Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
My life...
- Thread starter Prof.
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Yes, but it isn't common. You must request it, and some people are uncomfortable giving anyone direct access to take money from their bank accounts electronically.
Insurance companies are one of the few cases where I think it's a good idea to set that up because of situations exactly like this one, and because the consequences of a lapse, whether your fault or not, can be so dire. Setting up automatic debit puts the burden on your insurer to take out the money when they think it's due, and you get the transaction record of when they did it. It doesn't leave them any wiggle room to claim a late payment as an excuse not to pay out on a claim, which is exactly what many companies do if they can get away with it. It's sleazy, but nearly impossible to prove if you sent a check through the regular mail.
So the majority of Americans pay all their bills by cheque? Doesn't that take much more energy / effort? Having to mail a cheque, hope it gets there in time and doesn't get lost? I'd say in the UK is it mostly popular to pay by direct debit. My internet, phone bill, car payment, money to charity, car insurance all come off by direct debit. It's great because I have all my bills come out my account on the say day I get paid - giving me a clear indication of how much money I have available to spend for the rest of the month!
To the original poster - that does suck, but as others have pointed out it is not the end of the world.
According to a UK-based field engineer I worked with for a while, the laws for electronic funds transfer are vastly different in the US versus the UK, and makes direct debit a much more risky proposition here in general.
Your system is completely push-based. Your bank knows the account number to receive your payments and pushes approved transactions into that account, so the only organization you really have to trust is your bank.
"Direct debit" in the US is pull-based, meaning that you give your bank account number to a third party and that party has complete access to withdraw any amount from your account at any time with no further authorization. You must implicitly trust the third party not to do something bad.
Many US banks do offer a bill-pay service, including electronic check transmission provided the recipient accepts them, but electronic transfer requires a preexisting agreement between the bank and the recipient, and otherwise all that happens is the bank simply prints a check on your behalf and mails it at the appropriate time.
in my experience, recipients such as credit card companies, insurance companies, utility companies, retail store credit cards and so forth WANT to be paid electronically because processing your payment is cheaper for them.
Alas, you still have to remember to tell the bank to make the payment though.
It works the same in the UK. Most companies want you to set up Direct Debits rather than the push-based alternative Standing Order. DDs are not something I'm particularly fond of.
Does the insurance company not give grace for a week or so, I'd check the contract if were you, they usually do, especially if you have been with them a while ....., I'll double check with someone I know in the business and post back
Not that I'm religious per se , but how do you know ??
Yes, up here they do.
They usually give you 14 days, then send a registered letter of cancellation.
But our Insurance Act might differ from the one his Mom is working with.
Do you really think if he existed that we would of had 2 world wars, idiots for rulers, so many natural disasters, so many murders etc etc etc... the list can go on and on.
I am one of those people who believe that someone like Jesus (or him himself
) was on the world at one time doing good (but not from a guy upstairs) but there is no man up (or down) stairs.Definitely worth the guy checking the small print here then, just thought I'd mention it .
Do you really think if he existed that we would of had 2 world wars, idiots for rulers, so many natural disasters, so many murders etc etc etc... the list can go on and on.
I am one of those people who believe that someone like Jesus (or him himself
As I said , " I'm not religious per se" who knows, not me and not you either...., maybe for discussionin another thread ? mods is this allowed or not , could get heated me thinks ??
Mods, can I start a thread on this ?
Things could be much worse OP, sure it was a crappy thing to happen but in the end everyone in your family was okay. We have floods here in the UK and people are prone to dying in them, so count yourself lucky.
Or just move to the top of a hill like me
But watch out for lightning.
And anti-floods that flood the sky.
Blaming something that people did on god?
Or just move to the top of a hill like me
But watch out for lightning.
And anti-floods that flood the sky.
Blaming something that people did on god?
It happens all the time.
I give you a famous line from The Magnificent Seven:
"If God had not wanted them shorn, He would not have made them sheep."
im pretty sure the insurance company sent a cancelation notice giving the exact date payment was due if not the insurance will be cancelled....OP should have called them to tell them "check is in the mail"
and i still dont understand why people would mail checks in the mail...so much more better to just pay online or over the phone
and i still dont understand why people would mail checks in the mail...so much more better to just pay online or over the phone
Or even walk to a bank, and get a teller's dated stamp on it.
Paper trails, FTW.
Oh yes , that's the way to go , for sure....start checking those trails
That's what we thought too. But when my mom called, they told her they don't do that anymore. They cancel your insurance THEN send you a cancellation notice in the mail.
I haven't experienced this myself, but my impression from other people is that this is a very fluid policy that changes depending on a lot of factors such whether you've just totaled a car.
Hi Prof,
That is terrible. If i were your Mom, I'd threaten to take my insurance elsewhere if they won't honour her late payment - especially if she's been a client for a long time. Ask them if they can afford to lose a client in this recession.
good luck,
keebler
^^^Well if the insurance company has to replace her car, then maybe it's better that they get rid of her.
I'm not cynical enough to disbelieve him. He has posted here often, and for a long time. If I posted the same thread, I'd expect most people here to believe me as well.
Other than clouding the issue, what was the purpose of what you said?
Yes it can, but I can understand how horrible your situation is, particularly with the insurance situation.
That's the very FIRST thing I wondered when I read his post.
I'm not cynical enough to disbelieve him. He has posted here often, and for a long time. If I posted the same thread, I'd expect most people here to believe me as well.
Other than clouding the issue, what was the purpose of what you said?
The Insurance company received my moms payment 2 days late (slow mail?). So for those two days, my moms car wasn't covered. It just so happens those two days were the day before and the day of the accident. They refuse to cover it.
Can our lives get any worse?
Yes it can, but I can understand how horrible your situation is, particularly with the insurance situation.
That's the very FIRST thing I wondered when I read his post.
Definitely, as it provides balance to one's situation.
Yep. Material things can easily be replaced.
Completely agree with this.
Insurance (Health, life, car, home, etc.) should be done with automatic payments. That way you always have coverage.
no one would go near a mac if they had crap all over them.
i dont buy your story.
at least not the crap part.
go scrub yourself with dawn soap.
i dont buy your story.
at least not the crap part.
go scrub yourself with dawn soap.
The only part of my body that was covered in crap (or whatever that smell was) were my legs. About from mid-thigh down. My hands, arms and torso were fine. When I typed this thread, I wasn't wearing any clothes from the waist down... if you must know.
Being called a liar is not something I take well. JTLYK.