John Lewis car insurance - any experience of out there?

Blue_Parrot

Thanks to hours and hours of internet research, I have probably narrowed down the choice of next car insurance provider to:

John Lewis
NFU
Volkswagen Insurance

I can't find any reviews on the internet whatsoever regarding Volkswagen Insurance (part of Volkswagen Finance) which seems very strange. I was all set to go with them, since it'll be a new VW, but then I found a Which? link showing the top 5 insurers and there is:-

NFU. Immediately interested because they have an office right here in town, I could not get an on-line quotation. They have to phone you. Hmmm........ checked around. The on-line reviews are almost 100% terrible. Now I can't find out if they are just another broker.....

John Lewis. Their website works fast and perfectly - just like Volkwagen Insurance's. The quotation is good and includes unexpected extras (windscreen automatically covered, taxi provided if car's in the garage for any reason, for instance),

but

I cannot find any on-line reviews for John Lewis car insurance.

Maybe all that tells me is that they have no unhappy customers. It seems to me that the only people who bother to write online reviews are disgruntled.

I'm not going to use a broker again: I save £175 minimum by buying an on-line policy myself. I don't believe they do all these hours of research themselves anyway (see posts passim).

SO, is there anyone out there who has car insurance with John Lewis, and what do you make of their insurance operation? If they don't have a UK call centre they're out of the shuffle........

Thanks in advance.

anniecave

From John Lewis website:

John Lewis plc is an appointed representative of Ageas Insurance Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Ageas Insurance Limited. Registered in England No. 354568. Registered office: Tollgate, Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO53 3YA

and here appears to be their website:

http://www.ageas-uk.co.uk/about_us/

doesn't help you with their reviews though?

Blue_Parrot

Thanks annie, closer inspection reveals that that John Lewis policy would be underwritten by Highway. (and that Ageas are brokers, not insurers per se.)

I went to the NFU this morning and went through the usual computerised form-filling with (of course) exactly the same data as everywhere else. Their quotation came up over one hundred pounds higher than anyone else's which I considered: indeed, it was within a few pounds of the v.expensive one from current insurer which I rejected and made me start these hours of research. They would not or could not negotiate, but were very nice and efficient for the 15 minutes or so I was in there. But I don't know why anyone in possession of research data would pay that much.

PDAH

Rightly or wrongly, I would go for the cheapest. I am not too interested in much else as I dont claim. Its a yearly contract which you will doubtless change next year.

Quentin

Both Lewis and NFU (second top) come high in Which? recommended car insurers list:

http://www.which.co.uk/money/insurance/reviews-ns/car-insurance/whichrecommended-providers/

Blue_Parrot

PDAH wrote: »

Rightly or wrongly, I would go for the cheapest. I am not too interested in much else as I dont claim. Its a yearly contract which you will doubtless change next year.

PDAH, isn't the whole point of any insurance, that you might have to claim one day?

Or - forgive me if I'm wrong - do you only buy car insurance because it's a legal requirement?

???

Blue_Parrot

Quentin wrote: »

Both Lewis and NFU (top) come high in Which? recommended car insurers list:

http://www.which.co.uk/money/insurance/reviews-ns/car-insurance/whichrecommended-providers/

Yes, that's how I found those two. I didn't have them on my shortlist before I read that.

However, NFU's quote was too high to be acceptable.

Quentin

Blue_Parrot wrote: »

However, NFU's quote was too high to be acceptable.

You do get what you pay for - eg. they don't make any admin charges for any mid term adjustments, and make no admin charge if you cancel.

Blue_Parrot

Quentin wrote: »

You do get what you pay for - eg. they don't make any admin charges for any mid term adjustments, and make no admin charge if you cancel.

That more than adds up to the extra £100 for their policy for the same people in the same car:

Actually, it's £415.24 as opposed to £278.73* = £136.51 higher.

And unless someone dies, there wouldn't be any mid term adjustments or cancellation.

*John Lewis, who routinely add in things which other insurance policies do not, as described in thread starter.........

Quentin

Blue_Parrot wrote: »

That more than adds up to the extra £100 for their policy for the same people in the same car:

Actually, it's £415.24 as opposed to £278.73* = £136.51 higher.

And unless someone dies, there wouldn't be any mid term adjustments or cancellation.

*John Lewis, who routinely add in things which other insurance policies do not, as described in thread starter.........

Just pointing out they are in a different league, and aiming at a different market. The no admin fee was just an example of how they are different, they will never be first on the list if cheapest is the way insurers are ranked!

olly300

PDAH wrote: »

Rightly or wrongly, I would go for the cheapest. I am not too interested in much else as I dont claim. Its a yearly contract which you will doubtless change next year.

I didn't claim either until some woman decided to go into the back of me and I needed a car to get to work.

Point is you don't know when someone will damage your car and it's best to choose an insurer who is known not to give you grief or cr*p information about sorting out your repairs.