Motoring Discussion > Insurance:-Losing the will to live Tax / Insurance / Warranties
Thread Author: Videodoctor Replies: 31
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 16:28 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Videodoctor
I have just taken out van insurance and have been on the phone for nearly an hour.
I entered all my details into one of the price comparison websites(simples) and got a quote of £298 as the cheapest.Click here to buy it said.So i clicks and got taken to another website.Clicked on their buy it now and got a message up to ring them.

Here started an hour of my life that i will not get back.I had to go through all the questions again that i had filled out before and after being offered life insurance,protected no claims,uninsured losses,house insurance,tool insurance they put me on hold.Now i had already got quotes from all the companies and just wanted to take out the policy.She says on the phone that she'll be back in a minute after running the details through more price sites.So basically the simples web site had put me through to another broker!.

So she comes back after 5 minutes of listening to insipid music to be told the premium was £441!

I said no its £298.Back on hold to find out why the difference.Comes back again 5 minutes later to say that 'yes' its £298.'Sorry about that'.

Great.Can i take out the policy and pay in full? 'Certainly sir,i'll just put you through to our processing department where they can go through the details AGAIN and take payment.'

Another 5 minutes on hold and then had to answer numerous questions again that i had already answered.Then i was tried to be sold house insurance,tool insurance etc,etc again.

Eventually they took my card payment and the ordeal was over.Nearly an hour on the phone!

After that i had to ring my current insurer to tell them that i won't be renewing with them.
I had the policy last year at £365 and this year(and i kid you not!) £1300!!!
I told them where to go in the nicest possible way.

Anyone else have this much hassle when renewing?
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 16:51 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Zero

>> Anyone else have this much hassle when renewing?

No.
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 17:06 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - madf
I find revnewal a cathartic and easy experience.

Scenario 1: insurers try to stiff me with huge increase in renewal quote.
Response : go elsewhere, save money and kick them in the nuts.

Scenario 2: insurers don't try to stiff me, and new quote is same/less /or a small increase.
Response: half hearted look at alternatives. Renew as minimal savings.


Total elapsed time : under 40 minutes.

Result..Job done, no hassle, or slight hassle and money saved..


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 Tue 10 Dec 13 17:28 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Zero
I am in scenario two situation.
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 17:42 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Bromptonaut
Renewal is next month but as I'm with LV I'm not expecting too much hassle.

As both offspring are now at Uni a review of their cover for driving family cars is due. That might save a few bob. Or possibly not as Daughter will be 21 by then and proposal to drop her off one car's cover may not save enough to cover hassle of her not being available as des driver - unlike other three in house she drinks little and rarely.
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 18:30 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Shiny
Admiral and it's derivatives such as Budget, Elephant, Bell and Diamond do the whole Buy Now - Ring Us - Answer questions again.
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 18:45 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Ted
>> I am in scenario two situation.
>>

Moi aussi.....and with a free Meerkat doll at the end of it all.

Ted
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 19:10 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Stuu
>>Anyone else have this much hassle when renewing?<<

I get a letter, it quotes a price that for 9 years has been the cheapest of anyone and remains so and I sit back and let it renew automatically. I did a price comparison site this year for a laugh and it was 15% cheaper than anyone else, my insurer was also quoting the same price to renew as they do for new business.

They are also swift and efficient at claims handling too.
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 19:24 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Runfer D'Hills
What car have you got now Stu? ( honestly not pulling your leg but I've lost track I'm afraid ) Just interested to know if it's a low risk in insurance terms. Not that I'd know if that would make a difference to how they'd quote you.

We still find an old fashioned High St broker to be pretty good. They know us now and they also know we check to see if they remain good value so they seem to have given up on the chance it with a high quote malarky.
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 21:26 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Stuu
>>What car have you got now Stu? ( honestly not pulling your leg but I've lost track I'm afraid ) Just interested to know if it's a low risk in insurance terms. Not that I'd know if that would make a difference to how they'd quote you.<<

Still got the Elantra diesel, not exactly a boy racer car, I think in old groups it is about 9 or 10 so entirely average, as is the car :-) I pay £350 a year fully comp with business use with Privilege.
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 19:45 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Haywain
"I get a letter, it quotes a price that for 9 years ………………………...

They are also swift and efficient at claims handling too."

Exactly DITTO for me - though I think it's been 12 years in my case. I always find this slightly surprising somehow …………………. especially now that we know about the boss; it's Co-op.
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 19:54 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Harleyman
I have recently bought a van; went on the comparison websites and it looked expensive so on a whim I contacted ChaucerDirect with whom I insure my car.

They were very professional, very helpful and I highly recommend them.

And none of the repetitive crap that you went through. These guys come across as knowing their subject.

Last edited by: Harleyman on Tue 10 Dec 13 at 19:55
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 20:13 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Enoughalready
My renewal couldn't be simpler. I have a broker that reminds me when it's due for renewal, tells me the latest price with the same insurer ans a cheaper alternative with near same specs. I've checked on comparison sites and the price is no better plus if I pick a car up I can phone the broker on his direct line and within two minutes they'll have me insured for it. So bleedin good that they now have all our insurances.
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 20:14 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Fenlander
I like the insurance folks that have online application/payment. Do it all in about 10mins and the certificate/policy are e.mailed to you in seconds.
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 20:17 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - bathtub tom
I'd guess it was a premium rate number?

I'd tell them to call me, or stick it where the sun don't shine. What's the likelihood of them dealing sympathetically with a claim?
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 21:39 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - legacylad
Must say I find renewal easy. The past few years I have been with Adelaide Insurance Services (IAM Surety). They email me the renewal cost, I spend an hour checking the comparison sites, ring them up, tell them I have found xyz company cheaper like for like, and give them the cheaper quotation reference number. Go away, put kettle on, IAM Surety ring me back after 10 minutes having checked the cheaper quote, they always promise to beat it, which they do, I pay by debit card. end of.
Normally save £50+ for an hours work. Just paid £155.30 fully comp on the 330, garaged, one driver, limited miles, social, domestic & pleasure (lots of!!). What's not to like.
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 22:02 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Boxsterboy
I made the mistake of trying a 'price comparison site' (can't remember the name) which was just harvesting emails to bombard you with a whole host of other services/insurance. PITA.
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 Tue 10 Dec 13 23:52 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - bathtub tom
AH, Stu is now 'Videodoctor'

Perhaps I'll change my ID to:
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 10:04 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Robbie34
I have been with LV= for quite a few years and nobody has ever come near their renewal figure. I get 'phoned by RIAS every year and they are always a few hundred pounds more expensive. When I ask them why they always say it has to do with claims from my postcode.
Nonsense, so I let LV= renew automatically. Same with my house insurance.
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 12:28 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Roger.
I always check house & motor renewal prices with extensive internet research.
For the last couple of years Tesco have been the cheapest for us on both policies.
I do haggle with them, though to the extent that they dropped a high compulsory excess on the motor policy to match another quote.
Last edited by: Roger on Wed 11 Dec 13 at 12:30
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 15:20 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Telb
Same here. I've been with Frizzell/LV through the CSMA since the late 60s when one of the dodgy companies (not Fire Auto & Marine but similar) went t*ts up on me. Quote is always competitive and I know their claims handling is fair and efficient. I let them auto-renew now,but always check on any increase, which there hasn't been for a few years now.
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 17:02 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Fenlander
>>>Frizzell/LV through the CSMA since the late 60s... Quote is always competitive... claims handling is fair and efficient.

Sadly we are now 10mths into an accident claim with LV where their claims handling has been hopeless. It was clearly the fault of the other driver who would have undoubtedly received a without due care and attention had the police been involved... the undisputed vehicle final positions and damage areas fully suported our truthful account.

However they have missed deadlines related to legal stuff making it very hard to resolve the claim in our favour....and from day one favoured a 50/50 settlement which would have impacted on the insurance records/costs for three people in this household... seemingly just to make admin easy for themselves.

The claim handlers have been way out of their depth on both accident scenarios and legal processes.

Dreadful.
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 17:23 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - No FM2R
You can ensure that your insurer compensates you directly if they have worsened your financial position.
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 17:40 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Fenlander
Yes that was the route we were thinking next.

What they got so badly wrong was ignoring our requests to invoke the legal protection policy at an early stage saying they (LV) would deal with all the initial stuff between insurers. However against our wishes, and suddenly after 8mths faffing, they closed the case with a 50:50 agreement.

In the communication informing us of that final decision they said we should take it up through legal process to go any further. When we did that through our legal protection (from LV) we were soon informed by the legal people LV had told them they'd settled 50:50 and they would not fund further legal process beyond a 50:50 claim under the term of our legal protection policy.

So the legal folks issued a claim for 50% of our losses to the other partly and they paid up immediately.

Until this point the other party had claimed we were 100% to blame and I belive this instant rolling over for the 50% and no counter claim for his 50% shows when it came to legal process he realised he had to be a little more honest.

Had LV not messed up but issued a court claim for the full amount I believe that would have been met which would have triggered us having no-claims bonus reinstated and put a more positive light on the claims record of those involved.

I have no idea how common it is in a knock for knock settled case for one party to happily pay 50% of the others losses after the insurers have closed the case??
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 19:31 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Westpig
>> Yes that was the route we were thinking next.

You've highlighted nicely why having legal cover from your insurer isn't worth paying for..because it is legal cover for them to decide how to use.

If you really want that sort of cover, buy it for yourself.

I won't bore you with the details, but the one I had and for which I did a load of work on to prove I was innocent, had a one liner from the insurer saying' it does not fit our criteria'..and that was that, no invoking of the legal cover at all, I didn't even get to speak/deal with them, the insurer refused to initiate it.
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 23:15 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Fenlander
>>>the insurer saying' it does not fit our criteria'..and that was that, no invoking of the legal cover at all, I didn't even get to speak/deal with them, the insurer refused to initiate it.

We've used legal protection twice and that was decades ago when it was a stand alone policy from a broker. There was no question back then that they'd happily act on your behalf (unless of course the claim was blatantly flawed) and you were treated like the customer rather than a nuisance as it seems now.
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 22:33 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - No FM2R
Oooh, you've got a difficult one there, although not impossible.

Do you want help or shall I leave you to it?
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 23:02 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Fenlander
I'm grateful for the offer however it's Mrs F's policy (Miss F's accident) and I'm having enough trouble convincing her to take my advice.

We have the cheque for half her excess plus sundries and know there is no conterclaim for half the other party's losses so that's £287 better than we were last month when they said we'd get nothing.

I will now put it firmly, initially to LV's claims dept management, that they failed to take the opportunity to recover all losses and protect our insurance record in their haste for a solution that suited their administration process.

There is a documented case on the net from this year which is quite similar where the result was...

***received apology from insurer over handling of my claim... had settled 50/50 but they have now refunded excess, given some compensation and classing as a non-fault claim***

We would be very happy with that so it's a target to aim for.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Wed 11 Dec 13 at 23:03
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 23:04 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - No FM2R
You're obviously on the right path. Shout if you need anything.
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 23:05 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Fenlander
Will do... appreciated.
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 18:30 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - Roger.
>> Same here. I've been with Frizzell/LV through the CSMA since the late 60s when one
>> of the dodgy companies (not Fire Auto & Marine but similar) went t*ts up on
>> me.
FAM - Savundra - there's a blast from the past!
I was working for Lombank (mostly motor HP then) when that happened and we had to contact every customer who had declared that outfit as covering the car they were hiring, before purchasing for a couple of quid on the last payment.
It caused a lotta aggro!
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 Wed 11 Dec 13 12:41 
 Insurance:-Losing the will to live - No FM2R
I always consider such an activity in the context of an hourly rate.

And if you worked for an hour to reduce a renewal premium to £67 lower than last year and £1,000 odd cheaper than it could have been, that seems like a reasonable rate to me.

I don't get annoyed by things that are making/saving me money.
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