Car Insurance

[jack123]

Looks like I’m going to stay with Tesco. After a call to them I can get them down to £540 and maintain my low excess, whereas the price comparison websites all want at least £500 excess for a policy in the region of £500.

I also have key cover with Tesco and having lost one now is the time to launch ‘operation new key’, so £22 outlay for a £400 key sweetens the situation a little.

Glad it was sweetened a bit, after reading about your new quotes I'm dreading my renewal, I pay on a monthly basis about 20 quid a month, and after what you have said I am expecting it to rise to 35 now.

 

[CygnusX1]

Coming away from the use of company vehicles isn’t always straightforward. Finding an insurance company who will allow carry over of no claims benefits will take some time. Be prepared!

When I stopped having a company car, I went back to the insurance company I previously used (Direct Line) and they asked me to get a letter from my company stating I hadn’t had a claim whilst having a company car. Then they allowed me to have my NCD back from when I was last with them. This was in 2005 though, so things might have changed. But worth asking the question

 

[Cooperman]

Glad it was sweetened a bit, after reading about your new quotes I'm dreading my renewal, I pay on a monthly basis about 20 quid a month, and after what you have said I am expecting it to rise to 35 now.

You should think about trying to offset some of that rise by paying it in one lump sum.

 

[Cooperman]

When I stopped having a company car, I went back to the insurance company I previously used (Direct Line) and they asked me to get a letter from my company stating I hadn’t had a claim whilst having a company car. Then they allowed me to have my NCD back from when I was last with them. This was in 2005 though, so things might have changed. But worth asking the question

I also had to obtain such a letter but it wasn’t easy to find a company to accept such evidence. I was one of the first ones out of our car scheme, 2008 I think it was for me. Talking to the folks who have exited since, some of them have also mentioned the difficulty with finding an insurer who will accept letters.

 

[CurtessECarr]

Switched to Direct Line about 4 yrs ago.
Price increases have moved from around £240-£260 in that time. Fully comp and named driver.

 

[jack123]

You should think about trying to offset some of that rise by paying it in one lump sum.

Thank you, you know what I will do that, never even thought about it before, I have always paid monthly.

I'm sure IIRC, be about 40-50 quid saving. Stupid innit? You get in the habit of thinking car insurance firms are just like sky or virgin, so in the back of your mind, which when I initially got car insurance, I was under the impression that if you no longer had the vehicle, then you would owe no money.

Touch wood, I have never had points, or caused an accident myself, but I have been rear ended on a few occasions, first time it happened, maybe about 14 year ago, I was gobsmacked when my insurance company wanted full payment for my written off car.

 

[BrynCartwright]

Direct Line are taking the absolute piss with their recent renewal offer.

Back in 2019 I moved my elderly fathers insurance cover from RIAS to Direct Line. RiAS offered £1002.43 to cover a 12 year old Kia Rio for 12 months. My old Dad had been conned by that absolute shower of shit for years before I looked into it. Direct Line came in at £337.12! Happy Days!

Over the next 3 renewal periods it has increased to £463.21 and the car was traded for a newer 2014 Rio in 2021.

They have just sent me an email to check my online account for their most recent offer to cover 2023-2024. They have always sent paper offers in the mail, so the sneaky sods are hoping I couldn't be bother to check their offer...It is £625.28..!...which is a 41% increase, for a car with just a 3000 mile annual limit!

...and we are supposed to have a decent rate with them because the home insurance and my brothers Volvo S60 is all bundled up with them!!

This is not going to happen....I know insurance companies are all wankers, basically sanctioned conmen, but can anyone recommend a competitive one...

 

[jack123]

Direct Line are taking the absolute piss with their recent renewal offer.

Back in 2019 I moved my elderly fathers insurance cover from RIAS to Direct Line. RiAS offered £1002.43 to cover a 12 year old Kia Rio for 12 months. My old Dad had been conned by that absolute shower of s**t for years before I looked into it. Direct Line came in at £337.12! Happy Days!

Over the next 3 renewal periods it has increased to £463.21 and the car was traded for a newer 2014 Rio in 2021.

They have just sent me an email to check my online account for their most recent offer to cover 2023-2024. They have always sent paper offers in the mail, so the sneaky sods are hoping I couldn't be bother to check their offer...It is £625.28..!...which is a 41% increase, for a car with just a 3000 mile annual limit!

...and we are supposed to have a decent rate with them because the home insurance and my brothers Volvo S60 is all bundled up with them!!

This is not going to happen....I know insurance companies are all w******s, basically sanctioned conmen, but can anyone recommend a competitive one...

Bloody hell, in all honesty I have been paying around 21 quid a month for the last 12 months, 600 quid plus reminds me of when I was first driving. It's a joke though, no way should any drivers renewal increase, if they have had a years carefree driving.

 

[MajorR]

I’m paying £2.2k for a 5 car multi policy with Admiral which actually went town £300 on the previous year. We’ve got 5 cars in the policy which including 2 kids who both are under 23 including one who passed their test less than 12 months ago. Wifey had a claim about 3 years ago which wasn’t her fault but the guilty party wasn’t insured. I haggled with Admiral and a couple of hundred knocked off.
The optimum time to get a quote from another company is 3 weeks before renewal. Bundling up the policies definitely makes in cheaper as does paying it off in one go - paying by instalments generally attracts extra costs.

 

[Cooperman]

Direct Line are taking the absolute piss with their recent renewal offer.

Back in 2019 I moved my elderly fathers insurance cover from RIAS to Direct Line. RiAS offered £1002.43 to cover a 12 year old Kia Rio for 12 months. My old Dad had been conned by that absolute shower of s**t for years before I looked into it. Direct Line came in at £337.12! Happy Days!

Over the next 3 renewal periods it has increased to £463.21 and the car was traded for a newer 2014 Rio in 2021.

They have just sent me an email to check my online account for their most recent offer to cover 2023-2024. They have always sent paper offers in the mail, so the sneaky sods are hoping I couldn't be bother to check their offer...It is £625.28..!...which is a 41% increase, for a car with just a 3000 mile annual limit!

...and we are supposed to have a decent rate with them because the home insurance and my brothers Volvo S60 is all bundled up with them!!

This is not going to happen....I know insurance companies are all w******s, basically sanctioned conmen, but can anyone recommend a competitive one...

Get on the price comparison websites, Bryn.

What is competitive for me might not be for you.

 

[JackSomething]

I’m paying £2.2k for a 5 car multi policy with Admiral which actually went town £300 on the previous year. We’ve got 5 cars in the policy which including 2 kids who both are under 23 including one who passed their test less than 12 months ago. Wifey had a claim about 3 years ago which wasn’t her fault but the guilty party wasn’t insured. I haggled with Admiral and a couple of hundred knocked off.
The optimum time to get a quote from another company is 3 weeks before renewal. Bundling up the policies definitely makes in cheaper as does paying it off in one go - paying by instalments generally attracts extra costs.

I was working at Admiral when they became the first to bring in a multi car policy. Putting those quotes together for people was a pain in the arse, but got some amazing prices at the end of it. Sometimes the third car in the family going on the policy would come in at under £100 and it wasn't as if the first two cars were being charged over the odds.

What Cooperman said in the post above is spot on though, you have to shop around every year if you don't want to get gouged. Even if you get a renewal and it's remained the same, or only gone up a few quid, chances are that means you will get cheaper quotes elsewhere.

I go through cashback sites and usually get around £50 in cashback, meaning my policy costs under £200 most years. Just make sure whoever you switch to doesn't have any hidden charges or isn't missing coverage for something you'd normally expect. I went with Tesco last year even though there were some slightly cheaper options as I knew I was likely to change my car mid-policy and Tesco only charged a small admin fee for doing so.

 

[Niigata Jack]

Coming away from the use of company vehicles isn’t always straightforward. Finding an insurance company who will allow carry over of no claims benefits will take some time. Be prepared!

I'm insured on my lads car and the disability vehicle we have, but I get your point as I'm not the main name on any insurance policy, I'm in my 60's and been driving for over 40yrs, whether that'll help or not I don't know.

 

[BrynCartwright]

My old Dad is fast approaching 90, And I'm wondering if the big increase is because of him..??... he doesn't even drive anymore..I drive him wherever and whenever he needs to go anywhere. I could replace him as the main driver, but as I haven't had car insurance in my own name since 1993, apart from a year or so about 2011-2012. I always had a company car, so am dreading the amount they might quote?...

 

[CygnusX1]

Martin Lewis always pushes this tip when renewing car insurance - “The cheapest time to get quotes is 20 to 26 days ahead of your renewal date – cover becomes more expensive the closer you get”. The theory is, you're seen as more of a risk if you leave sorting your insurance to the last minute.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/car-insurance/when-to-renew/

Tbh this has never worked for me, but it might work for others.

As others have said, every year get quotes from various insurers. The AA have always been crazy expensive for me (as much as double the price). But the past 2 years have been the cheapest- go figure

 

[J_B]

Car insurance for a 90 year old will be extremely expensive. Many insurance companies won't quote for new customers over 80 but will continue to cover existing customers.