Pink not so pretty for car insurance firm

Nov 13 2011 by Ian Robson, Sunday Sun

TANIA Sansom likes pink – pink clothes, pink fluffy toys, and above all a pink car like Lady Penelope from Thunderbirds.

Now she is seeing red after her insurance company refused to cover her vehicle because she changed the colour from blue for a boy to pink for a girl.

Tania said she had initially been given permission by call centre staff at Tesco Bank.

But they changed their minds and cancelled the policy.

Bosses said her Citroen C3 – sprayed in what Tania describes as candyfloss pink – would attract trouble because of the distinctive shade.

Tania, 27, said: “I bought a car and insured it through Tesco because it was the best deal.

“Afterwards I decided to have it painted pink because I have always wanted a pink car ever since I was a little girl.

“Don’t ask me to explain it, it is just me.

“I told them what I wanted and the girl I spoke to said she would have to check with a supervisor.

“A few moments later they said it was OK to go ahead and they would mark it on my file as a modification.

“She even had a bit of a laugh when I said it was a dream to have a pink car.”

On the strength of that Tania, of Wallsend, North Tyneside, went ahead with the respray. But there was a stink in pink when she later received a call from the insurers.

Tania said: “Now they are saying the girl made a mistake and should not have given permission in the first place.

“They said the car has more chance of being vandalised because it is pink.

“I admit the colour turns heads, but my view is there is less chance of an accident because other drivers will notice.

“I would not have minded so much if I had not been told I could go ahead with the respray.

“They knew it was going to be pink and should be big enough to stay with the original decision.

“I did the right thing by asking permission and I end up in a right mess because of it.”

Tania was given a refund of the premium paid to date and an extra £50 compensation for the mistake when she was told to go ahead with the respray.

She has found another insurer at a premium of £130 per month.

I passed her complaint to Tesco to see what they had to say about the colourful dispute.

A spokeswoman told me: “We do not offer cover for resprays which are not the original manufacturer options”

She admitted Tania has been given wrong advice in the first place.