I Hate Insurance Companies (Well just this one)

Insurance - you need it, you can live without it but that's not a good idea.

So the people who work in these non-UK call centres, what makes them think we were born yesterday.

Last week some guy rang and started going on about insurance, so I said "Stop, I am busy and cant do this right now call back". Okay that is simple to most people, it does not mean I am giving the insurance company permission to torture me and take me for an idiot.

So they rang back this morning as instructed and got to speak to Roy. Roy gave them all our details in order for them to give us a quote and they said they would ring us back. Okay so far - except our phone has rang every 20 seconds all day - literally! It would go in little spurts, ten minutes of these calls and hang ups then nothing for an hour. Each time you picked up no one was there.

This evening, again the phone rang. I picked it up no one there, hung up and it rang again. Finally there was this 'guy', saying I am ringing to tell you that someone will ring you in two minutes with a quotation.

WHY THE HECK WOULD YOU RING SOMEONE TO SAY WE ARE GOING TO RING YOU IN TWO MINUTES? Alarm bells are ringing! It this person royalty they need a call announcing their call.

So I said "why cant you just give me the price", the 'guy' said "oh that's why we will be ringing you", he was dead serious as well. I commented to him that it was a funny way of doing business, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Sure enough the phone rang two minutes later, another 'guy', he called himself Robert, but I will say he didn't sound like a Robert. He had a whole spiel to give me - I said "just give me the price please, I don't want all the spiel", he said "oh no I must, and I need more details". I was really miffed at this stage and tried my best to give him more details again and then he started his spiel once more.

"Please just tell me how much you are quoting me for my house insurance", "Oh madam you must give me your sort code and account number, what bank do you deal with Halifax, Natwest ...?"

Why on earth would I give some 'guy' my bank details just because he called me on the phone. I am so cross with him by this stage, but determined not to lose this battle I continued talking with him.

"I just want the price or a written quotation please", "Well madam just for you today I can tell you that you will have xxxx cover, and it will only cost you £24.55 for ten months then two months free"
"Ahhhh at last a price thank you for that, would you like to post the quotation to me so I can read it through" He then informed me that he had already given me the details, I gasped "You spoke far too fast and I didn't write it all down, I need a proper written quotation so I can compare your policy to my old one"

"No Madam I cant give you the quotation in the post until you give me your bank details, remember we are giving you two free months of insurance", I was raging at him"If I called your house would you give your bank details to me then just because I asked? I just want a written quotation"

"No"

So I continued to talk to him, "Could I have your head office telephone number please so I can call them and make sure you are who you say you are?", Robert was very put out by this and explained to me that I was not allowed to do that. "Well Robert, I can assure you I wont be dealing with you. I have dealt with many insurance companies like More than, TSB and none of them have ever acted in this way. Usually its one phone call and a written quotation THEN I give them my bank details not 3 calls and a refusal to let me see the quotation". Robert was still begging for my details when I put the phone down.

The company he was claiming to be with Royal & Sun Alliance! I tried to ring their customer services line to complain (supposing it is them that called), but they are closed now till Monday. If this is a call from their company I will be taking this further as this is no way to treat a prospective customer.