Travel Insurance - no need to haggle

MerlinMags

If, like me, you are no good at haggling, try this trick...

I phoned Virgin Money for a travel insurance quote, since I had some questions and couldn't do it online. The cheerful lady talked about all the differences between the options available, but I felt bamboozled by it all. I kept asking questions and checking things, and before too long I had quotes for four levels of cover.

It didn't take long for her to start "trying to find a discount" for me, and some of the prices were tweaked down by £8 or so. I genuinely had more questions, and was honest about my confusion, and we had to chat further... the poor girl must have got worried she'd lose me, so started offering to knock prices down even more! In the end I was delighted with my deal.

I hung up and the phone's display told me I'd been on for 35 minutes. I expect the call centre staff watch the clock too, and are ready to give our discounts after a certain duration! Just sound dimwitted and worried, and you'll be fine...

Virgin Money travel insurance is provided by Insure&GO and underwritten by MAPFRE so those companies might be subject to the same tricks when selling other products.