Direct Line indifference!

Juneno

Hi,
I've been lurking around here for a couple of months now but this is the first post! I'm indebted to Martin and all you guys on this site for all the help and advice on moneysaving. I've been pruning and saving since I discovered you and am shocked at how much cash I used to waste cos I was too lazy to shop around!
In my new moneysaving life now, I decided to look for a decent deal for our car insurance which is due for renewal at the end of the month. We've been with Direct Line for a few years now and I just kept letting the automatic renewal take care of it but this year I decided to shake it up a little. I got a quote as a new customer, which was £50 cheaper than my renewal quote and phoned them up to threaten to leave and also ask them why this was the case. And they couldn't have cared less! All I got was this bored woman on the end of the phone who was very keen just to cancel the policy there and then - no trying to retain my business at all, no asking why I wanted not to renew or trying to get me a better price. When I questioned the new customer quote being cheaper, she just said it was new business! I then asked her why the company didn't care about holding on to the business it had and why there were no incentives for people whose business they already had - all I got was silence! I then told her not to renew my policy and hung up. This is disgraceful.
I have since, thanks to the advice on here, found that Tesco are £40 cheaper than my renewal quote and I get £50 to spend on fuel or food.:T
So, I suppose I've done quite well but I'm still mad at Direct Line's attitude. I think they're getting too big for their boots and feel they don't have to try to keep customers. Hopefully they'll get the message if more people leave them.

amszephyr

In a similar vein, my Direct Line home insurance renewal came today - £70 more than last year, and this supposedly includes a 'loyalty discount'. I shopped around this evening and found a quote for half their renewal. If my Quidco cashback tracks, I'll also get £90 from that, too. A much better deal than auto-renewing with Direct Line.

gazza975526570

Slightly ironic that you left Direct Line to go to Tesco - both part of RBS Insurance!

Juneno

That, as you say, is the irony - the same company in effect, but such different prices for the same product.
Anyway, I'm happy! I feel I've struck at least a small blow!

Steve1981

Juneno wrote: »

That, as you say, is the irony - the same company in effect, but such different prices for the same product.

Both are part of the same group - however DL underwrite DL and UKI underwrite Tesco. they are both separate different policies.

you seem shocked that a quote for NB is cheaper - most of the time it will be - if you havent done anything for years and your insurer can see that then of course each year they will bump it up - with some companies as many as 40% of customers renew automatically - sometimes you get new custom sometimes you lose custom.

DL probably looked at your price and felt there was nothing they could afford to do (I dont think they have a proper retention department). it sounds as though you are angry with them as you have been letting them pull one over you.

Personally I never go for the vouchers - I'd rather find a pol £50 cheaper (which is mostly possible) Marks n sparks were doing the same thing before - but I know full well if we went to M&S more than £50 would get spent and then I would have fallen into their marketing ploy - worse still if I started going there each week after.

with over 60% off motor insurance business now done online (and alot of people do get it wrong online) there will be a hell of a lot of competition this year for car insurance as the year progress's

Juneno

I'm not at all shocked that NB is cheaper - just a bit stunned that they didn't seem to care about losing a client, especially, as you point out, when I've been with them for a few years.
As for nothing they could do - well, they could have matched the new business price but never even tried, as I said. Their loss as far as I'm concerned - why would I be angry?
As for the vouchers - well, I'm happy. Although it's not for you - each to their own - I shop at Tesco anyway and buy fuel there every week, which is what the vouchers will go on so I'll be better off. Also, the new policy is £40 cheaper, so I did find a cheaper one! So, from cash in my pocket, I'm £90 better off in effect.

ampersand

Juneno wrote: »

Hi,
I've been lurking around here for a couple of months now but this is the first post! I'm indebted to Martin and all you guys on this site for all the help and advice on moneysaving. I've been pruning and saving since I discovered you and am shocked at how much cash I used to waste cos I was too lazy to shop around!
In my new moneysaving life now, I decided to look for a decent deal for our car insurance which is due for renewal at the end of the month. We've been with Direct Line for a few years now and I just kept letting the automatic renewal take care of it but this year I decided to shake it up a little. I got a quote as a new customer, which was £50 cheaper than my renewal quote and phoned them up to threaten to leave and also ask them why this was the case. And they couldn't have cared less! All I got was this bored woman on the end of the phone who was very keen just to cancel the policy there and then - no trying to retain my business at all, no asking why I wanted not to renew or trying to get me a better price. When I questioned the new customer quote being cheaper, she just said it was new business! I then asked her why the company didn't care about holding on to the business it had and why there were no incentives for people whose business they already had - all I got was silence! I then told her not to renew my policy and hung up. This is disgraceful.
I have since, thanks to the advice on here, found that Tesco are £40 cheaper than my renewal quote and I get £50 to spend on fuel or food.:T
So, I suppose I've done quite well but I'm still mad at Direct Line's attitude. I think they're getting too big for their boots and feel they don't have to try to keep customers. Hopefully they'll get the message if more people leave them.

################
I idled onto your post Juneno and report identical experience, except that my renewal was higher than previous year! (Max. NC)
Having worked through Martin's comparisons exercise(nowhere near as fast as he though:rolleyes: ) -I'm now waiting for my £50 PO cashback on Fully Comp to come
through.
Mr T was dearer by double the amount being 'given back'. BUT, if you did not opt for the special Deal, it was not. Still couldn't compete with PO though.

gazza975526570

Direct Line dont negotiate on price - the price you see is the price you get - if you take it of course!

Steve1981

Juneno wrote: »

I'm not at all shocked that NB is cheaper - just a bit stunned that they didn't seem to care about losing a client, especially, as you point out, when I've been with them for a few years.
As for nothing they could do - well, they could have matched the new business price but never even tried, as I said. Their loss as far as I'm concerned - why would I be angry?
As for the vouchers - well, I'm happy. Although it's not for you - each to their own - I shop at Tesco anyway and buy fuel there every week, which is what the vouchers will go on so I'll be better off. Also, the new policy is £40 cheaper, so I did find a cheaper one! So, from cash in my pocket, I'm £90 better off in effect.

Im glad you shop at Tesco (that makes it a real winner for me) - wil be interesting to see how this pans out next year - last year the post office gave away loads of vouchers and this years renewals (from what I can gather have gone up a bomb)

With Direct Line and the size they are - tehy can afford to lose custom where they are not competetive - they know they are still growing as a company and for many people will be competetive (what with their extra promotions) as I say they still dont have a proper retention dept though that may well change.

ampersand

Steve1981 wrote: »

Im glad you shop at Tesco (that makes it a real winner for me) - wil be interesting to see how this pans out next year - last year the post office gave away loads of vouchers and this years renewals (from what I can gather have gone up a bomb)

With Direct Line and the size they are - tehy can afford to lose custom where they are not competetive - they know they are still growing as a company and for many people will be competetive (what with their extra promotions) as I say they still dont have a proper retention dept though that may well change.

###########
yes, Steve1981, you are right. I fully expect to change insurer next year, forever being a 'new customer', successfully tempted by whoever's offering the best deal:D

Thomas_Crown

gazza975526570 wrote: »

Slightly ironic that you left Direct Line to go to Tesco - both part of RBS Insurance!

Direct Line is one subsidiary of RBS but Tesco insurance is underwritten by UK Insurance another subsidiary of RBS.