Cheaper car insurance - Updated 14.03.08

guiriman

Word of warning about Axa, I got a year's free insurance when I bought my Yaris and took two year's fixed price with Axa beyond that. Their call centre's actually somewhere in Belfast but when I was shunted in a car park on 11th July I couldn't get anyone until the 16th as they were on holiday. Plus it is now nine months later and I'm still waiting to get my excess repaid!!!

System

just like to add that i always browse for cheaper car insurance,was with Quinn last year but now with Axa
happy hunting
hectoro

SaTScB

For the last 3 years I have used English Car Insurance companies which cover N. Ireland drivers and their prices were half what I was quoted from the likes of Abbey and Hughes.

I am currently with elephant.co.uk and have been with this company for 2 years now and the renewal came in £100.00 cheaper than what I was paying the previous year with the same company!!!!

The other comapny I used (my very 1st) was diamond.co.uk, the all women insurance company.

Both these companies have excellent customer services and have dealt with my queries very efficently. I would recommend contacting both these companies before taking out car insurance.

A tip, with Elephant I used the online quote service to get a quote (which was the cheapest I had received) and then I decided to phone to take out the insurance ... I asked the guy from elephant was that the cheapest quote and he asked what my cheapest quote was.... in the end I got my insurance £30 cheaper than the online quote, if you don't ask you don't get. In addition to this I put my mum on the insurance as a named driver and she lowered the fee down a further £10 (no idea why), so this year I put my boyfriend aswell and it did not change the fee. (BTW I am a female aged 26).

I hope this helps.

Good luck with the insurance hunting


SaTScB

arkonite_babe

SantCb, I know it's a minefield. My partner got his ins down by putting me on as a named driver, I will be trying that, also wee tip, if asked your best price, take your best price which was for third party fire and theft, when really that wasa his best price for fully comp, also try to reduce your mileage, I got mine down by £50 last year by reducing mileage to less than 12,000

Let me know how you get on

kbeattie

I have shopped around for years for car insurance and always ensure I get the cheapest. This has varied from year to year with no one company regularly getting my custom. Often where I have recommended a company to a friend, they have received a hefty quote so it really depends on an individual's circumstances.

For info, my current insurer is Kwik Fit who were considerably cheaper than anyone else plus you get 10% off at any Kwik Fit centre.

System

Has anyone tried to get insurance for a male under 21?
The cheapest quote for my 19 yo son was £2,300 (the dearest £6,000)

System

L.Hughes is by no means the cheapest. Every year I go to L.Hughes for bench marking purposes and every year McWhirter comes out on top. This year I managed to shave £35 off McWhirter's price by benchmarking them against Hughes. Note: men, if you tell McW that your wife will also be driving the car you will get an even cheaper deal than you would if you only named yourself as the driver!!!!!

Good luck

System

I have used J N Bailie for many years now. I do some pricing and J N Bailie has always been able to (at worst) come pretty darned close. I think that some of the others mentioned here (Huges, McWhirter etc.) use similar systems to price. By the way, both my nsurance policies are currently with AXA.

Always remember that insurance premiums are generally loaded with all the extras (no claims protection, legal cover, small excess etc.). To reduce your insurance you can increase your excess and limit your mileage (my second car is limited to 5000 miles with a £500 excess and no no-claims protection - knocked several hundred of the cost).

KDH

arls2711

I have used various car insurance brokers in Northern Ireland until 2 years ago when elephant.co.uk managed to save me £160.00. When the rest of the family came to renew I got quotes for them and they are all now with elephant. Only once was elephant more expensive and I tried Diamond - the insurance offering better deals for women. I think they are a sister company of elephant and were £30 cheaper but when I rang elephant they matched the price which saved changing companies. To date I have managed to get elephant.co.uk an extra 7 customers - should be on commission myself.

wirm

Does the Elephant website do R drivers?