car insurance - it pays to check

20togo

20togo

Well-known member
My youngest car insurance is due for renewal [ bank of dad]. He's been driving for 3 years, no accidents, claims etc so this is his fourth quote/price we have to pay. He got his renewal quote last week from Admiral who we've been with for the last two years and the price had gone up from 601 to 623 quid. His first policy was nearly 1400 quid. Did the usual comparison website and think it was Hastings were the cheapest at 603 so 2 quid more than last year but 20 quid cheaper than Admiral.

Coincidentally, or probably not, stuff came thru the letter box from Direct Line who we don't have any policies with but have used for quotes so went on line and did a quote with them which came in at 514. So a £109 cheaper than Admiral, just under a £100 than Hastings.

So to save all the hassle of changing companies I thought I'd ring Admiral and see if they could price match Direct Line. Not only could they price match them they could knock a further £95 off as well. So all in all a reduction of £200 on the renewal quote. Bit annoyed that these people take you for mugs thinking you'll just automatically renew knowing damn well they can do it a lot cheaper but delighted to get such a big reduction in price.

It pays to shop around despite the hassle of having to do it.
 
With the amount of price comparison sites on the internet now there is very little excuse for people overpaying for insurance. Most of them offer incentives for changing companies through their quotes too.
 
Lytham_fy8 said:
Yep, car and house insurance, always do the utilities as well.
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I wouldn't dream of doing anything else.

Did the phone call one on place, can't remember which insurance it was for, whose renewal was way over, they offered to match my quote (no proof ever needed ffr), so I spent 2 mins asking why they hadn't given me their best price to start.....I switched.
 
Admiral are complete crooks. They wanted virtually double the amount I eventually paid with Direct Line for a third year renewal when I've not had a claim in over 10 years. Crap adverts too 🤨
I can say I've generally been impressed with Direct Line.
 
20togo said:
My youngest car insurance is due for renewal [ bank of dad]. He's been driving for 3 years, no accidents, claims etc so this is his fourth quote/price we have to pay. He got his renewal quote last week from Admiral who we've been with for the last two years and the price had gone up from 601 to 623 quid. His first policy was nearly 1400 quid. Did the usual comparison website and think it was Hastings were the cheapest at 603 so 2 quid more than last year but 20 quid cheaper than Admiral.

Coincidentally, or probably not, stuff came thru the letter box from Direct Line who we don't have any policies with but have used for quotes so went on line and did a quote with them which came in at 514. So a £109 cheaper than Admiral, just under a £100 than Hastings.

So to save all the hassle of changing companies I thought I'd ring Admiral and see if they could price match Direct Line. Not only could they price match them they could knock a further £95 off as well. So all in all a reduction of £200 on the renewal quote. Bit annoyed that these people take you for mugs thinking you'll just automatically renew knowing damn well they can do it a lot cheaper but delighted to get such a big reduction in price.

It pays to shop around despite the hassle of having to do it.
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Biggest rip off on the planet is Car insurance.

I’am with Hastings have been for years, got my quote in November and noticed it had gone up £85 from previous year yet I’ve never made a single claim in my life.

Went on line to search for an alternative and surprise surprise who came in second cheapest? Yep Hastings and a price similar to what I had paid 12 months ago.

I wrote the quote details down and then contacted the renewals team I told them how can this be the case? They told me it was all down to attracting new customers on line.

When asked about existing customers who had been loyal for years they said sorry but could not offer the same discounts.

I told them I wasn’t going to renew and would be going elsewhere they then asked me to hold as they would speak to a supervisor, after 2-3 minute the bloke came back and said as a good Will gesture for being with them years they would do it at the on line price which was similar to what I had paid 12 months previously.

Totally agree never just pay it shop around it could save you a fortune robbing bar stewards they are all of them.
 
Change my car insurers every couple of years. AA gave me the best deal last summer and extra discount for being a member.
 
Went with R.A.C insurance two years ago ,half the price of a local cleveleys and Blackpool based company and they include breakdown cover as well.
 
Jaffa_The_Hut said:
Biggest rip off on the planet is Car insurance.

I’am with Hastings have been for years, got my quote in November and noticed it had gone up £85 from previous year yet I’ve never made a single claim in my life.

Went on line to search for an alternative and surprise surprise who came in second cheapest? Yep Hastings and a price similar to what I had paid 12 months ago.

I wrote the quote details down and then contacted the renewals team I told them how can this be the case? They told me it was all down to attracting new customers on line.

When asked about existing customers who had been loyal for years they said sorry but could not offer the same discounts.

I told them I wasn’t going to renew and would be going elsewhere they then asked me to hold as they would speak to a supervisor, after 2-3 minute the bloke came back and said as a good Will gesture for being with them years they would do it at the on line price which was similar to what I had paid 12 months previously.

Totally agree never just pay it shop around it could save you a fortune robbing bar stewards they are all of them.
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They usually cancel at renewal and start you on the new one, effectively as a new customer instead of continuation.
 
Another tip is to check the mileage you think your going to do as with covid many people are doing a lot less miles,they will discount you money for less miles even after youv taken the policy out 👍🏻
 
Had it some years back when I changed the van which they then re-jigged but as a new policy.Never noticed the new d/d payments until the following year so cost me a fortune.

They always take the more expensive option but are seldom held accountable for it.There should be a law against it -y'know monopolies commission or summat.
 
Doesn't matter if it's insurance home/car, gas & electric, SKY/BT etc you get absolutely sod all for customer loyalty it's pain the arse every year checking what others are charging and bringing your price down.
This week alone I've saved £100 in car insurance and £28 a month each for both me and my parents shopping around for Gas/Elec suppliers.

There must be thousands who are getting ripped off.
 
20togo said:
My youngest car insurance is due for renewal [ bank of dad]. He's been driving for 3 years, no accidents, claims etc so this is his fourth quote/price we have to pay. He got his renewal quote last week from Admiral who we've been with for the last two years and the price had gone up from 601 to 623 quid. His first policy was nearly 1400 quid. Did the usual comparison website and think it was Hastings were the cheapest at 603 so 2 quid more than last year but 20 quid cheaper than Admiral.

Coincidentally, or probably not, stuff came thru the letter box from Direct Line who we don't have any policies with but have used for quotes so went on line and did a quote with them which came in at 514. So a £109 cheaper than Admiral, just under a £100 than Hastings.

So to save all the hassle of changing companies I thought I'd ring Admiral and see if they could price match Direct Line. Not only could they price match them they could knock a further £95 off as well. So all in all a reduction of £200 on the renewal quote. Bit annoyed that these people take you for mugs thinking you'll just automatically renew knowing damn well they can do it a lot cheaper but delighted to get such a big reduction in price.

It pays to shop around despite the hassle of having to do it.
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We did this the other day. Also ask for reduction due to reduced mileage and safer, empty roads.
 
Is it not a case of the people paying more by not being bothered to change help keep your premium down by making bigger profits for them?
I feel sorry for older people who haven't the means or inclination to go on a compare website.
 
Archibald Knox said:
I use an insurance broker who does all the leg work for a small fee.
Andersons Insurance on Church Street, Blackpool.
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Is it not just easier to do it yourself? Doesn't take that long and saves you money?

I remember the days of having to phone around companies to get the best quotes. Weirdly Direct Line who were mentioned by the OP have never given me a decent quote.

Also worth mentioning, always use a reputable company. My missus went with a small company after getting a good quote from them and they absolutely screwed her over with a bump she had at 5mph. Sorted the very minor damage with the other car to the tune of £25.00, then her insurance accused her of smashing into bollards at Norcross and shafted her. Took her 18 months to get it sorted!
 
I use a broker too - BP Insurance. Hell of a lot easier than doing it online, and much better in terms of amendments, renewals etc. I typically run through one of the comparison sites just before renewal, and as long at the price is similar, stick with the brokers. It's nice to have a phone number you can ring and talk to someone instantly. And they will always try and get the best deal - they can often get it cheaper than you can get it online, and you don;t have to worry about some dodgy company you've never heard of. Plus you're supporting local businesses and employment.
 
Some advice sites recommend that you seek new quotes at least 3 weeks before the renewal is due. Apparently the insurance companies offer better rates than to those who leave it to the last moment.
 
There is an optimum time before renewal where the comparison prices are cheaper,I think it’s about a month.Also younger drivers always try putting an older member of the household as a named driver as this has reduced my daughters insurance even though my wife will never drive her car .
 
When I retired 18 months ago I had some more time to review all my insurance, utility bills, phone and TV subscriptions. Saved nearly £1000 in the first year and over £200 since then, just by shopping around and being prepared to change
 
We’ve got our cars with Direct Line. Found them very good and nice to deal with on the phone when I’ve had changes to make.
We’ve had refunds as well due to lower mileage.
 
20togo said:
My youngest car insurance is due for renewal [ bank of dad]. He's been driving for 3 years, no accidents, claims etc so this is his fourth quote/price we have to pay. He got his renewal quote last week from Admiral who we've been with for the last two years and the price had gone up from 601 to 623 quid. His first policy was nearly 1400 quid. Did the usual comparison website and think it was Hastings were the cheapest at 603 so 2 quid more than last year but 20 quid cheaper than Admiral.

Coincidentally, or probably not, stuff came thru the letter box from Direct Line who we don't have any policies with but have used for quotes so went on line and did a quote with them which came in at 514. So a £109 cheaper than Admiral, just under a £100 than Hastings.

So to save all the hassle of changing companies I thought I'd ring Admiral and see if they could price match Direct Line. Not only could they price match them they could knock a further £95 off as well. So all in all a reduction of £200 on the renewal quote. Bit annoyed that these people take you for mugs thinking you'll just automatically renew knowing damn well they can do it a lot cheaper but delighted to get such a big reduction in price.

It pays to shop around despite the hassle of having to do it.
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I would go with Direct Line at £514 rather than Admiral at £95 less.
 
Not sure about reduction for lower milage. I once upped my estimate from 6,000 miles to 9,000 miles and my quote went down.
I was told that during the pandemic someone only doing a few hundred miles would get charged more, because they would be classed as an inexperienced driver.
Thieving bar stewards!
 
We had our car insurance with the Halifax came to renew in May 2020 and it had gone up over £135. Over £400 No claims nothing so I shopped around and got the fully comprehensive cover for me and the hubby from the AA for £265
 
The only time you will know the value of any insurance is the time you have a claim what’s the use of saving a fiver if they don’t pay out when your house burns down because you didn’t have the right lock on the outside lavvy door ? And course they are nice to you on the phone when you take the policy out who isn’t nice to people when they are giving them money ?
 
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