Car insurance.

Hi all,

I had an email from my car insurance a few weeks ago telling me that my insurance this year would be £470 , £100 more than last yeat and they will just continue with the cover. Anyway it's up at the end of the month so I though I would have a look at other companies. I got it with another company for £320, £150 cheaper so I have taken this insurance. I emailed the original company saying thanks, but no thanks. Within 20 minutes I had a phone call from them asking why I left them. Fair enough question so I told them I saved £150. I was then told that I should have rang them and they would match it. This wound me up so I put it to him why did you try and take an extra £150 if you can do the insurance for £320. Answer because of un insured drivers they try and recooperate the lost money. After a 2 minute rant with some rather choice words to the idiot on the phone I was told that he would end the call if I continued. I replied I will save you the bother and hung up. Be careful if your just renewing your insurance apparently this is common practice.

Rusty

 

I always do a full new search every year

 

So will I from now on.

Rusty

 

Rusty , as Clueless says always do a new search every year . No savings for loyalty these days. Also don't rant on the phone , the person at the other end is only doing their job , the company policy is set at a much higher level, and they can't change it.

 

It's always worth shopping around when you get your renewal quote, though it's all too easy to just accept the non-hassle automatic renewal.
It's also worthwhile checking what difference a second driver on the policy makes. I added Mrs W to mine, she's a license but doesn't drive due to visual impairment, and my premium dropped. And last year our son added me to his and his premium dropped.

 

I work for a high street insurance brokers and have to deal with people's moanings all day long!

If your with a direct insurance company (not a broker dealing with a panel) it does pay to shop around. The business model of most of these companies is to attract new customers and then just hope that they renew. They will reduce the rate if questioned but hope that you renew on the premium provided.

There is a downside to shopping around however....

I am often faced with situations where we will quote a premium to a client and they will come back to us advising they have been quoted a premium elsewhere at a fraction of the cost. Now, I know the company I work for are not always the cheapest, but when we provide a renewal rate of say £300, I wouldn't expect a client to get the same policy for £100! But it does happen. The problem with insurance is that everyone is an expert, and people will not believe me when I try to explain that the quote must be wrong. Sure enough, they leave for 12 months but most come back the following year. Clients who visit the office often bring in their renewal documents and this is where the fun starts...

Common mistakes when shopping around:

Claims / Conviction dates - these must be accurate. Most people who come back to us either got the dates wrong or omitted them altogether.

Protected No Claims Bonus - comparison sites often only provide this option after you have entered
Your details and obtained basic premiums. Very easy to miss!

Excesses - Very common to see people take an alternative policy with a higher excess. Remember, a policy excess will be made of 3 parts. Compulsory, this is the minimum excess set by the insurer. Voluntary, this is chosen by you and is in addition to the compulsory. Terms, this is a more specific excess set for a certain set of terms such as for drivers under 25 or if you have an abundance of claims. Be careful, can you afford to pay £600 in excess in the event of an accident?

Inferior policies - there are many cheap policies around but do read the terms and conditions? Do you really want that brand new Audi repaired with recycled car parts? Do you know about the total loss cancelation clause in policies by companies in the Admiral Group, can you afford over £1 a minute to speak to eCar?

Tips for shopping around:

Add a spouse or common law partner - in most instances this will reduce your premium.

Add a parent to YOUR policy if under 25

Check your mileage - don't just go for the bog standard 10,000

If using a comparison site, near the end is a question about how your data is used. Clicking it opens up a box stating you do not wish to be contacted. Don't tick this box and your data is passed on and you will get telephone calls / letters from companies trying to get your business.

And finally,

No matter how frustrated you are, or how much you hate insurance, please do no moan at the person on the other end of the phone. The underwriters set the rates and reductions are usually set to a very strict matrix. They are only doing their job!

 

I see all types of insurance as little more than legalised theft, so I'd happily go for the cheapest policy that keeps me legal.

Lucky for me I've so far never had to claim (or being claimed against), but I know plenty who have, and indeed I too have experience of the insurance industry. This is how I know that insurance companies, while happy to take your money, will do everything in their power to get out of their contractual obligation to give it back if you make a claim.

It is quite normal for an insurance firm to take several months to settle a claim, and to expect you to fight your way through the whole process. It is also normal when they do finally concede that you have a claim to offer you an insultingly low amount. Nearly a year after one of my dad's cars (and indeed nearly my dad and his passenger) was destroyed in a head on collision with a car that was going far too fast (coppers reckon about 80mph) and went out of control, crossing the road and smashing straight into my dad's car, with the coppers having submitted a thorough accident investigation report to both insurers clearly showing the other party was to blame, my dad was offered £230. I had to write the letter responding to that because my dad was too enraged. Several more months, and having run out of fight, he accepted a larger offer that still didn't cover his loss, and then straight away they cancelled my dad's policy and told him it would be nearly a grand to renew. It was at that point when my dad brought in an independent solicitor, and a few months later, he got his NCD back.

This is just the most extreme of many tales I know, covering many different insurance firms, and indeed when I worked in the insurance industry I found this practice to be normal (many insurers outsource much of their work to a BPO company, and the insurance company the customer knows is just a sales agency).

So this is why I only ever pay for what I need to stay legal, and I begrudge paying that, but I want to drive so I have to pay it.

 

Heh, heh, have you seen the advert at the bottom of the page? They're invading our minds!!!

I was dreading this year's renewal for this very reason but it doesn't seem to be making much difference.

Surprisingly, my renewal quote from AXA seemed very reasonable - around £290, and they lowered it by another £15 voluntarily.

However, a few minutes online discovered other quotes under £200 so I guess they were ripping me off as usual. ALWAYS SHOP AROUND!

What this, Coolsox?

Answering the phone for any phoneline of this type must be a vile job, 90% of the people you speak to are angry, stroppy or grumpy.

Rustyroots, I take the line that if I have to make a phone call and ask to get a fair quote, why should I bother? I always renew with another frim on principle. When will companies get the idea that loyalty should be rewarded?

 

I go with Rustyroots, and others that all Insurance companies are THEIVES

I feel sorry for the phone operators, as I did a similar job with the Government in the later years of my employment TOTAL abuse, but it was a job

Yes you can get cheaper but go in with eyes wide open, you still get a better deal

As for Admiral I SPIT
I was fully comp with them (over one million miles accident free)
My car was parked in my drive and I was away on business ( by train)
The landlord along the road in his Range Rover 4x4 reversed his car into my drive
and smashed my car to bits (live in a cul de sac)
He got out and looked at the damage, wrote a note,

They think I am leaving my details tough it is blank :-)

It was witnesed by neighbours and police called by others, but they just knew who it was but did not take the registration
Apart from my car yellow and his Range Rover BLUE and the damage all in blue paint the police said they could not do anything
He came the following month for others rents and his tow ball and rear was covered in MY yellow paint

Admiral charged ME as an at fault accident, wiped out twenty years NCB and offered me new insurance at premium rates

I did not take them up on the offer

It took me five years to get my NCB back

I was not abusive to the Admiral operator, only because I worked on phones myself
I was abusive to ADMIRAL themselves

It cost me £200 initially for my voluntary contirbution
Then five years at £300 NCB

I must say I waited three years until the said landlord got a brand new Range Rover before I sorted it for him
He now has an at fault accident loss of voluntary contirbution and five years to get it back at a much greater cost than I (Hired out a clapped out Range Rover Defender)

I have driven over 2 million miles accident free, someone wrecks my car when I am over 600 miles away and I get penalised

Insurance companies (I can not find a suitable smile)

Jack McH

 

All insurance is daylight robbery in my opinion. Unfortunately we have to be as ruthless as they are, if we want to save a few bob. Another thing you have to be aware of, is a lot of these comparison sites sell your details also!!! So be aware. My fella used Swinton insurance who do exactly this. Now he gets unindated mithering calls (as I call them) Just go on the site: 192.com. What an eye opener.