Hastings Direct Excess Increase

Kev0007

Hi there,
Can anyone point me in the right direction please.
My car insurance has just recently auto renewed and at the time I was pre occupied with other stuff. 
Noticed the price had gone down from £290 last year to £230 so I just let it auto renew and paid in full.
I've now had time to have a look over my renewal policy and I've noticed an increase in the compulsory excess from,£45 last year with £0 voluntary excess to my renewal  compulsory excess to £195 with £0 voluntary excess.
That's an increase of £150 and when I called and spoke with Hastings Direct and asked the reason for the increase, I was told it was at the Insurers discretion why they increase compulsory excesses and they couldn't help me any further into finding out why the increase. 
Hope someone can shed some light on this query for me and maybe what I can do to find out why such a large increase whilst nothing else has changed in my policy. 
Thank you in advance.
Kevin.

caprikid1

It's a large increase but not a large excess. Personally with any insurance I have never been one to put in low value claims so always head towards a higher excess as they are cheaper and tend to discourage small value claims.

Given that if you don't claim for 3 years you are better off feels like a result to me.

Obviously its up to you to review the offer to renew and decline if you are not happy, a premium decrease should have been a big red flag of a change in policy terms.

AdrianC

<shrug> Does it make a big difference? Unless, of course, you're planning on having an at-fault claim...

If you have an at-fault claim in the year, you're £90 worse off.
If you don't, you're £60 better off.

If you don't claim this year, the same situation applies next year, and you have an at-fault claim, then you're £30 worse off - or £120 better off if you don't.

Come year 3, you're £30 better off or £180 better off.
 
How likely are you to have an at-fault claim...?

NEVER just blithely auto-renew without comparing quotes properly. And, yes, excesses are an important part of those quotes. And, yes, they can change the compulsory excess at renewal.

Ectophile

Insurance underwriters are always changing things. Nothing you can do about it.

In the meantime, put the £60 you saved in the bank. If you have an accident, that money can go towards the excess. Otherwise, if you don't have an accident in the next 12 months, you've got £60 to spend on anything you like.

Kev0007

Appreciate all your comments and advice given.
Thanks again.
Kevin.

Car_54

Kev0007 said:

Hope someone can shed some light on this query for me and maybe what I can do to find out why such a large increase whilst nothing else has changed in my policy. 

Apart from a massive reduction in the premium?