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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: summat on 11 August 2006, 16:52:22

Title: Online motor insurance renewals... All the same?!
Post by: summat on 11 August 2006, 16:52:22
Anyone tried hunting for insurance online recently?, I've just been through some of the more obvious sites (Churchills, Tesco, RAC) and they *ALL* have the same set of questions, even the same design web-page / form entry (from the order of questions, through to whether boxes are pull-downs, string entry, and the same bloody opt-outs for spam). Looks very stepford-wives of the insurance world, they're all the same.

Or am I just getting paranoid?

(Hmmm, Churchill = £760, Tesco's = £480... still, having seen what Tesco's did for a colleague who parked in my boot, I'm not so sure...)
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: TheBoy on 11 August 2006, 16:53:15
They are mostly just brokers, and hence have to ask the same similar Qs
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: Auto Addict on 11 August 2006, 17:22:18
I tried the AA, they came up with Churchills (I was already with Churchills) at about £80 more than I was paying.

Been with Churchills for years now, every time they put the premium up I threaten to go somewhere else.

Haven't had an increase in the last 5 Years. ;)
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: STMO123 on 11 August 2006, 17:59:09
I tried confused.com. They came back with some really great quotes, but all from insurance companies I'd never heard of.
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: TheOutcast on 11 August 2006, 18:03:51
I'm with Direct Line, and very happy with them. I've had three claims in four years and they've been very helpful. OK, they were all people running into me, so I don't know how they'd be if the accident was my fault.
The strange thing is, when it came up for renewal, I got some more prices on the internet, and found that I could take a new Direct Line policy for £60 less than the price of renewing my existing policy.
I queried this with D L, and was told, "You get a 10% discount for doing on line".
My wife is also with D L, and she's just this week, saved over £80 by taking a new D L policy instead of renewing the old one.
It's crazy, but that's the way it is.[smiley=beer.gif]
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: sounds2k on 11 August 2006, 18:05:37
both times I've shopped round I found that Admiral were significantly cheaper than any other insurer (even through confused.com and other brokers), they also will cover for business use which I need and a lot of other companies won't provide ...
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: Admin on 11 August 2006, 18:21:46
Try http://www.moneysupermarket.com/motor/

I was very impressed with the quotes I got. :)
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: Bo Bo on 11 August 2006, 19:27:18
Quote
Anyone tried hunting for insurance online recently?, I've just been through some of the more obvious sites (Churchills, Tesco, RAC) and they *ALL* have the same set of questions, even the same design web-page / form entry (from the order of questions, through to whether boxes are pull-downs, string entry, and the same bloody opt-outs for spam). Looks very stepford-wives of the insurance world, they're all the same.

Or am I just getting paranoid?

(Hmmm, Churchill = £760, Tesco's = £480... still, having seen what Tesco's did for a colleague who parked in my boot, I'm not so sure...)

I'm having trouble with Tesco at the moment, they're so slow to get anything done.
I tried this guy from another post on here & he sorted me with the best quote so far & I doubt if anyone's going to beat it.
http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1155292097
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: omega22 on 11 August 2006, 21:16:34
I use BUDGET and my wife uses DIAMOND. She gets a discount because of her 'sex'
I've been pleased with the price of Budget over the last 3 years but have got full no claims. It's around £350 per annum fully comp.
Doug
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: TheBoy on 11 August 2006, 21:19:07
I'm with Admiral, Direct Line before that (for other reasons, as they are not cheap). Pay around £280 fully comp for the MV6
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: Markjay on 12 August 2006, 01:43:05
Well what I did find out is that there is no such thing as an overall low cost insurance company. The premium differs greatly depending on various parameters such as location, off-street parking, business use etc… So one of you guys may have gotten quotes from companies A B and C, and company A was the cheapest, but for my circumstances company B could turn-up to be the cheapest.

I am currently with Tesco because I use my car for work and they were the only ones from those I asked quotes that allow business miles to be included at no extra cost, so they worked-out cheapest for me.

(The other nice thing about Tesco is that they are one of those companies that provide third-party only to cover you if you are driving a mate’s car, though I never actually needed this so far)

The quotes I got ranged from £2,300 from Vauxhall Motors (through my local dealer), through £1,200 from Direct Line, and down to £700 which is what I am paying now to Tesco.

I was told by one broker that the high premiums are because I live in central London (‘high crime area’ according to the insurers) and the car is parked in the street. One insurance broker actually told me (after asking many questions and clicking away on his computer for a while) that his insurers do not provide fully-comp cover at all to cars parked in London streets!

Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: summat on 12 August 2006, 08:55:20
The guy who parked his Seat Ibiza in my boot actually works in the same office as me, so I went to speak to him a couple of days after the accident - and the difference between Tescos (his) and the ambulance-chasing-legal-protection guys (not even my insureres - MMA) was amazing - he was struggling to get a curtesy car (not standard on Tescos), having to pay for several weeks for a hire car, and (I think) having to reclaim that from Tescos at the end (maybe not even that?). Me, declined an X-Type as a curtesey car (couldn't honestly justify it) and ended up with brand new VW Passat (hateful car, maybe I should have held out for the Jag), not a single penny left my account.

In the end, I've got a few quotes, and non are substantially less than the existing insurer, via Swinton, and having seen *how* effective Swinton's "One-Call" ambulance chasing service is I think I'm gonna stick with them.

(Ambulance chasing : only down side was the number of solicitors that the One-Call service threw my way, "are you *sure* you don't have whiplash...")
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: Markie on 12 August 2006, 11:08:40
short and simple from me

Tried all the various online brokers
tried confused.com

blah blah

best price by a mile ( or £300) was from admiral. Used to manage an insurance call centre ( years ago)so believe me i have scrutinised the small print and it doesnt uncover any issues either ( good excess/ hire car etc etc)
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: TheOutcast on 12 August 2006, 15:19:16
Quote
The guy who parked his Seat Ibiza in my boot actually works in the same office as me, so I went to speak to him a couple of days after the accident - and the difference between Tescos (his) and the ambulance-chasing-legal-protection guys (not even my insureres - MMA) was amazing - he was struggling to get a curtesy car (not standard on Tescos), having to pay for several weeks for a hire car, and (I think) having to reclaim that from Tescos at the end (maybe not even that?). Me, declined an X-Type as a curtesey car (couldn't honestly justify it) and ended up with brand new VW Passat (hateful car, maybe I should have held out for the Jag), not a single penny left my account.

In the end, I've got a few quotes, and non are substantially less than the existing insurer, via Swinton, and having seen *how* effective Swinton's "One-Call" ambulance chasing service is I think I'm gonna stick with them.

(Ambulance chasing : only down side was the number of solicitors that the One-Call service threw my way, "are you *sure* you don't have whiplash...")
You would be entitled to a courtesy car on the other drivers insurance, if the accident were their fault. The other driver; the one at fault; will only get a courtesy car if their insurance policy entitled them to one. Which means extra premium, it might not be quoted as an extra, but you are paying for it somewhere. There’s no such thing as a free lunch (or courtesy car).
I’m with Direct Line and they offer the option of courtesy entitlement, which I declined. I try to make sure that my accidents are someone else’s fault.
They also offer no-claims bonus protection as an option, which I also decline, for the same reason.
 Also, if you do have a claim, you might keep you no-claims bonus, but the premium goes up.
One way or another the insurance companies have got you by the short hairs. Ouch. [smiley=rolleyes.gif]
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: Kev on 12 August 2006, 20:32:30
Admiral here. Really cheap if you pay up-front.
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: Jim on 12 August 2006, 20:38:46
I'm with Direct line, it's cheaper if you take out the 2 car policy and it allow both you and the wife to earn the same no claims discount!!
Title: Re: Online motor insurance renewals... All the sam
Post by: tunnie on 12 August 2006, 21:29:18
Quote
I'm with Direct line, it's cheaper if you take out the 2 car policy and it allow both you and the wife to earn the same no claims discount!!


I am with direct line too, i was named since 17 on my dads policy, i have just taken out my own policy in my own name on my facelift, 5 years NCB, full comp its £450

Direct Line and Tesco have very good online sites, never used confused.com apualling site and prices listed