Car Insurance Article Discussion

elektra

Knew it was too good to last

have successfully been using quidco and confused.com for last 4 years to get good deals but his year have found that insurers have wised up

e.g. sheila's wheels quote much higher when going through quidco
and Admiral detects that you have already done a quote through a comparison site so doubt it would honour quidco.

next year I shall try doing comparisons with a different surname and slightly different birthdate etc

Dan_Smith

elektra wrote: »

Admiral detects that you have already done a quote through a comparison site so doubt it would honour quidco.

Have you cleared your cookies and re-entered all the required information again into Admiral quote page? Also try using a different email address than the one you gave on the comparison website.

wrote:

next year I shall try doing comparisons with a different surname and slightly different birthdate etc

Would always recommend that.

elektra

Dan_Smith wrote: »

Have you cleared your cookies and re-entered all the required information again into Admiral quote page? Also try using a different email address than the one you gave on the comparison website.

thanks, tried that, I think it detects on DOB and postcode, hence my other statement about using altered details next year.

Now, I was about to go with Aviva and it has the option of protecting NCD but it doesn't change the price( after i've clicked recalculate), and the summary does not show it included.

It's not so 'simples' anymore. Can see why lots of people take the just renew option for speed.

Dan_Smith

elektra wrote: »

thanks, tried that, I think it detects on DOB and postcode, hence my other statement about using altered details next year.

Gutted.

wrote:

Now, I was about to go with Aviva and it has the option of protecting NCD but it doesn't change the price( after i've clicked recalculate), and the summary does not show it included.

Try clicking on the back button (on final quote page) to go back then click continue try recalculating again.

Aviva is on quidco/topcashback incase you didn't know.

elektra

Dan_Smith wrote: »

Try clicking on the back button (on final quote page) to go back then click continue try recalculating again.

Aviva is on quidco/topcashback incase you didn't know.

spoke to Aviva on the phone and they said I had hit a floor price for that vehicle and that quote does show protected NCD on his screen.

However I'm not sure I want to risk going ahead and paying, then finding it not included on policy docs, as it does not make sense that there is not a charge for it.

lisyloo

Yes but you have the choice there and then, not in 12 months time when you've forgotten what you talked about in the first place.

You are meant to CHECK it in 12 months time and make sure the policy is correct.
Whether you keep the existing one or get a new policy you should ALWAYS be checking your insurance is correct, not just going along with it and being unsure whether what you agreed to n he past was correct. This is why they send you the details, so you can check them.

They don't at Asda insist that you pay for next years shopping a year earlier.

Agreed, they have a different business model.

I don't like the way RyanAir operates.
I don't fly with them, ever.
If you really object to the way a company operates then on ethical/moral grounds you should not shop with them.
I encourage that approach.

Of course you have to realise that it might restrict your choice and rule out some cheap options.

The reason for this is to prevent money laundering and this is not relevant to the point of the discussion about companies helping themselves to your cash.

They don't help themselves. You agreed.
If you didn't read or understand what you are signing, then that's your responsibility.
If they helped themselves without any authorisation then you should ring your card comapny and report unauthorised access to your account.

Yes this is the thing, "most people accept these things". But is it really acceptable to be forced into giving an authority to a company to dip your bank account at the end of a negotiated contract? I personally believe it to be sharp practise, though I understand that others may not necessarily agree.

Who forced you?
Did they hold a gun to your head? Tie you down?
I suspect they didn't.
One of two things happened.
1) Either you didn't read your agreement and realise it. Sorry but this is your responsibilitt.
2) You did realise it and exercised choice.

You are entitled to your "sharp practice" opinion, but unless you are reporting anything outside the guidelines/regulations, then it would appear that the independent industry regulators do not agree with you.
Of course if you come across something outside the guidelines, then I would certianly encourage you to report it.

Yes but I presume that you pay for the milk after you've had it delivered, and not before?

Yes we pay for our milk in arrears, no doubt the company have the cost of that factored into their pricing.
Insurance is due up front. I can't tell you why.
But it's nothing to do with auto-renewal or not.
If you buy a one year stand-alone policy or a 1 day policy is due up front.
It's not related to your renewal mechanism.

You might buy it because it's the cheapest. But you don't necessarily want the strings that come attached to it, ie the assurance that the next contract will be with the same provider because they've effectively decided upfront that's how it will be

Aha, here we get down to the nub of it.
I have NEVER EVER found an insurance contract that gives me absolutely everything I want (and I've been buying insurance for over 25 years).
There are many many factors to take into account.
For example if it's car insurance - then it's - price, service, legal cover, breakdown cover, european cover, amendment fees, cancellation fee, phone costs, NCD, how many claims before NCD is lost etc. etc.
I have always found it's a trade-off and you try to pick the best one.
You will probably NEVER find a policy that's ideal.

As for terms and conditions - yes they are the business, you are the customer, they get to decide the deals, you get to pick, that's how it works.

The problem is that it happens 12 months before the due date.

Only if you agree to it and authorise the payments.

But whether you auto-renew or expire, you need to do something in 12 months time ANYWAY, so either way you need to do something.
Fortunately the industry send you a letter in either case.
I can't really see the difference.
If you want a one-off policy you also have to agree 12 months in advance before the due date.

Insurers exploit loyal customers - they do not reward them. If an insurer thinks that you are loyal to it, not on the ball, or unlikely to challenge it, then it will proceed to rip you off as fast as it possibly can.

Not always true. I got a discount for loyalty this year and I've giev you specific examples of companies and the ways they rewards customers (fees, discount, higher ncd etc.).
I'm not denying it happens as some companies, but it's not across the industry and I've given specific examples to refute that.

.....and it ensures that they retain the business

If you can't be bothered to shop around and change yes.
But I think that's a good thing because those are also the same people who are likely to drive without isnurance because they are "too busy".
You have not addressed the point that some people would drive without insurance without auto-renewal.

If you want to change insurer with auto-renewal then it's very easy.
They tell you in advance as well.

Then they are exceptional.

Every company I've been with
Perhaps you need to do research at the level I do as I appear to find "exceptional" companies that reward me and don't auto-renew???

Yes I agree that one has to examine the whole of the detail and then one can make an informed choice.

Agreed, but I don't think you will EVER find a policy which is ideal and you agree with everything.
There are just so many variables it's impossible.
So for example you might find a policy at a great price but high rate phone calls. You then have to make a decision. It's called a trade-off. It has happened every year for 25 years for me, so your chance of finding an ideal policy where you like every single T&C and everything about is it wildly remote IMO.

However, I want to make the informed choice about month 12 to 24 when I get to month 12, and I want that choice to be based on conditions that exist at month 12, not necessarily those that existed at day one

I have two sugesstions for you.
1) Get a policy that doesn't auto renew.
2) Go whole of market, record the date (as you do for MOTs, dentists, birthdays, anniversaries), shop around a few weeks before including exiting policy, if necessary cancel policy (I recommend recorded delivery).

Those basically are your choices.

Personally I'd go for second as it gives you greater choice of the whole of market.
It's a small inconvenience to write a letter and if you examine your policies properly you will IMO find much greater trade-offs, but it's your choice and no-one will force you to take a renwing policy.

I can see why you want to make the choice you do (and it would be my choice to), but just because you don't like something doesn't mean it shoud not be on sale.
I can't stand Tuna, but I recognise it has health benefits, so I'm not calling for the shleves to be cleared of Tuna.
Auto-renew has benefits in terms of apathetic people not driving without insurance.
My preference is like yours, I prefer not to have auto-renewl, but I am PRO-CHOICE, whereas you are asking for things you don't like to be banned despite the fact that for many people there are benefits.

mikey72

lisyloo.
Don't beat about the bush, you want auto renew to stay don't you?

Steve_xx

I think we've done it death now. We'll have to agree that we don't agree on this one I think.

lisyloo

Don't beat about the bush, you want auto renew to stay don't you?

I think the choice should remain yes.
Personally I would prefer not to have it, but if a policy comes up that is otherwise fantastic then I consider it quite a minor trade-off and I think people make make much bigger trade-offs all the time.

For example I've recently turned down
1) no amendment fees
2) guaranteed protected NCD with no limit on claims
for
1) european breakdown cover

That's a bigger trade-off IMO.
Writing a letter is not a big deal to get your knickers in a knot about IMO (especially as you can use the same template for car, home and use it every year).

lisyloo

I think we've done it death now. We'll have to agree that we don't agree on this one I think.

I am happy to disagree about personal preferences.
However there are some facts (not opinions) that you are quite wrong about.

For example
1) Companies do not help themslevs. You voluntarily give them authorisation.
2) No-one if forced into anything. You voluntarily agree to their terms.
3) Some comapnies do reward loyalty (I've named 3 from personal experience).
4) Some people (that frequent these boards) do like auto-renewal. I am not one of them.
5) Choice is available.

These are FACTS