Insurance Companies Dirty Tricks...After The Accident

Off-topic
1

Okay here’s the scene

You’ve just had an accident, only 15 minutes ago, your bike is totalled, you may have injuries some of which you are unaware of yet, you are still a bit wobbly after it all.

As you start coming to terms with things your phone rings.

“Hi” a voice on the phone says “My name is Angela from XXXX Insurance Management, I believe you’ve just had an accident?”

“Er Yes!” You say , glad of the chance to talk it over with a professional especially one from your insurance company, on your side.

“Poor you! , by the way this conversation is being recorded for security and training purposes.” Angela says (she’s really nice and sympathetic) “Can you tell me all the details?”

So you gladly tell Angela everything including your doubts as to whether the other driver was at fault, Angela is realy interested in that!

STOP!

‘Angela’ is working for the OTHER insurance company! She is on the side of the driver who hit you! She wants you to tell her everything so that she can use the recorded conversation against you! She will even prompt you to admit some guilt (ie “were you really only doing 30mph?” ) she talks to you like your best mate - she’s trained that way.
Don’t tell her anything! Nothing at all even your name!

Try and confirm who she is - if she says she is working for your Insurance company - ask for a number to call her back on and ensure it is your company you are speaking to first!

If she admits to working for ‘the other side’ tell her to politely **** off! You have nothing to gain and everything to loose if you give her any information.

She will protest “it’s only for the record and to settle the claim quickly” - Boooollocks!

Angela’s job is to switch the blame from her driver to you, or reduce it to a 50/50 claim and generally reduce their bill and increase your costs!:angry:

Angela will even ask you ‘as a mate’ what the condition of your bike was, was it really worth £4k and was the engine about to pack up?

All designed to screw you on your claim!:blink:

Beware - this happened after my wife’s accident until I heard her talking and to ‘Angela’ and got her to put the phone down.

Never, ever give any information away , over the phone to anyone who calls YOU! If you call them you can tell them what you like :slight_smile:

Thieving cnuts! :angry:

2

Again, the things you do in shock are really bizarre some times…

3

Maybe. But the tactic above is a well considered and grossly unfair tactic by the opposing Insurerers. One which should be taken up with the Ombudsman forthwith.

4

Wow. That sucks, and should be illegal.

5

Angela is not doing anything illegal of course ( Like Starfucks and Google ) I doubt she is going against the insurance Ombudsman’s rules either.

She tells you upfront where she is from and that the conversation is being recorded - the fact that you don’t twig that it’s not your insurance company is your fault I guess…

Just look out for this tactic - say nothing unless you know it’s your own company and always get a phone number, stop the call and phone them back only when you’ve established the facts.

6

Entrapment and leading the witness?

Not sure if that is illegal, it certain is immoral.

7

don’t get me wrong, I think that’s completely illegal and should be outlawed…

But for me it’s the same as replying to spam… If someone calls me unsolicited, I never say anything…

8

Under normal conditions I’d completely agree. But they know that directly following an off, you are going to be far from level headed.

9

That’s a good way to look at any unsolicited telephone call…It’s Spam!

Treat it the same way - say nothing, give no personal details at all, not even your name, politely tell them to eff off and not call again, and put the phone down.

10

gosh this Angela sounds like a right b*tch! :laugh:

on a more serious note, who the hell gives details to a complete stranger on the phone just because she sais something along the lines of ‘i work for the insurance company’?

first question should be ‘which one?’ if its not your own, then explain Angela where she can go get her holes enlarged.

but thank you for the heads up, good advice.

11

:laugh:

Very true! Problem was in our case my other half wasn’t really thinking properly - she had just got home after the accident 20 minutes earlier and she was worrying about how to get to work the next day, would insurance pay? Replaying the accident in her mind, her new contract in Hatfield that started in two days time, how would she get there?..etc etc all the stuff you do just after the accident,

The other thing was we had not yet contacted our insurance and were just about to ring them when ‘Angela’ called - my missus had already made the mental connection with talking to our insurance so Angela saying she worked for an accident management company , my wife just assumed it was connected to our company - foolish I know but she wasn’t thinking straight - no harm done because I intercepted the call early luckily and the missus turned the tables and gave ‘Angela’ a piece of her mind…:smiley:

Normally she is very good with ‘Spam’ phone calls but her guard was down - which is why they waste no time calling you…grrr

12

Do you which firm they was ringing from?

13
No not sure - the other driver was driving a hire car who use an "Accident Management Company" on their claims - another level of bloodsuckers in my opinion - we got 'Angela' off the phone so fast we didn't make a note of the company... ...but they're all called Abacrus, Abbimus,Clibus , Shitibus, Croplaaa etc...
14

I had this after my accident… Classic insurance company work ethic…

15

I’m going to make a suggestion, a very good one which i use at work.

Keep on you a print out. On the paper should be a list of details to fill in following an accident, all the usuals, and weather conditions etc, anything the other driver says in relevant conversation.

This is so helpful when you are not thinking straight, it takes all that away from you…

leave yourself instructions i.e take photos using your phone of the damage to both vehicles. (obviously this is more designed for car drivers rather than bikers, as bikers may be injured and unable to do this, but if useful for when you get hit in the car, then its all good)

BEFORE leaving the scene, if able, report it… yourself before anyone else does. I have known details to be swapped, and the other person to report it as hit and run, dunno what purpose this serves, its pretty silly, but more crap you dont need.

16

Have you told your insurance company you’ve had this phone call?

I was always told just give anyone the name and number of your insurance company if someone calls to get details of the accident. That way you’re less likely to mess up. But in this instance it sounds like they were being deliberately vague to get the info. I’d say thats a breech of ethics and might be worth contacting http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

17

cheeky c*nts! Thanks for the heads-up :cool:

18

[quote]
nivag (04/12/2012)

No didn’t take it any further as no harmwas done - luckily.

I should have done though…grrr

19

I’ll add another dimension.

Your voice may be being “printed” and or polygraphed. (Call it what you will.) Interestingly, that will fall into the “recorded for training and quality control” borrocks.

Fortunately, the girl I got when this happened to me was so bad at the job, I eventually managed to tun the table and got her to admit that was going on. My accident? I hadn’t had one. I’d just had my bike stolen.

The company? A Bennetts appointed claims management company. I’m not with Bennets any more.

20

That’s interesting and a bit worrying…

I see that “Claims Management” companies seem to be the main culprit here once more - I have heard nothing but bad things about them…grrr