I purchased Bell car insurance in Apr 2017. Buying experience was good. I was told to connect the telematics device to my car so that they monitor my driving and if it is good then I would potentially get some money back/cash back/discount from what I paid them.
Fast forward 3 odd months and after receiving many gold standard driving accolades from Bell, I received a letter in Aug 2017 saying two things:
(1) Based on my driving, they estimate that I will be doing double the miles than I had estimated at the start of purchasing insurance so I have to pay XXX amount to them which they will deduct from my account directly by certain date.
2) Since my driving was good I was eligible to get moneyback/cashback/discount of YY amount of money. That YY will be adjusted against the XXX I owe them.
I asked them what if I don't do the miles they have estimated and remain at around the amount I had estimated. I was promised that I will get the full money or part money back.
Fast forward to end of year, I had done less than the miles that I had estimated so I am eligible for getting the entire XXX that Bell had taken from me. For everyone I spoke with , it seems logical but not to Bell. Bell are saying they will give me only (XXX-YY) as I never paid them YY. I said yes, I did not pay YY because that was something I earned and you had adjusted against XXX. But the staff don't seem to get it.
Staff gave me following example: You go to supermarket, buy goods worth GBP200 and the supermarket is very happy and gives you discount of GBP30. If you return all the goods then you get GBP170 back or GBP200. But I tried to explain to him that your example is not comparing apples to apples.
I told him that lets say(again in a hurry as the staff was super busy), supermarket announce to me for being a good & loyal customer we will give you GBP30 for being a good customer. I go to supermarket buy goods worth GBP200, supermarket says since we are giving you GBP30 as a good will gesture, you pay only GBP170. Now for some reason if I return everything I purchased i.e. GBP 200 worth of goods then supermarket must pay me GBP200 or GBP30? Staff tell me that it will be GBP170 and not GBP30 as I never paid GBP30. I am telling them that GBP30 was something I earned as a good and loyal customer but no. Not sure if the staff dont understand or they are acting dumb!
Reviewed on: 18th April 2018
