Car insurance renewal

[Drago]

I don't listen to people who work in the insurance industry. If they had any intelligence they wouldn't be working in the insurance industry to begin with, so by default anything they say is suspect. It's like asking a vampire for a blood transfusion.

 

[gbb]

600 sheets? What did you put as your occupation? Stunt double for an Iranian general?

I suspect my insurance has always been a tad high for postcode location and on street parking only.

 

[Drago]

It has been a bit pricy since Peterborough town council twinned the town with Tehran.

 

[Pale Rider]

600 sheets? What did you put as your occupation? Stunt double for an Iranian general?

Unfortunately, many things are quite difficult outside the cosy and cloistered world of early retired copperdom.

 

[Pale Rider]

I have been warned by a family member with previous experience of working in an insurance office to be very careful about changing insurers. Due to my age few companies will even quote but she has had experience of people changing to another insurer and then after one year being told they are now too old and refuse to insure further and being left in the cold with no insurer willing to quote. I had been a named driver on my son’s car but when they changed to a cheaper policy the AA refused to accept me. I can still drive his car as my own current insurance covers me for RTA only but I only do this in emergency. It now cost me just over £1000 for a standard Peugeot Partner and no problem history. An automatic was even more expensive for some unknown reason.

A 'like' for the wisdom of the words, not the situation.

I'm not sure when age-related price discrimination kicks in, but anyone approaching 60 should think carefully about what you say.

 

[Mo1959]

A 'like' for the wisdom of the words, not the situation.

I'm not sure when age-related price discrimination kicks in, but anyone approaching 60 should think carefully about what you say.

I noticed mine jumped up a bit this year and I turned 60 since the last renewal. Maybe that's why then.

 

[Pale Rider]

I noticed mine jumped up a bit this year and I turned 60 since the last renewal. Maybe that's why then.

Could be, although it's only glorified guesswork on my part.

Premium calculation remains a closed book.

It does seem to me that while we've never had it so good in terms of playing one company off against another, the companies are more willing than they ever were to simply a decline a proposal.

Motor insurance is a legal requirement of the driver.

There is no legal requirement on any individual company to provide it.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Maybe insurance companies ought to be compelled to disclose the risk factor scores on which your premium is calculated.

I don't know all the factors that they take into consideration but I'd expect them to feature age, sex, occupation, medical history, postcode, driving history, expected mileage etc.

Putting a score alongside each of these on each renewal might explain why insurance premiums change.

Is this feasible?

 

[Pale Rider]

Is this feasible?

I imagine it would be, although there would be a genuine cost to the insurance company to administer it.

And we know who would pay that.

It might also be reasonably rejected on the grounds such information is commercially sensitive.

Much as I'm no fan of nationalisation, the state insists the driver has insurance, so there could be a state sponsored scheme to provide it.

It wouldn't have to be one size fits all.

The state is already capable of the treating the citizen individually in terms of personal taxation.

 

[vickster]

Rising costs for 2020 were discussed on BBC breakfast - key contributors apparently are the higher costs of fixing newer cars, a change to the Ogden index (which determines injury payouts) and hypothetically more uninsured drivers (can't find an actual article on website)

 

[Pale Rider]

When a market becomes what we might call too competitive, those on the margins suffer.

The insurance companies cherry pick Mr and Mrs Low Risk who do get good premiums.

But those outside that parameter - the young, old, those living in a high risk post code, get rinsed.

Average cost of car insurance in Bradford is more than £1,100, and there are persistent tales of some BD post codes being all but uninsurable.

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co...dford-car-insurance-premiums-regions-highest/

 

[Smudge]

Where you live is a big factor. My insurance cost dropped considerably in price when i moved from central Bristol to a small town in Somerset.

 

[oldwheels]

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.

 

[Drago]

That's weird, because the over 75s are far from being the highest risk group.

 

[oldwheels]

Trouble probably is that the over 75’s are a very variable group. I consider myself ( of course ) to be entirely competent and drive regularly on mainland roads over longish distances when required. Eg Aberdeen return trip is 400 miles.
Many much younger people than myself will not tackle some of the trips I make, in some instances there is no alternative like return hospital visits to Glasgow.
However I will admit that there are some who definitely should not be driving and the insurance companies are covering themselves and penalising all ancients.