Not guilty? That will be just a fine then.
I cannot believe that we let our insurance companies get away with the sleight of hand trickery to up our premiums.
I am about to renew my motor insurance and as my current insurer, the one for the old and wrinkled, seems to think I am good for boosting profits with a quote more than double that from anyone else I was having a search around for a new, considerably lower quote.
Sainsbury's came up with a decent quote but then checking through the details as there was a section on any accidents whether there was a claim or not I decided I perhaps ought to mention an incident a couple of years ago when a woman ran in the back of me as I waited to turn right.
There was no damage to my car, she admitted full responsibility and as I made no claim and she made no claim off me or my insurers, my insurance company were informed merely as a courtesy in case the other driver's insurers contacted them for any reason.
The result of adding this to my supermarket quote was a hike in premiums. When I phoned up to explain and ask why the premium had gone up when there had been no claim and the report of the accident had been merely for information I was told that statistically I was more likely to have an accident so had to pay a higher premium. Personally I call it being fined for something you did not do.
Statistically, or in this case, a certainty, I will not be insuring with Sainsbury's and statistically the chances of me ever informing an insurance company again of an accident where I am not going to be making a claim falls somewhere between zero and nil.
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Roger Clarke - BirminghamâÂÂs very own Grumpy Old Man on what gets right up his nose.
Same thing happened to me more or less. Guy drove into the back of me while I was stationary etc etc same story, sudden hike in premiums.
When I rang up to complain I was told that acturaies had worked out that I was now statistically more likely to have another accident in the next two years.
My response was to speak to a supervisor and ask him this question.
'Tell me, if I am going to be penalised for accidents whether it is my fault or not....What incentive is there for me to drive safely? I will just drive my car like a dodgem and leave carnage in my wake.'
There was a long pause, and then he said 'I can see your point.'
A couple of days later I had a call offering a premium as it should have been.
I can see a test court case coming, can't you?
What Sainsbury's and their actuaries are saying is that if your car is parked in a parking bay in one of their supermarkets while you are inside doing your shopping and one of their delivery lorries suffers a brake failure and mangles your vehicle then somehow, by some rule of logic on the planet Zog, you are now more likely to be involved in an accident in the future.
Actuaries, of course, are the people who work out that you are going to live for ever when it comes to making reductions in your pension for early retirement, despite a history of serious illness, yet happily hike up the premiums for life and travel insurance because those self same illnessses mean you are likely to pop your clogs before the day is out.
The common factor of course when actuaries and that other scourge of modern life, the accountant, become involved, is that the customer is always the one ending up paying more and getting less for it.