best for insurance - need it soon

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 15 Aug 2010, 18:11

hi guys, my insurance is up in a few days.....whats happened to premiums this year? The whole quote system seems to have jumped up £100 on average over last year.

Ive been on go compare and also confused.com, does anyone know of any good little insurance companies i could try. The bigger guns seem to be taking the mick on prices

I hate insurance companies....

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 15 Aug 2010, 18:35

Give Admiral a try Vince. Always good for me.

They don't appear on the price comparison websites as they're Welsh and don't get on well with Meerkats...

My advice generally would be to avoid any that appear on the websites.

Have a gander in the back of Practical Classics for some of the more obscure ones.

If you're a member of the CCC, they have a scheme too...

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 15 Aug 2010, 19:24

A insurance company that is cheap for one person won't necessarily be cheap for another. Though Admiral do always appear to be cheap for a lot of people I'm a bit unsure for one reason or another. Saying that, I've heard a good few stories about the next cheapest insurer - The AA.
Who ever you go with, make sure you get them to confirm all the details you've given them and make a note of their full name or something to identify the person you are dealing with. I did this just because I'm a little bit suspicious but it helped me when it turned out my specified details were different to what they had confirmed on the phone and they tried to charge me for changing my policy!

Unread post by **myglaren** » 15 Aug 2010, 19:59

Mine went up dramatically this year. As the date for renewal approached I had a letter from the AA. Normally I chuck them away unread but opened this one - a quote for renewal of the Xantia* insurance - £190! It had a code to access the details and change them online so I bunged the C5 details in and it returned a similar figure, I then added my daughter as she currently has no car and still came out at less, by a large margin, of my renewal quote.

Got back to my insurers and told them I was leaving them. They were very nice about it and naturally asked why. I explained why and they said , well OK but let's look at this, see if we can help - and came op with a lower quote than the AA for better cover and including recovery at a better level than AA.

May be worth your while having a talk to them Vince.

I'm (still) with Liverpool Victoria, mainly because they are so nice to deal with - no hassles and you always talk to a person straight away and that one person does the whole thing, no passing you round to various departments with lift music in between

I'm prepared to pay over the odds for that but ended up not having to anyway.

They are the only people I lift the phone for!

*gone these seven years now.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 15 Aug 2010, 20:16

I was with LV for years Steve, ever since I began driving in fact, back in the days when they were called Normal Frizzell.

I can absolutely vouch for their excellent manner and customer service.

I only left them because they cannot do a multi-car policy and to me that's essential, hence Admiral.

Admiral I have found every time offers excellent customer service either from their Cardiff office or from their Halifax, Nova Scotia office.

I always get to talk to a lovely Welsh girl in Cardiff and I love the Welsh accent

One even told my why my daughter Sian's name (a Welsh name) is spelt the way it is!!!

I'm biassed of course, having a considerable amount of Welsh blood and ancestry...

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 15 Aug 2010, 20:58

Thanks guys i will definatelyu give them both a call tomorrow and compare them both. I will also try my current insurers to try the leaving thing see what happens

Unread post by **myglaren** » 15 Aug 2010, 22:46

Try also the Co-Op, Royal Mail and the National Farmers Union.

brmartyn · Unread post by **brmartyn** » 16 Aug 2010, 07:26

CitroJim wrote:Give Admiral a try Vince. Always good for me.

I agree with Jim on this one I've just renewed with Admiral - far cheaper than anybody else

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 16 Aug 2010, 09:13

We all hope never to require the services of these legalised crooks and
TBH many run older cars that will never require mountains of money for
Comprehensive payouts so only hope to get some recompense and low
excess when the crunch comes...

I don't see anything wrong with the varied price comparison sites and
am happily insured with policies found for me with M&S and More Than.
Certainly in my experience you get nothing for loyalty with ANYONE
- the opposite in fact which is now the reason I don't mind the
rigmarole of chopping and changing online. Some are good one year
yet rubbish the next - something to 'do' with them tailoring the kind
of driver and the risk quota on their 'books'.

My sister loves staying with Direct Line yet has to cancel her insurance
renewal every year and requote and buy it new from them every time
- the call threatening to leave doesn't always work to lower the premium!

I'm told if you can afford to stump out the dosh - paying in one go cash will
always get you a good policy through an old school independent broker.

Admiral is in Swansea where they employ 1200+ people; thing is, I cannot
get on with the Welsh accent, despite decades living here in Swansea Jim!
I could happily talk to a Geordie girl all day long mind!

citroenesque · Unread post by **citroenesque** » 16 Aug 2010, 09:19

brmartyn wrote:
CitroJim wrote:Give Admiral a try Vince. Always good for me.
I'd agree with Jim on this one I've just renewed with Admiral - far cheaper than anybody else

I can vouch for Admiral. First class in my dealings with them.

Citroenmad · Unread post by **Citroenmad** » 16 Aug 2010, 10:20

Ive been with Admiral and Bell (same company) in the past and have always found them to be very good to deal with. LV is another good one.

I do use confused and the likes and have not had a problem, though i always try and go with a company which ive heard of.

However, i cant even remember who im insured through now, it was a brokers who put me onto someone else. Though they offer the cover i want and at a very good price. They also seem very helpful. It was with sky insurance broker.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 16 Aug 2010, 12:48

andmcit wrote:Admiral is in Swansea where they employ 1200+ people

Now why did I think it was Cardiff. I'm cracking up!
Thanks for putting me right Andrew

andmcit wrote: I could happily talk to a Geordie girl all day long mind!

Ummmmm!!! Why-eye, so could I

My joint-favourite accent...

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 16 Aug 2010, 12:59

Favourite away with your wanton ginger fantasies.

It leaves more Irish women for the rest of us to appreciate.

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 16 Aug 2010, 13:10

To be totally accurate - the HQ IS in Cardiff so you're not wrong nor totally
correct - the telephone call centre is in Swansea though and they're the lasses
you'll be chatting with - and by god they can chat.

You're quite correct Adam - the Irish lilt is bewiching too - interesting though
not exactly surprising that the more rounded almost 'singing' accents are
the most rewarding/appealing to listen to. Brummie and Scouse don't quite
do it really for many people according to surveys I've read in the recent past.

Could be worse I guess, my Bank still insists on using their Delhi call centre
where every word is unintelligible - other day I got totally frustrated and
hung up and re-dialed and got put through to a lass in Gateshead! Yay!!

Andrew

Unread post by **myglaren** » 16 Aug 2010, 13:34

other day I got totally frustrated and
hung up and re-dialed and got put through to a lass in Gateshead! Yay!!

Better luck next time Andy.

I have to listen to them all day long and they drive me crackers.