My latest car insurance rant.

[Dave7]

Last year I left it late to renew. The auto renewal cost had gone up £20ish pounds so I quickly shopped around but couldnt get it cheaper.
This month I got notification... its going up to £308.
Went on line...... same company was £285.
I phoned them up. They confirmed £308.
I argued. They checked. Came back at £265.
So the same company can suddenly offer the same deal for £40 cheaper

 

[Slick]

Last year I left it late to renew. The auto renewal cost had gone up £20ish pounds so I quickly shopped around but couldnt get it cheaper.
This month I got notification... its going up to £308.
Went on line...... same company was £285.
I phoned them up. They confirmed £308.
I argued. They checked. Came back at £265.
So the same company can suddenly offer the same deal for £40 cheaper

We get that all the time, never get tired of telling them they should have given me their best price first as I'm now going somewhere else as they have been highlighted as charlatans. No other point than to make me feel better.

 

[slowmotion]

Last year I left it late to renew. The auto renewal cost had gone up £20ish pounds so I quickly shopped around but couldnt get it cheaper.
This month I got notification... its going up to £308.
Went on line...... same company was £285.
I phoned them up. They confirmed £308.
I argued. They checked. Came back at £265.
So the same company can suddenly offer the same deal for £40 cheaper

You're being entirely unreasonable. They take their trade extremely seriously.....

 

[Bazzer]

Earlier this year child 2 passed her driving test. Her policy only covered her while she was a learner driver, so we had to do some research on return from the test centre.
On a price comparison web site, her existing insurer was around £225 more expensive than the cheapest and the latter had better benefits such as breakdown cover. When she rang her existing insurer to cancel they offered to price match. After some haggling she got everything matched by her existing insurer. The only stipulation was fitting a black box for 12 months, which she was and continues to be, relaxed about anyway.

 

[Drago]

We get that all the time, never get tired of telling them they should have given me their best price first as I'm now going somewhere else as they have been highlighted as charlatans. No other point than to make me feel better.

I do the same. If everyone did that then insurers wouldn't try it on in the first place.

 

[Moodyman]

The car insurance industry is very competitive and margins very tight. Unfortunately, loyal customers subsidise the cost of acquiring new customers through ever increasing premiums.

One shouldn't have to, but those that endure the annual ache of haggling / shopping around, get the best deals. Apathy is a laziness tax.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Loyalty isn't appreciated by service providers, it is exploited

 

[Julia9054]

Try getting insurance for a 24 year old new driver who is a musician and lives in central Manchester.
Cheapest quote is about the same as the cost of the car

 

[Drago]

A gangsta rap musician?

 

[BoldonLad]

We get that all the time, never get tired of telling them they should have given me their best price first as I'm now going somewhere else as they have been highlighted as charlatans. No other point than to make me feel better.

Good to hear. That is always my approach too, and, not just with Insurance Companies.

As an aside, with Motor Vehicle (ie car/van/motorcycle) Insurance, there is often a "Renewal Fee", typically £20, hidden in the renewal price. I would suggest that finding a new customer costs more than £20!

 

[Drago]

I never pay any such "fees" until its been explained to me what I am getting in exchange for my 20 quid. Once I've asked the question the fee I variable gets waived without me even asking.

 

[Bazzer]

Try getting insurance for a 24 year old new driver who is a musician and lives in central Manchester.
Cheapest quote is about the same as the cost of the car

An 18 year old new driver student isn't cheap. Luckily she doesn't live in central Manchester and drives a VW Up!
Mrs B and I as additional drivers on the policy have helped to reduce the premium.

The black box in child 2's car is interesting. It is stuck to the windscreen and child 2 gets regular updates as to what her projected premium for next year will be, which is an incentive to drive properly. In 5 months she has chopped off £400 from her current premium, but we need to wait and see what happens in the rest of the year and of course what premiums are offered at renewal.

When child 1 had one in her first car, that was fitted by a third party under one of the front seats and was equally as interesting. She was rear ended by another driver. When (upset) she rang the insurance company, their response was "Yes we know. We also know where you were and you were stationary when you were hit."

 

[Kajjal]

I just call the current insurer, explain it is too expensive and ask they update the quote while I am on the phone. At this point most rerun the quotes and with luck you get a better deal, if not just go elsewhere. The last renewal got me a 30% discount on the renewal quote which dropped it below other similar offers.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Talking insurance, our car cost £260 for a top of range kia ceed.
My van costs £230 for a doblo 12.50diesel swb.

2x specialized levos are around £700-£800 a yr!!!!! Depending on best deal.
Barclays only go upto 2.5 k per bike so not enough to replace the levos but ok with the Epic and other bikes.

I know bikes are easy to nick but feckin hell

 

[Dave7]

I just call the current insurer, explain it is too expensive and ask they update the quote while I am on the phone. At this point most rerun the quotes and with luck you get a better deal, if not just go elsewhere. The last renewal got me a 30% discount on the renewal quote which dropped it below other similar offers.

I do that each year but last year they wouln't budge and comparison websites were hardly any difference.
For some reason, this year it worked and as I say, they knocked £43 off the quoted price so......£20 less than last year