Car insurance complications... any ideas.

[Fab Foodie]

Sometimes thing are more difficult than they need be...
Let me tell a tale:
3 years ago we traded 2 family cars for 1 Citroen C8 in Mrs FF's name (paperwork in her name as she's least likely to be run-over by a bus than me).
Work circumstances have changed and we need a second car as I need transport occasionally to Portbury (Bristol) and Airports a couple times a week for which I'm getting an allowance. To add to the confusion, my eldest daughter has just started driving lessons.
So...
Plan might be for me to use the C8 for the Portbury/Airport stuff (It’ll do about 42mpg on the motorway c/w 37 around town only) and then buy a small/cheap 2nd car say a S/H Fiat Panda for the wife’s main car to bimble around ferrying the kids/shopping yadda yadda and to put my daughter on the insurance when she passes her test.
Naturally, some ball-park insurance costs are required…

My existing insurance company (NFU Mutual) are uncertain their underwriters will play ball, at least I spoke with a human being who understood what I'm trying to do and she's looking into it to cost it with and without my daughter’s participation.

I thought I’d try direct line… It took 20 mins for the call to be answered and then the call-centre chap was trying to tell me stuff before I even said why I called.
So, I explained and he stated that the only way they can do it is to insure the car in my daughter’s name and add my wife and I as 2nd drivers. He explained why and it seemed reasonable, so I asked him for a quote. Well, he couldn’t give me one as I did not have the registration number of the car I was going to purchase and he couldn’t get past that screen on the computer (FFS), also even IF I knew the registration, I could not ask for a quote on behalf of my daughter, she would have to do it herself or her partner could… but not her Dad heh?
BUT, I could do-it on line for her and I wouldn’t need the car registration (WTF?), so I did. Formaphobic though I am I worked my way through the on-line questionnaire and got as far as the final car details bit and then the system crashed… /forum/Smileys/classic/rolleyes.gif am now very pissed-off and just disillusioned with modern life…

Why does it have to be so chuffing complicated and time consuming?

Anyway, anyone done anything similar and how did you do it?
Can you recommend me an insurance company where I can deal with a human being who will listen to what I want (this was why we ended-up at the NFU, proper personal service for no real price penalty)?

It’s no wonder people go off their trolleys…

 

[siadwell]

I may be being thick (that's why I stay out of P&L), but it looks quite straightforward, so I can't see why the insurers are making such a meal out of it.

If your wife will use the new car most of the time and the Citroen only occasionally, the Citroen needs to be insured in your name, with your wife as a named driver. The new car should be insured in your wife's name, with you as a named driver. Your daughter could be added as a named driver later - if she is not the main user of the car, I can't see why the car should be insured in her name.

Anyway, if you want to speak to a real human, have you tried using a broker? Even though they should be more expensive than dealing with the insurers direct, I read somewhere (can't remember where) that they often come up with competitive prices.

 

[wafflycat]

Your daughter can get insurance to drive a.n.other's car in her own name, whilst she's a learner. This menas she starts to build her own insurance history without any adverse impact on Mum & Dad's. This is what we did with WCMnr when he was learning, so he could drive my then car.

http://www.collingwoodlearners.co.uk/

 

[wafflycat]

Anyway, if you want to speak to a real human, have you tried using a broker? Even though they should be more expensive than dealing with the insurers direct, I read somewhere (can't remember where) that they often come up with competitive prices.

Brokers can often be cheaper than either going with insurers direct, or with price comparison websites (which effectively are a form of broker). Reason: the companies often do specific deals which are available only via a broker.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I may be being thick (that's why I stay out of P&L), but it looks quite straightforward, so I can't see why the insurers are making such a meal out of it.

If your wife will use the new car most of the time and the Citroen only occasionally, the Citroen needs to be insured in your name, with your wife as a named driver. The new car should be insured in your wife's name, with you as a named driver. Your daughter could be added as a named driver later - if she is not the main user of the car, I can't see why the car should be insured in her name.

Anyway, if you want to speak to a real human, have you tried using a broker? Even though they should be more expensive than dealing with the insurers direct, I read somewhere (can't remember where) that they often come up with competitive prices.

I know! It should be really simple shouldn't it?
Gonna try Churchill and Tesco. After that I'll try a broker.

 

[Fab Foodie]

[QUOTE 1181545"]
try gocompare. Usually works out cheapest for me.
[/quote]

Online insurance supermarkets will be my last point of call, I really need to speak with a human, I can't do that online form filling shoot without the feeling need to pick up an axe and murder something....

 

[thomas]

Brokers have their place. I got my M'bike insurance through a Broker and got myself a good deal - for many insurance companies they will only deal through brokers and actually charge you way more if you go direct to them.

Online insurance supermarkets will be my last point of call, I really need to speak with a human, I can't do that online form filling shoot without the feeling need to pick up an axe and murder something....

Price comparison sites have their place. They will only deal with companies who pay commission, therefore they won't show you better deals from the companies who don't pay commission. That's not to say they will be cheaper or more expensive, for many companies paying an affiliate commission is easier than an additional expense in marketing products/services....so one way or another you'll pay to find out about them.

 

[Bromptonaut]

For comparison. We've always had two cars, currently a Berlingo and a Xantia. The 'lingo is registered/insured in Mrs B's name and is both the main family transport and her car for her work as a supply teacher. It's insured through Swinton.

The Xantia is 10 yrs old, though we've had it from new. It's registered/insured in my name and is used mainly as a station hack and as back up car plus perhaps 200 miles pa business miles for me as a Civil Servant. The insurer is Elephant. My daughter was 17 last christmas and started driving lessons in January.

Swinton (a broker!) could not find any insurer willing to add Miss B to the 'lingo's insurers for under £2000. Elephant however were prepared to cover here even as a learner. Admitedly the premuim went up from £300 £850 but that was a lot cheaper than a third car we didn't need. She got loads of practice including driving all round the Western Isles on holiday and, I'm pleased to say passed her test in June. Elephant were happy to continue to cover her as an additional driver - it's great to have a personal taxi home after a work's do!!

I think Direct Line are worried about you 'fronting up' on a car that is in fact going to be your daughters. Now it may be that if I'd appraoched Elelphant as a new customer and with a smaller car in the frame they'd have raised more questions than when I just wanted to add a driver to a vehicle/policy they've had for years. But they must be worth a try!!

 

[mr_cellophane]

The Prudential worked out by far the cheapest when adding my daughter to the insurance when she was learning.

 

[Archie_tect]

FF try Aviva.... we have 4 cars altogether, 3 in the practice and 1 at home. Aviva have been the most competitive, better than AA who I used to use. If you ring Aviva new car insurance you should get through to their Scottish or Newcastle offices here they try to help as much as possible. They should give you 2 months free at present and additional discount for occupations like Health service and having insurance with them.... and don't accept their first offer, you can get at least another £50 to £75 off by prevaricating about other offers.

AA quoted me $575, Aviva finally agreed £285 fully comp for our Volvo, in my name, with my wife and I as social, and business users and my son [21] as named driver. Unbelievable!

Just realised my son's on another policy.... thought it sounded too good to be true... still cheaper with Aviva though you do have to know everything to get a proper quote otherwise they can add costs in as you disclose claims and if you have a speeding fine expect to have to pay for it!....

 

[Fab Foodie]

I've called few who won't give me a quote because I don't yet have the 2nd car.
Admiral were good, but we came unstuck when I couldn't remember the exact month 3 years ago when my wife made a claim, and they can't proceed without knowing that.
So now I'm buggered. I just wanted a ropugh idea, I didn't expect to have to have every detail of our car owning-life to hand, just wanted to know based on XYZ roughly what the cost MIGHT be.
It's website quotes only it seems.
I tried...
I'm pissed-off...


I'll try Elephant and Aviva when I've regained the will to live.

 

[marinyork]

Having gone through this I would have thought that if they'll insure your daughter either on your wife or your policy it will be some fairly nominal amount. What direct line said to you is possibly trying to rip you off for two reasons - firstly it only makes sense getting her a policy if you've going to give her the thing soon and stop driving, secondly direct line do no claims discounts for named drivers.

How it'll probably work is wife has policy on C8, daughter added as a named driver. You get policy on whatever new 'old' car is. Insurers will refuse to put your daughter on the new 'old' car. I know that's not what you wanted but that may be how it works out for the first year.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I've not had to do this in the UK; but from experience elsewhere it pays to shop around for this type of thing. Costs vary wildly depending on how insurers treat these things; my cheapest solution was to start driving in a car that my father owned and insured in his name, but with me as the 'main driver' (not him!). From the quotes we got I can only assume that some insurers priced based on the owner and some on the driver.... (!).

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I've called few who won't give me a quote because I don't yet have the 2nd car.
Admiral were good, but we came unstuck when I couldn't remember the exact month 3 years ago when my wife made a claim, and they can't proceed without knowing that.

I think the key here is to start with 'this is what I need from you, and if you can't do this please either put me through to someone who can; or end this call now'...
I presume they can't continue because the quote is somehow binding on them, where if you make clear you are after a non binding quote for a *general idea* of the cost you might have some joy (if the person on the other line is prepared to deviate from prepared script....)

 

[Fab Foodie]

I think the key here is to start with 'this is what I need from you, and if you can't do this please either put me through to someone who can; or end this call now'...
I presume they can't continue because the quote is somehow binding on them, where if you make clear you are after a non binding quote for a *general idea* of the cost you might have some joy (if the person on the other line is prepared to deviate from prepared script....)

Thanks, I've kinda been here too, but they don't care 'cos as soon as the phone is down they've another punter to talk too.
I might start from scratch again later-on. I'll try the online forms but I hate them with a passion, they just make me angry and frustrated. It's a shoot world and they have us by the goolies.

We don't need another car until Christmas, so I'll go for something group 1 or 2 like a Panda and figure it out from there.