My wife's car got a small chip in the windscreen. I used Dial Direct's preferred repairer, just before the policy was due for renewal, and the repair went wrong and a new windscreen was required. I ended up paying the £100 excess instead of the £25 chip excess. I had already phoned the renewal team to say I would renew the policy and was told that chip repair wouldn't affect my premium of £140. Then both my own and my wife's policy renewed. My premium was paid by HSBC direct debit no problem. Then, inexplicably HSBC decided to decline my wife's premium payment to the same company, Dial Direct. Dial Direct had attempted to take £176, not the agreed £140 and for whatever reason, still unexplained to me, HSBC declined the payment. Then to compound matters I received an "Urgent" e mail from Dial Direct to say that now £196 (not £140 or £176) was due immediately or the policy would be invalidated. This included a £20 inconvenience penalty. So without having done a single thing wrong I incurred a £56 penalty as a result of HSBC ignorance and Dial Direct annoyance. I also wonder whether chip repair companies have a conflict of interest when it comes to repairing windscreens. I suspect they make about £30 on a repair but £100+ on a replacement.