Will phoning insurers directly be cheaper than comparison sites?

dunstonh

Product providers may issue a different version of their product for different retail distribution methods. This isnt just with comparison sites but other methods as well. For example, Lloyds Bank offered Scottish Widows products at higher prices and with some features missing or even some whole product types missing compared to what they offered via IFAs.

I can verify what InsideInsurance says as well as I have seen it on home insurance with provider offerings via one method being different to that via another despite the insurer being the same. In some cases, there will be a product version aimed at getting high up the comparison price list. Often cutting down features an cover to make it cheaper whilst the better quality product may be further down the list or not even made available via the comparison site but only via brokers, intermediaries or direct.

Comparison sites are not guaranteed to be cheapest or best either. For example, IFAs tend to get best pricing on annuities compared to the comparison sites that offer those.

Kayalana99

rtcw wrote: »

That's how I got the 7-6k quote on seemingly cheap and normal car down to 2.5. I don't think quote can be reduced further since fiat panda's in insurance group 1, and I can't afford any other cars in that group. If I pick group 2 car, the quote skyrockets up to 5k.

Still room for improvment on group 1 cars, I'm with drive like a girl - for some reason on my car if its worth £1000 they wont insure me, but if its worth £1,100 they will.

Were admiral charge say 2k for a years insurance and 3k for monthly payments, drive like a girl charge competive prices say 2.1k yearly but only 2.2k for a monthly arrangement.

You just have to play their system - but put to many car quotes in and admiral/bell etc don't come up after a while - not really sure why.

Infact, it might be worth giving drivelikeagirl a call...they usally 'wont insure that type' without sending it to the underwriters but they've always come back with a really competive quote for me and you can pay monthly at only a fraction of the cost other insurances charge..

InsideInsurance

Kayalana99 wrote: »

You just have to play their system - but put to many car quotes in and admiral/bell etc don't come up after a while - not really sure why.

Its generally either (a) counter fraud or (b) protection against competitors doing pricing analysis

For A its fairly simple, as far as an insurer is concerned, if you are answering questions honestly then there is a very limited number of valid variants you can enter. If someone tries every mileage per year from 1,000 to 20,000 in 1,000 mile increments are they really planning to change how much they drive or are they looking for the sweet spot to decide what to declare irrespective of what the truth is?

rtcw

Kayalana99 wrote: »

Still room for improvment on group 1 cars, I'm with drive like a girl - for some reason on my car if its worth £1000 they wont insure me, but if its worth £1,100 they will.

Were admiral charge say 2k for a years insurance and 3k for monthly payments, drive like a girl charge competive prices say 2.1k yearly but only 2.2k for a monthly arrangement.

You just have to play their system - but put to many car quotes in and admiral/bell etc don't come up after a while - not really sure why.

Infact, it might be worth giving drivelikeagirl a call...they usally 'wont insure that type' without sending it to the underwriters but they've always come back with a really competive quote for me and you can pay monthly at only a fraction of the cost other insurances charge..

Is lying about car sale price fraud?

Buzby

rtcw wrote: »

Is lying about car sale price fraud?

As if your perceived value means anything! They may not wish to insure bangers, but by the same token my car is worth considerably more to me than what a dealer would give.

I always state 'market value' that shifts the burden of proof - as how would an owner know with reasonable accuracy what it's value is? Is it in the hope you over value, so they charge you more, yet in the event of a claim, only pay the market value of their calculation regardless?

faddy

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Its generally either (a) counter fraud or (b) protection against competitors doing pricing analysis

For A its fairly simple, as far as an insurer is concerned, if you are answering questions honestly then there is a very limited number of valid variants you can enter. If someone tries every mileage per year from 1,000 to 20,000 in 1,000 mile increments are they really planning to change how much they drive or are they looking for the sweet spot to decide what to declare irrespective of what the truth is?

Is it fraudulent to declare mileage=sweet spot if true mileage is less?

Spiderham

faddy wrote: »

Is it fraudulent to declare mileage=sweet spot if true mileage is less?

The question is how many miles will you do not how many miles will you do less than? If you intentionally answer the question dishonestly you could find yourself on dodgy ground.

faddy

Spiderham wrote: »

The question is how many miles will you do not how many miles will you do less than? If you intentionally answer the question dishonestly you could find yourself on dodgy ground.

Until I read about mileage "sweet spots" on MSE last night, I had assumed that the lower the mileage the lower the premium and that one should therefore always err on the high side.

How accurate does the mileage estimate/forecast need to be?