until luckily for her the guy who lived over the road arrived home and could see that he was causing her obvious distress and told him to sling his hook which he then did. He apparently spoke to other people close by on the street, but I do not dare ask to find out what was asked of them as these people once used to be my friends and neighbours. I dare not show my face on the street now as I feel the people who once treated me with respect and kindness probably think I am some kind of junkie which is unfair and just not true. I have been slandered and there is nothing I can do as the damage is now done and it is all direct lines fault for rendering the services of this horrid tyrant and ever letting him loose on the human race.
THE OUTCOME
As you can guess direct line refused to pay out on my claim and cancelled my policy with no redemption for the 5 months left to run on it and no apology for the way me and my family and friends were treated. Like I said they took one look at me and my unfortunate situation and instead of treating me like the innocent consumer I was just condemned me without even a regard for anything other than what they believed to be true. I however have lost everything I ever had including what little pride or dignity I had or gained which actually meant more than any possession I owned or lost.
However you will not beat me down I will hold my head up high and look people in the eye when I tell people just what an ugly nasty two faced corporation you really can be when your true colours come through. At least we know where your hundreds of millions of pounds profit you announce every year comes from you just sh** on the little people and bully them into your idea of a submission.
You can take it all stick it up your arse set fire to it, then you can use the smoke to blow it up the arse of your oh so lovely share holders.
Oh and for those of you wondering, no I did not have anything to do in any way with the burglary of my premises in any way shape of form.
Advantages: Value for money, excellent cover and speedy, courteous service. Disadvantages: Compensation is paid is in form of gift cards to specific retailers. Cash would be more flexible.
'''BACKGROUND''' As a Direct Line (DL) car insurance customer, I was offered the opportunity to take out home contents cover at a special 25% discount for existing customers. Having been with Norwich Union (now Aviva) for a while and experiencing ambivalent service when I needed them, I decided to go for it. Norwich Union may have “quoted me happy” when I first took out cover, but their renewal premium (I had made no claims at he time) left me cold ... ...haven’t looked back since. '''HOME CONTENTS POINTERS''' Here are a few tips for the uninitiated on home contents cover. Often people base their purchasing decision solely on the premium, but is vital to compare like for like when trying to decide between potential providers. Look at the small print and make sure that the features you want (such as cover away from the home, bicycle cover, the amount of excess, contents of fridge and freezer, legal ...
Hishyeness 10.03.2009 (28.04.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Direct Line Insurance plc
...Having our car insured with Direct Line for a couple of years and being happy with the service, we rang for a quote.
The telephone operator was very helpful and suggested several policies, outlining the advantages and benefits and gave us the prices for each.
The quotes were very good and when we told her that the car was insured by them, she informed us that we were entitled to a discount of 25%. A good selling point - if the policies matched ... ...were after but we asked for a couple of days to consider - we were given a reference number so we would not have to go through the whole process again - very useful!
The following day we called to accept the policy and were insured from that moment even though the money would not be taken from the bank until 3 weeks later. Instant insurance and peace of mind.
We saved about £10 per month compared to our previous policy with the same cover.
It's ...
mareth 05.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Direct Line Insurance plc
Advantages: competitive, easy to claim, well trained staff Disadvantages: pay interest if you pay monthly
...building insurance have been through Direct Line for the last five years and I really cant rate them enough.
It was really easy to start the policies as it was all done over the phone and then they send you the policy through the post which you sign. You are sent a booklet which explains exactly what you are covered for and what you are not. The biggest downside with Direct Line has to be the fact that if you want to pay monthly then you have to ... ...destroyed everything in its wake! Direct Line was fantastic and helped us very step of the way to make the claim quick and easy. I have made a couple of smaller claims since then, and again it was no trouble. You ring up and give them the details and, if its a straight forward claim, you will get a cheque within a couple of weeks.
Top marks for Direct Line and their very well trained staff. ...
flossy 31.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Direct Line Insurance plc
Advantages: Very good claims service, cheapish Disadvantages: None
...than when I started.
Direct Line should be commended for employing claims handlers with such "human" approaches, and this is not something I have come across in dealings with other insurers. The actual claims service for one claim was passed to a 3rd party and my replacement was with me within 1 week of making the claim. The 3rd party was a highly reputable high street name and I think this reflects the calibre of claims service DL are trying to ... ...competitive and I have scoured the internet and brokers for the cheapest insurance and they always come top or near to the top of the list.
If yoou want a low cost insurance with the confidence that you are buying an efficient and sympathetic claims service you would struggle to find one better than DL. ...
Grebe 07.03.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Direct Line Insurance plc
Advantages: Hassle free, quick service Disadvantages: None that I can think of
...and because I was with Direct Line for my Motor Insurance they gave me an additional discount for holding more than one policy with them. At the same time as getting the discount on the Home Insurance they informed me I would get a discount on my Vehicle Insurance when it was due for renewal.
Suitably impressed with the price I took out the policy, never expecting to need it. I was able to pay either in a lump sum or by monthly direct debit. I provided ... ...the full amount less the compulsory £50 excess. There was no need for an inspection or only using approved fitters.
The carpet was fitted before the second payment went out. I am more than happy with the service that Direct Line have provided and would recommend them to anyone. ...
stevecook 06.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Direct Line Insurance plc
Competitiveness of APR
Comprehensiveness of ra...
Product package
Efficiency of service
Value for money
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Advantages: Cheapest quote Disadvantages: Didn't cover contents of car, rude operators who don't know what's happening, slow at processing claims
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on DirectLine you can visit their websites at;
www.directline.com
www.jamjar.com for car loans
www.greenflag.com for motor breakdown cover
www.rbs.co.uk The Royal Bank of Scotland
Or write to them at the following addresses:
DirectLineInsuranceplc
3 Edridge Road, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1AG
DirectLine Financial Services Limited
250 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5SH
DirectLine Life Insurance Company Limited
14-18 Cadogan Street, Glasgow G2 6QN
All of the various departments under DirectLine have various different phone numbers you can call all of which can be found on their website under the Contact Us button or under the relevant headings such as Travel Insurance etc. But for car insurance you can call 0845 246 8706. ...
Advantages: Competitive premiums, can buy over phone or internet Disadvantages: Numerous errors by sales staff, inefficient service, slow response to letters
