Car Insurance - a rant.

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Brandane

Legendary Member
Location
Costa Clyde
For the past 9 years I have been driving a 2006 Toyota Corolla, now with 113k miles on the clock, and worth about £800 as a part exchange. Last weekend I agreed a deal on a Suzuki Swift (1200 cc, £30 VED, 55 mpg - so as sensible as they come). It's a 2014 model with 50k miles on the clock, worth about £5500....

Today I decided to tell my insurance company about the change of car on Friday coming, expecting a small surcharge and maybe an admin fee.

I just renewed the insurance on the Toyota 1 month ago and it was £149. The ADDITIONAL charge for the new car? It's £222.... How the feck do they come to these figures? The selling agent told me it was because the value of the new car is triple that of the Toyota. I smell BS on several fronts, not only because I remember being told years ago that the value of your car has only a small bearing on the cost of insurance as you might go out in your cheapo Toyota and write off a new Bentley if you hit it hard enough!

Anyway, I went on Compare the Market to find a better deal. The cheapest I can find for an annual policy on the new car is £188. And here's the thing....... The £188 quote is from AA Car Insurance; the same bunch of f****ng morons I am currently insured with!

I know the are all shysters, but I am sorely tempted to cancel my policy and take whatever they refund me, then insure the new car with one of the other companies on Compare the Market for around the £190 mark.
 
They do try to get as much as they can out of you and it pays to shop round. I just got my AA renewal reduces from a £257 quote to £140. I don't know why they send me an increased quote every year because we have this battle every time and they always back down.
 

Dave 123

Legendary Member
Photo Winner
I think I’ve put this on here before...

A letter drops through my door. Direct Line=

WE CAN SAVE YOU 25% ON YOUR CAR INSURANCE

oooh, I’ll have some of that. I ring up DL.
“I hear you can save me 25% off my insurance?”
“Yes sir, who are you currently insured with?”
“Direct Line”

You know the rest. I pointed out that I’d been with them for years, not claimed a penny, so it was clear profit, surely I qualify?

So I told them that was the last they’d hear from me. I never did go back.
 
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Drago

Legendary Member
I recently swapped Mrs Ds cherished plate onto my car. I informed my insurer by making the alteration via their online portal. Having done all the work myself then then changed me a £20 "Admin Fee". I got straight on the blower and pointed out that charging a fee for something they have not done is fraudulent - I was refunded rather pronto. I wont be using RAC nsurance again.

I firmly believe, and have encountered much evidence over the years to support my belief, that much less of the policy than they tell you is based on "risk", but more on your perceived capacity and ability to pay as much as they dare squeeze from you.
 
OP
OP
Brandane

Brandane

Legendary Member
Location
Costa Clyde
Cancel, and go elsewhere, also phone direct,you'll beat the compare sites
I have done just that. Now with Churchill for the new car, cost me £187 fully comp for the year. AA are of course hanging on to 50% of the £150 I paid for my annual policy, 6 weeks ago.
 
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OP
Brandane

Brandane

Legendary Member
Location
Costa Clyde
I am slightly surprised you didn't check the insurance cost of the new car before signing on the dotted line! I always have done, finding out unexpected costs like you have just shouldn't happen.
I knew the costs should have been similar. AA insurance were just chancing their arm, and I won't be using them again for anything. Direct Line are also on the "never again" list for being a similar shower of chancing bar stewards. As are Swinton, SAGA, and NPower.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Not car insurance, but just had the renewal from RAC for breakdown cover. £37.00 "Arrangement & administration fee" WHAT! Doesn't take much to guess that we aren't with the RAC any more.

Just out of badness I'd phone them and say that I dont want any arrangement and administration, just the breakdown cover please.
 
I had the same with Admiral. I cancelled the policy and a few days later they rang me desperately trying to reclaim my custom which I duly agreed to at the price I wanted for insuring my car as a new customer instead of an existing one changing cars. Saved £75 plus a £30 admin fee.
 

aferris2

Guru
Location
Up over
Just out of badness I'd phone them and say that I dont want any arrangement and administration, just the breakdown cover please.
I did ring them. Biggest discount they would offer was £10. That brought it down to just over £40 more than someone new.
I see that the small print states that "The arrangement and administration fee is collected by RAC Financial Services Ltd for itself. The remainder is collected by RAC Financial Services Ltd on behalf of RAC Motoring Services and/or RAC Insurance Ltd." So it's not really administration for the product I'm trying to buy.
 

gbb

Squire
Location
Peterborough
Not car insurance, but just had the renewal from RAC for breakdown cover. £37.00 "Arrangement & administration fee" WHAT! Doesn't take much to guess that we aren't with the RAC any more.
Green Flag are no different. Last year my renewal came through with a hefty increase. Sod that, I told them not to renew it, and promptly started a new policy with them a couple weeks later...making a considerable saving .
 
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