Insurance time again.

[CitroJim]

That's great news Steve

[PaulC5]

In the last week our car insurance renewals have arrived from the AA. Surprisingly they are both less than last year. 308 is £287, was £317 (7000 miles kept on drive), Octavia is £253, (5000 miles kept in garage) last year equivalent £340 (car changed in the year). I was not going to bother comparing prices but if they are all reducing premiums maybe I should.

Previously we had been with Direct Line for many years but each year they put up the price a lot, we phone and get it reduced back down but last year they put them up 60 to 70% and the reductions on calling were hardly anything so we left them and AA platinum policies were about 2/3 the cost of our equivalent Direct Line ones. Possibly Direct Line want to get out of insuring cars but their Cactus price last November was similar to comparison ones.

[myglaren]

That's great news Steve

It did seem so until I told them of the three points for failing to renew my license. I had told them but they hadn't included it in the renewal document.

They declined the renewal.
Looking elsewhere the cheapest was £5,563

I have given the car to my youngest son, he uses it more than I do anyway and he will insure it with me as a named driver for >£600.

I will have to be put on eldest daughter's insurance too as I have to drive her around a lot as she is unable to drive with her new medication and my car isn't always available.

[mickthemaverick]

That is outrageous Steve!! You'd expect a surcharge for the misdemeanour but that is just ludicrous. Clearly designed simply to get you off their books!

[myglaren]

Been with them for donkeys. LV=.

[bobins]

Mrs Bobins has just been filling in one of the car insurance comparison site forms - as always, one of the questions is:
"Have you committed any driving offences in the last 5 years ?"

You'll notice it doesn't ask whether you've been convicted of any driving offences, just whether you've committed any driving offences..... so the answer for just about every motorist out there who's ever gone over the speed limit would be "Yes"

....Or do you only commit an offence if you get caught ? As an example - driving at 120mph on the motorway isn't an offence if you don't get caught ??

[PaulC5]

This could also catch out those who did a speed awareness course rather than having points and a fine.

We have received emails from Direct Line and Green Flag saying they have been taken over by Aviva. This could mean price rises to pay off any loans taken out for the purchase and maybe the service might not be as good - things that often happen after take overs, Asda being an example.

[Gibbo2286]

Do the speed awareness courses get registered as a conviction?

[Richard_C]

We have received emails from Direct Line and Green Flag saying they have been taken over by Aviva.

Interesting thing about Green Flag - we have 2 long standing policies with them. The insurance rules that say you can't offer better terms to new customers than to exisiting only applies to car and house insurance, not to insured breakdown cover. So by about year 3 GF must reckon you are a loyal customer so maybe their algorithm adds a chunk to the cost. Our last 2 renewals I've cancelled and restarted as a new customer, saving significant amounts of money. Full cover doesn't kick in until 24 hours after a policy starts so I start the new one a day before the old one ends. I always expect the cost to go up a bit, if it was close to inflation plus a bit I would let it renew, but when its 25% it makes you look again.

[Paul-R]

Do the speed awareness courses get registered as a conviction?

No. Providing you complete the sped awareness course successfully then it is not added to your driving record.

If you get caught for speeding again within three (?) years of doing the course then you are supposed to just pay the fine and take the endorsement. Sometimes you will be offered the course again but this is a mistake and you are supposed to turn it down as you are not allowed to take another course within three years of a previous one. I believe there are penalties if you do take it and are found out.

[Sloppysod]

Looking elsewhere the cheapest was £5,563

You're not telling lies about your age again are you Steve,......

You should really accept you are not 19 anymore and put your real age on the form - it may be cheaper!

[myglaren]

It was almost 12x what I had been paying.

[bobins]

Do the speed awareness courses get registered as a conviction?

No. Providing you complete the sped awareness course successfully then it is not added to your driving record.

But, presumably, you've still technically committed the offence of 'speeding' even though you've not received points and a fine ?

Pertaining to my original point about the wording of the comparison webshite, here's the relevant bit of legislation..... I think

Speeding legislation - gov.uk

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/section/89

[Paul-R]

Do the speed awareness courses get registered as a conviction?

No. Providing you complete the sped awareness course successfully then it is not added to your driving record.

But, presumably, you've still technically committed the offence of 'speeding' even though you've not received points and a fine ?

That wasn't the question asked, of course. You're probably right, though. Your place in heaven is assured.

[bobins]

Some worrying behaviour from one of my insurance companies.....

My pick-up truck insurance is due for renewal - last year's price : £156, this year's price : £201. Surprisingly, that's not a bad price for what they're offering, so I phoned them up to renew.
Spoke to a nice chap, went through confirming the usual boring details, gave him the credit card details and he says : "The computer has come up with a new price of £110, same cover and nothing else has changed - just the price. Is that OK ?"

Eh ???? What !?!? How ????

Needless to say - I paid as quick as possible and thanked him and hung up.

What's the betting I get a call back : "Sorry sir, there's been a mistake....."