How is it possible that...

[juliet]

car insurance can go up by £300 when it comes time for renewal? how is it also possible for an insurer to give their absolute best and lowest price but then drop it by £100 when you tell them you've got a better price elsewhere? trusted to fly a £25m aircraft and yet will have to fork out £800 so that i can drive to work!:confused: :mad:

[FFP]

Happens every year. The reason behind it (I reckon) is that once you are in, direct debit set up, they think they can pull a fast one and give you a ridiculous quote.

Have never stayed with the same company for more than one year for that very reason. More fool them. Rather than getting my custom for 20 to 30 quid less than last year`s premium, it goes to another company that`ll do it for £300 less.

And as for the 10 % off for military personnel . . . . .. . !!

[Fox3snapshot]

800 Pounds....try 1400 when I insured here in the Middle East with full no claim I might add. Seems we are paying for other goopters to go and crash their cars!

:yuk:

[caspertheghost]

Disgusting isn't it.
Whatever you do, don't tell them you're a pilot when you're applying for your insurance because your premium will rocket. They must expect us to try to barrel roll our cars or something...(although I did, and that's probably what really pushed my premium up!)
Most insurers accept "Commisioned Officer, HM Forces" as a job description quite happily.

[Nignog]

I've been with Liverpool Victoria for several years now and I've never managed to find anyone to beat them. Premiums havn't gone up much either. Always worth trying but you probably have to drive something sensible and be old enough not to mind!

[Compass Call]

In Oman with the Royal & Sun Alliance, I was paying about 250 quid fully comp for my Hyundai Galloper 4WD bondu basher. Arrived back in good old dark ages UK and I pay 230 quid fully comp with Direct Line and last year it went DOWN . Admittedly I can prove 30 years accident free motoring.:E :E :E :ok:


CC

[SirToppamHat]

IMHO, we have an increased tendancy these days to ring round for quotes from the main players, many of whom are either part of larger companies or so closely linked as to be indistinguishable except by their own marketing.

Last yr, I did the usual ring round and the lowest price I got for 3rd party cover was £310. Walking past a local broker, with a few minutes to spare, I popped in without any great expectation. Twenty minutes later, i walked out with a Fully Comp policy for less than £300!

Talking to someone face-to-face was actually quite a nice change as well, and I have the added bonus of, in the unlikely event I have to make a claim, being able to let them do the leg-work.

Will I go back? Too right!

[whowhenwhy]

Certainly right about the "it's alright we've got him/her/it on the hook from last year, time to stitch them" brigade. Change insurance companies everyyear! The really funny one last year though was with Norwich Union Direct. I had contents insurance with them, went through to renew and asked them to include £2,500 cover for diving kit. Certainly Sir, we'd like to double your quote to £250 then. Then went to Forces Direct, who sold me a policy from the just plain old Norwich Union (not direct), for £125. The good bit was that I got better cover on most items than on the original policy! What the *%$! was all that about? Forces Direct are superb! (do I get my bonus now?)

[caspertheghost]

It all depends on who you are and what the insurance companies percieve your risk factor is. Some companies wouldn't even touch me last year, and many of those who would were quoting upwards of three grand for 10 months! Now that I've turned the magic age of 25 (and obviously matured so much overnight and become a much safer driver) lots of those companies are giving me decent quotes. What's that all about then?
Definitely agree about changing insurer every year then. Don't let the gits trap you with Direct Debit unless you remember to cancel it in advance of your expiry date. I didn't. D'Oh!:confused:

[Muppet Leader]

A friend of ours (who is a teacher) suggested we try the Farmers Union.

You don’t have to be a farmer, or anything to do with the farming industry.

Give them a go – you may be surprised.

Out household insurance and both my car and Mrs Leader’s cars were insured with Direct Line.

Each premium was cut by over half!

A quick Google search should bring up their details.

[Postman Plod]

The soul destroying thing I've found is the changes in the insurance industry have followed my age almost to the year. Where premiums used to lower at 21, they changed it to 25 when I reached 21. Same when I was 25! Teh requirement to declare convictions changed from 3 years to 5 years, just as mine were about to roll off the bottom of my license. Now they're asking about claims in the last 5 years as well, just as one of my main claims was about to disappear! ARGH!!!

Just about to change cars, and getting quotes anywhere from £800 to £2800! Gone with Elephant, who seem to consistently quote lower than anyone else, and do provide a good service. My current insurer were quite happy taking my current premium (no reduction) even though they are the parent company of Elephant.... go figure. I've got no no-claims, therefore nothing to loose by changing now!

[Groundbased]

Can second the Liverpool Victoria.

Have been with them for some while now, no increase this year, despite the fact I got an SP30 from a camera. I just haven't been able to find anyone cheaper. Will try this Farmers Union now though to see.

[juliet]

had a good couple of days looking now and there seems to be no rhyme nor reason to the quotes. farmers union are one of the more expensive ones (under 25 they wont insure you unless you take out household insurance as well) while, as said, parent companies offer wildly different prices to their subsidaries. the cost of insurance is well and truly higher than the repayments on my diesel car. go figure:(

[X-QUORK]

I insure my house contents,mortgage and car through Direct Line - they can't be beaten.

Now then, about this "Go figure" term, any chance it can be left to the Yanks please? It's, like, so toootally not-British to, like, say that...duh !!!:yuk:

[escapee]

I am currently buying a carlos fandango sports car so I've been looking at different insurance companies quite extensively. Found direct line to be the cheapest by quite some way. £470 where as some companies are quoting me nearly £800.:eek:

[jayteeto]

I use Direct Line, they are much cheaper because of their policy limits. If you want a green card, you pay extra. My recent speeding points caused a policy hike. If you have a bad history, you will pay...

[Captain Gadget]

I'm insured with The Insurance Service (RoyalSunAlliance). In Sep 01, I was considering buying a new car, and so had mine valued at a franchised dealer for part-ex against a new one. I was told that it was worth in the region of £3500.

Two weeks later, whilst driving in the offside lane in the two-lane approach to a roundabout, I was broadsided by a car which had been foolishly waved out of a side turning by a driver in the nearside lane. My car was a total write-off. The Insurance Service offered me £5200 scrap value. No problem there, then.

Not only that, but soon afterwards I was advised that my protected no-claims bonus had automatically become protected for life, regardless of the number of claims.

I'm sure that there are cheaper policies, but I sure am glad I haven't changed mine. After all, the true worth of a policy only becomes apparent when you claim - and claim payouts are as variable as premiums!



:ok: Gadget

[Capt Niff Naff]

I found [URL=http://www.confused.com] some damn good quotes on this site - and it remembers your input details.
Roll up the pay rise!

[Yeller_Gait]

I noticed earlier on in the thread someone having a go at Norwich Union Direct (OK, it was a renewal), but I have just been looking at insurance for my 17 y/o learner driver. Quote with current insurer went from £360 to £800 (best we can do, guv), to £390 with NU direct, Fully comp still, only the excess was raised by an extra £250 for a learner driver. As long as they do not crash the car it should be ok !!!!

[BEagle]

Until it comes to next year's renewal tiime, of course.

The trick many of these thieving barsteward insurers try on is to give you a good first year and con you into paying by the month. Then sneak the premium up by far more than inflation in year 2, hoping that as it won't look quite so bad on your monthly payment, you won't notice....

Currently I'm paying £600+ for a Group 18 with one named driver, social domestic and pleasure plus for business. Is this about right? It's certainly cheaper than Mercedes Benz' own quote..

[John Farley]

BEags

You could try Privilege (part of Direct Line). Group 19, me and missus. Protected no claims. Self employed business use (which jacks it up somewhat) 16000 miles per annum. Overnight in garage unless away. £200 excess.

£550 inc a recent hike of £16 to increase the miles from 14K to 16k as I have been out and about more than originally predicted. Been with them 4 years now always in the low £500s.

Each year I check around and usually find others will not handle the car or need many £100s more


Regards
John

[MightyGem]

If you're single get an additional named driver (your mum is ideal) on the policy. I got a £30 reduction on a £400 premium when I added the wife, and apparently that's not uncommon.