Unsubscribing from your policy should not be a problem for you as long as you do it correctly. However, if you do not perform all the steps correctly, or take into account some conditions, your insurer can put obstacles in the way of canceling your insurance.
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In the following lines we will delve into the steps to follow to cancel your car insurance.
› Automatic renewal
If you want to cancel your car insurance you have to take into account two aspects.
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Who?
Your decision to cancel your car insurance must be notified to the company in writing. From Acierto.com we recommend that you send your insurer the notification by burofax, telegram or by registered letter. Since it is a safe way to do it and there will be a permanent record of the request. It is true that some insurers allow you to cancel the policy by phone or through the website. In this case, you must demand that the written confirmation be sent to you via email or fax, to avoid possible unforeseen events.
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When?
If you want to cancel your insurance, you must notify the insurance company at least 30 days before the expiration date of your policy.
It is important to know that car insurance is renewed automatically according to the provisions of each contract. In this way, and as established by the regulations: All insurance policies are annual, and the duration of the "contract will be determined in the policy, which can not set a term longer than ten years." Thus, "it may be established that it be extended one or more times for a period not exceeding one year at a time". Regardless of the mode of payment (cash or split), the desire to withdraw insurance is subject to the regulations established by this law. Thus, "the parties can oppose the extension of the contract by means of written notification to the other party, made at least one month before the end of the insurance period in progress when the person opposes the extension be the policyholder, and two months when the insurer is."
› Cancel the insurance before the expiration of the policy
It may be the case that we want to cancel the insurance of our car before the expiration date of our policy. There are usually three reasons why you can unsubscribe your car insurance before that date arrives:
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If the insurer modifies the contract that was signed at first.
That is, if the insurer makes changes in the insurance price or modifies or eliminates any of the coverages initially included. If your company makes any changes to the contract with which you do not agree, it is not necessary to notify your decision to cancel your membership 30 days in advance. The insurer is obliged to notify you of any type of change in your contract. At the time you do so, you have up to 15 days from the time you receive the notification to accept or reject the new contract.
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That as a driver the risk is reduced.
Each driver pays a different amount depending on the risk you have driving. For example, a new driver will pay more for their car insurance than a person with more experience behind the wheel. Therefore, if there have been circumstances in which the risk you have as a driver has decreased, the premium to pay will be lower. This you must notify your company and it will have to change the price of your insurance, reducing it if necessary. In addition, the insurer must pay you the difference between the amount paid and the amount you would have had to pay from the time the risk reduction was notified. If the insurer ignores your request and when renewing the policy the price is not lower, you can cancel it within 15 days.
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If you hire a car insurance through the Internet you have a period of 14 calendar days to cancel it.
You must notify your insurer by registered letter or other support that records that the cancellation has been requested. The insurance company, provided that it is within the period of 14 days established, can not impose economic sanctions.
In general, if none of these conditions are met, and you want to cancel your policy before its expiration, the consequences will depend on the company with which you have contracted your policy.
› Common cases for which we canceled the policy
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Buy a new car:
In these cases insurance companies transfer insurance from one car to another. Since the policies and their prices vary depending on the vehicle, the company proceeds to update the coverages for the new vehicle. Thus, the price of the premium can increase or decrease.
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If we sell or cancel our car:
Some companies offer the possibility of freezing the policy during a certain period of time, in order to transfer it to the new vehicle in case the purchase is made. Thus, in case the client does not buy a new car, or decides to contract a policy with another company, the first insurer will not normally return the amount already paid and the amount that is still to be paid.
› Common error when canceling your car insurance
One of the most repeated errors when it comes to canceling the insurance of our car is to stop paying the company's receipts. Many people believe that failing to pay the amount of the policy is the easiest way to cancel it. However, doing this assumes that the company, in general, can proceed to:
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Claim the amount to be owed judicially if necessary.
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Include yourself in a list of defaulters.
In a case like this, the insurer will pass the receipt. If the bank returns it (because the client has decided that they do not want to continue paying for a policy), the insurance company will repeat the operation approximately fifteen days later. In some cases, insurers set a deadline of up to 60 days for the customer to pay the receipt. But, as we have said, it is only about certain cases. There are also companies that, in this type of situation, notify their customers via telephone or ordinary mail of the error, with the purpose of solving it. If you stop paying your insurance fee for any other reason (such as financial problems, for example), the insurance company may refuse to provide any service until payment of the amount owed is made. In this case, if for example, you suffer an accident on the road, your company could refuse to help you if you have not paid the entire amount to pay. At the time the payment is made, all the coverages included will be applied again 24 hours after the payment of the money.