The Car Insurance Racket

[Maaarrghk]

Bad news. My company just got liquidated.

Good news. They just offered me my company car at "block" price.

Bad news. Bloody insurance.

Having only run the company car this past 4 years, I have no longer any NCB. Ten years since my last fault claim, but 3 weeks back I got rear-ended. The other driver has admitted responsibility.

I know seem to be getting rear-ended again by the insurance thieves. Over £750 for TPFT on a 7 year old diesel Mondeo!

Does anyone know of an insurer that lives on this planet? Surely around £350 should be realistic. FFS, my cousin pays £500 for his V8 Jag of the same age and he lives in a place called Darn Sarf where they bump into eachother all the time.

Maaarrghk! Aged 49 3/4.

[rich.]

bad luck mate... all insurance companies are bad news.

[Mitsuru]

Give these guys a go they quoted me half what tescos were going to charge me.

http://grahamsykes.co.uk/

Tescos wanted £1,000+ for fully comp with 3 years no claims

Sykies £580 for fully comp.
And with all the bad weather and insurance claims over the pas t year most premiums
have gone up but mine has staed the same!

[zipgun]

It does stink... my recent renewal letter came from Admiral , up 30% on last year and... Don't worry ,it would be automatically renewed for me ..
Like fu## i thought ..rang up and said not to..i'll go elsewhere

A few days later...

"Tesco compare" email arrived (automatically generated i guess , because i did try it it last year so they knew i was about to expire , well not me , the insurance . ) and best price ..Saga.. then... yep ..Admiral , 30% lower than last year .. rang up and said yes please , £180 fully comp, protected bonus ..

[hobby]

Some companies do take into account company car driving, also it may be worth contacting the Company's insurance company to see if they will do anything for you, I know that with our Motability car RSA will do if we switch out of the scheme? Also from my last experience with a "no fault" accident a couple of years ago many insurance companies won't quote a lower rate until it's all done and dusted and settled and it's then proved you weren't to blame...

[Willy Eckerslyke]

Don't assume that 3rd Party Fire & Theft is the cheapest cover. Daft though it sounds, you might actually find that fully comp costs less.

[OneCarefulOwner]

Very much what Willy said; I always thought that TPFT was going to be saving me money as it saved them liability, but for what I was driving they were never likely to be paying me out much anyway. One friendly broker suggested we check things the other way and bam, 20% saving that year. I think it's perhaps because it shows you have more invested in the car, so you're likely to take better care? Who knows how these guys think…

I still check the alternatives on my renewals, but I'd say since I stopped wearing [stereotypical teenager/early 20s clothing] I've never had a TPFT quote that was cheaper than FC.

[Maaarrghk]

Thanks for the advice and comments everyone.

A nice lady from Aviva rang me today (£934) and I told her she was quoting me in limbs and appendages before going on to explain about the company car. She played me some Vivaldi while she wandered off to see if she could get me a discount.

A much improved quote of £325 TPFT or £368 fully comp has just landed in my in box. Good girl! Worth going for fully comp for the first time in my life.

I will try Compare The Rat by phone tomorrow - if I can find a contact number as they are VERY coy about putting any on their website. They quoted £755 TPFT or £757 fully comp - only 2 quid difference.

If their press office won't give me a number to call I will go with Aviva as they are in the ball park of what I was realistically prepared to pay.

[mach1rob]

I know that with our Motability car RSA will do if we switch out of the scheme?

Yes, usually if you return a Motability car, their insurers will provide cover with NCB you've earned whilst on MB, HOWEVER (as the inlaws found out) once you ask them to quote, there's much sucking of the teeth and you end up paying a fair bit extra than you think! Of course, you have little option to pay over the odds as most other insurers aren't keen on offering and introductory discount for MB accrued NCB so you end up having to go with the MB insurers to just get some NCB to use later.

[hobby]

The point was just that some insurers will take into account your track record with a company car!