Direct Line Renewal Warning

Wyndham

My house insurance (home and contents) is coming up for renewal. The price was significantly up on last year, and I always get quotes anyway. But just to see, I decided to go onto the Direct Line website (who the renewal is with) and put it in as a new quote. For the same cover, it's come out at £250 less.

I rang them and they talked about different discounts etc. But this is one huge discount in that case! I'm not talking about a tenner here.

So, I'll be finalising the on-line quote and taking that one. And next year, I'll be doing the same. But I'm pretty annoyed with them, and feel they are taking existing customers for a ride.

tehone

Why go back to them - surely you could just use one of the online comparision sites and go with someone else (and cash back sites).

If someone tried to rip me off in the way you've described then I would seek an alternative.

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain

pretty standard for nearly every kind of insurance / insurer.

Effectively you MAY have just obtained a "new customer" discount to which you are technicall not entitled to. If you speak to the insurer then they would usually offer you this to retain the business.

Viper_7

Yes, they are all the same.
There is no such thing as customer loyalty with insurers. Change every year between your two favorite insurers and you'll get the "new customer discount" with each every year.

Vipes

Wyndham

They are cheapest overall, which is why I'm still thinking about taking them up on it. In terms of new customer discount, as there are two of us in the house, surely I can take out the insurance one year and OH the next? Then we will always be new customers?


It won't work with car insurance where there is the NCD to consider, but for household insurance I can't see a problem?

Thank you for all the replies.

*MF*

I have been trying to follow this "new customer" theme ... as best I know from doing that:

There has been one previous post - where DL (specifically the person in DL) took the view that the lower quote as a "new customer" would not be granted - but - there have been more posts where DL (again specifically the person in DL) has allowed the lower quote (in the same name I think) without argument.

Wonder if it depends on how the business figures look at the time or if the DL member in the one negative response had just had a really bad day?