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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be tamping that my car insurer has doubled my premium?

21 replies

langlandgirl · 27/02/2016 16:41

In the space of exactly one year i have moved house, around the corner in the same village = +£25, then had my renewal quote = +£40 and then had some *rsehole drive into my car whilst i was shopping and drive off damaging, my whole driver back door hence needing to make a claim = +£80. Anyone experienced this - i've never ever made a claim in all my years driving (almost 30) and then i'm wellied with this. Shall i shop around or is this standard Insurance company --thieving behaviour? Angry

OP posts:
pointythings · 27/02/2016 16:44

Under those circumstances I would expect a rise, but I'd definitely shop around. You should shop around every year regardless, all insurers (home, car, everyone) will shaft you if you're loyal to them.

chilipepper20 · 27/02/2016 16:59

go to comparethemarket (or similar) and get another quote. find a comparable quote and phone your insurer and threaten to leave.

I had my insurer bump my insurance from 500 to 700, and said I had quotes for 450. they immediately backed off.

wonkylegs · 27/02/2016 17:03

I shop around every year even if I end up with the same insurer, it's generally good practice and usually manage to get a half decent quote.

TheFlis12345 · 27/02/2016 17:05

This is just what insurance companies do! I haven't made a claim in 12 years but every year the company try to hugely inflate my premium. I go on a price comparison site and then tell my current company to match the best price or jog on. Thanks to this method, I'm actually paying way less now than I did 5 years ago!

AStreetcarNamedBob · 27/02/2016 17:06

If you go to comparethemarket.com I think you'll be SHOCKED at how much cheaper you can get it.

Topseyt · 27/02/2016 17:06

Shop around. Go and compare some meerkats.

That damage in the supermarket car park was hardly your fault. Do you have a protected no claims discount. You may be surprised at how much difference shopping around most years can make.

OvariesBeforeBrovaries · 27/02/2016 17:08

We shop around every year too. Probably for the best.

Love the word "tamping" Grin

ElderlyKoreanLady · 27/02/2016 17:14

Car insurance companies are arseholes. Mine's just more than doubled after I changed my car. They won't allow me to have a voluntary excess to bring it down. Slightly cheaper elsewhere but not cheap enough to make it worth switching before renewal due to the fees.

I think the thing that pisses me off most is that over the last 8 years I've given several thousand to various car insurance companies for them to do precisely fuck all as I've never claimed. Never would either unless it was for large amounts of damage I'd done to someone else's car or for medical fees. Even logging a claim for something that isn't your fault would skyrocket the premium...unless you're paying extra so they don't hike it up.

Insurance companies really boil my piss.

WellTidy · 27/02/2016 17:16

Loving tamping. Are you Welsh, OP?

Original poster
langlandgirl · 27/02/2016 17:16

ovaries it's a very welsh word that mean fcking fuming! Thanks all - just been on martin's money saving tips - just found one with Post Office for £2 less plus one years worth of RAC breakdown cover - which i don't have and have started to worry about given my car is raging! Or i could get £50 co-op vouchers with another - yes the policy has gone up but hey if i can get something out of it and stick two fingers up at current insurer it will be a silver lining. topseyt yep got no claims protection so at lest that doesn't increase my policy with new insurer even further - as far as insurer is concerned as they have no-one to claim off (as the wnker drove off and didn't leave their details - for which they will get severe Welsh karma!!) they have to penalise me!

OP posts:
SparklesandBangs · 27/02/2016 17:24

I have always shopped around each year, even though I had a low premium and no claim my incumbent insurer would always send a renewal through with an increase, so I would go and visit the meerkats to find the better price.

Then last year I had a disaster as my car was stolen and not recovered so I had to get a new one. Current insurer paid out fine, and insured the replacement but the renewal was sky high and I thought for a brief moment that I was going to have to dig deep because of my misfortune, but I consulted with the meerkats again and I am now paying less than before.

I will never understand how or why insurers put the premium up each year, then refuse to drop it when you have an alternative, but I have no issue with changing every year,miss so easy now that even my elderly parents do it

Allgunsblazing · 27/02/2016 17:25

OP, through moneysavingexpert I searched with google.
My renewal quote came to £370. I then went to MSE, google and the best quote came at £193. Fully comp (no breakdown, as it is covered by manufacturer for 4 years).
They're taking advantage, don't let them.

Original poster
langlandgirl · 27/02/2016 17:40

Thanks Sparkles and Allguns you have given me hope. I will continue to search further (after a quick trip to Nandos for tea Grin)

OP posts:
Original poster
langlandgirl · 27/02/2016 18:05

I am pleased to say i got a policy £100 cheaper, free annual breakdown cover, free legal and twofer Meerkat movie ticket! Thanks Mumsnetters!

OP posts:
TaliZorahVasNormandy · 27/02/2016 18:22

I was with my last insurance company, they kept trying to creep it up, then I found a quote £10 less a month than what they were offering, with all the same things attached.

clam · 27/02/2016 18:38

I've just had a nightmare trying to get a new policy for dd who's just passed her test. Whilst she was a learner, a new driver scraped the back of her - no damage, no claim and certainly not dd's fault in any way, shape or form. I declared it (as it's "out there" on the internet as the new driver had a black box which registered the slight impact) and quotes for dd doubled. A few companies outright refused to even quote for her, saying she was now "high risk."

Ridiculous!

Anyway, thank God for good old Tesco. They gave the same quote for her with the declaration as they gave on the price comparison site when I played around with not declaring (just to see the difference in price).

Loqo · 27/02/2016 19:05

Everyone should shop around every year. It's a pain but otherwise you end up paying extra. I often stay with the same company but I renew as a new customer. It's madness but it saves me loads.

Some insurance companies do dynamic pricing and will adjust your quote depending on how many times you have applied for a quote and on the details that have given. It's all a bit Confused

clam · 27/02/2016 19:23

Don't they recognise your email address/details, logo?

myusernamewastaken · 27/02/2016 19:48

My car insurance is £140 a year.....i shop around for my car and house insurance....what really pisses me off is when they auto renew x

Loqo · 27/02/2016 19:56

Clam You have to do it before you get your renewal notice and start it as a new insurance. I time it to start before the old insurance runs out then I cancel the old insurance. It's worked a couple of times.

It's hard to avoid the dynamic pricing because insurance companies ask for your licence. Some of the companies share data. I can't see how it's considered a fair market but I don't really understand it. HERE is some info that gives some info about dynamic pricing I don't know if it's commonplace.

ChubbyPolecat · 27/02/2016 19:57

If you don't want auto renewal either don't pay by direct debit or ring them when your invite comes in and cancel it

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