Confusing Insurance Companies

[Jakestar]

I really don't understand insurance companies when it comes to online quotes and competativeness..

I've been with Admiral for 3 years now, and my renewal this time round (22yo, 4 yrs ncb, Saxo Vtr) is £337 tpft which I thought was very good.

Out of interest I tried confused, comparethemarket etc and was shocked that the best they could come up with were mid £400s and £500s. I then tried a few companies on their own website and direct line were the best, but quoted me £474 for tpft!!

Even more strange was the fact that I tried Admirals website and they quoted me £450..

Of course I'm pleased that I dont have to switch to get the best deal, just don't understand why other companies are not being very competative? And also why Admiral quote so different on their website vs my renewal letter!!

[davido140]

I've been with Admiral for four or five years now, they consistently come up with the cheapest price on renewal.

I had heard they were not the best in the event of a claim but I had the misfortune to have my car broken into and quite badly damaged in the process at the end of last year, it was all sorted quickly and efficiently.

Remains to be seen what my renewal will be like this year after the claim.

I've seen threads in the TVR forum discussing the best "specialist" insurance for Tivs, but they are the best part of £1000 cheaper than the closest quote from these companies for my Tuscan.

As far as I can tell most insurance companies just make up a random number.

[Jakestar]

haworthlloyd1 said:

have you tried elephant and tesco

Just checked them out.. Tesco was £530 and Elephant was much closer at £383.. looks like im staying with Admiral!

[john_p]

Admiral were cheapest this year for me, probably 60% of my renewal from DL.

It seems that all insurance companies go through phases when they are cheapest for certain sectors of cars..

[miniman]

Jakestar said:

Just checked them out.. Tesco was £530 and Elephant was much closer at £383.. looks like im staying with Admiral!

Elephant is Admiral, as is Bell and, IIRC, Sheila's Wheels.

[mph999]

Me neither, For years I couldn't get my insurance below about £440 - on a (BMW) Mini Cooper - full no claims, over 30, no convictions,live at a reasonable address etc ...

My mate who had the same car, lives 1 mile away, pays £260 ish, though he is married.

Tried the usual trick of searching online, and the results varied upto £1000 ??? Then along came the IAM scheme...

£230 /year. So if they can do it, why can't anyone else, ok, maybe not quite a cheap, but £440 ?

[mav 1]

john_p said:

Admiral were cheapest this year for me, probably 60% of my renewal from DL.

It seems that all insurance companies go through phases when they are cheapest for certain sectors of cars..

Indeed - spoke to my insurance broker recently and apparently Admiral are doing a huge land-grab for business.

[barney123]

Bit O/T but my house insurance quote came thru last week.

£355 last year with Churchill - This year £470 !! ????

Phone them up - they answered 'hello Direct Line' - eh ? - anyway she said 'oh - er - yes - I've had a look and now its £350.'

WTF ? How many people would just renew blindly ??

Its all to do with what they can get away with.

Edited by barney123 on Monday 16th February 11:32

[benjdr]

barney123 said:

Bit O/T but my house insurance quote came thru last week.

£355 last year with Churchill - This year £470 !! ????

Phone them up - they answered 'hello Direct Line' - eh ? - anyway she said 'oh - er - yes - I've had a look and now its £350.'

WTF ? How many people would just renew blindly ??

Its all to do with what they can get away with.

Edited by barney123 on Monday 16th February 11:32

Lots of people, I'm sure.
The same happened to me with Bell, and I had to provide them with a 'new customer' quote reference from their website which they would then match for my renewal.
Ridiculous.

[MrV]

Can add another to the "How much" Audi A4 beater renewal came in at £580 just a very quick online shop and down to £280 ,ring the brokers to be told that's the best they can do,was told by the broker the cover won't be as good etc funny thing is it is identical to what they have on their quote even down to the same insurer

Off topic but to the OP how do you find your VTR the missus fancies one and I know sod all about them other than they are the same as the 206

[john_p]

I also found that paying by instalments was massively more expensive this year due to a "one off payment discount", I don't ever recall it usually costing 30% more, was it always like that?

[Office_Monkey]

barney123 said:

Bit O/T but my house insurance quote came thru last week.

£355 last year with Churchill - This year £470 !! ????

Phone them up - they answered 'hello Direct Line' - eh ? - anyway she said 'oh - er - yes - I've had a look and now its £350.'

WTF ? How many people would just renew blindly ??

Its all to do with what they can get away with.

Edited by barney123 on Monday 16th February 11:32

They are the same company Churchill wouldn't quote me as DL already had, for this very reason.

[Silent1]

Jakestar said:

...just don't understand why other companies are not being very competative?

Because they're trying to be competitive with a company who are desperately trying to increase their customer base.

[shirt]

OP - have you tried getting a quote for fully comp? bizarrely it often works out cheaper than tptt.

[7 Sevens]

Often sites like confused assume a number of things to provide a guide price. Such as a certain mileage, courtesy car cover and legal protection. Otherwise as others had said its all about the companies growing the business or focussing on specific types of risk.

Try Swiftcover, its all online and generally competitive.

[AMCDan]

miniman said:

Jakestar said:

Just checked them out.. Tesco was £530 and Elephant was much closer at £383.. looks like im staying with Admiral!

Elephant is Admiral, as is Bell and, IIRC, Sheila's Wheels.

nah Sheila's Wheels is esure

[Rags]

miniman said:

Jakestar said:

Just checked them out.. Tesco was £530 and Elephant was much closer at £383.. looks like im staying with Admiral!

Elephant is Admiral, as is Bell and, IIRC, Sheila's Wheels.

...and diamond

[Nolar Dog]

Your renewal would be cheaper because you are a "known customer" to Admiral.

A new quote would be an unknown risk in theory so they load the premium.

Also they reduce the premium in order to tempt you to stay with them rather than lose your business.

I imagine.

[miniman]

AMCDan said:

miniman said:

Jakestar said:

Just checked them out.. Tesco was £530 and Elephant was much closer at £383.. looks like im staying with Admiral!

Elephant is Admiral, as is Bell and, IIRC, Sheila's Wheels.

nah Sheila's Wheels is esure

Ah, I was thinking of Diamond.

http://www.admiralgroup.co.uk/corporate/our_compan...

Interesting that they are also Confused.com, I didn't know that.

[Jakestar]

MrV said:

Off topic but to the OP how do you find your VTR the missus fancies one and I know sod all about them other than they are the same as the 206

Great little cars if you ask me

To be fair I havn't driven that many cars (this is my second car) but it handles really well, is swift enough in the sense that it's my second car and for the insurance group, a performance bargain.

I've had it 3 years, nothing has gone wrong with it, just got a replacement exhaust as the original had rusted, part from that a breeze to own.

Silent1 said:

Jakestar said:

...just don't understand why other companies are not being very competative?

Because they're trying to be competitive with a company who are desperately trying to increase their customer base.

Now that makes sense, I thought there might be a reason! That also explains why they knocked a further £30 off when I was on the phone asking about protected ncb etc!

shirt said:

OP - have you tried getting a quote for fully comp? bizarrely it often works out cheaper than tptt.

I did and it was £337 tpft, £381 tpft with protected ncb and £437 fc with protected. With the £30 reduction cause she liked me thats a premium of £407 which Im fairly sure im gonna with!