Using comparison sites to find car insurance for new car?

JohnSwift10

I am considering buying a new car and I am going to use comparison sites to check what the insurance cost will be.

Will it cause any future problems if I compare half a dozen different cars on different comparison sites?

Brie

Just the credit checks I think.  I have seen credit reports where someone has checked been soft checked by 20 different companies.  Presumably that won't change any of the quotes.  

Why is there a Soft Search from my Insurance Company? — MoneySavingExpert Forum

Oh and there is a thought that going back to the same company might inflate the amount so you might want to clear your browsing history in between.  Supposedly that could help.

UnsureAboutthis

use the Incognito browswer to compare, does not safe history/cookies so the other sites won't be able to play on the previous quotes.
once you get a quote you like, you may want to call the company direct and or look at quidco etc etc doe cashback/rewards etc before going for it. But ensure you are getting what you want from the insurance.

DullGreyGuy

UnsureAboutthis said:

use the Incognito browswer to compare, does not safe history/cookies so the other sites won't be able to play on the previous quotes.
once you get a quote you like, you may want to call the company direct and or look at quidco etc etc doe cashback/rewards etc before going for it. But ensure you are getting what you want from the insurance.

Yeah... because it cookies that are going to be tracking you isnt it @unsureaboutthis and certainly not the fact they have your name, date of birth, address, driving licence number etc. Insurance is different from looking at the prices of widgets. 

JohnSwift10 said:

I am considering buying a new car and I am going to use comparison sites to check what the insurance cost will be.

Will it cause any future problems if I compare half a dozen different cars on different comparison sites?

Insurers have various tools to protect themselves from both fraudulent applications and "rate raiding" (other insurers trying to work out their pricing by doing many different quotes). Some will increase their prices and others will simply stop quoting if either of these tools are triggered. Some rating engines also charge per quote so you doing dozens of quotes that arent going to be taken up could cost them money which they may also decide to pull the plug on after a certain number. 

Its possible lots of very similar quotes at the same time could cause a problem but less likely given you are just looking at different vehicles and presumably ticking the "I dont own it yet" box whereas someone changing their claims/convictions etc instantly feels more like a scam 

CRA Searches before buying will be soft searches so won't impact your credit history. 

Marvel1

DullGreyGuy said:

UnsureAboutthis said:

use the Incognito browswer to compare, does not safe history/cookies so the other sites won't be able to play on the previous quotes.
once you get a quote you like, you may want to call the company direct and or look at quidco etc etc doe cashback/rewards etc before going for it. But ensure you are getting what you want from the insurance.

Yeah... because it cookies that are going to be tracking you isnt it @unsureaboutthis and certainly not the fact they have your name, date of birth, address, driving licence number etc. Insurance is different from looking at the prices of widgets. 

Name:  Random name
DOB: False but accurate for your age
Address: Random house number same street
Driving licence number: Leave it blank as it's optional
Email: If you have another, use that or create one
Phone number: Random digits

UnsureAboutthis

Marvel1 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

UnsureAboutthis said:

use the Incognito browswer to compare, does not safe history/cookies so the other sites won't be able to play on the previous quotes.
once you get a quote you like, you may want to call the company direct and or look at quidco etc etc doe cashback/rewards etc before going for it. But ensure you are getting what you want from the insurance.

Yeah... because it cookies that are going to be tracking you isnt it @unsureaboutthis and certainly not the fact they have your name, date of birth, address, driving licence number etc. Insurance is different from looking at the prices of widgets. 

Name:  Random name
DOB: False but accurate for your age
Address: Random house number same street
Driving licence number: Leave it blank as it's optional
Email: If you have another, use that or create one
Phone number: Random digits

Exactly what I do when shortlisting insurance for the car or property etc. 
Most of the time I use an old mobile number for a phone I rarely switch on and its on a payg - works for me other times loads of zeros or a scam callers number

I'' share a secret, the name I use is often fgsgsjaefjrer dsjraejkreabaegf
Thank you

DullGreyGuy

Marvel1 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

UnsureAboutthis said:

use the Incognito browswer to compare, does not safe history/cookies so the other sites won't be able to play on the previous quotes.
once you get a quote you like, you may want to call the company direct and or look at quidco etc etc doe cashback/rewards etc before going for it. But ensure you are getting what you want from the insurance.

Yeah... because it cookies that are going to be tracking you isnt it @unsureaboutthis and certainly not the fact they have your name, date of birth, address, driving licence number etc. Insurance is different from looking at the prices of widgets. 

Name:  Random name
DOB: False but accurate for your age
Address: Random house number same street
Driving licence number: Leave it blank as it's optional
Email: If you have another, use that or create one
Phone number: Random digits

The two problems you'll have are:

1) Some insurers will check CRAs as soft searches on providing quotes, using a fake name and DoB will not bring back a match meaning some insurers won't quote and some will change their price

2) Most insurers do elasticity testing (pricing sensitivity) by "randomly" allocating some a discount or loading to premiums and monitoring the conversion/sales rate. Some of those factors are used for the seed of the random allocation (because it has to be repeatable for marketing message purposes) and so again when you change them the premiums could move


Neither are insurmountable but you may be getting false results by using false details and go off and buy the car thats more expensive to insure because the insurers that would have been cheaper on the other vehicle declined to quote or loaded their premiums because they saw fake information. 

UnsureAboutthis

DullGreyGuy said:

Marvel1 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

UnsureAboutthis said:

use the Incognito browswer to compare, does not safe history/cookies so the other sites won't be able to play on the previous quotes.
once you get a quote you like, you may want to call the company direct and or look at quidco etc etc doe cashback/rewards etc before going for it. But ensure you are getting what you want from the insurance.

Yeah... because it cookies that are going to be tracking you isnt it @unsureaboutthis and certainly not the fact they have your name, date of birth, address, driving licence number etc. Insurance is different from looking at the prices of widgets. 

Name:  Random name
DOB: False but accurate for your age
Address: Random house number same street
Driving licence number: Leave it blank as it's optional
Email: If you have another, use that or create one
Phone number: Random digits

The two problems you'll have are:

1) Some insurers will check CRAs as soft searches on providing quotes, using a fake name and DoB will not bring back a match meaning some insurers won't quote and some will change their price

2) Most insurers do elasticity testing (pricing sensitivity) by "randomly" allocating some a discount or loading to premiums and monitoring the conversion/sales rate. Some of those factors are used for the seed of the random allocation (because it has to be repeatable for marketing message purposes) and so again when you change them the premiums could move


Neither are insurmountable but you may be getting false results by using false details and go off and buy the car thats more expensive to insure because the insurers that would have been cheaper on the other vehicle declined to quote or loaded their premiums because they saw fake information. 

Irrelevant. No "false results" for me.  I do that all of the time and then go the the insurance's own website or even call and get a similar price, deal inc everything i wanted or at times another slight reduction, or then look at places like Quidco and get an even better deal.

On the comparison sites, they are just that, simple comparisons that are an easy way to say the top/bottom and mid figures for all of you needs and then work on the bottom figures.

Unless you've tried, you don't know. Work for me and may others and also everyone I know does that these days.

If it works, don't knock it. 

DullGreyGuy

UnsureAboutthis said:
Unless you've tried, you don't know. 

I have launched price comparison sites, I have created rating engines and onboarded multiple insurers onto price comparison sites... I know

UnsureAboutthis

DullGreyGuy said:

UnsureAboutthis said:
Unless you've tried, you don't know. 

I have launched price comparison sites, I have created rating engines and onboarded multiple insurers onto price comparison sites... I know

irrelevant. I used the technique as others have for years and it has worked for us To use something to one's advantage, you don't have to have created it.

noitsnotme

I’ve just figured out who UnsureAboutthis is (was)… previous user diystarter7 😄 (and prior to that, sweetsand).