Insurance renewal malarkey ~ 2007

[MGJohn]

1999 620ti ~ Comprehensive, Protected Full NC Bonus, Legal exs:

Just recently received the 'auto' renewal notice from my insurers ~ due 1-1-2007. No need to do anything they will auto renew and charge against my credit card. That's nice .... Yeah right.

One SMALL thing, the premium of 260 quid is 60 quid more than it was last year!

I also have an identical policy with the same company for another R620ti with full NCB which I renewed two months ago ... for 200 quid.

Only change from last year being I have one more year's No Claim Discount! ~ so how come a 30% INCREASE! No need to answer, I know the reason ~ they rely on lazy or too busy folks to 'auto' renew and that's an additional 60 quid in their profit bin for no effort! There was a time that loyal policy customers were looked after every year and premiums went down provided no claims ~ That, like so many past good ideas and things in the former green and pleasant ~ gone forever.

Reading small print, I have 14 days to cancel that 'auto renewal' and then a full refund. Because of what I consider an unwarranted heavy increase, I did try to cancel BEFORE expiry on 31-12-2006 but the nice Indian lady who was a tad clueless could not help then, telling me that that part of the company were not open again until AFTER the 1-1-2007 Bank Holidays. Sod it!

So, got through this morning and this time a nice competent lady with a scouse accent cancelled my Policy and arranged a full refund on my Credit card. That done, I then asked her, purely out of interest, how much the premium on that identical car, cover and proposal details would be for me if I was a new customer today. .... off calculating and after a couple minutes nice lady comes back with a premium quote for me as a 'new' customer today for ... 216 Quid! a saving of 44 quid for moi. So I arranged THAT new policy @ 216 quid there and then thus saving me an immediate 44 quid ~ which ever so lowly paid me needs quite a lot of work to do to take home ... after taxes and deductions.

Be ever watchful out there ~ there's folks about after more than their fair share of your dough....
.

[mach1rob]

I never auto renew, I make them work for my custom for another year, and its not just car insurance either, we've saved £30 on contents insurance renewal this time too just by shopping around and not automatically renewing

[Roboscot]

Exact same has happened to me the past two years so I have changed insurance company each time for a huge decrease in premium.

Sept 2005 my NCB went from 2-3 years but I was hit with an increase from £360 to £420 on my 214 bubble, upon calling them to ask why I was informed that my postcode was an increased risk area! This is utter nonsense so I cancelled and got a quote from another company who did it for £280.

Sept 2006, NCB 4 years, now with the coupe premium was to auto renew from £475 to £515, again cancelled, switched companies and now pay £320.

Really is shocking that loyal customers aren't rewarded, thought that was the whole point in sticking with a company but apparently not. It's more work for me to phone around each year but if it means the gits dont get my money for nothing then I'm more than happy to do it!

[jpmonkey69]

although I shopped around, and went from 2 to 3 years NCB, I couldnt find anyone to beat the quote I had at renewal, and ended up paying an extra £60.

I hate uninsured drivers.

[calibrax]

I also have an identical policy with the same company for another R620ti with full NCB which I renewed two months ago ... for 200 quid.

That's a good price.... mind if I ask what company? and do they cover modified cars? My insurance is up for renewal in Feb, so I want to start shopping around

[craigwint11]

My insurance is up on 23 of this month, had my renewal through today from elephant, £688 for 10 month cover fully comp. bearing in mind i had 3 yrs no claimes last year and got it for £600 fully comp - 10 months, and will have 4 years no claims (providing i dont crash before jan 23rd) a thought it was bit harsh, so...
tried tesco this morn and they will cover me fully comp for £52 a month for 12 months so 60 odd quid cheaper and 2 months extra cover! still not happy im payin only a fraction less than last year tho

[MGJohn]

I also have an identical policy with the same company for another R620ti with full NCB which I renewed two months ago ... for 200 quid.

That's a good price.... mind if I ask what company? and do they cover modified cars? My insurance is up for renewal in Feb, so I want to start shopping around

The clue is highlighted in white in my first post. So do a bit of sleuthing....

The reason it's so little on both my 620ti is simply because I'm an old git with lots of NCB and I have my spouse as the only other driver which for some reason reduces the premium still further. I know the reason for this additional 'spouse' discount.

My ZS is insured in my spouse's name on her own Motor policy with me as the only named 'spouse' driver. It's our car after all. This is with another company and my wife has yonks of years NCB also.

There are a few advantages to being an old git ... As well as lowish Motor Insurances on higher group cars, I have frequently exceeded 120 mph on UK roads all quite legally ~ but that was a long time ago now ~ we have not always been a namby~pamby, also~ran, severely PC country.

.... more

Oh yeah - not forgetting ~ some 'things' really do improve with age ~ Yes. I do mean exactly that .....

[Berger]

Im really pushing to get insurance this year, ecarinsurance, quinn will quote me, got to phone up flux and some others and see what they say, as long as its under 1500 i dont mind!

Oh and someone who doesnt mind points would be nice, think ive just got my first three today on the motorway! Camera van as i came over a crest overtaking a van before a merge and a big roundabout you have to slow for anyway!

Dont know what hes trying to do there apart from rake the cash in!

End of the M65 at Preston for anyone who knows it.

[rovex]

Directline are usually best for me, but Tesco insurance is run by directline, so each year i switch between them and get the online new customer discount every time.

[victor3]

Unless I get a good renewal offer from Lancasters, I phone them and tell them that they must do better - they always do!

[Scott]

direct line seemed to be very similar price to tesco, but the direct line website said they wont insure under 25's on modified vehicles, whereas tesco would...

[C2K]

Tesco are sods for renewals. This time around they wanted 50 quid more than i paid last year. Did another quote with them online and it was nearly 200 squid cheaper.

[Craig]

Highway (through Chris Knott) tried to hike my wife's policy, which was renewed at the end of November.

After I had finished swearing at their audacity, I went online and visited Confused.com. Following up a few of the cheapest results, I armed myself with an actual quote from Kwik Fit Insurance and telephoned Chris Knott. They took a quick look at the quote details (saved on Kwik Fit's website) and agreed to match it.

A good result, considering that it was about £200 cheaper!

[r44flyer]

Worth calling MCE for a quote as well.

They beat my renewal by several hundred, and were also much cheaper than anyone else I phoned. I'm now paying just over £500 for comprehensive with all mods declared on a like-for-like basis, 5 years NCB, parked on driveway, 24yo, 1 non-fault claim, 1 additional driver, medium-high risk area.

[Punx0r]

Is auto-renewal even legal?

I'd also be wary of those 10 month policies - I've heard that the NCB you get from them often isn't recognised by other insurers, so you're stuffed if you want to change to a different insurer...

[r44flyer]

I'd also be wary of those 10 month policies - I've heard that the NCB you get from them often isn't recognised by other insurers, so you're stuffed if you want to change to a different insurer...

This is true. Some insurers won't entertain NCB that has been generated on an accelerator policy like those offered by Elephant. It's a bit petty really, as they only started it to cut Elephant out of the market because they offered cheaper prices, albeit for a shorter policy term. But they do have a point, as it does tot up, and you don't have the same length of driving experience/NCB as someone on a regular 12 month policy. How you measure that though, I don't know.

[Sheaf]

Well, you cant blame em for trying I suppose!

I have had the same thing before, phone up and it's magically cheaper. Then the price drops even more when you tell them you're leaving to go with somebody cheaper still.
I'm sure I'll have to go through the same fuss this year, although I must admit I'm getting lazy these days and only phoning about 4 companies.

[Kmartin]

you lads have it easy. i have to pay 1200 on a 1.2 punto. i just bought a 618si and i dont think i can insure it

[C2K]

I'd also be wary of those 10 month policies - I've heard that the NCB you get from them often isn't recognised by other insurers, so you're stuffed if you want to change to a different insurer...

This is true. Some insurers won't entertain NCB that has been generated on an accelerator policy like those offered by Elephant. I?

You get around that by taking the last policy as a 12 monther IIRC.

[r44flyer]

I'd also be wary of those 10 month policies - I've heard that the NCB you get from them often isn't recognised by other insurers, so you're stuffed if you want to change to a different insurer...

This is true. Some insurers won't entertain NCB that has been generated on an accelerator policy like those offered by Elephant. I?

You get around that by taking the last policy as a 12 monther IIRC.

Assuming of course you stay for more than one year with Elephant