Why is car insurance so complicated

[Deleted User]

I have just changed my insurance provider as i got a cheaper quote when it came to renewal time. I am now with RAC. I did it all online. I rang them because i wanted to change my address as I live away for work and go home at weekends and school holidays.
They didn't want proof of my address (although its different to what's on my driving licence and I explained that), they didn't ask for any documentation. In fact, when i got the paperwork through it included a paragraph that said 'we do not need to see proof of your No Claims Discount'.

It seems like they all just do their own thing!:o

dunstonh

Do these insurance companies own computers these days, surely details of my licence and my no claims proof is available at the click of a mouse to these companies.

Data protection would have a field day with that.

Up until a few years ago you didn't need all this material. I remember going into an insurer and just handing over details of my vehicle, and that was about it, they used to ask you if you had any convictions, which is held on a national datbase. I never used to get asked to produce proof of no claims, so the system has changed in the lest few years.

Consumer fraud and the move away from brokers (who were able to do the behind the scenes stuff) to comparison sites where you DIY.

If you DIY then you need to do some of the tasks that used to be done for you.

chris-j

MIB dot org dot uk.
Yes they do share information.

weejonnie

NCB is regrettably a minefield - many insurers only put on the renewal notice what their system shows - so it may show 4+ years - whereas other companies have discount scales going up to 9 years.

Even as an insurance broker we find that we often have to chase insurers to keep accurate details on our files (Insurers send us renewal information electronically so, guess what, that 9 years NCD suddenly goes back to 5 or 6 or 7) to ensure that our policyholders get the quotation that they deserve.

But what annoys us are ex customers who take out a quote elsewhere and then expect us to obtain the correct proof of bonus for them. Sorry - it's none of our business now.

mikey72

weejonnie wrote: »

NCB is regrettably a minefield - many insurers only put on the renewal notice what their system shows - so it may show 4+ years - whereas other companies have discount scales going up to 9 years.

Even as an insurance broker we find that we often have to chase insurers to keep accurate details on our files (Insurers send us renewal information electronically so, guess what, that 9 years NCD suddenly goes back to 5 or 6 or 7) to ensure that our policyholders get the quotation that they deserve.

But what annoys us are ex customers who take out a quote elsewhere and then expect us to obtain the correct proof of bonus for them. Sorry - it's none of our business now.

So you're happy to milk them for years, but if they want to leave, you won't give them the right paperwork they've already paid well for?

InsideInsurance

weejonnie wrote: »

NCB is regrettably a minefield - many insurers only put on the renewal notice what their system shows

What do you expect that they put on the renewal notice other than what their system shows?

Particularly when you talk about insurers, rather than brokers, you also have to remember the vast majority have antiquated IT systems. How IT systems used to be designed is massively different to how we design them these days. Things hard coded rather than peramitrised and likewise each module being very much standalone

As an example, for one client we were looking at doing a 15 month policy for Motor. The IT guys found over 600 modules in which the fact a policy is 12 months in duration was hard coded into the modules functionality. Speaking to the Enterprise Architect they were only 10% confident that they had found them all.