I bought a Halifax policy on line and the online experience was OK and the policy reasonably priced.

Six months in, I wanted to make a small change to that policy and take out an additional one for a second car we had bought. That needed a phone call and from the outset, my opinion of Halifax plumeted.

The rigmarole of information the phone system wanted entering to allow me to speak to someone was tedious, tiresome and in the end it didn't work anyway wasting almost fifteen minutes. You think it can't get worse but then you get to speak to an operator.

All I can say about her was that she was unhelpful, obstructive and rude. I explained what I wanted three times and on each occasion she failed to grasp what I was saying and kept insisting on asking the same questions again that I had already answered as clearly as I could.

It got to a point where I not only did not take out an additional policy but I also cancelled the existing one and was able to take a replacement doing out all I wanted on another company's website.

Never again will I consider Halifax.