# Insurance Comparisons



## CaptainKirk95 (Jun 27, 2013)

My insurance is due for renewal around the middle of March and after 3 years and 3 no claims bonus' I thought i'd shop around early like i always do, for the past 3 years i have always found that compare the market to generate the cheapest but i have been shocked this time about the difference in prices for the same cover!!

For example ill use three insurers and 4 different price comparison websites:

*Diamond*

Compare The Market: £893.52
Money Supermarket:£853.81
Go Compare:£740.22
Confused: £682.19

*
Elephant*

Compare The Market: £865.05
Money Supermarket:£824.54
Go Compare:£723.80
Confused: £666.86

*Admiral*

Compare The Market: £846.66
Money Supermarket:£779.64
Go Compare:£713.94
Confused: £657.00

Confused provided the cheapest quote every time and the difference in the top price from these from to cheapest is £236.52, just shows how important it is to shop around really


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## Dal3D (Jul 13, 2014)

Just goes to show how (un)consistant prices are when Diamond, Elephant and Admiral are all part of the Admiral Group..

Be interesting to see if all the excesses / windscreen replacement charges etc are all actually the same or not.


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## nick_mcuk (Jan 4, 2008)

Dal3D said:


> Just goes to show how (un)consistant prices are when Diamond, Elephant and Admiral are all part of the Admiral Group..
> 
> Be interesting to see if all the excesses / windscreen replacement charges etc are all actually the same or not.


+1 to this..cheap policys are cheap for a reason they have had lots of bits cut out....I would compare the cover, excesses and terms very very carefully before just rushing in.


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## Clancy (Jul 21, 2013)

Yeah it's stupid, one of my cars is with admiral and the renewal was last week 

Renewal price they sent me was just over £600
To take a new policy out with them through compare the market was £500 odd

Took out a policy with them through confused for £300 

How can it vary so much? Pretty sure it's just random number generators tbh there's no reason for that variation


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## salow3 (Mar 8, 2015)

Clancy said:


> Yeah it's stupid, one of my cars is with admiral and the renewal was last week
> 
> Renewal price they sent me was just over £600
> To take a new policy out with them through compare the market was £500 odd
> ...


Yeah its crazy how they can vary tbh, just doesnt make sense at all. I had some quotes and they varied around £100 just because I make the quote on another day..madness.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

This is kind of funny for an insurance Broker like me.

Brokers came about to help the public find the right product at the best price from a choice of insurance markets, for a small commission of course, saving the customer the pain of shopping around.

I can remeber when Direct Line came on the scene with the "cut out the middleman", offering direct insurance. This was followed by a bandwagon of direct insurance from most of the insurance companies.

There became so many direct markets to choose from that someone came up with the idea of an aggregator (comparison) site, in a way it was an online Broker, but without any skill, not advising on a sale or suitability, just responding to keystrokes and coming up with a price.

Now there are so many aggregator/comparison sites with unexplainable price differences (although most likely as a result of different commission demands) from the same markets that you have to shop around these sites to get the best deal! 

What's coming next... "Compare the Compare Market" :lol:


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## Tricky Red (Mar 3, 2007)

Always found out the best screen deals seem to have very high excess applied. Once you compare like for like, there is very little difference. 

Not sure whether this is the case across comparison websites. e.g Compare the market defaults to £300 excess, but Money Supermarket is £100??!?! 

Also commissions must be partly responsible here.

I can't believe the number of 'extras' being sold outside of a normal policy nowadays. Courtesy car / breakdown cover, legal protection etc etc just to drive the original price down. Once most of these things were standard.


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## BrummyPete (Jun 10, 2010)

I always check the comparison sites but Sky Insurance has always bettered them every year for the past 4 years and it saves me sending proof of no claims etc, sometimes it's best to ask your current insurer if they are willing to beat quotes


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## Clancy (Jul 21, 2013)

My other car is covered by Debenhams insurance, they were very well priced and had good extras added. But they would only cover one of my cars, didn't want to insure my audi for some reason


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Tricky Red said:


> Always found out the best screen deals seem to have very high excess applied. Once you compare like for like, there is very little difference.
> 
> Not sure whether this is the case across comparison websites. e.g Compare the market defaults to £300 excess, but Money Supermarket is £100??!?!
> 
> ...


Breakdown, Legal Expenses etc were always optional extras. The FCA has recently (and rightly so) clamped down on how add ons are sold to make the cost of insurance clearer. There was a spate of some companies adding in all sorts of extra add ons so it now has to be made clear what the cost of the actual insurance is. If someone has protected NCB, soon you will also have to be offered a quote with and wthout protected NCB when your renewal comes, even though you may only want protected NCB.

Getting to the top of the list of the comparison sites is sometimes met by an insurer offering silly excesses, even £1k in some cases. Remember, when you are buying your own policy online, you are in effect broking it yourself, so always make sure you understand the cover, the exclusions and the excesses. For example, SDP & Commuting won't cover driving to the meeting at the office in the next town that you have been asked to attend.

Some of the commissions made by the comparison sites must be quite chunky, after all, they need to pay for the fancy prime time TV ads and Nicole Kidman.


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## CaptainKirk95 (Jun 27, 2013)

Dal3D said:


> Just goes to show how (un)consistant prices are when Diamond, Elephant and Admiral are all part of the Admiral Group..
> 
> Be interesting to see if all the excesses / windscreen replacement charges etc are all actually the same or not.


Excess is £500 for all of them
Legal cover is £27 for all of them
Breakdown cover ranges from £44.95 up to £94.95 including homestart
£75 windscreen excess with admiral


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## Clancy (Jul 21, 2013)

breakdown cover included is usually rubbish, would get that separate as you get a better deal

try debenhams through their own website mate, was by far the cheapest option for one of my cars so gotta be worth a quote


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## CaptainKirk95 (Jun 27, 2013)

Clancy said:


> breakdown cover included is usually rubbish, would get that separate as you get a better deal
> 
> try debenhams through their own website mate, was by far the cheapest option for one of my cars so gotta be worth a quote


Hi mate, yes i will probably be getting my breakdown cover separately, tried debenhams and they were unable to give me a quote, probably don't like insuring 20 year olds:tumbleweed:


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## Crafty (Aug 4, 2007)

I wouldn't use Admiral to insure a corgi diecast, let alone a real car. "Take your money and run" doesn't even cover it, I can't really put in to words the contempt I have for them, their atrocious customer service and dubious practices.

FCA really need to grow some balls and sort the insurance industry out because its a complete joke at the moment.


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## wish wash (Aug 25, 2011)

I always find it strange how I can alter job description from joiner non building trade to building trade and it can differ £60. Its like a lucky dip at a circus half the time.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

I'll never use Admiral again. Both our cars were with them, doe to end in April, and I sold my exeo, so asked for the policy to be suspended as I was picking my new car up a few days later. 

I phoned to insure the new car and they tried to tell me that I had to start a new 12 month period for both cars!!! Sounded like the sales man wanted to try and make some commission. I cancelled the policy and will never be with them again. 

Cooks


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## Hereisphilly (Nov 17, 2014)

Shiny said:


> Breakdown, Legal Expenses etc were always optional extras. The FCA has recently (and rightly so) clamped down on how add ons are sold to make the cost of insurance clearer. There was a spate of some companies adding in all sorts of extra add ons so it now has to be made clear what the cost of the actual insurance is. If someone has protected NCB, soon you will also have to be offered a quote with and wthout protected NCB when your renewal comes, even though you may only want protected NCB.
> 
> Getting to the top of the list of the comparison sites is sometimes met by an insurer offering silly excesses, even £1k in some cases. Remember, when you are buying your own policy online, you are in effect broking it yourself, so always make sure you understand the cover, the exclusions and the excesses. For example, SDP & Commuting won't cover driving to the meeting at the office in the next town that you have been asked to attend.
> 
> Some of the commissions made by the comparison sites must be quite chunky, after all, they need to pay for the fancy prime time TV ads and Nicole Kidman.


I said that to the missus last night, compare the market must have spent some serious dough to get her to feature in an ad!


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## kenny wilson (Oct 28, 2008)

Not had a proper read through yet, but, this seems interesting http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/insurance/2009/10/i-bought-car-insurance-for-96p


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## Clancy (Jul 21, 2013)

Hereisphilly said:


> I said that to the missus last night, compare the market must have spent some serious dough to get her to feature in an ad!


Probably gave her free insurance, save her a fortune :lol:


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