I didn't have an accident but my insurance company say i did!!! HELP!!

[jillholloway]

In July this year i recieved a solicitors letter stating if i didn't pay the money i owed their client they would take me to court. I promptly rang them, explained i have had no accident, this letter must be a mistake. The guy I spoke to was horrendeously unprofessional and ended up hanging up on me! He insisted i had crashed into his client but wouldn't tell me any details. I explained i wanted to resolve this situation as easily as possible but it appeared unless i accepted liability for the 'accident' in question, there was no other way to resolve the matter. Letters went back and forward, i contacted the police, no police report, no witnesses, no photos, just a bill for about £300 of bodywork damage to a car that lives about 300 miles away!!! My requests for evidence were ignored and i heard nothing more. Yesterday i recieved a letter from MY insurance company saying they have been informed of a fault claim and now my insurance premium will go up £370 which is nearly double. i have seven days to pay this or they will add it to my direct debit! I don';t know what to do or who can help! I believe i have been a victim of a scam and am going to have to pay!

[TTG]

Call your insurance company and ask to speak to someone in authority rather than someone on the 'front-desk'. Tell them to contact the scammers insurance company as fraud is taking place.

If the scammers call back, tell them you are going to report them to the police.

[Barmaid]

Telephone your insurance company immediately and explain you are completely unaware of any accident. Discuss it with them and try and find out the details. Explain your side of the story. Make a full note of your conversation and who you spoke to. Then follow it up in writing.

I suspect that this is not a scam, but that someone has been in an accident and has taken down the number plate incorrectly. This happens regularly.

It is likely that until this is resolved either through court - at which point you can show it was not you or by the other side realising they have the wrong car, it will be recorded as an "at fault" accident on your insruance, which will effect your premiums. Once it is resolved and you are cleared of fault, your premiums should go down and the excess refunded.

[themas]

It is possible your number plate was "cloned" & the car in the accident was one with your number plate on it. Your insurers should get full details of the accident (if there was one) including a detailed description of what was alleged to be your car to try & check this out.

You should use the Law Society website to see if the letter you got was from a real firm of solicitors. If not, that provides evidence going towards sowing this is a scam. If it really is a solicitors firm you could consider whether you can make a complaint about them.