Mysterious Car Insurance Premium Hike

mikey72

For the record then,
better means cheaper, as in the context it was written in, - shopping around for the best price.
By cost effective I mean where I pay less than I did last year, for what I want out of the basic insurance.
I don't buy the cheapest, I buy one that gives me what I want.
The cheapest is usually around £20 to £30 less than I end up paying, but I can usually pay less than last year, even if only by a few pounds, some times more though.
I don't have protected no claims, I don't have legal assistance, I don't want a courtesy car, I want a main dealer repair, I want eu use, (third party is fine) I want a telephone number, I want an online quote first for comparison, then I ring the call centre to see how fast they answer, and how they sound.
I want a cheaper price than last year. I want a brand name I recognise, and one that doesn't have outstandingly bad reviews. I won't use anyone that offers a stupidly high price than drops it. (They can stick to selling double glazing with that sales method)
If they use a cashback site that's an advantage.

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Bad reviews aren't going to make much difference from the sound of the cover you have. Have you ever had to claim on car insurance?

mikey72

Quote wrote: »

Bad reviews aren't going to make much difference from the sound of the cover you have. Have you ever had to claim on car insurance?

Sadly yes.
My wife was driving my car.
My problem at all, dealer repair, free car from them, absolutely no hassle.
You have offered good advice with regards to the insurance process, however you, as with some others, always appear to try to oversell, which never reflects well. To be honest, rubbishing other people, and being insulting is more suited to a double glazing salesman, not a professional.

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I take it this was a non-fault claim?

dwsjarcmcd

StephenMarsh wrote: »

Broker business is one of the more cost effective ways to distribute for an insurer, claims ratios tend to be better than business obtained via comparison sites.

Comparison sites have had such a negative impact on the industry and peoples opinions. Whilst its been great for the consumer with prices being driven down year on year the impact on the motor insurance industry as a whole has been extremeley negative because the market just cannot sustain those rates and something had to give.

That give was price increases everyone in any sort of know, knew it had to happen but when it did the consumer was up in arms and to some degree I can see why but just be thankfull of the years of cheap insurance you did have because thankfully that looks to be over.

There are more brokers on comparison websites than insurers. If you mean independent intermediaries, then yes they do offer profitable distribution but not the scale, so to get this the insurers 'need' comparison websites, although I would agree they would prefer not to. Even those insurers who say they are not on comparison websites are, just under another guise.

Comparison sites are successful for two main reasons, firstly they meet a consumer demand and because it's online, the consumer feels in control. Increasingly quality of cover and brand are becoming more important but people can still compare prices around their own individual requirements. Perhaps it shouldn't be, but it is a commoditised and a forced purchase, therefore it is natural that people will want to pay as little as possible for it.

Secondly, these websites spend millions on advertising which is why everyone knows of the opera singer and the meerkat etc. This has made them household names and many insurers cannot compete with this level of investment because it wouldn't change behavior. People expect to do the annual trawl of comparison sites and Direct Line/Aviva, so to compete they would have to drop prices as well as paying the advertising costs, so it doesn't make sence.

May not always be like this, but for now it is!

mikey72

Quote wrote: »

I take it this was a non-fault claim?

Your assumptions are getting worse.
Maybe you are a double glazing salesman.

No it was a fault claim.

There are good, cheap, cost effective companies, that can still make a profit for a reasonable premium, which provide excellent service based on the criteria I listed above, and which appears to cover what is needed to effectively insure a car.
And before you feel the need to point it out, the cost of protected no claims over the years would have been far dearer than the rise in premiums the one fault claim made. Or are you going to tell me insurance companies offer protected claims that they lose money on?

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Who were the insurers?