Swinton Home Insurance Reviews
Latest Reviews
★☆☆☆☆
“Transparency”
Written on: 28/01/2013 by Bethiee (3 reviews written)
I am trying to decide which firm to renew my home insurance with. At present I have Direct Line Home Insurance Plus which includes legal, world wide travel, and home emergency all in one insurance. Swinton quoted favourably but had to separate part of the cover. The confirmation letter sent me did not break down this cover at all. Did not mention the travel or home emergency part; did not mention what my buildings cover was up to. The statement of facts said one figure, the covering... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Change your mind within 3 days and you WILL be charged...”
Written on: 23/11/2012 by rubywhite
I rang to cancel as I found same insurance for half the price and I was charged £25 cancellation fee. Also even though the insurance wasn't due to start until 18 days later they took the full cost of a year's insurance from my debit card immediately. Avoid them they are very sly and charge more than other companies you can get it much cheaper from AA. (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Automatic Renewal Nightmare”
Written on: 17/11/2012 by SwintonRubbish
Required repeated and persistent telephone calls to request that automatic renewal be removed from my home insurance policy. Still received a letter stating that automatic renewal would continue to talk place. Had to contact again to request and confirm that the policy lapse and NOT be automatically renewed (as cancelling it incurrs a £50 fee). Do not like the pushy and aggressive sales speak and extreme difficulty in making sure you can leave them without being charged a cancellation... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“They tell you what you want to hear but don't assume...”
Written on: 09/11/2012 by busymum123 (2 reviews written)
I call up for a home insurance quote and asked what I would actually be getting. They listed a whole load of things I would be insured for. All sounded great especially the 'boundary disputes' part. I knew other companies didn't include this in their policy. I asked several times if they were sure this was true, on the fifth time of asking the woman said, 'hang on, as this is important to you I will find out for sure'. She came back and told me half the stuff she had previously told me was... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“SWINTON Transaction Service Charge Notes ”
Written on: 09/10/2012 by dnyary81
Just moved home and been told need to pay £50 to cancel insurance with them. Just been to their website and just see these terms and conditions do not remember them making telling me of these. Big scam. Can any one tell me legally where I stand if do not intend to pay? Type of transaction Service charge Notes Quotation (all policy types) No charge New policy inception £15.00 New policy incepted via our website £0.00 Policy renewal £25.00 Foreign use extensions on motor... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“NEW POLICY-CHARGED £25 to CANCEL”
Written on: 06/10/2012 by aprilflowers (2 reviews written)
I took out buildings insurance and when Policy arrived it was only the key facts. I visited their offices and asked for full Policy which they did not have. They said it would be £25 charge to cancel the Policy even although I only had it one day. I was inundated with phone calls for weeks, up to ten calls per day and wrote a formal complaint. Received a response from Wendy Eiffert-Brock, Senior Complaint Handler, Manchester stating she would "market suppress" the calls even although I had... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Hidden Charges, Find any old excuse not to pay out claims”
Written on: 02/10/2012 by Gail23beep (3 reviews written)
I am surprised FSA have not closed them down! So many hidden charges. They refuse to cancel insurance even if you put in writing well before the renewal date and then you still have to pay a cancellation fee. Even when you phone them...then they just conveniently forget you phoned or loose your letters (I wrote 4). The Manager is very rude. They wowuldnt pay my claim even though it is there in black and white on the policy. STAY WELL CLEAR. (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Beware of cancellation fee within 14 day cooling off...”
Written on: 21/08/2012
Bought contents insurance online only to try and cancel 3 days later. Rep advised cancellation fee was £25! Obv am staying on but will cancel first thing in 11 months. What a rip off, someone should report them to the FSA. (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Worst company, stay well clear”
Written on: 05/08/2012
They sent me a renewal notice that increased the premium by double. I was on holiday so upon my return i tried to cancell. They would not let me. They tried to pursue this to the point of using a debt collection agency! It now has been erased but i had 3 months of worry. Will never use them or recommend them. Can you imagine if you had to claim off them (read more)
★★★☆☆
“Good and Bad experiences with Swintons”
Written on: 30/07/2012 by gypsylass
Got a very good deal the first year I used them but everything had shot up when it was time for renewal. However it wasnt until the renewal documents arrived, a month before my present term expired, that I realised how much cheaper I could have got my home insurance elsewhere. Having read the mostly horrendous reviews on this and other sites I presumed I was going to have a fight on my hands to cancel or negotiate a better deal. I went down to my stockton on tees branch and spoke to P... (read more)
See next 10 reviews
Showing 1 - 10 of 27 Reviews
★☆☆☆☆
“VERY VERY POOR!”
Written on: 23/06/2012 by notusinguagain
Claimed for a £300 laptop after 7 calls one a hour long!was basically told im lying and would have to have an engineers report done out of my pocket! before it could go further,after £100 access and a report i would almost be out off pocket!!!surely if i wanted to do a fraudulent claim i would of done it on my £700 tv!!rant over lol (read more)
★★★☆☆
“I would recommend for the first year (probably not the...”
Written on: 18/03/2012 by DaveWBrown (14 reviews written)
I've just taken out Home Insurance (Buildings and Contents) with Swinton Insurance. The process was quick and easy, the quote was very reasonable and the paperwork arrived very quickly. So far I am happy (and have not, and do not intent to make a claim). BUT, I have a few concerns that new customers should be wary of. Firstly (unlike most other insurance products I've bought) if you cancel within the "cooling off period" they will charge you £50 and the actual company providing the... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Swinton: Paying for something we will NEVER use!”
Written on: 06/01/2012
Oh my god! Firstly we get a renewal 'quote' from Swinton for contents insurance. Wifey accepts and we get the paperwork. On checking I find a £25.00 'brokerage fee' WTF!!! I checked some comparison sites and although the quote \"hadn't gone up since last year\" it was twice as much as others! Now comes the sweetest bit of all. IF YOU CANCEL WE CHARGE YOU £50.00. Cover doesn't start for 3 weeks but I have to pay them for NOT having it! Jesus wept they're onto a winner with this... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Took out my insurance at the end of July. Beginning...”
Written on: 28/12/2011 by jenban (1 review written)
Took out my insurance at the end of July. Beginning of November had a problem with my bank account, consequently I closed one bank account and then had another problem opening another one. I rang Swinton and told them that I was having this problem, meanwhile went into our local Swinton branch and was told that I could not pay for my account as it was not in the status of unpaid yet. So I left it. Rang Swinton on the Monday, said that I was trying to get another bank account opened,... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Charges for chaning address ”
Written on: 20/09/2011
You can not move address within your contract because they will charge you a fee around quote £ 50 for moving and to transfer it. if you cancel you get charge £75. if you let the policy run and pay the policy till it runs out and you do not renew they say they will charge you £75 for not giving them a change of address even though you did.no win situation except for them been with Swinton Group Ltd for along time never again be warned it is also same for there car insurance will never... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Swinton Insurance look for any excuse to take your money”
Written on: 04/09/2011
I took out car insurance with them as they had an offer and I thought they would provide a good deal, all was well for a couple of months until I accidentally went overdrawn in my bank account at the time that their direct debit was going through. They sent me a letter explaining that they would request it again (fair enough), but that they had also charged me £25 for missing the payment and this would be added in to my remaining payments, making each succeeding month dearer. I have... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Avoid at all costs”
Written on: 08/06/2011
The porblems all started in NOVEMBER 2010!!!! And still ongoing. A pipe cracked under the shower and cause the downstairs roof to collapse so we called the insurance. After describing the situation we were told that it may not be covered by our insurance and would need to have it inspected by them. Several weeks later they arrived to have a look at the problem. We were then told the findings would need to be sent to another department. This continued for around 4 months. After finally... (read more)
Guest's Comment
Written on: 15/08/2011
You should read your police fully before making a claim
Reply to this comment
★☆☆☆☆
“Swinton Home Insurance cancellation SCANDAL”
Written on: 06/06/2011
I have just cancelled Home insurance from Swinton on 27th May 2011. A couple of days after aggreeing to it on the phone. The insurance was not due to start until the 1st June 2011. I received the credit aggreement for signiture and did not sign because I had found much better deals elsewhere. I informed Swinton of my decision, they were aggressive and informed me that I would be charged a cancellation fee of £65 for a policy I had not even taken up yet. I have since received a letter... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Absolutely THE WORST policy and customer service I...”
Written on: 23/05/2011
Absolutely THE WORST policy and customer service I have EVER experienced. I cancelled the policy after 26 days' cover as when the documentation arrived it was clear the cover was not what I had requested online. They charged a £50 cancellation fee (I could grudgingly live with that) and then charged £65 to clawback the discount that had been applied to the policy?!! I only gave them one star as the review wouldn't let me give none!
The staff in the Carluke, Lanarkshire office are the...
(read more)
★★★★☆
“Last year had a double whammy after 15 years of no...”
Written on: 22/04/2011 by happylady (1 review written)
Last year had a double whammy after 15 years of no claims!! Dropped calpol in the loo and cracked it and then dropped the shower hose in the bath and chipped when clearing up sick from rug!!! Phoned Swinton thinking they are never going accept this - but they asked me for 3 quotes and then picked the cheapest - paid in a few days the amount minus the VAT and then paid the VAT once they had a receipt from the workman to say it has been done. Very impressed and very stress free. Yes - I... (read more)
See next 10 reviews
Showing 11 - 20 of 27 Reviews
★☆☆☆☆
“I never made a claim so can't comment on that but they...”
Written on: 05/04/2011
I never made a claim so can't comment on that but they came up as competitive so I bought the home & contents policy, my problem is the renewal quote that's double that of everyone else and the attitude when I said this to them of 'Oh yeah I can see why it's extortionate...' oh really, well I couldn't and neither could the other 50 potential insurers who quoted me less than half their quote. He didn't elaborate just said 'cheers' (very professional).
Also the renewal sum they send is...
(read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Do not use! They are absolutely hopeless. We took out...”
Written on: 10/02/2011
Do not use! They are absolutely hopeless. We took out building and contents insurance via swinton, needed to claim about damaged sewers, rang swinton home emergency who dealt with us (extremely badly and painfully!) for a week before I happened to call the swinton branch to be told I didn't even have insurance with that section! What a shambles. I am now back to square one - not a sorry for them in the process. They are rude, and achieved nothing and couldn't have cared less that i had... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“My partner took out a policy with them July last year,...”
Written on: 25/01/2011
My partner took out a policy with them July last year, and after a couple of days of reading the small print, we decided the policy just wasn't for us. They told us we had a right to cancel without charges within 5 working days. It is now January 2011, and they claim we owe them £108. I have called them a number of times, explaining I cancelled the policy and I had written them a letter.
The claim they have never received any letters from me. It almost seems a bit convenient!
Customer...
(read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“WARNING! In my opinion SWINTON Insurance should get a...”
Written on: 17/01/2011
WARNING! In my opinion SWINTON Insurance should get a rating of MINUS 5 stars! I chose them as they came through as the best match on Compare the Market, but It wasn't till I received the paperwork that I was informed that if I did not return the paperwork within 14 days I would be charged £24.00, and failed Direct Debits would incur a charge of £24.00 and if you decide not to go ahead & sign the paperwork & wish to cancel you will be charged £50. There is no way out of this once you have... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“ I found out too late ;that you do not have the right...”
Written on: 07/01/2011
I found out too late ;that you do not have the right cancel like most company's who give you a 14 days to decide if you want to continue with policy .I was told that if i wish to cancel i would have to pay the full amount of the policy 'plus £50.00 'even though i had not signed any direct debit agreement. then swinton took the money out of my acount without my permission' using my debit card details.I found the customer services unhelpful and quite smug in attitude throwing terms and... (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Avoid at all costs! They quoted a low premium for the...”
Written on: 23/12/2010
Avoid at all costs! They quoted a low premium for the first year which persuaded me to move from Direct Line. I told them I wished to renew in plenty of time, but then find that my insurance had been cancelled and we had been uninsured for a week. VERY poor customer service they do not ring back at Shipley branch. I arranged better cover myself in 5 minutes on the internet. (read more)
★☆☆☆☆
“Swinton insurance ripped off due to failed direct...”
Written on: 25/09/2007 by 0331 (1 review written)
Swinton insurance ripped off due to failed direct debit. The last months payment of £17.31 was returned due to insufficient funds, they tried to get the payment again 3 days later which was also returned not paid. I received letter from Swinton informing me a charge of £12 would be added to my next direct debit of £17.31, phoned Swinton and paid the failed payment and the £12 charge, I asked the women who works for Swinton so you wont try charging me £12 twice because you tried to take money... (read more)
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Jenban's Response to jenban's Review
Written on: 03/01/2012
Received letter from Customer Complaints Handler last week saying that they had wiped out the costs. Today I received a letter saying that they had passed this to a debt collection agency!!! Just don't think that the left hand knows what the right hand is doing!
Regards
Jennie Banks