This is I admit a bit of a rant but not that off message. Every day in our society, we come across the message again and again, about how efficient and well run the private sector is since it is by led by “profit” when compared with the supposedly “inefficient” and producer interest driven public sector. Why is this so?
When everyone I speak to on this subject has at least one horrendous horror story to tell of being ripped off by a private Bank, Insurance company or utility.
My tail of woe with Elephant started last year when I (stupidly) took out a car insurance policy with them. I had maximum no claims bonus but within a few months my car had been written off after being rear ended while parked and then my new car was bashed into at work by contractors.
The whole Claim experience was pretty dire and completely rubbish. Be warned! Firstly the car replacement service that they were suppose to provide while I was waiting for things to be sorted out were just incompetent. Phone calls were never answered and my replacement cars turned up very late and whenever it suited them. They didn’t turn up to collect the car at the end either which meant that the claim for my excess was held up for months while solicitors argued about the car hire fees. No one in Elephant seemed to give a damn about what was happening.
You felt you were totally by yourself. I made complaints and told several Elephant employees that I do not want anything to do with such an incompetent company in the future. They apologised and assured me that my contract will end. Despite this they then stole £731 from my credit card account for a new policy. I of course complained and they agreed to cancel my policy and refund my £731. Of course they didn’t do what they had promised to do and they ignored all my complaints. I had to get my credit card company to refund my account. End of matter?
When everyone I speak to on this subject has at least one horrendous horror story to tell of being ripped off by a private Bank, Insurance company or utility.
My tail of woe with Elephant started last year when I (stupidly) took out a car insurance policy with them. I had maximum no claims bonus but within a few months my car had been written off after being rear ended while parked and then my new car was bashed into at work by contractors.
The whole Claim experience was pretty dire and completely rubbish. Be warned! Firstly the car replacement service that they were suppose to provide while I was waiting for things to be sorted out were just incompetent. Phone calls were never answered and my replacement cars turned up very late and whenever it suited them. They didn’t turn up to collect the car at the end either which meant that the claim for my excess was held up for months while solicitors argued about the car hire fees. No one in Elephant seemed to give a damn about what was happening.
You felt you were totally by yourself. I made complaints and told several Elephant employees that I do not want anything to do with such an incompetent company in the future. They apologised and assured me that my contract will end. Despite this they then stole £731 from my credit card account for a new policy. I of course complained and they agreed to cancel my policy and refund my £731. Of course they didn’t do what they had promised to do and they ignored all my complaints. I had to get my credit card company to refund my account. End of matter?
No, don’t be silly. Elephant now ignore the emails that they sent accepting they will refund my account and took £355 out of my account for breach of contract??? Needless to say they did not warn me that they will be doing this nor did they send my any receipt for doing so.
Now, I know that no company or service is perfect and mistakes can happen. But what interests me is what happens when things go wrong? Is there a will to acknowledge what has gone wrong and make amends? Or is this rotten service just deliberate since rubbish companies such as Elephant and parent company Admiral make money out of exploiting customers in such ways?
Do the the senior executives of this Company make their obscene bonuses not from providing decent services to customers but from the practice of deliberately ripping people off? I am forced to conclude that they do. So the next time you see some silly tabloid headline about public services, just remember how simply c**p private services can be. They don’t give a damn about their customers they only want to exploit their competitive advantage to fleece you. This is red raw Capitalism folks – don’t you just love it!
6 comments:
I think you'll find that Admiral is the Royal Bank of Scotland. Should have stuck to Liverpool Victoria / Frizzell, as arranged by UNISON.
Yes, serves me right.
Still, I didn't realise it was run by a nationalised Bank!
Surely we all have good and bad experiences when dealing with the private sector (the big advantage is you can take your business away if you are not happy with the service)
In fact we have bad services on occastions from the public sector - but i dont see you blogging on that.
What is your alternative to this system then ?
You might consider taking your complaint to the (free ) Financial Ombudsman Service
Hi anon 13.25
No, I cannot take my business away. That is part of the problem. Once you "agree" to these credit card mandates you are completely stuffed. They keep stealing money out of your account. I very rarely blog about bad services. I have never treated in such a rotten way by any public service. Never.
Things are far than perfect in the public sector but Elephant and Admiral deliberately use such mandates to steral money and make bigger bonuses for their senior managers. This is not a cock up this is the result of a deliberate policy.
Hi Gilberdyke
Yes, I will. I will also speak to the Police and trading standards.
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