received my invitation to renew at approx 33% more than last time - no claims or anything "worse".
As usual checked moneyysupermarket and confused etc and found no better - BUT out of interest changed level of cover quoted from "comp" to "3rd party" and the premiums *increased* by 25%?
how come then?
any recommendations for (ideally) online insurers these days?
Cheers Jim K
Try Aviva
Andy C
I've seen that higher-quote for TPFT compared to comp thing too.
After a few years shopping about on insurance for my van (SDP & work use) - I've gone back to using Norwich Union/Aviva directly.
Although I got initially cheaper online deals elsewhere - I found them backloaded with extortionate extra charges for any amendments, along with sharp practices and not-so-great customer services.
Theory goes that if you don't care about comp. on your car, then you don't care about anybody else's car/life/garden wall either.
Increasing the excess can sometimes significantly reduce the premium.
My daughter insurance quote went up from under £300 to over £1000. A lot of insurance companies give a discount for first time buyers, then try on a huge jump the next year. shop around, and Go Compare etc only use selected companies that pay them a premium. I ended up getting the best from First Direct, but you need to try lots as they vary according to your post code.
Agreed, last year when Kwik Fit wanted close to £600 to renew, Aviva came in at just over £200 for the same cover.
for similar cover = +25% over renewal charge with Esure :
interesting ,... aviva quoite I just got (+25% over renewal) included "2months free" as a new customer...no doubt softening me up for the inevitable 2nd year hike...IOW "full price" would be +50% over Esure renewal??!!?
Jim K
You might try a local insurance broker we once went online and it was a real PITA dealing with distant call centres, but our local lot have done very well and been very competitive...
Looks like we're all in for a shock, next time around ! What with more and more uninsured youngsters, staged accidents raking in millions and accident chasing lawyers, it's not looking good.
I was recently hit by an even older guy at a roundabout and was subsequently plagued by people trying to get me to say I was injured. It's immoral, but about par for the course in modern day Britain, sad to say.
Andy C
Well I got my Aviva renewal this week (ie, for a 2nd year with them), and the premium had gone up 17% (although ISTR there was a particularly beneficial deal on when I took out the policy, so the rise wasn't unexpected).
Anyway, I did the usual runaround all the usual online sources, and couldn't find any other company even coming close to Aviva's quote.
Of course, I wouldn't reccomend Aviva for everyone - it depends entirely on your risk profile. The company who insured me for several years as a middle-aged driver in a 'safe' area and occupation, with no convictions and maximum NCD, suddenly proved unbelivably uncompetitive when I wanted to add my 17-yr-old daughter to the policy; and I got a reasonable deal elsewhere (from Aviva in fact).
I'd certainly reccommend anyone to do the 'MoneySavingExpert routine to find the best deal for their own circumstances.
David
I always use a broker, Academy. They only ever fail to get the best quote when I find a 'special one-year-type' offer and even then are sometimes better. They are very efficient and speedy. I have recommended them to loads of people and heard no complaints yet. 0118 9586777. No connection apart from as customer.
Peter Scott
Last year with MoreThan (stupid bleedin' name if you ask me) was £425. Renewal due 29th June was £435 (including a 10% discount for LPG) - that's for a 52-year old with full NCB (protected) and driving a 52-plate 3.0 V6 auto, with wife as a named driver and business use for her. Couldn't get it any cheaper so I renewed with them.
In message , Jim K writes
Currently just took out new policy with Greenbee.
There's no such thing as 'protected NCB' - it's a con thought up by suits to fleece people out of their hard earned. What happens is this: you have 8 years NCB, 'protected' with say, Direct Line, and you have an accident. The following year's renewal is massively increased, you complain, they say, 'all insurance has gone up, you've not lost your NCB, it's just a 'natural' price rise'. You threaten to go elsewhere and they say 'ok', and when you do, you've got *no* NCB because you had a crash last year.
It's only protected as long as you stay with them, and if you *have* to stay with them, they *will* charge you what they like, believe me, I've seen it happen loads of times, it's just an added bonus for the insurer, you don't get anything whatsoever out of the deal.
Well I do recall some years back changing SWMBOs insurance company in the year after a claim, and she did transfer her full maximum NCB across from the old company (who'd paid the claim).
I expect the new company's premium will have been inflated a bit due to the prior claim (which of course was declared to them); but nothing like what it would have been without the full NCB.
David
That's what I'm saying - as far as the new insurance company is concerned, she hasn't got any NCB as she made a claim in the past 12 months!! - of course they'll 'honour' the worthless piece of paper that says she has maximum ncb, because they're all pissing in the same pot, but her premium would have been exactly the same without it.
I never protect my NCB for exactly that reason (plus the silly amount that they want to "protect" the NCB).
NCB diminishes by a certain percentage, it is not lost entirely unless you had only a few years.
For example maximum NCB may be 80%, 1 claim means it falls to 45%, 2 claim means it falls to 25%. That not withstanding, a claim has a significant impact (=A3350 Yr 1, =A3250 Yr 2, =A3150 Yr 3 =3D =A3750).
Since it can cost =A330-70 to protect a NCB which over 5-10yrs is better off stuffed in any loony fund boosted to 10/month.
Remember real inflation is about 5% as far as the banks are concerned, or soon will be, so =A3200/yr premiums may get harder to get. Insurance also tends to go up past 15yrs on a vehicle and TPFT is hilarious for hiking premiums. Never renew close to the renewal date, they put the figure up 10-20% because they know you are getting short on time.
I suspect insurers may have been stung by a lot of fraud in the recession, re trade & domestic car policies.
Rubbish, I've transferred insurers many times over the last 5 years despite having an at-fault accident and my protected NCB has always moved with me.
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