(no subject)

[dakegra]

LB is poorly^[1], so we've kept her off school for the day and I've taken the day off work.

I phoned work to apologise for not being there, and could I book today off as holiday as LB was poorly. $boss wasn't sure that I could book it as holiday, and would have to check what the procedure is as I'm still in my probation period.

Which is odd - everywhere I've worked thus far has said 'ok, fine, book it as a day's leave'. So now I'm not sure if it's holiday (fine), unpaid (unavoidable, but not so fine) or quite what. I'll find out tomorrow, I guess.

Phoned school - they now have a voicemail button-pressing thing, with 'press 1 to record an absence', then you leave a message rather than speak to someone. New one on me.

Then I phoned the insurance company to cancel our car insurance. Another exercise in options and button-pressing, and I spoke to a very nice lady who informed me that it would be no problem to cancel my insurance, but there's a £26.50 cancellation charge, and oh look, your payment is due tomorrow, but they can apply for it three days early, so it might still come out.

Hmmm. Not entirely happy about the cancellation charge, having paid them money for a considerable number of years, or the fact that I might end up paying another month's insurance. We'll see - could be a strongly worded letter.


Hope you're all hale & hearty.





^[1] well, she's a lot perkier now, but to be sure we're keeping her off

Comments

[miss-next.livejournal.com]

Hope the Beanlette is better soon!

[caitirin.livejournal.com]

Wow, them charging you to cancel is pretty rotten! I think a letter is definitely in order.

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

yeah. K said they'd do it, and I said surely not. Seems she was right.

I'll see what comes through from them and take it from there. Certainly won't be using them again.

[maviscruet.livejournal.com]

How is a cancellation charge even legal...

After a while "well you could leave but it'll costa grand - that's just what we want to cahrge you to stop you leaving...."

[martinoh.livejournal.com]

The usual basis for a cancellation charge is that you entered into a contract for a set period of time, typically 12 months for car insurance. Cancelling the contract before the end of the period is therefore a technical breach, or at least a modification of terms and the insurer is therefore entitled to levy a charge in respect of your failure to keep up your end of the bargain (after all, they note, you'd kick up a stink if they suddenly announced part way through the year that they weren't insuring you any more with immediate effect).

Traditionally in the UK, insurers would levy such a charge for cancellation in the first 12 months but if you kept your insurance with them thereafter, you could cancel without penalty. Now that people are tending to shop around a lot more (and a wider variety of brands switch underwriters to the most favourable at renewal), an increasing number of policies keep the charges in place irrespective of how long you've held the policy.

[martinoh.livejournal.com]

They may take the next month's premium by DD, but they are obliged to refund it (and will normally do so without much prompting). Cancellation charge is another matter - give it a shot, but if it's in the policy small print you're going to have to rely on any remaining goodwill in the relationship (do you have another policy with them at the moment for example) to try to get them to drop it.

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

yeah, I know I'm on a hiding to nothing in the end. I'm entirely sure it will be in the small print somewhere, but I feel that as I've had my insurance with them since owning my first car, it's a bit much.

Hey ho. One less expense to pay in the long run.