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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think £1100 is rediculous for car insurance.

38 replies

agedknees · 14/12/2010 20:06

Am 50 years old. Drive a ford fiesta. Have had no accidents in 22 years of driving. Had a window smashed in my car last year (no fault of mine).

Got my renewal notice in the post. Insurance gone up from £550 to £1100.

Thats extortionate, isn't it?

Have gone on line and managed to get a much better deal.

What are they playing at?

OP posts:
whomovedmychocolate · 14/12/2010 20:08

They are all at it - mine put my insurance up £400 - I shopped around and got it down from 800 to 300.

pointythings · 14/12/2010 20:09

Insurance companies don't reward loyalty. I had this two years ago - no claims, just a renewal that was close to £600 when I'd been paying about £350. So I shopped around and also got a much better deal. When I called to let the rip-off merchants know I wouldn't be renewing, they hastily tried to do better, but I told them they'd lost their chance by sending me a joke quote. So far I've renewed once with my current provider and they've been fine, but will definitely shop around again if I need to!

DoNotWantAnotherMincePie · 14/12/2010 20:10

£550 is too much let alone £1100. Mine is £400 - 16yrs no claims, full comp, insured for work and I live in London.

YANBU

Original poster
agedknees · 14/12/2010 20:11

But surely they know that people will shop around? Do they want to lose custom?

Thought they wanted me to pay bankers bonus as WAS insured with a well known bank/insurance company.

OP posts:
KaraStarbuckThrace · 14/12/2010 20:11

Agedknees - you say the window was smashed through no fault of your own, but was the person responsible caught? Was the damage paid for by the other person's insurance?
A claim is only considered to be a "no-fault" claim if your insurer is able to recover the costs from the responsible party.
This may explain why your premium has gone up to much - especially if your no claims bonus is not protected.

It is still worth you shopping around though.

Original poster
agedknees · 14/12/2010 20:14

Person responsible for window smash never caught. Had protected no claims bonus. When I spoke to the insurers, dh was on his computer getting quotes. My insurer wanted to know what quotes I was getting.

Just feel they pick a number out of a hat.

OP posts:
MarshaBrady · 14/12/2010 20:16

It is so high. And it is very dependent on the area in which you live. So each time there is an incident it puts up the price for that area, sadly.

KaraStarbuckThrace · 14/12/2010 20:18

I would definitely challenge the quote then if you have protected no claims then. Personally I would be taking my business elsewhere.

I'm insured with Tesco's and past 3 years running they have been cheapest so far - I pay just under £300 for my 1yo i30, fully comp, no claims protection, plus I get 28 days free car hire if my car is written off or stolen.

whomovedmychocolate · 14/12/2010 20:22

Did you try Saga btw, apparently they can be cheaper if you are 50+. Well according to my mum.

TattyDevine · 14/12/2010 20:23

That is ludicrous. I have a one year old big black European 4x4 and I paid just over £300 with Admiral, and that was a renewal price.

Shop around.

Piggles · 14/12/2010 20:24

Perhaps I have been lucky, but not all insurance companies are cheeky with their price raises.

I have been driving for 12 years now, have never made a claim and have been with same insurance company for 7 of those 12 years. I also drive a fiesta.

I pay £250 a year and haven't had them try to majorly price hike me yet - and when I looked online to see if I could get a better deal (didn't really think I'd be able to, but it doesn't hurt to look) there wasn't another company that even came close to being as low as the quote my current insurers had already given me.

If they tried to raise the price like that though I'd be off. What a cheek. And £1100 for car insurance is the sort of amount I'd expect to be asked for only if I was a boy racer!

thenightsky · 14/12/2010 20:26

OP.. I am about same age as you with a similar sized car (Honda Jazz). I renewed last month and I just checked my paperwork - I paid £176 fully comp with protected no claims etc.

That was with Admiral and I got it through compare the market dot com.

Oh... and I have 3 speeding points too!

Original poster
agedknees · 14/12/2010 20:28

Have got a much better deal (cheaper than last years) on the tinternet.

Do live in a very dodgy area, so maybe it is that. But honestly, £1,110. Should I change my name to Schumaker? (Hope I have spelt it correctly).

OP posts:
sazm · 14/12/2010 20:32

i always change companies,most offer a really good new customer deal,and its always better for us than renewing with the same company.

TattyDevine · 14/12/2010 20:35

This is the first time I've stayed with the same company. Admiral did put their quote up from last year but not as much as other companies wanted to charge. Go on moneysavingexpert to research the correct order of money saving websites - there are 2 main ones - go compare and compare and moneysupermarket - which grab the majority, but there are 2 that dont appear on these and they are Direct Line and Aviva. If you use all 4 websites you can be sure of a comprehensive comparison list!

I am younger than you (in 30's), foreign (though with British passport) and a late starter in terms of driving (was 25) so really something is not right there even if you live in a ghetto!

panettoinydog · 14/12/2010 20:37

You need to shop around for car insurance every year (moneysupermarket or similar) because they chance their arm and up it by huge amounts otherwise.

TattyDevine · 15/12/2010 08:46

Particularly the ones who do "automatic renewal" where if you dont ring and cancel they charge you again.

TattyDevine · 15/12/2010 08:48

And just to say, doesn't it suck being one of the lucky one's who's insurance runs out in December, of all months, as its always £££ with Christmas anyway. Both our cars expire in December, every year we do the insurance research thing!

ivykaty44 · 15/12/2010 08:55

Insurance is gambling - so the odd change trhough the month as they insure more poeple, that month they had to may people driving ford fiesta of a certain age with no accidents for 22 years - so the premium goes up as the odds do

as it is gambling thats what happens -go to another company and they havn't had as many people with your spec and so its cheaper

SantasKnickersOnMyHead · 15/12/2010 09:02

Mine is £2000 Blush

TattyDevine · 15/12/2010 09:29

Sheeeeet Santas do you drive a gangsta mobile in a ghetto, park on the road, with the windows open, have 6 points on your licence and are married to The Stig?

Niceguy2 · 15/12/2010 09:33

Perhaps he/she has a 18yr old son insured! Actually scratch that. It would be higher!

NigellaPleaseComeDineWithMe · 15/12/2010 09:36

Also if you shop around you can use Quidco to get cash back too - before we put DS1 on the insurance (17 - yikes Shock) - a Micra cost about £96 then with a £50 cashback Wink. Cheapest ever insured a car for.

TattyDevine · 15/12/2010 09:48

There's one on Moneysavingexpert where she did a deal with a discount and a cashback and ended up costing £1

SantasKnickersOnMyHead · 15/12/2010 09:51

Think it because I am 24...and passed my test less than 6 months ago.