Direct Line insurance - check your renewals!

[MothershipG]

I just got my renewal letter and the cover for my 3 dogs had gone up by £17 but when I did a quote on their website for the same cover it was £6 less!!

So I rang them up and asked why the cost had gone up so much and she gave me some guff but said she could amend it but when I told her the price I was getting on the website she said she couldn't match it.

So same company, same dogs, same cover - but 3 different prices.

[GreatUncleEddie]

I think if you cancel your policy and take out a new one online you will get the online price though, I have done this in the past. There was even a question "who is your current insurer" which I answered "direct line". Very odd.

[Muffinpig]

I am with Direct Line for house and car insurance and they do this with those too. Renewal quote often £200 higher than online. Sometimes they can match it, sometimes they can't so I just cancel and do a new application online. They're obviously profiting massively from people who don't bother to check their renewals!

[MothershipG]

You're right Great and that's what I've done.

I hate this kind of sneakiness, I know that they are businesses and out to make a profit but this just seems so underhand, really verging on dishonest.

[toboldlygo]

The problem you have with cancelling and taking out a new policy online is that you are then not covered for the first 14 days. I'd also be worried that they'd reject claims for any pre-existing conditions on a new policy, even if they'd been covered for life on the old one, IYSWIM.

[GreatUncleEddie]

You are covered for the first fourteen days, where on earth did you get that idea? uh oh what have I missed? I take your point about pre existing conditions but don't think it applies to our building and contents cover

[Myliferocks]

We've just moved our buildings and home content insurance. The new company were a lot cheaper than the renewal price with our old company. When we rang up the old company the man said that he could match the cheaper price of the new company.
At this point my OH asked him why we weren't quoted the cheaper price he could match for our renewal. He just spluttered!
Then he said that the new company were cheaper because of their new customer discount and next year they would be more expensive so OH said that if that happens then we will just move again!

[driventodrink]

GreatUncle as this is in the dog house its talking about dog insurance, with pet insurance you are NOT covered for the first 14 days to stop people taking out insurance because they know their animal is sick

[GreatUncleEddie]

oops - oh yes!