House/Contents Insurance Quote - Gender Differentiation?

flaneurs_lobster

I'm aware that the insurers MAY be allowed to discriminate on gender grounds when pricing policies when actuarial data supports such risk determinants.

Partner and I have both completed the Quidco/MoneySupermarket comparison questionnaire for house/contents cover. In each case we have named the other as joint policy holder.

Both queries returned MBNA as the cheapest quote, but with the price being ~£90 more for the male quotee. This was also broadly true for the other quotes returned in the searches.

We've done a line-by-line check on the details entered in case of a dodgy date or voluntary excess but they do seem to be the same details. Our ages are within 5 weeks of each other.

Is this to be expected? Never seen advice that says the female should lead in a mixed gender joint policy application to get best price.

user1977

Same occupation? The DoB might be the factor, try playing around with fake quotes (not with your own details) and gender-neutral details.

huckster

Online websites don't like multiple quotes to be obtained for same address.

Pricing is not based on static rates. The Insurers computer system is constantly adjusting premiums trying to balance out risks. It can be deliberate, that Insurers don't want to Insure too many risks in same postcode area, so they increase the premium quoted by £xx and this might then mean that a competitor Insurer is a cheaper option.

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82060427#Comment_82060427

Both "Retired", DoB within 5 weeks of each other.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82060438#Comment_82060438

I guess that by definition the pricing is "dynamic". Interesting that the cheaper quote was that obtained later.

teaselMay

DOB within 5 weeks of each other could still mean that one of you is in a higher risk group by falling the wrong side of a cut off

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82060585#Comment_82060585

I guess it's possible, does still beg the question "why does it matter on a joint policy who fills in the form"?

Should say that these quotes were obtained today, the same quotes were sought yesterday (with less rigour) with the same results.

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82060646#Comment_82060646

If thats the driving factor, they'll almost certainly have stats to back it up, no matter how badly designed the statistical analysis is

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82060647#Comment_82060647

Just realised that the quotation form does not ask for gender, just a Title, for which either/both of us could have put 'Mx'.

Maybe the thread title should read "Age Discrimination?"

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82060689#Comment_82060689

They'll probably also have stats indicating that those of 'Mx' gender are higher/lower risk...might save you some money!

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82060705#Comment_82060705

…or indeed increase the quote.

huckster

Many years ago I was involved with an online quotation system and pricing; and dealing with complaints received as the quotes were constantly changing throughout each day. I don't think the OP's quotation difference is anything to do with discrimination. It is just that the system decided to offer a cheaper rate. Perhaps the companies sales that day were below target and the system was enabled to offer a cheaper price.

Without interrogating the system for each quote and finding out the different rates used, it is difficult to say exactly why they were different.