Car insurance

CMOTD · 8th-Apr-21, 12:15 PM

Just completed the annual game of renewing my car insurance, it drives me mad every year.
I have been with Aviva for 2 years with acceptable prices so they figured I was a loyal customer and it was now time to rip me off. I used to insure the house with them and they did the same thing so they lost that one last year - never learn do they?

Did the usual research and General Accident came out best - £40 cheaper with better cover and zero excess so went with them. I then discovered that they are owned by Aviva! Rofl

Repeat the Money Saving Expert mantra:
"Business is not your friend. Loyalty doesn't pay."

Grah1 · 8th-Apr-21, 01:51 PM

Last year I insured with Saga and it cost me £35 for the year 8 months later they discovered their mistake and contacted me saying that next year my policy would increase by a large amount , but they would honour the policy until renewal . I wish now I had opted for the 3 yr plan they were offering still I cant complain at £35 for a year I expect it will be around the 200 -240 mark when I renew ,any more and I'll be moving .

Scuderia_Turini · 8th-Apr-21, 10:46 PM

I was tempted by another car and noticed that it was in insurance Group 33. That meant nothing to me so I checked my current car to find it is in Group 16 (costing just over £200 per annum). I did an on-line qotet for the group 33 car and got quoted £1500. Have decided that Group 20 would be sensible. although Yaris start at Group 2 and I am approaching the Yaris buyer age (at the upper end).

Leo

Savage GT · 9th-Apr-21, 05:54 AM

Once you find a better quote, it can pay to contact your current insurer and see if they can beat it.
It often appears to me they pluck figures at random, and some companies that are cheaper for one car are not for your next.
My last renewal quote was beaten by the same company I was already with on a comparison site by around £45, where they were the cheapest.
Needless to say a phone call got me the better price Bigsmile

Nonfractal · 9th-Apr-21, 06:01 AM

When asked "3rd party or fully comp"?
Always ask for both numbers.
Sometimes fully-comp is cheaper.
I've no idea why that would be.

Alan W

CMOTD · 9th-Apr-21, 08:51 AM

(9th-Apr-21, 05:54 AM)Savage GT Wrote: Once you find a better quote, it can pay to contact your current insurer and see if they can beat it.
It often appears to me they pluck figures at random, and some companies that are cheaper for one car are not for your next.
My last renewal quote was beaten by the same company I was already with on a comparison site by around £45, where they were the cheapest.
Needless to say a phone call got me the better price

I often do this, particularly for broadband/phone but I haven't a lot of time for existing insurers who try to take advantage of you because
you have renewed a couple of times. Did try to ring Aviva in this instance but couldn't be bothered to wait in a 2 hour queue listening to garbage about doing things online. Sent them an email instead which failed to elicit a reply!

Scuderia_Turini · 9th-Apr-21, 09:32 AM

If you telephone a sales number they always pick-up quickly but on customer-service numbers you have to wait !!
The simple solution is to cancel every year and change provider.

autoavia · 10th-Apr-21, 04:08 PM

My insurance company increased my premium massively for no reason so I found a much cheaper alternative online.
A week or so before my old policy was due to expire I got a phone call asking me why I hadn't renewed. I explained that the quotye was too expensive so they offered to sort me out a better price. The woman sounded gutted when I said I had already taken out insurance with another provider.

Savage GT · 22nd-Oct-22, 05:58 AM

My renewal is due soon.
£220 odd last year, went to £264 odd this year.
I checked online and found some better prices for cover, so emailed them (because this company only has phone lines for claims, you manage your account online).

Reply was: "As Flow is an online based insurer we always put our best price forward to make it simple for our customers, we are unable to reduce a renewal quote and do not offer any price matching services."

Odd then, that Go Compare came up with the same cover, with £50 less excess for £213 from ... you guessed it, Flow Banghead

tatter06 · 22nd-Oct-22, 07:57 AM

(22nd-Oct-22, 05:58 AM)Savage GT Wrote: My renewal is due soon.
£220 odd last year, went to £264 odd this year.
I checked online and found some better prices for cover, so emailed them (because this company only has phone lines for claims, you manage your account online).

Reply was: "As Flow is an online based insurer we always put our best price forward to make it simple for our customers, we are unable to reduce a renewal quote and do not offer any price matching services."

Odd then, that Go Compare came up with the same cover, with £50 less excess for £213 from ... you guessed it, Flow

I work in the industry (although not in compliance) and if you went through Go Compare originally to get to Flow last year (or whenever you joined them) they may not charge you more for your renewal than they would charge you at new business as that is a breach of FCA pricing guidelines

https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/poli...amendments

If you got to flow via a different 'channel' (direct or a different aggregator) then it's fair game I'm afraid.