Tuesday 4 November 2008

More change of address

I now have an even worse case of inability to handle a change of address (probably the most basic business process).

Royal Sun Alliance, who insure my house contents. I've had the policy with them for maybe 25 years. I've always paid my premiums faithfully, a three figure sum every year now, and never claimed.

When I told them I'd moved house, I had a series of plaintive phone calls from them, saying the policy was so old, that they couldn't figure out how to do the change of address on the old system. And this is my problem how exactly?

Then they assured me it had been done, and sent me a new policy schedule at the correct new address. Hooray!

But then I had to phone up with a claim! My first ever. And when I gave them my (new) address, which I knew they had (because they've written to me here), they said they "couldn't find me on the system". Not even via my policy number. They started to insist my policy must be "through someone else" i.e. a broker. It isn't.

Eventually they found me. They said the change of address hadn't worked... but it was all now definitely sorted out.

I needed to phone back with more details about the claim. And when I gave them my new address they said they "couldn't find me on the system". Not even via my claim number. They started to insist my policy must be "through someone else" i.e. a broker. It still isn't. Eventually they found me. They said the change of address hadn't worked... but it was all now definitely sorted out. And they'd phone me back.

They haven't.

It's about six phone calls now, and I don't have much confidence that they've managed to do the change of address.