I selected and paid for a home insurance policy with Grove & Dean via a comparison site. Within a couple of minutes, a staff member called to go through the details. Concerning lodgers, I confirmed that I often have a lodger (as included in my details), but explained that at this precise moment in time, I am between lodgers. Because I currently don't have a lodger in situ, the price increased by around £200! Obviously, I opted not to proceed. This was in fact a different policy (this company is a broker, not an insurance company). For this, I was charged a £35 cancellation fee - for a product I had selected five minutes earlier, in good faith, until Grove & Dean moved the goal posts. I am disgusted and upset at this dishonest approach, fleecing customers at a difficult time when people are struggling during the pandemic. Another staff member then called me, and I requested that he register a note of my upset at this situation. This man barked at me, barely taking a breath, in a rude, condescending, aggressive, patronising and obnoxious manner. Shaken up by this aggressive encounter, I retreated. However, I am now warning friends, family and social media followers to avoid this horrible company, which misleads customers to take their money and employs obnoxious staff. As a freelance magazine journalist working on consumer/homes titles and newspaper supplements, I will also be looking out for opportunities to publicise the way this company treats people.