Car insurance renewal.....

[martin]

Hells bells! Received a reminder from my broker (Swinton) some weeks ago that my car insurance would need renewal by the end of this week - £370!!!!! A couple of weeks later received a call from a very pushy sales bod who insisted on running me through the details, when I remarked upon the ludicrous price increase, my 300 year NCB and the fact I'd look elsewhere, the price suddenly dropped to £270, with a further £40 "cashback" - I voiced my distrust of the "cashback" idea as they tend to be a fiddle (you can only claim it back on a Tuesday when venus is in the ascendant, and then only if the claim is made using a one-legged carrier pigeon) - and so another £40 got knocked off - £230! - result!

(or so I thought) - having wasted half an hour of my precious time with a marketing call when I'd ticked all the "don't 'phone me" boxes, a week passed by, and I received another call to the same ends - at which point I got a touch "umpty" and told them very firmly NOT to 'phone me again, and as a result of their pushiness I'd be shopping around.....
SO, this morning I tried the first of 3 comparison sites, and found the same insurance being offered at £200 - through Swinton and Go Compare, and called my local office pointing out this lunacy, and could they match the price..... No, they couldn't "the internet is cheaper"....
So I've now got 3 screen up giving quotes from as little as £165 (Saga being one of the cheapest), so having got the "bit between my teeth" I thought I'd try contacting them for a direct quote -£217.83, around £50 more than the 'net price.... "Can't you price match, it'll save you paying commission?" - "no sir, we can't" (in a very resigned, "I've had this problem before" manner... So it looks like it'll be the internet for me, and possibly a cuddly Meerkat for my grandson, because it's cheaper that way....... madness or what?

[Moxi]

Martin,

I agree its absolutely insane! but play the game with them and congratulations on challenging it and getting yourself a better deal, there is no reward for loyalty of good behaviour in isurance these days 

Moxi

[smegal]

Once you have your quotes from the comaprison sites, look at using a cashback site such as topcashback and going direct (online) to the insurer through the cashback site.

You may get it a bit cheaper.

[martin]

Thanks for the tips! - my brain hurts, but I've just managed to go Quidco - Hastings Direct, fully comp for me and 'er indoors which boils down to £131.78 once they've sent me my £42.50 cashback in 3 months..... now that IS a result  -took me most of the morning, but well worth the effort!

[smegal]

That is a good result.

It's better you get that £42 than a comparison site*.

*I assume they work on taking the affiliate fee like a cashback site does.

[dhaslam]

You are supposed to get noyice well in advance of  renewal date.   If you are away, for example,   you might have to renew the policy  on return without being able to question it.    It is normal to get  a months notice of renewal.   

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/ombudsman-news/23/iss23-ins-renewals.htm

[biff]

i used to only get insurace with the big boys like general acident or norich union or the PMPA,i did not believe in shopping around or going from one to the other.i firmly believe that my loyalty would be rewarded with lower premium and decent service.i think the p.m.p.a went down in 1984,taking the cream of irish business,s with it.i got tipped off that it was in trouble and switched to another company before the prices went up.at present we have several policies with different companies which is safest in the current climate but it pays to switch,it really does.
      one of the most exciting insurances i ever had was from a broker called peter byrne in kent. he had his own little brokership and his own insurance company and he was a decent kind of chap,working all hours to make a go of his business,however he got a visit from the "cook report" and the results was broadcast on the beeb. his business was in trouble but he said that everything was being looked after and the kinks were being ironed out.unknowingly,,i paid peter a visit to get insurance on my celica, he asked me if i had seen the cook report on telly to which i replied, no,! then he explained that some people were very worried about their insurance but he reassured me that everything was fine and told me i did not have to pay the full amount but i said sure,,take the £93.00 now,it will save me coming back later.
    everything looked fine and he sent me on the certificate with the reciept. the celica was one of 4 vehicles i had on the road. the rest were vans and with different insurer(lucky me).i got a letter from the rochester police informing me that they had my no claims bonus cert in their possession and would i like to call and collect it. i was driving one of the vans at the time,so i called by to the police station and met a friendly informative copper who told me that mr byrns insurance was worthless and that i had been driving around for 3 months with no cover at all. wow.he explained that i was blameless but would like a statement from me in case mr byrne pleaded not guilty.i agreed. then it all came out in the news,,byrne got a year in jail, but the people who had accidents while driving under his fake certs stood to lose their homes if they could not pay for the damages.he was just a cheap crook who had done exactly the same thing about 5 yrs previously.a year in jail,a holiday.
    insurance is dodgy at the best of times.its their nature they are dishonest to boot but peter byrne was the most convincing conman i ever met.he still brings a smile to my face when i think of how he told me that i could pay the deposit and give the rest later when i had the money to spare.what a nice guy, !!!

[clivejo]

After spraying my drink all round my laptop when I seen the price for your car insurance I gave Hastings a call to get a quote.  But as usual they dont insure people in Norn Iron!!  I feel very discriminated against!  Why do so many insurance company not cover the BT postcode? 

I'm currently paying £420 annually for my insurance and feeling totally ripped off !!