Smart people avoid Budget car insurance

gilbertcr

IMHO they are utterly incompetant!

Early August - receive renewal notice from budget, insurance has increased from ~£400 last year to well over £800!
Having started last year with 4 years NCD I fully expected to be paying less this year.
The problem stems from 2 incidents in the last year.
The first involved a shunt. There was no damage other than top edge of my front number plate being chipped by the step of the van in front, however, one of the passengers had claimed whiplash injuries 6 months later and the claim was (and still is) unsettled (apparently these matters can take years and usually it's the case that the insurer pays out because it's cheaper than challenging it in court - nice!). Budget had recorded this as an Accident damage claim with a value of £1000.
The second was a break in which I had duly reported. There was no claim since the goods stolen weren't covered (that was taken care of by the household contents policy). Somehow Budget had managed to record this as an Accident Damage claim too with a value of £53.
Consequently what might have been 5 years NCD had been reduced to a big fat zero!!

The first of many many calls to Budget - I clearly explained that I would not be renewing my insurance with them on the basis of their renewal proposal and we discussed the NCD. They conceded that there was an error with the no claim for the break-in but the open claim for the shunt had to count. Fair enough I reluctantly thought, obviously it's costing them money to contest the claim. They offered verbally a revised quote based on 2 years NCD that I was prepared to consider, thinking, I'll have a shop around while I wait for their written quote to come through the post.

Come the renewal date - no revised quote from Budget.
Call to Budget - Budget have processed the renewal (@£800+)!!!
They can't provide a revised quote until the new policy has been cancelled and as far as they are concerned the NCD is still zero. They'll send me a letter for me to confirm cancellation with return of the Insurance Certificate (that I have at that point yet to receive).

Several days later policy docs received followed by cancellation correspondence - Budget have already cancelled the policy (the day after the renewal).

More calls to Budget to try to figure the NCD issue - I don't want to go elsewhere with a zero NCD!
Again we reach an agreement that their records are incorrect - however their Post Claims department are the only section authorised to amend claim records. They can only communicate with these people by email and it may take up to 3 days for them to respond to any communication (no guarantee of a positive outcome). They wouldn't/couldn't budge (sorry) on this even though I discussed the matter with more senior representatives (perhaps their calls from India to the UK are very expensive).

Several days (uninsured) later after more calls - a positive outcome, my NCD has been restored to 4 years and they are able to provide a revised quote, only a little more than the revised quote I thought I had several weeks ago. Great, I can now go shop elsewhere with 4 year NCD and if I don't find anything and I'm really desperate, I could still renew with Budget (perish the thought).

At some point (I think the new quote hadn't arrived in the post) I rang Budget again and if I remember correctly they had no record of the previous quote and provided a new quote over the phone that was nearly £100 more expensive.
I aksed them to send me proof of my 4 year NCD so I could go elsewhere.

The previous revised quote meantime arrived in the post - 4 year NCD but still showing the same erroneous claim history - sigh!
OK - at least I have something I can evidence my NCD with to my next insurer.

Sign up with Priveldge - great price, it's cheaper than Budget even with added protected NCD, UK customer support, I get £60 cash back and 0% terms for monthly payments - bargain.

Budget proof of no claims arrives - 2 year NCD !!!! Arghhhh

Budget revised quote doesn't count - it's not a renewal - because I had to cancel my policy with them it was a quote for new business and includes the immortal words 'proof of NCD from your previous insurer may be required'

More calls to Budget - agreement that the NCD should be 4 years and they will post a proof of no claims document.

Still waiting . . . . .