Auto Renewal

I got caught, but decided to swallow it as I get a lot of value from the site. Have made sure it won't happen again though

Once, I now set a reminder in my calendar about 2 weeks before something renews.

Dont they send you an email with the renewal price? I had this with Aviva a few years ago, but changed the settings before it renewed. Always say no to auto renewals now or check setting in apps/accounts.

Auto renewal at the end of contract? A nuisance.

I don't think it's such a bad idea at the end of a car insurance policy, saves you going without if you're the sort of person who can't organise life administration. For unimportant stuff, yeah, it's a PITA. 

Yep, if car insurance didn't auto renew I bet an awful lot of people would end up driving without insurance.

I don't have an issue with auto renewal but it should be easy to cancel and get a refund if you didn't actually intend to renew and haven't used the service.

This should be banned, has anyone else ever been caught out by it

Am I right in thinking it's now requisite for car insurance, you can opt out but they have to set it up as auto renew in the first instance?

If it hadn't auto-renewed, would you be without whatever it was that was auto-renewed (because you'd forgotten it was expiring)?

It should be that they inform you that whaterver is due to expire, and this is their offer if you want to renew for another year. Autorenewal is blatantly to the selling companies benefit and just takes advantage of inertia entrapment. A good law should be to the consumers advantage, not the selling companies.

It should be that they inform you that whaterver is due to expire, and this is their offer if you want to renew for another year. 

For car insurance,  (which is what we're assuming the OP has beef with here) this is definitely what actually happens.  

Yep, if car insurance didn’t auto renew I bet an awful lot of people would end up driving without insurance.

Happened to me. Took me three months to realize (not as bad as it sounds for me, as I actually had two insurance providers and it was only the "minor" insurer that didn't auto-renew - and I blame Mrs Vlad for "tidying up" the renewal notice letter they sent me...)

Pretty sure even after auto renewal they have to give a 14 day cool off period in which you can cancel, if you’re really miffed.

This should be banned, has anyone else ever been caught out by it or is it just my bad admin skills ?

If it's for here, I didn't get a reminder email, just the auto-renewal receipt when it took place. I also thought I'd screwed up the admin side of things. I'd have renewed anyway but it did leave a bit of a sour taste in my mouth that the simple courtesy of a reminder wasn't extended.

Yeah. Mine auto renewed for here without notification and left me in a bit of a hole. My fault for not being on top of the admin, but an email would have been nice the month before.

It was for AA cover and like last year when I got caught out for a car I didn't use anymore on the road bike loyal hikes in the cost

It was jumping up another £65 this year if I hadn't noticed

The send off a few e mails to let you know if your insurance was out but just a wee quiet thanks if they've dipped your bank acc

My son got stung by this on a car policy.  He took out a new policy then called to cancel the autorenew on the evening of the renewal date.  Got told that the policy renewed at noon and although they must by law refund him they could still change an 'admin' fee, it wasn't small either £50-100 I recall.

When I'm supreme dictator all autorenew policies will have a 2 month cancelation period with zero cost, no hidden admin fee.  2 months because sometimes the renewal won't be spotted until it appears on a statement and that could be a month after the fact.