Home insurance - will this work?

**Juice**

We currently have home insurance and have had our first renewal quote of £342.56 :mad: Now, this home insurance is just in my partners name but at the address we both live in and jointly own.

I've just done a quote on their website and for the same insurance for new customers it's coming through as £233.32 with £30 cashback! I've already spoken to the insurer and they've said that they're unable (unwilling) to match their web quote. Although I'm tempted to move away from them because of this, they really are the cheapest!

Is there anything to stop us from cancelling the policy in his name and setting up as a new customer in my name? Obviously the address will be the same so will this flag something up somewhere? I can't believe the cheek of it...we've paid annually and had no claims and they're not even willing to reward us for our loyalty.

InsideInsurance

If they are one of the few home insurers that use NCD you may have an issue as it will be in your partners name not yours.

In many cases you can simply cancel the existing policy and buy again new without switching names but you need to check the T&Cs on the website before doing so.

Is this actually an insurer or is it a broker/ intermediary?

**Juice**

It's an insurer - I'll check their website for T&C's. I'm still feeling a bit grumpy with them so may well keep looking for alternatives.

vaio

"cancel" or "allow to lapse"?

**Juice**

vaio wrote: »

"cancel" or "allow to lapse"?

I was thinking cancel as I assume they would just take the money on the renewal date. Unless lapse is a better idea?

InsideInsurance

Cancellation would incur cancellation fees, you would tell them you do not want it to be renewed and want it to lapse. If you mention the word "cancel" some will hook on to it and fee the £50 fee flashing etc

*Scarlett

You need to lapse the policy from the renewal date.

Cancellation would be if you were doing it at a date other than your renewal and would normally incur a fee.

When you are doing this, you can mention that you are going to take up the new online quote and if they have an issue with this or it's against their t & c's they should tell you there and then.

vaio

Yep, good explanation of "lapse" & "cancel" although I suppose you could say you are cancelling the (auto?) renewal.

I don't think I'd be volunteering my plans to them, the online system was written by well trained (expensive) people, the call centre is staffed by less well trained (cheap) people so if the online system lets you take out the new policy that will be fine.

InsideInsurance

vaio wrote: »

the online system was written by well trained (expensive) people

They may be well trained but given the amount of insurers outsourcing to India etc for development work they arent necessarily expensive. Certainly the last mass market insurer I worked for had their own dev team in India and all the coders/ BAs/ first line management were paid considerably less than the call centre staff in the UK

rs65

Just a thought but check the definition of 'Insured'. Some say things like you and your husband/wife or civil partner and family living with you. Some say you and your domestic partner etc..

As we are not married, I always put her and me as the policyholder to avoid any doubt. It also means that the Insurers can talk to either of us without having to give express permission.