Car Insurance - Postcode change - goes up ??

StuieUK34

Afternoon all,

Am a little puzzled with car insurance.
I'm with Company 'A'
Wife is with Company 'B'

We changed address (from a GL2 to a CF23) recently so updated with our insurance co's..

Mine was just changed, simple as that...
My wifes insurer told her due to the new postcode, the premuim goes up by £39 (contract/premuim runs from March to March), so increased the last 3 payments she has to make to make up for this charge.

Now, in terms of postcode area, the previous was a normal one in an OK area.... the new one , is for instance, in a posh area
neighbourhood watch, very low crime, etc etc.....

Do we have any right to tell her insurer to reverse the £39 postcode change fee ?

Quentin

You have the right to ask them if they will reverse it, though no right to insist they do.

Most insurers charge an admin fee for mid term changes - maybe that explains the £39 (or most of it!).

R34GTT

As you probably know insurance premiums are based on statistics from a variety of sources.

It is possible that based on some stats your wife's specific model of car has a higher propensity to be involved in a claim of any kind now that you live in your new postcode versus the old. It doesn't necessarily mean it is a more risky area or not, just that there are higher number of claims made from people who have that specific car who live in your new postcode. There are so many variables that make up an insurance premium based on risk it is hard to decipher the effect of specific changes.

And/Or it could be your insurance company trying to make more money from charging an 'Admin' fee.

You could ask about this and see if any reduction can be made, I wouldn't expect anything though

StuieUK34

how bizarre
thats the car i used to own from Nov06 to Nov07 ........ brings back memories! (R34 that is!)

StuieUK34

ok, cheers for the info...
can understand an admin fee for them to type out a few words on a policy again (which is a joke mind!)
oh well, guess thats just how it is then!
cheers

R34GTT

StuieUK34 wrote: »

how bizarre
thats the car i used to own from Nov06 to Nov07 ........ brings back memories! (R34 that is!)

Great cars, sadly I no longer own one either! Had one from Sep06 to Mar10, sold it to a chap who came from France to collect it.

Well it wasn't exactly MSE anyway

kingstreet

Car anoraks, eh?

R34GTT, a 3.0 litre Nissan registered in 1998?



I get it now.

StuieUK34

haha !! love the comedians!!!
Skyline 2.5 single turbo 312bhp, mine was a 1998, sold it to some rich kid who nearly spanked it as soon as he drove off!!! doh!

forgotmyname

Nice posh area, But all those big houses down the bottom were paid for from insurance scams maybe?

Or one company has had more claims in that postcode, Or just admin costs.

StuieUK34

Morning all,
Turns out i too have been charged more for changing my insurance address (should have read my attachments in those emails!)....
My insurance is like £360 for the year (full ncb) + £60 to have it protected (ok, so £420 in total)........

My insurer/broker have said due to the move, the additional amount is £89 ? !!!!!! ?!
My estate is neighbourhood watch area, low low low crime rate (although 4 mins walk away and you got a few social housing, but that should'nt make a difference ?), i'm baffled how the increase to me is over 25% ?!

Is there anything i can do? Do insurance Osbudman deal with complaints about postcode lotterys and taking the p!ss with these extra charges ? i will write to my insurer first anyway asking for a breakdown to justify the major increase, just makes me mad that i get hit with this, and given i am half way through the policy, i dont have any options to go elsewhere or how to fight this ?

scheming_gypsy

You can check your postcode on http://www.carinsuranceexplained.com/car-insurance-explained/car-insurance-postcode-risk-list.html

although, does the increase include the admin charge as well?