Car insurance sweet spot

Alfie2020

My car insurance last year was £289. I had one accident which was not my fault (I was driving straight in my lane in a two lane road when someone I think tried to overtake me and couldn't make it or came from the other side of the road and therefore went into the side of me. Stopped to exchange details, was threatened by third party therefore couldn't get the registration. Police called but when the third party realised I was on the phone to the police he got into his car drove at me hitting the car again. I had to claim and current insurer treated it as non fault as effectively hit and run and NCB retained. Third party never claimed which is a shame as the police would have been able to deal with him).

This year current insurer has given me a renewal price of over £400 so obviously shopping around. Putting in the same details for a quote this year 30 days before renewal date elicited £251 from a different insurer. I am now within the sweet spot time but all the comparison websites are giving prices higher than the one from the 30 day quote. I'm confused. Any ideas?

Woodstok2000

The sweet spot doesn't guarantee lower prices, they change all the time.

Aretnap

The notion of a "sweet spot" is overblown. A number of years ago an MSE survey found that, on average, at the time, most people's cheapest quote was lowest about 25 days from renewal. This has been morphed in the popular imagination into something like every insurer will always have the lowest price for every customer exactly 25 days before renewal date, from now until the end of time. Obviously that isn't how things actually work.

MyRealNameToo

Every insurer sets their own pricing. It should be no surprise that with circa 175 different brands out there they havent all independently come up with the same pricing model. So on average the cheapest may be on day 25 but if one insurer is targeting people just like you and their cheapest day is at 31 days out then your cheapest quote will be at -31 days

Ayr_Rage

Having just this moment renewed at date -6 days, here is my experience.

I tried all the major insurers and comparison sites, eventually buying through Topcashback for the £45 reward.

I started quotes around 30 days before my renewal date and updated regularly.

There was no real sweet spot for me with any site or company.

The insurer I ended up with, Darwin, had quotes that varied by less than £2 day to day on a premium of around £236 over the period.

Darwin was £237.27 on the TCB page this morning, once I clicked through and entered my vehicle registration the premium dropped to £228.18 which was surprise.

Yoga last year was £261 and their renewal price was £319.

Alfie2020

Thanks everyone. I'm just going by Martin Lewis' advice. I am currently 22 days from renewal today. Will keep searching.

luci

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6657558/car-insurance-sweet-spot

If you had the original quote emailed to you, it should have a link to apply, as most insurers usually guarantee that price for a period of time.