Insurance and cancellation fees

[FIRE47]

I recently switched auto insurance providers and as expected was charged a fee for cancelling with the old provider, fair enough this is not the issue.

The issue I am having is that they cannot provide any breakdown of the fee and why I am not getting any money back as the plan was being paid monthly in advance - so instead of getting an amount equal to roughly one months payment less a prorated number of days as I always have when I switch providers I am being charged $105 - a difference of approximately $270 from what I would expect as I was expecting money back based on the policy date and payment schedule.

I have spoken to 3 individuals (one of them laughed out loud when I mentioned I was actually owed money) and the last one stated there is no documentation they can send and no breakdown possible they simply have to charge the $105. After going in circles with 3 people I explained to them that without a breakdown or a sound explanation I will not pay the fee.

Is this really too much to ask that I be sent a bill and statement of account before being randomly charged $270 for something or what am I missing here?

[S D]

can you provide more details - what was your monthly premium? 165? what date did you previously renew that policy? what date did you cancel? and if you care to share, the insurer?

[runewell]

Cancellation fees?  I don't know why you should have to pay anything.  They typically make you pay an extra month in advance so if you stop paying then your coverage ends soon afterwards. 

There must be more to the story...

[FIRE47]

Unfortunately there isn't any more to the story. I also just switched my DWs policy and my home policy both with different companies in order to bundle as save and as expected we got some money back less a cancellation fee in both cases.

What these guys can't seem to understand no matter how many times I try to explain is that I am a month ahead on the payments. Unfortunately at this point I feel as if I either have to just pay it or not pay it - no level of explaining seems to be working. The last explanation I got was so bad it was comical "think of it in terms of days not months then youll understand the charge" I'd like to know what the changes its still the same portion of the year.

Can someone just charge my credit card without my consent? I explicitly stated do not charge my card but send me a statement confirming cancellation with the breakdown of the charge and a statement explaining the payments. Is it too much to ask to get something official in writing or is it their god given right to charge me whatever fee they choose with no recourse on my part?

[Gin1984]

I've never had a cancellation fee with any insurance, home, renters or auto. What company is this?

[inline five]

Yes please let us know what company this is.

[FIRE47]

This is in Canada - so they are within their right to charge me a cancellation fee, I looked up the regulations. In Canada we just bend over and get overcharged for pretty much everything with the blessing of the government - and all the other companies charge one as well.

This issue I am having is they are essentially robbing me of 1 entire months payment (or the fee really is $270) and until they show me a breakdown of what is going on I am fairly certain this is just a tactic that is standard corporate procedure for this company to never send a refund and steal the remaining prepaid portion after throwing up a baffling maze of confusing jargon and red tape.

In addition they made the cancellation process as painful as possible well beyond the other 2 companies I also just cancelled with.