Car insurance renewal

[Accy cyclist]

It certainly can be if you drive a classic...

Someone told me the other day that cars are classed as 'classic' and able to be put on such insurance if they are 16 years old or over. I've seen a Mark 2 Nissan Micra on fleabay classed as a classic car.

 

[aferris2]

Just sold my van so thought I should tell the insurance company. The policy only has a week to run and I wanted to make sure they didn't auto renew. Called them and got straight through to someone within seconds. My refund will be in my account within 3 days. It's only $28 but to be honest, I wasn't expecting to get anything back. That's the Australian way of keeping its customers happy.

 

[screenman]

It certainly can be if you drive a classic...

Or if you need a claim.

 

[HMS_Dave]

Or if you need a claim.

Depends. Mandatory excess, loss of no claims bonus, varying levels of cover and car value disputes (often leading to write offs) means you're often very much out of pocket even if the accident isn't your fault.

 

[BoldonLad]

The bit I don't get is that the insured value of your car decreases every year, yet the premiums inevitably go up. So how does that work then?

Charlatans, conmen and thieves, the lot of them. You do right to shop around every year.

You are too generous in your praise

 

[BoldonLad]

I had motorhome insurance at one time through the Caravan and Camping Club. After my 70th birthday ( it may have been 75) they told me they would no longer give me cover due entirely to age. I remember trying Age Concern for car insurance and was refused cover due to age. Car hire companies are also likely to refuse to hire a car due to insurance problems tho’ this can be flexible as my local garage could give me a hire after a copy of my driving license was forwarded to the insurers but tends to depend on who looks at it I think. Given the obstacles it is little wonder that the lazy or dishonest never bother with little details like car insurance and regard a fine as an easier option.

I recently went to pick up a hire van (to move daughter No 2 belonging to new house after split from her partner).

Big notice on the wall saying, they would not hire to anyone over 70.

I am 72.

Fortunately, daughter No 3 had driven me there, and, she was able to drive the van, I just. did the lifting and carrying.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Just sold my van so thought I should tell the insurance company. The policy only has a week to run and I wanted to make sure they didn't auto renew. Called them and got straight through to someone within seconds. My refund will be in my account within 3 days. It's only $28 but to be honest, I wasn't expecting to get anything back. That's the Australian way of keeping its customers happy.

Bought my VW Beetle in February, sold it in June, rang them up to say I'd sold the vehicle & would they insure a kitcar on the same policy, No was the answer but we can give you a quote with a different company which they did. 50% more than another company quoted, No Thank you says I just cancel the Beetle policy.

Last week I was changing the kitcar policy over to another kit & noticed I hadn't received any confirmation of cancelling the Beetle policy. So I contacted the insurers to ask if the policy was still active & if so why hadn't it been cancelled. I was informed it was still active & they would cancel it from the 1st June, they advised there was £33.87 to come back on the policy, but as they would be charging £35 to cancel the policy they would graciously not charge me the £1.13 as a goodwill gesture!

 

[screenman]

Depends. Mandatory excess, loss of no claims bonus, varying levels of cover and car value disputes (often leading to write offs) means you're often very much out of pocket even if the accident isn't your fault.

The last time my car was hit the bill came to about £2000, I was reimbursed my excess, the time before that more like £20,000 was involved. Now how about Accy, gives you £200 and you insure him for the year against any damage he may cause.I honestly feel motor insurance is good value.

 

[oldwheels]

Bought my VW Beetle in February, sold it in June, rang them up to say I'd sold the vehicle & would they insure a kitcar on the same policy, No was the answer but we can give you a quote with a different company which they did. 50% more than another company quoted, No Thank you says I just cancel the Beetle policy.

Last week I was changing the kitcar policy over to another kit & noticed I hadn't received any confirmation of cancelling the Beetle policy. So I contacted the insurers to ask if the policy was still active & if so why hadn't it been cancelled. I was informed it was still active & they would cancel it from the 1st June, they advised there was £33.87 to come back on the policy, but as they would be charging £35 to cancel the policy they would graciously not charge me the £1.13 as a goodwill gesture!

Not really funny but what other reaction could you have but rage.

 

[vickster]

I've paid around £250 for compulsory by law insurance which i won't claim off,unless my car is written off or stolen because the excess is also £250. Car insurance is truly a fecking rip off,for those who abide by the law,don't drive like total self-gratification artists and don't make false claims!

You’re also insuring yourself against having to pay for any damage you may do to another car or person.
If you actually ever drive the car anywhere, there is always a risk that your vehicle may be responsible for damage to a third party, be that a a car, it’s occupants or indeed a pedestrian or cyclist. Presumably you only have tpft if you want to pay as little as possible, that’s the legal minimum.

It’s common knowledge that insurance companies auto renew (it’s partly to stop the forgetful forgetting to pay and unwittingly driving uninsured). They let you know in advance that your insurance is due with plenty of warning to allow you to find an alternative provider should you wish to do so, and cancel the auto renewal should you wish. It’s not that complex really.

If you don’t want to pay for car insurance, easy, don’t have a car 👍

 

[Accy cyclist]

You’re also insuring yourself against having to pay for any damage you may do to another car or person.
If you actually ever drive the car anywhere, there is always a risk that your vehicle may be responsible for damage to a third party, be that a a car, it’s occupants or indeed a pedestrian or cyclist. Presumably you only have tpft if you want to pay as little as possible, that’s the legal minimum.

It’s common knowledge that insurance companies auto renew (it’s partly to stop the forgetful forgetting to pay and unwittingly driving uninsured). They let you know in advance that your insurance is due with plenty of warning to allow you to find an alternative provider should you wish to do so, and cancel the auto renewal should you wish. It’s not that complex really.

If you don’t want to pay for car insurance, easy, don’t have a car 👍

You're talking like you work for an insurance company. I'm not against car insurance,but i am against their over the top prices for something we are forced to buy but rarely access. Yes i know we should be happy we don't have to claim off insurance companies,as claiming means we've probably been involved in an accident,but if/when we do, the companies make it even harder to claim the following year by bumping up our excess(claim and we'll have you). I know elderly folk ( 75 plus) who are paying around £800 to £900 for their insurance and that's with crazy excess included. Most probably drive less than 2,500 miles a year.😒

 

[Accy cyclist]

Anyway,my insurance and MOT are 'sorted' now, so that's a big weight off my mind. Roughly £350 for both combined. My next compulsory rip off is my 'road tax' renewal in February.😒

 

[Drago]

You're talking like you work for an insurance company. I'm not against car insurance,but i am against their over the top prices for something we are forced to buy but rarely access. Yes i know we should be happy we don't have to claim off insurance companies,as claiming means we've probably been involved in an accident,but if/when we do, the companies make it even harder to claim the following year by bumping up our excess(claim and we'll have you). I know elderly folk ( 75 plus) who are paying around £800 to £900 for their insurance and that's with crazy excess included. Most probably drive less than 2,500 miles a year.😒

They are downright fraudsters. In any other line of endeavour their behaviour would be treated as actual fraud and theyd be in handcuffs.

I told you about my experience, did I not?

 

[oldwheels]

You're talking like you work for an insurance company. I'm not against car insurance,but i am against their over the top prices for something we are forced to buy but rarely access. Yes i know we should be happy we don't have to claim off insurance companies,as claiming means we've probably been involved in an accident,but if/when we do, the companies make it even harder to claim the following year by bumping up our excess(claim and we'll have you). I know elderly folk ( 75 plus) who are paying around £800 to £900 for their insurance and that's with crazy excess included. Most probably drive less than 2,500 miles a year.😒

I admit to being old and I drive probably about 5000 miles per annum. My premium with max no claims was about £1000 last year for a bog standard Peugeot Partner 1.6 turbo diesel. Due to age most companies will not even quote so I am being ripped off but cannot find an alternative.

 

[HMS_Dave]

I've had 2 smashes in my driving life. One in a car park as I was leaving a kind lady smashed into the side of me, her fault and my reliant scimitar was written off which I then had to buy back at their agreed price which didnt include all the restoration that I did even with receipts proving it and I lost thousands. Second time I was rear ended by an imbecile not paying attention. That was a Toyota previa worth about 4500. After everything, mandatory excess, again the insurance company wrote it off with bumper, boot lid, rear window and a few other things damaged. Deemed "uneconomical" to repair. I brought that back and repaired it myself. About £2500 down. Those praising car insurance like it's the second coming clearly have been lucky on the roads. Saying that I'm not against insurance, a cyclist or pedestrian being hit may work better for personal injuries as theres lots of money to be made for the legal teams in courts. But car on car incidents and the scam artists go to work...