Car Insurance.

[qprdude]

The time has come again to start the search for next years insurance. So far, I have been able to get one quote online.
The reason for the one quote only, is that I refuse to put my phone number on any online form before I actually decide to buy something.
My phone number(s) are private and personal, and I already get enough phone calls from India, ( give us access to your computer and we will fix the problem you are having), Payment protection compensation( you are owed £1500 for breaking your leg/arm/bum). Solar panels will make you a millionaire, We are fitting new windows in your area and you can get a 2000% discount if you agree NOW, and sometimes just general sales or survey plonkers.
Yes, we have signed up to Telephone Preference Sservice but we might as well have signed up for the next trip to the moon for all the difference it makes. The first thing any quotes website does, is sell your personal details to a company which sells them on to cold callers and other pests. They all do it, and they freely admit it when taken to task.

Anyhoo, the one quote that I got was a bit cheaper than my existing one (which was for a Saab 9-3 Tid up til June this year, and for the C5 2.2 Exc til December. My current provider has sent a flyer saying they will beat any quote for the same level of cover so I cant really lose.

The other reason I won't give my telephone number is that although regional accents are the bedrock of our culture, if you speak at 1000 words a minute in Geordie/Scouce, Brummie/ Lancashire/Yorkshire/Essex /Indian or whatever, as many call centres seem to do, I'm lost after the "Hello this is Janice speaking, how may I help you?"

Back to the point, I have a quote for £196, fully comp for me and SWMBO, with legal cover and protected no claims.

12+ no claims
9000 miles per year
Social and commuting to one place of business
Old geezer with 40 +years of experience.

Am I within general tolerance?

[Johnny Cogs]

I always use an old, dead mobile number when using comparison sites. You are always asked to confirm details when you actually take out a policy anyway...

[spider]

Your quote seems very good, I was quoted in excess of £700 initially and that's with 20 years without a fault claim.

The TPS, we still get calls , I questioned the last one they said something about being exempt as it was market research. I also read on another site that (I think) some numbers were given out that perhaps (again speculation) should not of been. Certainly our number should not of been in the wild, I never really give the land line number out. There is a BT number you can ring to have it removed but upon trying a month or so ago and pressing this and that eventually it cut me off.

I just now listen when I answer and if I hear typical call centre chatter in the background just hang up and do a 1471 to be sure.

I also recall you can get some caller block 'add on' but you have to pay for this which is a shame, I think you can then simply block any incoming number after you've finished the call by pressing a combination, I think this will also work for withheld numbers, as ultimately they are only withheld from the receiver of the call not anything else.

[qprdude]

Problem is, none of the systems work on calls from abroad. When "International "appears on the display, we just ignore it. My sister has a place in France and she knows to ring my mobile for a few seconds, then the land line. I'm afraid I'm a little more direct with unsolicited callers, especially if SWMBOm is out of earshot.
Good to know that my quote is reasonable though, and a good tip with the "use an old mobile number" . Some sites insist on a landline though. I suppose I could just give the number of someone I don't like!
Last time my wife got quotes for her car, she got half a dozen phone calls within minutes from power companies, house insurance companies and double glazing people. Lesson learned.

[qprdude]

Might try some more later. I'm not in a rush as I have till Christmas at least.

[myglaren]

If there is no alternative I generally enter a nonsense number '1's & '0's seem to work OK.
And ignore the landline completely.

[qprdude]

Got a few more quotes by putting in a phone number (No idea whos number, but not mine)
£167 fully comp with £350 total excess
£173 fully comp with £200 total excess
Both a long way cheaper than last years , and one of them is my current provider!

[Peter.N.]

I always use Confused.Com, have since they started always got very reasonable quotes, you have to change every year of course, except this year I have stuck with Swiftcover, although a bit dearer you can do everything online, on three ooccaisions this year I have got temporary cover for another car for a bit over £16.00 for two days and you can print out your certificate immediatly.

The bain of unwanted phone calls affects most people, I do the same as a previous contributer, if it says 'international' I just lift the reciever and drop it gain, I did try doing this when it said 'number witheld' but managed to cut off the doctor today

Peter

[Richard_C]

I often put in the contact number of the company who's site it is. Presumably they phone themselves. Looking for car hire quotes for the USA last year I put the Hertz number in the Avis website and vice versa, I like the idea of the one calling the other to offer cars at a good rate.

[KennyW]

Hi guys

I'm gong to be using my work number from now on but I'm a bit confused which one to use.

'999@ or 01313113131

As it is a call centre anyway

Kenny

[Citroenmad]

£196 sounds cheap enough to me. I pay something similar ... each month

[qprdude]

Down to £167 now, surprisingly cheap for a top of the range car. Much cheaper than my mid range, smaller engined Saab.
If I had to pay £196 a month, I'd be back on the bus.
My mortgage was less than that!

[Citroenmad]

Thats not just for one car, luckily

[qprdude]

Ah well, SWMBO pays her own premiums for her Clio.

[Timmy69]

10 years no claims and mine was £500 more than my Astra 1.4.I have a cpc as well thought that might have brought it down not up