Another Annoying Exchange With A Brainless Robot

I'm almost too angry to type. I scrapped my car last October and 'phoned the insurer to cancel my policy. I was given some information that contradicted the information given to Mrs Gruff, when she had done the same a few days earlier, so I 'phoned again, and was given yet more contradictory advice. A third call confirmed that as I had scrapped the car the policy would have to be cancelled 'immediately' and the full outstanding amount plus a cancellation fee of more than forty pounds paid. Firm words followed, with an instruction not to cancel the policy, and I continued to make the scheduled monthly payments. Today I received notification of the automatic renewal of the policy at the end of the month, and called to cancel it, explaining, in reply to the dull robotic questioning of the operator I spoke to, why.

In a tedious and whining North Eastern accent the woman began droning on about charges, until I angrily informed her that I could not be charged for not renewing a contract that has expired. What drove my blood beyond boiling point was her statement that because I'd scrapped the car she would have to cancel the policy immediately and, to comply with the Road Traffic Act I would have to return the certificate within ... I was disinclined to listen to any more and hung up.

What is the point of that?

The vehicle for which the policy was created no longer exists so cannot be driven and the policy itself cannot be used for any other vehicle. The policy is paid up in full and no outstanding charges remain. The company has never requested the return of any other expired certificate. This is simply another petty rule devised by some half-witted and immature jobsworth, dead from the neck up and the waist down, with the intention of oppressing us all just a little more.

It beggars belief that there are people whose function is simply to dream up ways of irritating or annoying the rest of us more than they can already and enforcing them.