Ridiculous car insurance quotes - why??

leniwhite

I've decided after 8 years of living in London and not needing a car for work, I finally want to have one again to go away for weekends and get more shopping without ordering it

I'm 30, have had my licence since 1997, i got a fixed penalty in 2007 and 3 points, but haven't had a car since 2007 so no NCB.

The cheapest quote I've had was almost £800!

Is this normal for my age, and what's making it so expensive?

dunstonh

That doesnt seem expensive for someone with no NCB, in a higher risk area and 3 points on their licence.

You dont say what the vehicle is though

leniwhite

Really?

I haven't bought one yet so I just tested the waters with a 2005 (55) Renault Modus 1.6 Dynamique 5 Dr Hatch. Any advice for cars that might be cheaper?

I'm slightly confused about NCB - I had car insurance from 1997 to 2007 on and off and only ever made on claim (back in 2001), I know I did have some NCB before I sold my last car, so do I include this? I can't remember any of the details....

Quote

leniwhite wrote: »

Is this normal for my age, and what's making it so expensive?

£800 sounds okay to me.

What makes you think it's ridiculous? Do you have a comprehensive background in insurance pricing strategies and risk assessment?

leniwhite

I'm just going on what I was quoted last time I looked into it... plus I often hear much younger people in high risk categories saying they pay close to those quotes, so I assumed I'd get cheaper. I also thought my points were null and void after 3 years...

citykid5

most insurers take your points into account for 4 years.totaly wrong i know,there a law to themselves..aviva take lapsed noclaims upto 3 years.if this helps
ck

lisyloo

Your NCB would be valid with a few companies if it's within 3 years (so late 2007 would be ok) but you'd need to have the renewal notice showing your NCD.
You can't jsut give your word.
If you don't have the paperwork it's not impossible but unlikely an old insurer would go out of their way to help and they may not have the records anyway.

Insurance has gone up a lot just recently.
There are a number of reasons including a bad winter (snow) and also an increased level of personal injury claims.

But at least you have done some reaserch before buying a car.
Some people don't find out until too late, so well done for that.

Personally I thik it makes a lot of sense to be without a car if you can manage without it.
The costs of depreciation, insurance, servicing, tax, mot, repairs, petrol, parking, fines (voluntary of course), congestion charges, breakdown etc. don't make it money saving. I don't think many people do the maths and if they did they would be shocked.
I went without a car 18 months ago and haven't had any big problems, but we do have another car in the household so I'm not without one entirely.

leniwhite

Hmm, well I have been going without a car for ages now, but it's become more and more necessary to go out of town and hiring a car has been less than a pleasant experience!

Thanks for all the info, guess I'll keep weighing things up...

Ian_W

leniwhite wrote: »

plus I often hear much younger people in high risk categories saying they pay close to those quotes, so I assumed I'd get cheaper.

Check the threads on here, most 18yr old males are looking at 3 or 4 times what you've been quoted! :eek:
Or look at it another way, max NCD is usually 60%+ which would give you a premium of £320 or less, do you really think insurance for a 1.6 vehicle in London is going to be much cheaper than that? Try a run of the mill (fiesta/corsa) 1.0l to 1.2l car and it might be a bit cheaper but I doubt it will save you a fortune.

For the usage you need why not hire to go away and use a taxi for the shopping, got to be far cheaper. Don't understand your comments about hiring!

raskazz

citykid5 wrote: »

most insurers take your points into account for 4 years.totaly wrong i know,there a law to themselves

Not "totally wrong" at all, look up "The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974".