How is this legal

[GJABS]

It sounds quite irregular. And had your card declined the higher amount for any reason, then you could be left driving uninsured without realizing it, which could get you 6 points.

[BoredBloke]

This doesn't appear to be DD. Rather credit/debit card payment.

No it was paid last year on my credit card. What pi55ed me off so much is that the renewal quote was very competitive, meaning I didn't shop around as much as I would normally. But to then decide to increase it, and think it's ok to bill your card for an amount that is way over the top is really dodgy. I'm fine with the practice of auto renewing, but you expect them to do it with the price they notified you about, not for one hundreds of pounds more. Seems like a system that they could abuse quite easily!

[AtW]

Insurance products have cooling off periods (14 days I think)

What they do is probably in ToS she agreed, but very bad practice for sure

[NotAllThere]

This doesn't appear to be DD. Rather credit/debit card payment.

[Lance]

it's a breach of the direct debit rules for a start.
They have to inform you of any changes to what they'll bill.

[BoredBloke]

I get lumbered with organising car insurance for me and the wife. Her insurance was due to renew. RAC car insurance sent the renewal through and it was less than the previous year at about £430. I said she should call up and accept it as it was about the same as the other quotes I was getting. When she called she was told that they no longer use the underwriters who gave that quote and her renewal was now well over £730. The best part is, I'd paid in full the previous year and they would have debited my card for this much higher amount, had she not called. How is it legal to tell a customer how much the renewal is going to be and then almost double the bill without any warning or informing the customer?