Pay As You Go - Car Insurance?

benjaminM

Quentin wrote: »

No you didn't!

This is what you said:



Which as already posted (and proved to you) is not true.

Why not just stand corrected?

Quentin, I said:

"Suspending policies is a good idea alas I don't think anyone does them anymore"

And...
I did stand corrected, I pointed out that you had found policies with the suspension endorsement.

I can only talk about what I know. I sell car insurance all day long and the companies we use dont have that clause on their policies or if they do its hardly ever enforced at renewal in terms of discount provided.

Thank you for enlightening me with what direct line and Aviva do. If I am ever asked if anyone does suspended policies at least now I know.

Lets not miss the point of this forum, its to help other people with insurance questions not try and out do each other with the right advice. Hopefully the OP got some decent suggestions to help her.

Quentin

benjaminM wrote: »

I sell car insurance all day long and the companies we use dont have that clause on their policies or if they do its hardly ever enforced at renewal in terms of discount provided.

I used aviva/direct line/pru/churchill as quick examples of mainstream companies who allow you to suspend cover. There are stacks more!

I don't know what you mean by "its hardly ever enforced at renewal time in terms of discount provided"?

As already posted, suspending your policy has no effect on NCD that you get renewal.

If you sell car insurance all day, then your advice to your clients seems to be suspect! You apparently tell your clients all they can do is cancel their policies with all the expense that involves when all they need to do is suspend!

You are correct that the forum is for discussing insurance questions, and we should be able to expect a poster using the sig of "insurance adviser" as you do gives correct advice!

benjaminM

Quentin wrote: »

I used aviva/direct line/pru/churchill as quick examples of mainstream companies who allow you to suspend cover. There are stacks more!

I don't know what you mean by "its hardly ever enforced at renewal time in terms of discount provided"?

As already posted, suspending your policy has no effect on NCD that you get renewal.

If you sell car insurance all day, then your advice to your clients seems to be suspect!

You dont know me so I would suggest you refrain from making accusations about the advice I give my clients.

You have made your point I think it is time to move on

Quentin

benjaminM wrote: »

You dont know me so I would suggest you refrain from making accusations about the advice I give my clients.

Of course we don't "know you".

But we have seen the advice you give out! (Or are you saying your clients get different advice to the wrong advice you have posted here?)

eg. Are you going to explain what you mean by this:

"its hardly ever enforced at renewal time in terms of discount provided"

benjaminM

Quentin,

This is getting boring now. We dont have any companies that have the suspension endorsment in their policy which is what I said. You kindly found the OP a few direct companies who do have it. Great, you have helped someone and you should be thanked for that.

Do you know what full cyle edi means? I expect you do as you seem to know everything else. Well for the benefit of anyone else who is remotley interested in this long drawn out post, full cyle edi is the software format most insurance brokers use for selling car insurance. The software house we use is called SSP. SSP have not included a mid term adjustment function to enable us to give suspended policies, absolute 100% fact.

In the past if someone wanted to suspend a policy and they were on direct debit they could do so but they would have to keep paying the direct debit whilst the car was laid up. At renewal the insurance company would offer renewal that "included" the laid up discount. In reality there was never anyway of telling if the insurer actually passed the discount on and on further inspection by running an alternative requote you could often get a cheaper quote with the same insurer ironically without any discount at all. If this was ever queried with the said insurer the standard response would be that cheaper quote included an introductory discount that the original did not. That may of course be true but to me it sounds slightly suspect and in any event the client would obviously choose the cheaper policy.

In respect of the advice I have given people on this forum I have always tried to be constructive and helpful. If there have been any inaccuracies I apologise it was not intentional. I have been in the industry for over 15 years, I dont claim to know everything there is to know about insurance but I do feel I have a lot experience I can share with people who need some advice.

Quentin

benjaminM wrote: »

You kindly found the OP a few direct companies who do have it. ........ At renewal the insurance company would offer renewal that "included" the laid up discount. In reality there was never anyway of telling if the insurer actually passed the discount on......If there have been any inaccuracies I apologise it was not intentional. I have been in the industry for over 15 years, I dont claim to know everything there is to know about insurance but I do feel I have a lot experience I can share with people who need some advice.

1) The "few" direct companies mentioned were examples for your benefit! As already posted, contrary to what you told us, suspending a policy mid term is the norm, not the exception!

2) I explained how suspension works - the IC refunds any premium due to the customer when the suspension ends, and doesn't do it by way of a discount on renewal! (That wouldn't be any good to any customer wanting to switch at renewal!)

3) Your inaccuracies have included other glaring errors (in favour of brokers!) eg. until pointed out you were giving bad advice, you authoritively told us we could only get a fortis policy by using brokers!

When you give your advice backed up by your many years as an insurance adviser, can't you see you are putting extra emphasis on the advice, and when it turns out to be questionable, you actually harm rather than help.

benjaminM

"2) I explained how suspension works - the IC refunds any premium due to the customer when the suspension ends, and doesn't do it by way of a discount on renewal! (That wouldn't be any good to any customer wanting to switch at renewal!) "

That is the point. You dont benefit unless you renew. I'm not saying its like this with every company but it is certainly was with NIG, Highway and Zenith. NIG would also insist that the vehicle was garaged during the suspension which was obviously not always possible for some clients.

The "few" direct companies mentioned were examples for your benefit
Sorry Quentin, I was not the one asking the question, your comments would better placed helping the OP

3) Your inaccuracies have included other glaring errors (in favour of brokers!) eg. until pointed out you were giving bad advice, you authoritively told us we could only get a fortis policy by using brokers!

Yet again Quentin you are getting your facts wrong. Fortis branded products are only available through brokers, if you dont believe me go check their website which clearly states on the front page:
Welcome to Fortis Insurance Limited. We provide both personal lines and small commercial insurance packages through brokers across the UK.
For the benefit of the OP I did state that Fortis also underwrite the Post office policy and they have a direct arm called RIAS.

I think my advice is good and I have quite a few PM's thanking me. I wont be put off by your constant barracking, its people like you they stop the good flow of information on this board.

Quentin, I think your time would better spent helping people on this board, as you obviously have a good knowledge of the business, rather than continue to question every little thing I post.

Quentin

benjaminM wrote: »

Quentin, I think your time would better spent helping people on this board, rather than continue to question every little thing I post.

You are wrong to say I am questioning "every little thing" you post. (You have made other glaring mistakes not yet addressed!)

This exchange started when you patronisingly (and incorrectly) dissed my suggestion to the OP not to take your advice, but to go for an ordinary 12 month policy and suspend it for the 2 months not needed:

benjaminM wrote:

Suspending policies is a good idea alas I don't think anyone does them anymore

Having eventually accepted that you were wrong, and that it is routine matter to suspend a policy, you now wrongly insist that when you do this the refund due isn't paid when the suspension ends, but only comes by way of a discount at renewal, so we must renew with the same company. This despite me giving a couple of chapter and verses from mainstream policies which say in black and white:

we will refund you a portion of your premium for the suspension period.

So expect any future bad advice to be corrected.

Other brokers happily answer queries here without advertising their status in every post they make - and of course when you also put your business homepage in your profile there is always the thought you might just be touting for business.

Whatever is behind this, we are entitled to know that your authoritative professional advice is questionable, (eg when you tell us we must use a broker to get cover from your considered best insurer, this is just not true!)

rudekid48

benjaminM wrote: »

"
Yet again Quentin you are getting your facts wrong. Fortis branded products are only available through brokers, if you dont believe me go check their website which clearly states on the front page:
Welcome to Fortis Insurance Limited. We provide both personal lines and small commercial insurance packages through brokers across the UK.
For the benefit of the OP I did state that Fortis also underwrite the Post office policy and they have a direct arm called RIAS.

Oh dear.

1/ Post Office car insurance is outsourced to Budget not Fortis.
2/ RIAS are not the direct arm of Fortis but they are part of the group as are UKFIS who run brands such as Green Bee, Amex, AIG Direct, Autodirect, Toyota but act as an intermediary not a direct writer.
3/ Fortis do have what you could call a direct brand - Done Deal. It is administered by their intermediary but Fortis are the sole underwriters.

rudekid48

Back to the OP - have you tried Coverbox for a quote for PAYD?