The other driver accepted responsibilty, but I still lost out
In May I submitted a claim to Sainsbury's insurance after my car had been driven into and damaged.
I understood that my no-claims discount would be reinstated when responsibility was accepted by the third party. The third party was charged by the police with failing to stop and her insurers duly accepted liability. Sainsbury's, however, still refuses – without explanation – to reinstate my NCD.
I subsequently changed my car and was told I had to take out a new policy with Sainsbury's, which now refuses to refund me the premiums for the unused months of my old policy. GH, Haddenham, Cambs
Cynics might think it significant that your discount is restored shortly after I contact Sainsbury's, but it insists the timing is pure coincidence. "We wrote to the customer three times to update him and were contacting the third party insurer on a fortnightly basis to establish liability," says a spokeswoman.
It seems that the latter has finally agreed to settle the dispute.
During the seven months the claim was in progress, you suspended your old policy and took out a new one for a different car. Sainsbury's says the refusal of the third party to accept liability had an impact on premiums. It has closed the new policy, updated your previous one with the new vehicle and refunded the overpaid amount.
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