Car insurance; who's best and who to avoid?

[subaqua]

Hastings are really good.

Admiral are rubbish

Based on 2 not at fault claims

 

[Kajjal]

Make sure you get the cover and options you need. Paying for cheap insurance that doesn't give you what you need matched with appalling customer service won't help you if you need to claim. Having a high excess has little effect on price and means you end up paying far more than you save. Think if you want road side assistance, a courtesy car while repairs take place, to be covered abroad etc.

 

[Penmere]

I have mine with the Post Office, found it to be pretty competitive

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I was with Churchill for about 15 years and the renewals were always very competitive until this year, so I moved to the RAC and got the renewal at almost half the price. Churchill offered me about £50 off as a goodwill gesture but as I said to them make it £200 off and you will still be more expensive, so I gave them my own gesture involving a single digit and left.

 

[MarkF]

They are all rubbish/scammers, I have 10 years + NC bonus and a clean driving license for over 30 years but I change insurers every year because they are all rubbish/scammers. From memory my last 4 have been Churchill/Admiral/M&S and Swinton, they get me on-board, then 12 months later whack up the cost by 30-50%. No big deal to me I just cancel & go elsewhere, I am back with Churchill now who lost me (& 3 annual premiums) 3 years ago.

 

[Pale Rider]

They are all rubbish/scammers,

It's certainly a disorderly market, but that's not the same as the companies being rubbish or scammers.

If you go for a drive tomorrow and produce an at fault claim running into six figures, you will be quite happy when the rubbish scammers settle it and save you from financial ruin.

 

[Custom24]

To be honest, the difference between insurers only becomes apparent when you need to make a claim, and you are going to find so little data and so much noise on that part.

For the bit about finding the best price, I use the guide on moneysavingexpert.com. I then choose the best price from an insurer I have heard of.

 

[MarkF]

It's certainly a disorderly market, but that's not the same as the companies being rubbish or scammers.

If you go for a drive tomorrow and produce an at fault claim running into six figures, you will be quite happy when the rubbish scammers settle it and save you from financial ruin.

Of course I'd expect them to settle it for me, they (my current insurers) have the parcel in the the pass-the-parcel game the insurers make us play. Not sure what that scenario has to to do with hiking a 10+ NCB owner and 30 year+ clean license drivers premium at the very first opportunity?

 

[Soltydog]

I avoid Swinton after being annoyed by their payment policy a few years ago ......... Wouldn't touch Swinton again after that one experience.

I got shafted by Swinton..never used them since..

Oh bugger I was just going to recommend them I usually change every year to get the best deal, this year Swinton were not the cheapest but through top cashback I get £40 & today I recieved a £50 cheque direct from Swinton on a £220 policy, which made them by far the cheapest. Hopefully I won't have to claim & find out how good they are on that side, but i'll be keeping an eye out for them taking extra payments. My wife is with NFU & has made a couple of claims & they are very good on that side of things

 

[Jenkins]

Not made a claim, so I can't comment about the service, but I've been with Priviledge for the past three years as they've provided the best cover/cost compromise. Just ignore their renewal quotes each year and use a comparison web site to get the same cover for roughly the same price each year.

 

[PaulB]

This is all really useful information. I have had two speeding offences in 35 years of driving and only had to claim on insurance once and that was back in 1994 so my non-claims is certainly over ten years by now!

 

[Brandane]

my non-claims is certainly over ten years by now!

But will they recognise that fact as the policy was not in your name? You were driving under various policies held by companies you worked for. I'm sure the insurance companies will wriggle out of giving you full NCD on that basis!

 

[Glenn]

I find I get a better deal going through a broker. In my case I use Chris Knott, they are able to search insurance companies not on comparison sites.

 

[PaulB]

But will they recognise that fact as the policy was not in your name? You were driving under various policies held by companies you worked for. I'm sure the insurance companies will wriggle out of giving you full NCD on that basis!

No, there's an agreement from the companies who I've worked for in the past that they will provide details on my time with them. I've done it before but assumed the same as your thinking there before they did it quite happily.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'm with the RAC for both insurance and breakdown cover. I had over 30 years car free then came back to owning my own car in 2012, I got treated as a new driver, it was costing me £58 a month for insurance and breakdown cover on a Ford KA, I have now got a Hyundai Getz 1.3 and its costing me £36 a month for insurance and breakdown cover. All this getting quotes and playing one insurance company against the other to get a good deal is a right old faf, surely theres got to be a better way of doing it.