# Shock, Horror....



## Kriminal (Jan 11, 2007)

I had my Insurance Quote come through the door Today - and it's actually gone DOWN from last year!

The strange thing is, I done an online comparison the other night and it was more expensive with the same company online - in fact, by another £30ish

:thumb:


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## uruk hai (Apr 5, 2009)

Amazing isn't it, I reduced mine by 25% this year and it's fair to say I was stunned but happy !


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

Must be a typo lol


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## MagpieRH (May 27, 2014)

Loyalty discount 
Some providers do it, others give their best prices to new customers. I know which I'd prefer!


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## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

First year of insuring this car for a full year and was gutted with a renewal quote of mid £500s.

Long story short existing insurer (via broker) price matched the online comparison quote.

Paid just over 400 notes. Still more than I expected to pay but a decent saving.

Broker advised a lot of new business is being written by Hastings Direct. 

If you are struggling with price of quotes give them a try...

I'm not affiliated in any way.


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## MagpieRH (May 27, 2014)

MDC250 said:


> First year of insuring this car for a full year and was gutted with a renewal quote of mid £500s.
> 
> Long story short existing insurer (via broker) price matched the online comparison quote.
> 
> ...


My mum had some real difficulty with them recently, wouldn't recommend them personally.
For me, Aviva come up trumps price-wise (I prefer established companies because you have a pretty good idea what you're getting customer service-wise), but for the rest of my family Aviva quotes aren't even competitive - even for my parents at the same address as me. Work that one out.


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## m4rkymark (Aug 17, 2014)

If you use topcashback.com then go with aviva they are giving you £75 cashback on your insurance. I changed mine last week and nearly halved the cost of my insurance.


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## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

MagpieRH said:


> My mum had some real difficulty with them recently, wouldn't recommend them personally.
> 
> For me, Aviva come up trumps price-wise (I prefer established companies because you have a pretty good idea what you're getting customer service-wise), but for the rest of my family Aviva quotes aren't even competitive - even for my parents at the same address as me. Work that one out.


I stuck with my existing insurer which is Highway, part of LV who ironically quoted mid £700s!

Insurers just make it up as they go along!


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## MagpieRH (May 27, 2014)

MDC250 said:


> I stuck with my existing insurer which is Highway, part of LV who ironically quoted mid £700s!
> 
> Insurers just make it up as they go along!


Worst part of mine was I got a phone call from Aviva about my renewal, the guy was very helpful and when I mentioned the credit card charge (was about £5), he seemed a bit confused and said you don't pay that on renewals. I asked him something else, he spoke to a manager and came back and confirmed that the CC charge doesn't apply to renewals.

Renewal day came - premium + CC charge on my card. Emailed Aviva to ask why, and if it was correct, why I was told it shouldn't be there.
Long story short, they refunded the charge as a 'goodwill gesture'.

Even their different departments can't give a consistent answer!


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Mine has been coming down by a reasonable percentage over the last few years.

I'm 35 now and have 17/18 years NCB, so there is no reason to for it to come down.

This year I'm down to £170 for my BMW 335i. That's with protected NCB, legal cover blah blah blah. I could strip things to make it cheaper.

From memory it was £260 two years ago, £200 last and now £170. It's only £30 but that is still 15% cheaper when there is no real reason. 

The value of the car is probably the same as it was last year as prices have risen a bit.


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Weird isn't it, since the OFT have been investigating them the prices have started to fall !


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## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

Kerr said:


> Mine has been coming down by a reasonable percentage over the last few years.
> 
> I'm 35 now and have 17/18 years NCB, so there is no reason to for it to come down.
> 
> ...


I know there are so many variables it would make it impossible to compare but I'm similar age car is a C250 CDI so nowhere near as powerful, have full NCB and same number of years driving etc.

I do have an SP30 and a non fault accident both getting on for 3 years ago.

Last time I checked it was a decent enough neighbourhood etc so I just don't get the pricing!

Yours seems very reasonable!

In my own mind I reckon £300 a year as being fair for mine bear in mind that is 60% discount!

Ah well it is what it is...daylight robbery!


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

I guess a lot does come down to where you live. I have my car under Aberdeen and the postcode is in a very low rating for risk.

Although Aberdeen has a shocking record for crashes.

When I moved it from an Edinburgh postcode the price was nearly the same.

A few years ago I moved from an Edinburgh postcode to a Glasgow postcode. Although the postcode was Glasgow, it was East Kilbride which is about 15 miles outside the City of Glasgow, my insurance jumped 40%.

I tried a few different cars using a price comparison site and every car was around 40% more. 

I never actually thought my car was at any more of a risk.


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## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

Shaun said:


> Weird isn't it, since the OFT have been investigating them the prices have started to fall !


It is and it isn't Sean.

Insurers lobbied the Govt and found an ally in the press who were more than happy to perpetuate the myth of a claims culture. The press were doing badly out of being sued and paying horrendous legal costs due to Conditional Fee Agreements (another car crash instigated by previous administrations to fill the gap from withdrawing funding for Legal Aid).

Now having created the myth of a claims culture this was translated into the Govt 'having to be seen to crack down'. In consideration for further erosion of access to justice the insurers all promised (with fingers crossed behind their backs!) to lower premiums and to keep premiums low going forwards, since all these fraudulent claims would be killed off.

Somewhat ironic as initial criticisms I think from the Select Committee of the insurance industry were if you are saying fraud is so prevalent, why as an industry do you make widespread pre-medical report offers to settle personal injury claims?

Fast fwds and many insurers are now saying they can't offer as low a priced premium as they'd hoped and indeed promised to the Govt. Almost as if fraud is not as big a problem as has been made out.

Now call me a cynic but on the basis that the ABI allegedly collectively hold in the order of 25% of privately held stocks and shares and given the hit they will have taken during the credit crunch do you think they will say it's just one of those things or claw that money back and then some?

If you are lucky enough to have falling premiums make the most of them as I will predict medium to longer term they will not stay that way and indeed as more and more insurers hold their hands up and say they can't sustain low prices premiums we will all pay the price.

Never mind at least access to justice has not been compromised all for the sake of and at the alter of greedy insurance companies.

Rant over...soap box packed away in case I fall off and injure myself ;-)


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## millns84 (Jul 5, 2009)

Insurance prices go up and down in phases and I understand we're in a natural downturn for the past couple of years.

But what's probably influencing the prices more than anything at the moment is the reduction in solicitor's costs brought in by the LASPO Act.


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## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

millns84 said:


> Insurance prices go up and down in phases and I understand we're in a natural downturn for the past couple of years.
> 
> But what's probably influencing the prices more than anything at the moment is the reduction in solicitor's costs brought in by the LASPO Act.


Yeah that would explain why so many insurance companies are setting up ABSs with firms of Solicitors!

In no small part it's to get around the referral fee ban and the loss of income derived from that but it's disingenuous to suggest that they don't see a profit to be made.

The timing is too convenient to be anything other than planned...just one example of what to expect...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...e-higher-insurance-premiums-says-Admiral.html

True fee revenue for lawyers has dropped and significantly...the inevitable consequence is you got a dumbing down in the whole process and as such victims having poor redress.

Insurance industry 1 - Joe Public/Justice 0


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## millns84 (Jul 5, 2009)

MDC250 said:


> Yeah that would explain why so many insurance companies are setting up ABSs with firms of Solicitors!
> 
> In no small part it's to get around the referral fee ban and the loss of income derived from that but it's disingenuous to suggest that they don't see a profit to be made.
> 
> ...


You mean the referral fee ban which didn't make referral fees illegal?  :lol:

A lot of ABS's consist of claims management companies joining with several small solicitor's practices, a legal expenses provider and possibly a costs drafting firm on occasion. They've practically consolidated every step of the PI process to make a bigger business as smaller practices are missing out and leaving the PI arena. By the way, notice a claims management company joining an ABS? An easy way around referral fee issues if you're the same company :lol:

You're right though, a lot of insurers are teaming up with solicitors - Ageas Law, Admiral Law, IME (Irwin Mitchell Esure), etc etc.

I think in a few years we'll see a very much consolidated profession - Slater & Gordon, Irwin Mitchell, Minster Law and Quindell in addition to the insurer's own legal practices as mentioned above.


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

Kriminal said:


> I had my Insurance Quote come through the door Today - and it's actually gone DOWN from last year!
> 
> The strange thing is, I done an online comparison the other night and it was more expensive with the same company online - in fact, by another £30ish
> 
> :thumb:


Surprised they insure you on your side of the kenysham by pass  :lol:

Good result mate . You really just don't know with insurance


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## Kriminal (Jan 11, 2007)

Steve said:


> Surprised they insure you on your side of the kenysham by pass  :lol:
> 
> Good result mate . You really just don't know with insurance


You cheeky ^$&"£(!"*

What's more surprising where I live is that I've GOT insurance!


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

Kriminal said:


> You cheeky ^$&"£(!"*
> 
> What's more surprising where I live is that I've GOT insurance!


:lol:


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## STUOOBY (Dec 26, 2012)

insurance can be random and bit of a con. im 27 and over the last 3 yrs the insurance is falling dead fast. any thing under 500 im happy with. heres why. 9 yrs ago my first policy on a 1.6 escort was £2200 a year. last yr my price was around £450 on a porsche 996 carrera. i thought that was sweet. this yr my renewal came through at £970! so went on confused.com and the current company came up cheapest at £303 for the yr so i cant really complain. i just hate how some of the companys bump up your price hoping you just except it.


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## MagpieRH (May 27, 2014)

STUOOBY said:


> insurance can be random and bit of a con. im 27 and over the last 3 yrs the insurance is falling dead fast. any thing under 500 im happy with. heres why. 9 yrs ago my first policy on a 1.6 escort was £2200 a year. last yr my price was around £450 on a porsche 996 carrera. i thought that was sweet. this yr my renewal came through at £970! so went on confused.com and the current company came up cheapest at £303 for the yr so i cant really complain. i just hate how some of the companys bump up your price hoping you just except it.


It's why they love auto-renew. They say it's to keep the roads safer as people can't forget to René their insurance, really they hope people are either too lazy to change or too busy/ignorant to notice the premium has gone up. Naughty.


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## SarahS23 (Jul 31, 2014)

Yep mines gone down too. Different insurers nonetheless but saved £350 on a group 45 car so can't be bad lol


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

SarahS23 said:


> Yep mines gone down too. Different insurers nonetheless but saved £350 on a group 45 car so can't be bad lol


Do they send armed security to protect you wheels ?


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## SarahS23 (Jul 31, 2014)

Steve said:


> Do they send armed security to protect you wheels ?


No why lol.


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

SarahS23 said:


> No why lol.


I know what these northerns are like for trying to steal wheels :lol:


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## SarahS23 (Jul 31, 2014)

Steve said:


> I know what these northerns are like for trying to steal wheels :lol:


Swine. I live in a posh area ha


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