Car Insurance that you can cancel online

Andy50v

I find it quite irritating that you can't cancel many (most?) car insurance policies online, even though you can buy online. It's particularly awkward for me due to the hours I work. Then you have the hassle of waiting in a queue then having to deal with a sales person trying to keep you.

I have a few questions:

1. Are there any price comparison sites that allows you to see if you can cancel online before you buy the policy?
2. Is there a list anywhere else?
3. Can anyone say which companies do allow online cancellation?

Thanks!

DullGreyGuy

1. No, its far too niche and there are many more more useful things they could display (eg if a car policy includes Driving Other Cars) which they dont yet

2. Not that I've seen

3. Never tried to cancel online

As you realise, by doing it over the phone they get the chance to try and save the business which is exactly why they decide not to build the functionality into websites. 

Flight3287462

Why do you think you will need to cancel your insurance?

daveyjp

Aviva brands (Aviva and GA insurance) have full online policy management including changes to existing policies and cancellation.

Andy50v

Flight3287462 said:

Why do you think you will need to cancel your insurance?

You get a great price year one, then they jack up the price dramatically each year after that. So you need to cancel every year if you want to pay a reasonable price.

Which is also pretty annoying.

Andy50v

daveyjp said:

Aviva brands (Aviva and GA insurance) have full online policy management including changes to existing policies and cancellation.

That is very helpful, thanks! To be honest, I would pay slightly more to be saved the hassle.

Grey_Critic

Do the policies/Insurers you have viewed *specifically state that they cannot* be cancelled online? Only ever cancelled one policy when my son died but as I specifically state I do not auto-renew and it against CC suppliers rules for them to keep your card details on file or use to renew without you agreement.

eskbanker

Andy50v said:

Flight3287462 said:

Why do you think you will need to cancel your insurance?

You get a great price year one, then they jack up the price dramatically each year after that. So you need to cancel every year if you want to pay a reasonable price.

Which is also pretty annoying.

The practice of charging more for renewals than new customers was outlawed a year ago:

https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/new-year-delivers-fairer-home-motor-insurance-renewals

CliveOfIndia

Andy50v said:

Flight3287462 said:

Why do you think you will need to cancel your insurance?

You get a great price year one, then they jack up the price dramatically each year after that. So you need to cancel every year if you want to pay a reasonable price.

Which is also pretty annoying.

That's not cancelling a policy, that's choosing not to renew.  Just make sure that when you take out a new policy you select the option to "not auto-renew", job done.  Though, as eskbanker says, they're not allowed to charge a renewing customer more than if they were a new customer these days.  But of course, it still pays to shop around every year anyway.

DullGreyGuy

Andy50v said:

Flight3287462 said:

Why do you think you will need to cancel your insurance?

You get a great price year one, then they jack up the price dramatically each year after that. So you need to cancel every year if you want to pay a reasonable price.

Which is also pretty annoying.

Introductory discounts for new customers on Motor and Home are now against regulations, though worth noting that differential pricing for online, telephone and comparison website sales are still allowed so if you barter on the phone before buying it may be a telephone sale and so your renewal must not be more than a new business telephone sale but could be more than a comparison site sale.

Andy50v

I had missed the the FCA ruling. I just checked and my insurer was offering the same price as the renewal, although I was still better to switch by over £100.