Shocking customer treatment

I have recently app**** for an insurance cover directly through the call center which was granted without any hassles to start from 1 May 2020. My financial advisor got involved when I asked to cancel with the current insurer, just to make sure I got a fair cover given my current risk rating due to an insurance policy which was cancelled in 2009. The fact that I have had an insurance policy cancelled before was disclosed to the contact center agent on a recorded line when we were going through the underwriting questionnaire. At the end, was surprised that the premium quotation was lower than what I expected as I had tried before with them for the same vehicle and the premium quote came back extremely high. On my surprise from the latest quotation, I asked the agent how he got it right and he said it was because I had other products with Discovery. I accepted the cover at a lower premium than my current policy.

When I sent an instruction to my financial adviser to cancel my current cover with the other insurer, he was surprised that I got a lower premium quotation with my current insurance risk profile. He asked for permission to check if they captured my risk assessment correctly, only to find that my most dreaded short term insurance quotation question, ie 'have you have an insurance cover cancelled before', was answered incorrectly by the agent as 'No', contrary to what I had disclosed on a recorded line. I was even asked when did that happen and I gave an honest answer than it was in 2009. Follow-up questions on any period where I didnt have comprehensive cover after that was also answered by me correctly on the line.

When my adviser made them aware of the mishap, Discovery Insure is now coming back to ask for cancellation letter from 2009 which I obviously dont have anymore. Why ask for that letter after confirming the cover with the client instead of investigating from their own internal processes. I have disclosed the reasons for cancellation fully on a recorded line which was captured as 'due to claims adversity' on the letter. That was because of 2 motor accident claims and 2 housebreaking claims I had paid-out in 1 year. I also disclosed the truth that since that cancellation, I have always had a comprehensive cover. To my surprise, Discovery Insure also covered me before for about 2 years even though I had disclosed that I have had a cover cancelled before. They never asked for any old dated letter to prove reasons for previous cancellation.

My gripe which drove me to write this review is the fact that someone from the contact center answered their risk questionnaire incorrectly and instead of locating the recording to correct the matter, they are now asking for a cancellation letter which was issued to me in 2009 which obviously doesnt exist anymore. The expectation now is that I must go through the pain to call Zurich to ask for a document which was issued 11 years ago. This shows the lack of clear thought process by Discovery Insure to accept a fact that customer records are legally required to be retained for a period of only 5 years from account closure. Anything over that period will just be luck to find still retained for an account which was closed in over 11 years ago.

My main grip on this issue is the fact that I have disclosed on a recorded line my risk factors correctly and now Im being asked to obtain the letter proving the fact, this request only coming after a cover was granted and an existing cover cancelled with the other insurer. Why cant they use the information they have first before inconveniencing me as their customer to find a letter I dont have anymore.

In my mind, Discovery remains liable for any insured losses from 1 May 2020 until I cancel my cover with them. Its not my fault that the risk assessment questionnaire was not properly completed when I app**** for a cover.