Dumb Car Insurance people!

Redqueen

Just needed to have a moan about this as it's been annoying me for years and it's just got worse!

I had my first car before I passed my test and began building up no claims discount. I had already built up 2 years no claims by the time I passed my test, only learned half heartedly so it took a long time.

I have now built up 5 years no claims for this years renewal, and I have had my full license for just over 3 years now.

It originally was just Direct Line being dumb and not allowing me to even finish a quote because it says you cannot have more years no claims than you have had your license for. I have never been able to get a quote from them as long as I have been driving.

But now I come to start looking for this years renewal, and I try Comparethemarket.com first (wouldn't have minded the toy if they came out best!) and they also will not let me finish the quote now because they say the same, you cannot have more years no claims than you have had your license for! Haven't tried any others yet but I don't know what I will do if they are all being so dumb!

Why do they not realise you could build up no claims as a learner before you pass your test? It really annoys me that you can't even finish getting a quote because they are being stupidly dumb (sorry for the over use of the word dumb, but it really is the perfect word for the situation!)

Ok rant over now!

Does anyone else have this kind of problem, or know of a possible solution so I can start getting more quotes again?

Thanks,

Redqueen

supermanjo

Wow, you could do that? You learn something new everyday.

Parking_Trouble

Red, are you going to phone for quotes then? How did you get quotes last time?

rattlerwoo

Do your comparisons with out the additional two years then contact the cheapest firms and go through it again over the phone saying you have NCB proof for the additional two years. Blame the web site programmers for not thinking of that scenario.

Redqueen

I usually try out a few comparison sites to find the best deals and go from there, and comparethemarket has always worked before, only this year it's decided not to! I tried confused just now and they came up with some other kind of error on the website, and I tried gocompare and finally got something! Good job I start looking early so there's time for confused to fix it's problem, and for me to look around a few others before I have to decide.

I might start sending feedback to places to see if they will re-program their systems.

Never tried phoning any, don't like to use the phone if I don't have to, big wuss I know!

rattlerwoo

It does help as the I know the comparison sights gather a lot of info to tailor the quotes their quotes are weighted depending on the amount of commission earned when you click through to buy the policy. The commission amount varies between them so that's why he quotes vary for the same insurers.

dwsjarcmcd

rattlerwoo wrote: »

It does help as the I know the comparison sights gather a lot of info to tailor the quotes their quotes are weighted depending on the amount of commission earned when you click through to buy the policy. The commission amount varies between them so that's why he quotes vary for the same insurers.

Total rubbish. Comparison sites do not tailor the quotes in any way, in fact they are contractually bound not to. The amount can vary but it's because of different question sets and commission plays no part whatsoever in which company comes out with the best price.

NAR

I would have thought that the companies might not recognise the two years as a learner for NCB. Their argument being that as a learner you were not a full-time driver. Though I suppose the counter argument is that you paid two years insurance premiums, so therefore why shouldn't you get NCB.

InsideInsurance

With websites there is a numbers game at play.

You could build a site that every single person could get a quote from, after all the call centres are able to do so, but the complexity is massive and you will find you lose customers left right and centre. There is therefore a balance to be had between the proportion that can get a quote -v- the people that abandon the system part the way through.

Dont have any statistics but it could be the case that you are in a small minority, certainly not the norm for learners have their own policies, and therefore a simple validation to try and prevent errors in data input is possibly more important than allowing a small number of extra people buy online.

itsonlyandy

Easiest way in your case, would be go to the insurers websites. Complete your quotes on there, then call someone and discuss them. 9 times out 10 you will still be able to keep the internet discount if you just want to update a detail.