Help me with inflexible company please!

Lucy-Jane

Hi all. I really hope someone can help me, I really don't know what to do now.

I took out car insurance, fully comp, £220 on my car for personal use. I did what Martin suggests and went to lots of companies, then called my broker to see if they could match it and they did.

I now have a new job and need to put business use on (not much). I work at a school so need it to be totally legit.

Rang my brokers. They said the cost would now be £400 :eek:. The insurance company only deal with brokers so I can't go to them direct (did try).

Can this be right? If not, what can I do?

huckster

Hi

Yes this is possible. Any premium is likely to include a mid term amendment fee of £20-£30, which most companies charge these days.

You may have to just go with it for now, as if you found Insurance cheaper elsewhere, your current company will charge you a hefty cancellation fee, making it uneconomic to change Insurer mid term.

Lucy-Jane

I don't mind paying £30 to amend any paperwork but paying £180 more seems like a complete rip off!

No-one else I've spoken to pays any more for business use.

When I called the broker originally to change it they said if I don't change my job title from my previous job I can put business use on (I know that's not right) - wouldn't do that anyway because as I said, I work in a school and everything has to be above board.

Grrr. Need to do it to claim mileage back from the school - is it worth it?!

raskazz

Lucy-Jane wrote: »

I don't mind paying £30 to amend any paperwork but paying £180 more seems like a complete rip off!

No-one else I've spoken to pays any more for business use.

When I called the broker originally to change it they said if I don't change my job title from my previous job I can put business use on (I know that's not right) - wouldn't do that anyway because as I said, I work in a school and everything has to be above board.

Grrr. Need to do it to claim mileage back from the school - is it worth it?!

The difference in premium will mainly be due to change in risk not admin fees. There will be a few things combining to change the premium:

- Changes in base rates and other rating factors between today and the date you set up the policy
- Change in risk due to your change of job and specifically the interaction between your job and the addition of business use

Lucy-Jane

Have just input my details updating to business use and the cheapest quote is from Swiftcover at just under £250.

Feel like broker is ripping me off.

Help!!!

pastra

What will you use the vehicle for?

That premium sounds like your will be carrying children in the car rather than driving between two places of employment.

dunstonh

but paying £180 more seems like a complete rip off!

Thats not a fee. Thats an increase in the premium due to risk change as said.

Feel like broker is ripping me off.

The broker is just obtaining the price from the insurer. They do not set the price. It sounds like the premium increase is more than just including commuting between offices. What level of business cover have you asked for?

Have just input my details updating to business use and the cheapest quote is from Swiftcover at just under £250.

Would you really want swiftcover though? A perfect example of cheap premium getting you cheap level service.

Lucy-Jane

I'll be carrying my own children in the car during personal use.

During work time I will be going from my main base to one of 6 sites, possible with a colleague or a pupil (this will be very rare though).

The business cover I asked for was the Social/Commuting/Business category with just me as the named driver and owner of the vehicle.

Dunstan, why don't you think Swiftcover's service is good for me in this instance? I always thought that because most of the population don't negotiate their car insurance (with the exception of MSE's of course!), that's why the companies can do lower prices for those of us who do shop around? Am I not right?!

dacouch

Try doing a search of forums for the many different threads about Swift cover

pastra

Lucy-Jane wrote: »

I'll be carrying my own children in the car during personal use.

During work time I will be going from my main base to one of 6 sites, possible with a colleague or a pupil (this will be very rare though).

The business cover I asked for was the Social/Commuting/Business category with just me as the named driver and owner of the vehicle.

Dunstan, why don't you think Swiftcover's service is good for me in this instance? I always thought that because most of the population don't negotiate their car insurance (with the exception of MSE's of course!), that's why the companies can do lower prices for those of us who do shop around? Am I not right?!

So you require a version of hire and reward not standard business use/

Lucy-Jane

Do I? Never needed it before, do you think I'm asking the broker for the wrong thing?