Swiftcover Warning - Do not Use. (Swiftcover.com)

Member Name: NitramH

Product:	Swiftcover.com
Date:	03/02/09 (325 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None

Disadvantages: Plenty

My particular story began on 30th April 2008 when I insured my van (Citroen Berlingo) for Business Insurance with Swiftcover for my partner and I. I checked Swiftcovers F.A.Q,s and the relevant documentation and all seemed to be in order.

I had started my Greengrocers business in October 2007 and although the business was doing reasonably well, we decided to branch out and managed to get permission to take a selection of our fresh fruit and veg to 11 local sheltered accommodations as well as offering free local delivery, this really took off and for the first time since opening the business was actually starting to pay for itself.

The shop itself was closed on Wednesdays as is traditional in our locale and I decided to transport our home-grown veg from home to the shop and during the journey I came across a large articulated lorry blocking the main high street so I waited for somebody to let me through but after a while (Impatience) I decided to overtake the stationary lorry and misjudged the distance on the passengers side which resulted in a collision (This occurred on 1st July 2008).

I parked the van and went to see the lorry driver who apologised for being parked there and he inspected the lorry and confirmed that there wasn't even a scratch on it. I admitted that the accident was my own fault due to my impatience and decided to walk home and telephone swiftcover to report the accident and have the van towed away for repair.

I managed to get through to Swiftcover and they quickly arranged for a local garage to come and pick my van up and would contact me again once the garage had assessed the damage and the repair had been authorised.

The garage in question were very professional and prompt and I received a telephone call from them on 3rd July informing me that the van was repairable and that they had sent the relevant details on to Swiftcover. I sent an e-mail to Swiftcover advising them of this and asking if they could authorise the repairs as soon as possible, as my business was being affected by any delay.

I was contacted on 7th July by the garage, informing me that they still hadn't received any authorisation from Swiftcover to carry out the repairs, so I once again e-mailed Swiftcover who replied, explaining that the details had been passed on to one of Swiftcovers 'in-house engineers' and that I should hear something in due course.

This evasion on behalf of Swiftcover carried on (Whilst the business suffered financially) until finally on 14th July, I was contacted via telephone by a Swiftcover representative who rather rudely and abruptly informed me that Swiftcover were not going to authorise the repairs as my policy did not cover the van for deliveries.

I checked and double checked the policy details and could not find any reference to deliveries at all. I e-mailed Swiftcover once again, asking them to reassess my claim as the van was still unusable and I was losing a great deal of money in the meantime.

I received another response from Swiftcover pointing out a different set of policy wording and once again refusing to authorise the repair. It became quite apparent to me that Swiftcover were going to use absolutely any means they could to evade payment on my claim.

At that point, I decided to download as much documented information as I could regarding Swiftcover policies and their Business Insurance F.A.Q's as they stood at the time. I am glad I did, as you will realise at the end of the story.

The whole stressful episode escalated into a major complaint during which time I had also contacted the Managing Director of a company called sims claims who I believe, deal with Swiftcovers claims on their behalf. The gentleman in question said that he would keep an eye on my particular case but it was all to no avail.

Swiftcovers 'Final Response' arrived dated 21st July 2008 stating that they are unable to proceed with my claim as they are unable to cover commercial vehicles and vehicles used for delivery. Swiftcovers definition of commercial use is deemed as travelling from place to place in search of custom, e.g door to door sales, selling goods from the vehicle and also using the vehicle to deliver goods.

They also quoted the Certificate of Motor Insurance under section 6, subsection c, saying that they do not cover the use for commercial travelling!

The final nail in the coffin stated that as my van had been used as a 'commercial' vehicle since my insurance cover was taken out, my policy will be cancelled from that date and 'as there was damage to a third parties parked car no refund of your insurance premium will be due'??? (The vehicle involved was an articulated lorry and NO damage involved)

My partner and I decided to try and borrow some money to have the van repaired privately and when we arrived at the garage to have the van transported away the manager asked if we had been made aware of the storage charges to the van?
At no point during my communications with Swiftcover was I informed that there were storage charges to be paid for the release of the van (£1,200). The repair cost another £1,000 on top of the insurance premium which Swiftcover were keeping!

As a direct result of Swiftcovers actions, we lost so much of our trade that we heartbreakingly decided to close our business on 23rd August 2008 and have a loan of £25,000 to pay to the bank and we are currently in negotiations to obtain a remortgage to pay off the debts.

On top of all that, I have lost my no claims bonus and Swiftcover still have the claim as outstanding and open but I am unable to close it as they have disabled my login access.

Addendum. I really am staggered and shocked that Swiftcover are allowed to operate as an Insurance broker and was even more infuriated when I realised that they had within weeks of my claim, changed the wording on their website adding the wording 'delivery driver' to their already burgeoning list of 'escape' clauses.

Swiftcover are 'supposedly' regulated by the F.S.A. but you only have to browse through the reviews of Swiftcover on the web to realise that they have been operating this way for a good many years without seemingly any intervention by the F.S.A

Summary: If you claim, be prepared for a battle you will not win.