Your problems: my Aviva motor policy claim had a breakdown

I bought a car insurance policy with Aviva through Crosby Insurance Brokers for £616, which started on 22 August 2024. In early November, about 10 weeks after taking out the policy, my car was hit when stationary and was written off. The insurance policy was not used after this point.

Aviva responded very promptly to the claim, and I was reimbursed for the value of my car by January 2025.

However, I am having problems getting reimbursed for the remaining, unused, days of my car insurance policy, and I have still not received any payment, despite multiple conversations and complaints to both Crosby and Aviva. Both companies claim the responsibility for setting the level of reimbursement lies with the other party. Aviva has transparent refund guidance, but this doesn’t seem to apply as I bought my policy through a broker.

Amazingly, Aviva says that it can’t even see my policy and that all it was responsible for was managing any claims.

The broker told me that Aviva would only refund £200 of the £616 I paid out, despite only 10 weeks of a 52-week policy having been used. I protested that this was not reasonable and not in line with Aviva’s own policy. The broker asked Aviva for an increase and told me in February that Aviva had upped its offer to £325, which I accepted, although the amount was still not in line with Aviva’s policy on refunds.

By this stage I was told that it could take up to 60 days to receive the funds from Aviva. I waited and guess what – after more than 60 days, there is still no refund, apology or update.

I recently contacted the Financial Services Ombudsman which advised that responsibility lay with Aviva and to discuss with the insurer. Aviva disagrees, and I still don’t have the refund five months after the accident.

Some insurers offer no refund on a motor policy in the case of a write-off and expect policyholders who pay for insurance on a monthly basis to continue making payments for a car that no longer exists.

Other companies, and this includes Aviva on some of its policies, refund the outstanding balance, minus any costs incurred, or transfer cover to the policyholder’s new car.

Aviva said that if a courtesy car is provided for the policyholder, a cancellation refund is calculated from the date of the claim settlement and when the courtesy car has been returned. “This is so the customer’s insurance policy continues to provide cover while using the Aviva-provided courtesy car,” it explained.

Aviva had already waived its own cancellation fee but previously calculated your pro-rata refund from 6 January 2025, the date when your claim was settled, minus a £75 administration fee and £40.87 cancellation fee charged by your broker.

But after The Observer asked about your case, Aviva realised you had not been given a courtesy car and you had not asked to extend your existing policy to another car. It has now recalculated your refund based on your car being written off on 12 November 2024 (the day after the accident occurred), and has added an extra £53. The money still has to come via your broker, but Aviva has already processed the payment.

On 1 April, I ordered a replacement toilet seat from Wise Bathrooms online. When fitted on 3 April, the closing mechanism did not work. I have sent numerous emails to Wise Bathrooms with little – or no – response.

The seat was delivered by courier and I had asked for Wise to arrange its collection as I am unable to take the package anywhere to be posted.

I know the transaction only amounts to £120, including postage, but I am 77 and on a fixed income so any loss is significant.

I’d like to stress that I don’t decide which complaints to pursue on the basis of their financial value. Please do not think that your problem is too small to be worth considering.

I pointed out to Wise that under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you are entitled to a repair, replacement or refund, but given your experience, you would prefer for the toilet seat to be collected and to receive a refund.

Within two minutes (my fastest result in 11 years of working as a consumer agony aunt) it agreed to arrange collection by courier on Friday and to refund your money.

If you would like advice from Jill, please email your.problems@observer.co.uk, including an address and phone number. Submission and publication are subject to our terms and conditions.