Oh well, time for the annual insurance renewal game.
Had an e-mail today from my insurance company, the one that employs Nelson, asking me to check my details for my multicar policy and if there are no changes to be made not to worry and they'll auto renew.....
Checked details all OK and saw that they were quoting £319, thought that's not bad it was £385 last year.
SWMBO then noticed that this was for just the one car and that they wanted £238 for the second car a total of £557 against the £385 last year; nice little hike of £172!
Promptly did my usual trick of becoming a new customer for a quote and, miraculously, I can get the same cover, etc. for a very much nicer figure of £316, £69 LESS than last year.
Have made a note of the quote reference and they'll get one crack at honouring it tomorrow, if this evenings little trawl round the comparison sites doesn't come back with something better......
I know it's the usual yearly game we have to play but why insurance companies insist on this charade every year escapes me, I suppose they must just make enough out of the gullible ones who just auto renew year on year...
|
|
We seem to be lucky with LV (self and Mrs F) that they renew at best price without asking.... but we are exactly their target market.
|
>> .... but we are exactly their target market.
>>
Oh dear.
They think you're an old duffer whose past doing anything reckless.
|
>>>They think you're an old duffer whose past doing anything reckless.
I know it's brilliant when in reality I'm just good/lucky at keeping it on the tarmac.
|
>> We seem to be lucky with LV (self and Mrs F) that they renew at
>> best price without asking.... but we are exactly their target market.
>>
Been with LV= for years on both our cars. When I've checked now and again, the renewal is cheaper than getting a new quote. I happened to check Mrs BPs renewal this year and as a new quote is £20 cheaper. OK, not much, but that's over 10%.
Last edited by: Bill Payer on Tue 15 Jul 14 at 12:59
|
>>I suppose they must just make enough out of the gullible ones who just auto renew year on year.
Exactly. Absolutely exactly.
I try to convince people to leave that group, but I've been banging on about it for decades with little result.
|
Not too many of them, NoF, or you'll spoil it for those that bother to ask.
That said, Aviva's two-car renewal came in this year at marginally less than last year's, and I was busy enough at the time to simply accept it. Only when I rang to pay, the computer burped a couple of times and made us go back a step or two. Each time it came up with a lower number, ending up £30 less than the one in the renewal letter. We - the agent and I - did wonder what would have happened if we'd gone round voluntarily a few more times.
|
|
I find I have to check the sites for all my insurances and there seems to be no pattern or logic. Aviva don't feature on the comparison sites SFAIK but when my car insurance renewal came I got a £300 premium down to £200 by moving from Saga to Aviva but, then my house and contents came round I saved money by moving from Aviva TO Saga, I think it was £50 off for new customers! I was with LV but they haven't been competitive, for me, for years. Don't start me on advertising! LV's silly song about Dum dum a dwee dwee WTF? As for the dreadlocked bloke telling me I am so Moneysupermarket.com, what does that mean, never mind the dorK with no vehicle and his sneakers on fire!
|
|
I find I have to check the sites for all my insurances and there seems to be no pattern or logic. Aviva don't feature on the comparison sites SFAIK but when my car insurance renewal came I got a £300 premium down to £200 by moving from Saga to Aviva but, then my house and contents came round I saved money by moving from Aviva TO Saga, I think it was £50 off for new customers! I was with LV but they haven't been competitive, for me, for years. Don't start me on advertising! LV's silly song about Dum dum a dwee dwee WTF? As for the dreadlocked bloke telling me I am so Moneysupermarket.com, what does that mean, never mind the dork with no vehicle and his sneakers on fire!
|
With advanced analytic [sometimes just fuzzy logic] on customer marketing, many insurers nowadays have good feeling which of their customers will compare the market for cheaper quote.
They will automatically send them a lower renewal quote.
For me, when I ran market comparison, even lowest quote was more than Esure's renewal quote.
|
I think it's a sign of getting old, Meldrew.
I think it's a sign of getting old, Meldrew.
|
Renewal in today - jumped from £174 to over £200.
Tried the comparison sites, really cheap quotes were from "unknown insurer"s OR had £500+excesses.
Spoke to the insurer and renewed after they knocked £30 off and came back to almost last year's premium - £200 total excess.
30 minutes work = £30 - good rate of return for little effort
|
I am sure nobody here would get themselves into such a position, but I have known people who have been unable to have their car repaired to the tune of £n,000's because they cannot afford to pay the excess.
Especially be aware of cumulative excess amounts - Voluntary excess + compulsory policy excess + young driver excess and all of a sudden your son driving your car can stick you with an excess far beyond what you were expecting.
Excesses need restraint.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Fri 18 Jul 14 at 15:50
|
|
Switched to swiftcover a year ago (part of AXA Group) and saved about £40 in premium cost. Got the renewal quote the other day for £272 and some odd pence - about a pound down on last year's price and couldn't match it elsewhere with the same cover level...:-)
|
>> Switched to swiftcover a year ago (part of AXA Group)
Are they better these days, since Axa took over?
|
I don't know, as I haven't had to make a claim. But the website is very friendly and much of the contact with the company, printing out of various insurance cover forms etc is via that link. Was once with AXA in the past but, again, never had to make a claim...:-)
Hoping that not having to make a claim remains the case for many years to come...:-)
But it's not all that often that insurance companies don't nudge up renewal prices after the first 12 months.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Mon 21 Jul 14 at 00:28
|
I renewed the insurance on my Pug a couple of weeks ago, standard annual search came back over £100 cheaper than the auto renew, so changed yet again.
Renewed online then went away for a few days, came home to a letter asking for all Drivers licences and proof of no claims within 7 days - we are already at 6, scanner not working so posted off copies of everything and planned to scan/email when back in office, next day a notice of cancellation arrives. 7 days after the date on their original letter, I thought there may be a couple days grace for posting time etc?
Anyway, I then email them the required documents explaining that when they took my money It didn't state anywhere that I should not go an a short break just in case they are looking for some copy documents*
I then get an email (plus copy letter) back saying they have everything - No Outstanding Documents.
All good until this morning - another email saying they do not have proof of NCD, send it withing 7 days OR ELSE (the or else being cancellation and/or increased premium AND £20 admin Fee)
So, can I send them another copy of the NCD along with a £20 Fee Note?
*Not exactly that.
|
Annual Insurance renewal game - Fenlander
