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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Teen car insurance

25 replies

wolfbrother · 17/09/2010 15:46

Hi
My hatchback insurance expires in October, and 6 weeks later my DS will turn 17 and start learning. My current insurer does not insure this age group, and nor do lots I've looked at on the compare websites.
Has anyone been going through this in the last few weeks and have suggestions?

I'm actually not sure if I will be able to do it online as obviously the first 6 weeks will be without DS on the policy, but I will want to add him once he's 17. The websites I've looked at don't allow me to put him on the quote, or project forwards, as obviously he's not 17 yet. Am probably being thick.

OP posts:
kidsncatsnwine · 17/09/2010 16:08

You won't be able to get an actual quote until he turns 17, although if you do a pretend quote online (ie fake birthdate) you can get an idea of the cost... you might want to be sitting down with a stiff drink first....!

My son is 17 and learning to drive and most insurers wouldn't touch him or quoted severa thousand pounds!

A friend recommended Quinn Direct as they specialise in young drivers and it was by FAR the cheapest we could find. ..have a look! (and if you find cheaper let me know please:))

Original poster
wolfbrother · 17/09/2010 19:27

Thank you kidsncatsnwine

OP posts:
bubbles4 · 17/09/2010 19:35

My eldest ds was with Quinn Direct when he first passed his test,they were the cheapest by miles and apart from having to wait a week for documents to arrive[they are based in Ireland],thet were great.
Fast forward to year 3 and their premiums shot right up and he was able to go to Aviva and upgrade to fully comp for £300 cheaper,so I was very surprised when getting a quote for ds2 that Quinn came out cheaper again,so it seems that they specialise in newly qualified drivers,

borderslass · 17/09/2010 22:11

swinton insure 17 year olds dd1 has had her insurance with them since she started learning.She got herself a cheap run around was about £70 a month for DD1 and myself.

Original poster
wolfbrother · 18/09/2010 13:35

Thank you both.

OP posts:
DandyDan · 19/09/2010 10:10

Insurance for learners is cheaper than for probationary drivers at least. There is at least one firm I heard of that offer a "£3 per day" insurance at this point.

Rafaella · 19/09/2010 22:15

May not be what you're looking for but if you go to the AA website they have a link for learner driver insurance with a company that offers 1 week/4 weeks/3 months etc cover for a learner to go on your insurance, which is good if for example like my DD you just want cover while home from university. A month for my DD on my low insurance band car was quoted as about £100 compared to quotes between £750 (Quinn)-£2,000 for her to be covered for a year.

fortyplus · 19/09/2010 22:17

My car is insured with Direct Line - they said they'd add ds1 on when he turns 17. They gave me a fake quote based on a bd before my policy expired. Also they would allow him on a daily basis - I think for up to 30 days in any 12 month period.

Milliways · 20/09/2010 22:33

Admiral were far cheaper then Quin for us - but we have a DD who is cheaper than a DS.

Also, make sure you get fully comp quotes as we were often quoted less than for 3rd party! Something to do with policies being heavily weighted against young teens on 3rd party policies.

Also, whatever quote you get now is NOTHING compared to what it will be when they pass & can go out unacompanied with a car full of their mates.

We have an old R Reg 900cc jalopy that we kept for DD to drive, and she is 19, passed >1 year ago and it is an extra £500+ still for her to be on our insurance (some policies still want c£1k more).

Ponders · 20/09/2010 22:43

£3 per day is with \link{http://www.provisionalmarmalade.co.uk/\Provisional Marmalade} - I've just signed up for 2 months for DS2 who has been having lessons since April, & I hope to god he'll pass his test by the end of Oct! (Though if so he won't be driving at all any more, because we can't afford to insure him on either of our cars)

It's their own insurance on your car (with an excess of £250-300) so if they do have a bump it doesn't affect your NCD

Ponders · 20/09/2010 22:44

Our own insurers, AA, quoted £6K to add him to one of our cars Shock

Tesco are possibly worth looking at, we were recommended to try them when his sisters were learning (although they were both over 20 at the time, plus they are girls, obv)

Original poster
wolfbrother · 21/09/2010 16:51

Thank you all-plenty to try!

OP posts:
soremummy · 21/09/2010 16:54

I would also recommend marmalade for cover whilst learning to drive

Greenshadow · 21/09/2010 16:56

I'm interested in what DandyDan said - do insurance prices really go up once teen has passed the test?

DS1 has his test in a month and would hate to find the insurance is even more than we are currently paying!

Ponders · 21/09/2010 18:47

Yes, they do - because the new driver is going out without the steadying influence of a nice sensible parent!

My DD's went up from c £600 - c £700 for a Ford Ka when she was 23. (That was with Elephant)

Want2bSupermum · 21/09/2010 19:12

My Dad bought a new car with three years of free insurance when my little brother turned 17 (I was 19 and my sister 21). All three of us siblings had licenses but didn't drive until that point. He bought the car in our names as the deal was that owner(s) got insurance. After three years of no accidents (it was a shared car for getting us to work) we were all able to get cheaper car insurance as we all had 3 yrs of NCD. My dad said that the insurance deal paid for the car and then some (it was a Ka that cost GBP6k and quotes for us ranged from GBP1500/yr for my sister to GBP2100/yr for my brother). You should check to see if Ford still runs the same offer. The Ka that my Dad bought is still running 11 years later and my brother uses it to drive to Germany with his bergen on an angle so it can fit on the back seat!

This webpage has more info:

forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=834803

Ponders · 21/09/2010 19:52

oh that is a good idea, Want2b - I remember seeing Citroen Saxos with that offer a few years ago, I didn't know Ford ever did it!

Want2bSupermum · 23/09/2010 01:29

It is amazing what most dealers can put together if it means they can sell a car. If you down this route just be careful that they don't try to issue one insurance policy with the cheapest person covered and the others only named.

Pachelbel · 24/09/2010 00:58

Greenshadow
The price change when they pass their test varies from company to company.
My first policy was with Quinn, however I cancelled it within a week after I got the papers and read the small print. The cost would have tripled when I passed. DO NOT be fooled, they are not as cheap as they appear.

I've now been with Direct Line for three years, and they are fantastic. Very reasonably priced but also comprehensive. Certainly one of the best companies for insuring young / new drivers. Oh, and they didn't try to trick me into paying silly money by raising the premiums!
They're not on price comparison websites though so are sometimes forgotten.

I think the best advice is to take out a quote under a provisional license, and then a second quote with the same details but a full license.
That will show up any companies who will try and sting you for passing your test!

Greenshadow · 24/09/2010 11:59

Thanks Pachelbel.
As it is my car DS is insured for, don't think there is much I can do until I renew my policy in May next year, so just have to keep fingers crossed that it doesn't rise too much.

Original poster
wolfbrother · 24/09/2010 14:49

Greenshadow, I have a feeling you are obliged to tell the insurance company for a lot of insurance policies when your child passes the test, or policy will be invalid...

Best check.

OP posts:
Greenshadow · 24/09/2010 15:15

Oh, yes, it's alright Wolfbrother, - I would tell them immediately - was only thinking I'm affectively tied to this policy until May so will have to put up with what ever increase they impose on me (should he pass....).

ShotsDad · 19/06/2012 11:37

Direct Line "Named Driver No Claims" is a total scam

Direct Line's advert that named drivers can earn no claims discount encouraged me to stay with them as my sons approached 17 years of age. When my son reached 17 he was added as a named driver and had no accidents or convictions for 1 year. On his 18th birthday we bought him a Peugeot 206 for him to drive to his new job. When we rang Direct Line we were quoted approximately £8,000 for Third Party Fire & Theft insurance as the price including the No Claims Discount.

We have since taken up a quote with Admiral for just under £1,800. I rang Direct Line in the hope of resolving my complaint and the customer service person said "what this quote means is that we don't want to insure him".

it is unethical and dishonest to say give the impression that sons and daughters of policy-holders will be favoured when they clearly aren't. A NCD is meaningless when it is a discount off a price approx 5 times that of other companies. An ethical honest stance would "we are not interested in younger drivers" as many firms say. I stayed with Direct Line for some years on the assumption that my sons would benefit and this wording is basically a lie.

scarlettsmummy2 · 19/06/2012 11:45

Are Quinn still going?? I thought the whole company had went bankrupt a couple of months ago?

TeenageWildlife · 19/06/2012 16:05

Quinn are known as Quinn under administration - or something, but continue as normal and were always great for my DD until the price went up - they have our recommendation!

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