Hastings Direct has been fined GBP735,000 by the FSA (Financial Services Authority) for treating its customers unfairly. The car insurance company was found to have cancelled over 4,500 policies following a pricing error.
The problem was caused by the Hastings Direct car insurance quotation system, which generated quotes that were lower than the market rate. The insurer then decided to cancel these policies, a step that was not acceptable according to the FSA.
Although a cancellation clause was included within the policies the FSA felt that Hastings Direct should have considered other options first rather than invoking the cancellations. They believe that it is not acceptable to cancel cover because of what is simply a pricing error.
Government proposals for new 20 mph zones are receiving mixed responses from officials says car insurance provider Swiftcover.
There has been talk of a new generation of speed cameras supporting these new zones, though a safety campaigner from Exeter was unsure as to whether the cameras were the best way forward. A 20 mph zone would be in area where there are going to be children it would be thought, so the placing of speed cameras would actually take drivers eyes away from the road and onto their speedometers, thus negating the point of the zone in the first place.
An alternative view was put forward by a county councillor who felt speed cameras would be better than traffic calming measures, feeling they would be more effective.
Instead of punishments for not going green the government should use incentives instead says Tesco Finance.
Research carried out shows that around 2 million people already drive an eco friendly vehicle but that is dwarfed by the 21 million who would seriously consider such an option if it was made easier to do so. Tesco Finance found that the cost of buying such a vehicle was prohibitive to many.
The Tesco Finance study also found that those aged 55 and over are the most likely to have gone eco friendly, with 8 percent having a green car. This contrasts with the 34 and under age group where those with an ecologically friendly car is just 4 percent. A Tesco representative saw the research as proof that the nation is happy to embrace green transport as long as it is financially possible for them.