Motor Insurance - did you know ....?

[DavebytheSea]

I have just renewed my car insurance.

I was paying by direct debit, and got a notice from Elephant saying that I need do nothing as the insurance would be renewed automatically. However, I just happened to notice that my premium was going to be nearly double what I am paying this year.

Now, I chose Elephant when I upgraded to a newer car last year - I was totally disenchanted by Zurich ...... but that is another story. I used one of those sites - USwitch or Confused.com or whatever - and Elephant were by far the cheapest option providing the sort of cover we required. Moreover they have been quick and efficient in all our dealings with them and very helpful when a dear old lady ran into my car in Truro School car park one day.

So why the colossal increase in premium?

Needless to say, I rang to find out. After some negotiation, they agreed a reduction of about 10% - £37 pounds or thereabouts. Still it was far, far higher than what I had been paying previously. However, they said there was nothing more they could do - insurance premiums were increasing across the board ..........

Back to Uswitch ......

Surprise, surprise,I am now insured with Swiftcover.com for £177 ........ less than my former premium with Elephant. Why?

Well I rang Elephant to stop my Direct Debit and, in passing, asked them why I was able to save £200 by going elsewhere.

Now you probably know this already, but I did not. All companies offer special rates to attract new customers. These are not, and never will be the same as renewal premiums with the company that already has your business. Therefore, you must change your motor insurers annually to get the best deal.

This has saved me a lot of money. If reading this saves you more than £50, you owe me a drink. If enough of you read this, it is my hope that I will be kept in alcohol for the rest of whatever time is left to me (allotted span already used up.).

......... now, I hope nobody is going to post on here that cars and alcohol don't mix. If they do, I shall rule it "off topic" and use my moderator's knife and pen unstintingly.

[Mid A 15]

Interesting point David. I'm glad you have managed to make a saving.

The truth of the matter re motor insurance is that everybody has different individual circumstances.

My insurance company, Direct Line, allows named drivers to build up a "no-claims record" if they insure with the Company once they become the main insurer on their own vehicle. This facility is very useful for young drivers and saved my eldest daughter a lot of money once she insured her own vehicle having been a named driver on mine for some years. The premiums were 50% or thereabouts less than elsewhere.

She now has worked her way to maximum no-claims in her own right and is in a position to shop around if necessary. I am doing the same thing with my youngest daughter.

[DavebytheSea]

Yes - I think I did know that.

However, when it comes to one's children, it seems that there is a discrimination working against the male sex. Jonathan so wanted to learn to drive, we gave him a provisional licence on his 17th birthday and offered to pay for lessons, but I cannot find any way of allowing him to drive our car cheaply, so it is all pretty pointless. Now Oliver is already demanding to drive when he is 17 in April 2010.

Jonathan drives a 44' yacht perfectly, and the navy allow him to take charge of much bigger vessels. They even use him to instruct. However, while he is approved to take charge at sea, the most idiotic and wild teenage girl is apparently a better risk than him when it comes to Britain's roads

Incidentally, USwitch, Confused.com etc. are now very good at building individual requirements into their searches.

[englishangel]

My boss has his car insured with Direct Line and also had a hefty hike (about 45%) this year, he had a very minor bump during the year. He rang around and the Post Office were the 43% cheaper and the specialist company he insures his motorbike with were 50% cheaper.

Our car (registered to husband but actually a company car) in which I had a almighty rang AND a minor reversing bump last year, we had an 100% increase and lost our protected no claims, but we already use a broker and the premium is paid by the company so left it. If I had been paying I would have looked around.

[Mid A 15]

I think Direct Line opt out of the comparison sites you describe although I've not checked for a year or two for reasons already given.

It may be worth a telephone call to Direct Line to see what they say. Jonathan is that bit older now so it might be cheaper.

[DavebytheSea]

Reversing bumps now a thing of the past having fitted bleeper thingies.

[englishangel]

Ha, I have those, and a camera but the silly b*gger was right behind me. I was reversing off my drive which is slightly uphill and needs a bit of a kick to get it over the pavement. He ranted on about the tinted windows (standard, and clear from the inside) and then said it was the thrid time in three months it had happened to him, so he obviously makes a habit of parking badly.

[DavebytheSea]

My insurance company, Direct Line, allows named drivers to build up a "no-claims record" if they insure with the Company once they become the main insurer on their own vehicle. This facility is very useful for young drivers and saved my eldest daughter a lot of money once she insured her own vehicle having been a named driver on mine for some years. The premiums were 50% or thereabouts less than elsewhere.

I have just made a few phone calls to clarify the situation in my own mind. If Direct Line do not submit themselves to price comparison on these sites, one may be justified in asking why this should be so.

The obvious strategy is to get your quote from Direct Line and then see if you can better it (like for like) on a price comparison site.

[Mid A 15]

This site is quite useful re offers etc

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insura ... -insurance

Apparently Direct Line (and Norwich Union) still opt out of comparison sites. Direct Line are apparently offering 12 months insurance for the cost of 10 according to the link.

[sejintenej]

Reversing bumps now a thing of the past having fitted bleeper thingies.

OK for sensible you but not for a certain Chelsea tractor driver opposite me. The road is three moving cars wide with a one car wide verge on the other side and a two car wide verge on my side between the pavement and road. Friend of my son was parked on the grass on my side, virtually on the pavement and he was out of the car. (OK so he shouldn't have been on the grass but .....) Stupid female dog reverses out of her drive, across the pavement on her side, across the three lane road, across one lane of grass on my side and virtually writes off my son's friend's car. Her excuse - she couldn't hear the reversing bleeper things!!!!!!!
My son's friend needed his car to get to work - quite simply he missed work for a long time!

Similar thing happened to my wife. She was parked legally at the side of a 6 lane highway, midday, dry, good light and engine off. Stupid overaged heifer backs out of her drive, right across the highway and messes up my car. Bleepers again ignored.

Two days ago a friend heard his bleepers but thought he would squeeze another inch - guess what!

Simple answer - bleepers are machines (and as the Varig pilot said on takeoff) machines sometimes break.

[blondie95]

we have never stayed with same car, house insurance or utility bills company for more than a year because of the discounts you get for being a new customer! The likes of these comparison sites makes it very easy to ensure your constantly getting a low rate

[sejintenej]

we have never stayed with same car, house insurance or utility bills company for more than a year because of the discounts you get for being a new customer! The likes of these comparison sites makes it very easy to ensure your constantly getting a low rate

Just renewed my annual family (me and herself) travel insurance. Old company changed renewal terms from Europe only to worldwide hoping I wouldn't notice and upped premium to over £200 from under £100. I wanted to change the cover but they would agree only to Europe Only at £150 plus "because I am over 65". Just spoke to their complaints department who started off by stating that I was effectively a liar because on her screen it was Europe only at over £200. When I queried the £150 figure she then corrected herself - but clearly didn't know what thye h*** she was talking about. As for cancelling the unwanted parts of the policy - "on yer boike" This was a company which currently gets good write-ups on the comparison site I used.

Being furious with them I didn't mention changed medical conditions. Through a comparison site I now have Europe only cover for both of us, all medical conditions declared based on 2 people between 60 and 70 (ie not 65!) for £53. It is subject to us carrying E111 cards - which we always use anyway.

[Vonny]

I usually use confused.com and have always managed to save a fair bit!

[Jo]

we have never stayed with same car, house insurance or utility bills company for more than a year because of the discounts you get for being a new customer! The likes of these comparison sites makes it very easy to ensure your constantly getting a low rate

I'm the same. I check utility bills periodically but haven't found it beneficial to move; however, I get a range of quotes for car and house insurance every year, and often end up moving. If you ask me who I'm insured with, I usually couldn't remember and would have to check who it is this year!

I also challenge RAC renewal quotes. One year it went up by about 50% so I rang them and had a conversation along the lines of "it's too much" - "well, how about this then?" - "no, still too much" - "is this better?" and so on, until they got to a price I liked. It was quite surreal.

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

Why did I not bother to claim ?
Driving in Italy, on the Amalfi Coast, beautiful, but raining--- cars in front at a halt, I also halted --- looked in my mirror and realised that the car, som 100 metres behind me, was going to hit us (God knows at what speed )
It did, and I climbed out and, forgetting my manners, addressed the Driver "YOU STUPID COW !"
Why do Italians have no necks ? ----- try shrugging !
It was pointless claiming in a Foreign Country, and it was quite satisfying to note that she had ploughed her radiator into my towing hook !