Car insurance, have you payed in more than you have claimed

Car insurance, have you payed in more than you have claimed

Author
Discussion

J4CKO

Original Poster:

41,676 posts

201 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
As per the title,

How much have you claimed versus how much you have paid in ?

And what was it for ?

I have been driving 25 years, I reckon I have paid in about ten/elevan grand in premiums over that time (for my daily only, much more for the rest), have made two claims, totalling about £3000.



1/ Went into the back of a bloke that stopped on a clear junction for no reason, no other cars about, my fault but he just slammed on, nothing in front, about £800 for a new bumper/paint on his Mondeo.

2/ Reversed into a neighbours car in a rush/bad mood one night, dark night, dark car parked against a massive dark hedge, car had (factory) smoked rear windows and I didn't look properly, about £2000 worth.

Dog Star

16,154 posts

169 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
30 years claim free on motorbikes til April this year when I had a burglary and my R1 taken.
It would now appear that I am some kind of satanic, diseased pariah, despite the fact that in insurance company terms a 7K payout isn't actually very much at all.

28 claim free (not including windscreens) in the car. I fully expect to get utterly buttfked on my car renewal too, come October, because of the bike theft.

Basically nothing at all until this April, so they've profited big time, but I dare say I'll be paying it back in spades for the next five years.

rolleyes

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

127 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
As per the title,

How much have you claimed versus how much you have paid in ?
I'm not convinced that somebody understands why insurers get out of bed in a morning. It's not for charitable reasons, right, Loon?

kambites

67,618 posts

222 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
The huge majority of people will have paid more than they've claimed for two reasons. Firstly, a few of those who have claimed more than they've paid will have claimed a LOT more than they've paid. Secondly, the insurance companies have overheads and exist to make a profit.

davidsc

325 posts

153 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
I've paid in probably about £8k in 6 years, however I've had a couple of accidents totalling £30k :-\

Webber3

1,228 posts

220 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
I've probably paid in close to £20k. I've never had an accident that was my fault, I've had 3 people go into the back of me. Two admitted liability and one tried to unsuccessfully wriggle out of it.

In 2012 my stationary BMW was clipped by some tit driving a Unimog tree cutter. Driving down a country lane I pulled into the hedgerow to let him pass. He was going way too fast and didn't slow down, clipped my rear wheel arch and ripped the rear bumper off. It would have been a simple quick repair if he'd just admitted liability, but he lied of course and the whole thing dragged on for over a year.

He said the BMW was in the middle of the road. A road barely wide enough for two cars to pass at walking pace. The case went to court, the day before the other side admitted 50% liability. On the day of the hearing it transpired that the Unimog driver had tried to hide several driving convictions and was picked up two more times for lying in court. Both times he admitted lying.

After that performance we thought we'd won for sure. Then we got the decision. The judge said the Unimog driver was a very convincing witness and that it was the BMW driver that caused the accident by driving too fast down the middle of the road!

The claim on my insurance was probably under £2k. The other side paid closer to £35k (the hire charge), but still my multi car insurance policy went up 30% for 2 vehicles and 50% for the one that was involved in the accident!

Rick Cutler

635 posts

218 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
Yep must be coming close to £20K and never claimed! Rip off, could have had nice car to thrash round in at the weekends for that!

mwstewart

7,630 posts

189 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
Erm, isn't this the basis of their whole business model? A large mount will have done, and a small amount won't, but overall - the insurers are up.

skyrover

12,680 posts

205 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
Been driving for 11 years and not claimed yet.

Average of £400 a year on insurance

Dannbodge

2,167 posts

122 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
1st Year £2200
2nd Year £1400
3rd Year £900
4th Year £700
5th Year £550
6th Year £600
7th year £600

Total: £6950

Total claimed........£0
So yes I have paid more than I've claimed.

LucreLout

908 posts

119 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
22 years driving. 1 claim against me (young+car != driving god) for about 700 quid.

And one claim against someone else who ran into the back of me while I was stationary (who's insurer still hasn't finished investigating liability).

That's how insurance works though. Kids can't afford to pay for the damage they do and nor can old Mrs miggins, or the inattentive school run mum, so the rest of us subsidise them.

forzaminardi

2,290 posts

188 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
One claim for a cracked windscreen - cost to insurer £trivial.

Must have paid getting on for £10k in total insurance over the years.

Not good value imo.

TwigtheWonderkid

43,451 posts

151 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
kambites said:
the insurance companies exist to make a profit.
The swines!

I always knew they were unreasonable but it's a disgrace that they attempt to make money at what they do.

hehe

P-Jay

10,587 posts

192 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
Been driving 15 years or so, insurance started at a silly £1500 a year for me and was dwindled down to a few hundred - I'd guess I've paid 6-7k and claimed absolutely nothing, in fact to the best of my knowledge in my entire life I've made a single insurance claim against travel insurance for a missed trip due to injury - totalled £500 or so.

Still, if I went into the back of a Phantom or 458 on the way home, or heaven forbid hit a pedestrian I could easily put myself back in the black.

jonnydm

5,107 posts

210 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
Im going to guess that I've paid around £12k over the last 8 years and I've received over half of that back on one claim. Would rather have had no reason to claim though!

pork911

7,200 posts

184 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
I've never claimed from anyone else's or my own insurances of any kind whatsoever (car, bike, house, health, life, professional indemnity etc)

Hoping never to have to do so.


sherbertdip

1,114 posts

120 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
paid about £8k over 33 years.

Made two claims totalling about £3k.

House insurance paid about the same over 30 years, claimed once for over £15k.

I'll call it even.

amancalledrob

1,248 posts

135 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
I guess the point is that it's based around the contribution of the many for the needs of the few. On that note, I'd like to thank you all for funding my £4k accident about five years ago. I wrote off my Alfa GTV in a single vehicle accident and got a payout over £800 more than I paid for the car.

I'm much more careful these days smile

Dr G

15,209 posts

243 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
Without a false injury claim and some ridiculous hire car charges (not my choice) the insurance industry would be well into profit.

As it stands they've footed 30k of BS claims on maybe 15k of premiums.

richs2891

898 posts

254 months

Wednesday 20th August 2014
quotequote all
Probably been paid out more than I have paid in - in the 22 years I have been driving , due to 2 (expensive) accidents in the last 5 years.

Approx £15k one accident inc hire car costs (technically my fault, swerved to avoid oncoming car)
Approx £1.5K minor rear damage bumper 3 attempts to get it right- and on top extortionate hire car cost & pay out on whiplash injury ~ £2.5k to £3k ( not my fault)

Edited by richs2891 on Wednesday 20th August 12:58