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I've been with NFU Mutual for ages (8+ years) - I have two cars (Land Rover Discovery and Land Rover Freelander) and my home and contents are insured with them.
Never had a claim on cars or house - so in theory I'm an ideal customer - just pay the premiums and that's it.
This month my car insurance renewal came through - it's gone up 73% !!!
I contacted NFU to see if there had been a 'typo', but before I could explain what my query was about they launched into a script about how all insurers have put up their premiums due to insurance fraud rising etc. etc. etc. - I had to politely cut him off half way through his spiel!
So as NFU Mutual seem to have lost the plot I'll be taking my custom elsewhere this year. So for the first time in a long while I'm having to get quotes etc.
I REALLY HATE all the TV insurance advertising so I'm not enjoying this!
By getting online quotes (not through a compare site) I've managed to find some that are similar prices to what I paid last year so guess I'll be going for one on those.
SPAM Tip: Always use a 'throwaway' email address when getting quotes especially if you use a 'comparison' site.
The problem is who to choose?
Searching online for 'so and so car insurance review' brings up so called 'review' sites where it appears they are ALL TO BE AVOIDED. So not much use. All this tells me is they all appear to be rubbish if/when you actually need the insurance so perhaps you may as well go for the cheapest price anyway?!
I've found that The AA, Tesco and Admiral have come out best price wise at the moment.
I'm just venting really as I'm not enjoying this task and I've wasting too much time over it - this isn't helping! ;¬)
I thought I would post this in General Chat just in case someone has an interesting view on things.
[s]Hmmm...[/s]
Hi DL,
No that's just the photo. As you probably know car photos can be very deceiving (both ways!).
Tell me about it Hmmm .... not only did I produce an 'electronic estimate of repair costs' but this had to also include images of all the relevant lines of damage being charged for....and that was extremely hard at times. As you know, what the eye can see perfectly well...often doesn't appear on an image no matter how much you change the angle or light source, even the colour of the vehicle was a contributary factor :¬)
No that's just the photo. As you probably know car photos can be very deceiving (both ways!).
[s]Hmmm...[/s]
I make no comment about the vehicle...it is as it is. However I can be useful in 'seeing' previous poor repairs that would probably not be seen by the new potential buyer and in that area I can be 'useful'. A very nice looking car, judging by the image, but has it had a repair in the driver's door just below the mirror housing? Or maybe it's just the 'photo' :¬)
Actually I'm quite impressed with how it drives :¬)
We paid topdollar for the car - nearly £2500 from a dealer.
Private can be £1000 cheaper but all the one's we saw were rubbish. Many are around £2000 but again weren't nice in the flesh. In the end you start to weigh up how long the search is taking for the ideal vehicle against getting on with your work!
I know you used to be in the car trade so you're probably sniggering.
Here's a pic: Silver Corsa 1L
Power windows/steering/locking etc. Air con and lots of other toys (to go wrong!).
[s]Hmmm...[/s]
Didn't this corsa 'variant' i.e. the 1.0L, only have 3 cylinders?
Never mind, a sensible 'first car'... but perhaps one that will have to last for an awful lot longer...like the next 6 or 7 years or so :¬)
I (17 yo son!) ended up with Adrian Flux at just over £2900*ouch* for a 2002 Corsa 1.0L Life TPFT.
This all happened yesterday. We've got a nice clean car (30,000miles) - might put a picture up!
Adrian Flux were our best quote by around £400.
Just sorting out a few admin bits with them - things haven't been completely smooth which is a shame - but some people say I'm a fussy so and so and expect everything to be 'spot on' ;¬)
There is lots of interesting feedback on this company when you look around - but I appreciate people mostly only hear about bad experiences so am happy to give them a chance.
'Dan' from Adrian Flux seems to monitor many forums so it will be interesting to see if he picks this post up ;¬)
If it should all go pear shaped then I'll be back!
[s]Hmmm...[/s]
My eldest, only 26 (we produced late in life!!!), has just had to change. His renewal from a perfectly good company he's been with for 4 years had risen £350. He has now changed to the same cover for £400 from a rival! The existing company have just offered a 'better deal'....£15 off for the year? ha ha
In the present 'economic climate of turmoil and upheaval' one would have thought that it was in your best interest to 'keep' clients for the future rather than to 'drive' them away! That's the way I've always worked and it does work :¬(
EDIT: Let me guess....the Churchill link?
Blimey that site has been optimised with Search Engines and Ads in mind(!) even worse than my play site :¬)
I notice the links to Direct Line and Churchill might be 'affiliate' links (even though the second one fails) ;¬)
So "pinch of salt" required!
As you've probably guessed I'm trying EVERYONE!
When I phoned Direct Line I got through to a right old hag!
She was hard work from the start and when I said I was phoning for a quote on behalf of my son she said he would have to be available on the phone as well (he was at college) and wouldn't allow me to even get a 'ball park' figure :¬(
But thanks anyway as I'm looking at everything.
I'm wondering what all the other Freeola youngsters do about their car insurance?
[s]Hmmm...[/s]
£500 for a runner - so instead of say, £4k insurance you get quite a few rides! :¬(
If you want to be legit - no 'fronting' which is what the insurers are saying then it just doesn't add up.
I thought it was going to be the oil situation that kills off motoring but it looks like it might be insurance.
EDIT: I've just had a reply from the President of the AA on Twitter. No solution, but it's good to see him (or a rep.) had the decency to reply as many people/companies don't bother :¬)
[s]Hmmm...[/s]
@twitter