Do you always go with the cheapest insurance quote?

Padz_2

Its renewal time and I've been using comparison sites. There's a whopping £78 difference between my renewal price for my motorbike and the cheapest online quote. But the cheapest is Hastings Direct which appears to have a really bad reputation. Do you always go for the cheapest? Or is the 'quality' of the company more important?

Gordon_Hose

I call my current insurer and say "X company will insure my car for £50 less, can you match it?"

They usually do.

Padz_2

Hmm current one is Carole Nash. They wouldn't price match it last year but I guess I could try. Trouble with CN is they bundle in a lot of stuff I don't need but won't take out.

skylight

Cheapest is important for me.

Because I have a 7-seater people carrier, P reg with 130k on the clock. I have lots of kids and need a people carrier, but would never get enough money to buy a decent replacement with anyway should this one be written off.

vax2002

As long as it is not Swift cover...

Padz_2

That's interesting skylight. I wonder if other people's choices are based on similar calculations......

James_Nolan

vax2002 wrote: »

As long as it is not Swift cover...

Whats wrong with them? they insured my volvo for £200 less than anywhere else. Had no problems so far!

Premier_2

No point paying for cover you don't need.

Don't rely on poor internet reviews. You won't find any well known insurer (or any other large company selling to the consumer) that doesn't have a poor review somewhere on the internet.

I've used Hastings before without any problems (but I didn't make any claim, so I can't comment about that side of the business)

But it's your money and if you are not entirely happy with the cover (or company) offeriing the lowest price, look at the next lowest.

Padz_2

Maybe it shouldn't but it does bother me a lot that Hastings have their own section on Consumer Action Group forum.

Gordon_Hose

If they won't price match or beat other quotes, then take your business to another insurer.

Padz_2

Yes I'm planning to do that this year with the car insurance and have got a corker of a deal from Axa. But with bike insurance I feel differently. I think the claims if there are any can sometimes be more complicated. So I was just wondering how people felt about it but I think most of the answers this morning have come from car people.