Insurance quotes vary by surname!?!??

[Bigcraigy]

Hi everyone!!

This may have been mentioned before but if not great!! While the Mrs was pricing up for insurance for her cousin the other night she wrote her surname (Lawson) in by mistake, she then realised this once quotes had been generated. So changed it to the correct surname (Malham) expecting it to make no difference but it increased the premium by £200. So then changed it back to the first one price dropped £200.
So I've given this a try changed only the surname and again different surnames generated different prices?!?!?
Is there any genuine reason for this because I can't think of one or are they using your surname as another way of pulling our pants down!!!
Anyone else had this?? If not give it a try!!

Thanks
Craig!

[simoid]

Try Hamilton, Balotelli or Ahmadinejad.

[sprinter11]

simoid said:

Try Hamilton, Balotelli or Ahmadinejad.

[simoid]

Shirley this is some computer anomaly/bks, and not risk profiling by name...!

[Monty Zoomer]

Just be thankful her surname isn't Zoomer

[FFSport]

Monty Zoomer said:

Just be thankful her surname isn't Zoomer

or,

Welcome to Comparethemeeerkat Mr. Speedy

[FisiP1]

I'm betting its due to you being an existing policyholder on one of their databases.

To get around this I use a different birthday when getting quotes until I come to buy once my original policy has lapsed or I have cancelled.

If you can't cancel or wait, ask them to pricematch based on your details with the birthday changed.

[Pints]

FisiP1 said:

I'm betting its due to you being an existing policyholder on one of their databases.

To get around this I use a different birthday when getting quotes until I come to buy once my original policy has lapsed or I have cancelled.

If you can't cancel or wait, ask them to pricematch based on your details with the birthday changed.

Wouldn't it be your address which is matched too?

[FisiP1]

Pints said:

Wouldn't it be your address which is matched too?

Negative, in my experience simply changing DoB is sufficient. I have never tried altering the name on the quote, but I expect it'd have the same effect.

[rgracin]

It's more likely to be a fraud trigger than the actual name. The comparison sites track the information you enter and if you change something, it can trigger fraud warnings.

[Noger]

FisiP1 said:

I'm betting its due to you being an existing policyholder on one of their databases.

This is a good possibility. There are others, such as using the surname to seed a random number to test price elasticity.

[Pints]

rgracin said:

It's more likely to be a fraud trigger than the actual name. The comparison sites track the information you enter and if you change something, it can trigger fraud warnings.

What sort of thing would trigger a fraud warning?
I play with the mileage on quotes to decide how many miles to put on each car per year to minimise cost.
Or I toy with which car will be garaged to minimise costs.

Are these that going to flag as fraud?

[FisiP1]

Pints said:

What sort of thing would trigger a fraud warning?
I play with the mileage on quotes to decide how many miles to put on each car per year to minimise cost.
Or I toy with which car will be garaged to minimise costs.

Are these that going to flag as fraud?

no.

[bungle]

Let's face it, all insurance is a rip-off. Moved house today (same first part of postcode, so same "risk area" they said) but because the new house is 1 bedroom bigger it's 25% more for contents insurance. Even though I've got the same amount of "stuff" to insure. Had my fill of annoying call centres / computer says "..." / "admin charges" for changing addresses etc today.. gggrrrr....

[Noger]

FisiP1 said:

Pints said:

What sort of thing would trigger a fraud warning?
I play with the mileage on quotes to decide how many miles to put on each car per year to minimise cost.
Or I toy with which car will be garaged to minimise costs.

Are these that going to flag as fraud?

no.

They may at claim time, if there are other red flags. We will keep all quote iterations you did, so can check. But of themselves, they won't.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

bungle said:

Let's face it, all insurance is a rip-off. Moved house today (same first part of postcode, so same "risk area" they said) but because the new house is 1 bedroom bigger it's 25% more for contents insurance. Even though I've got the same amount of "stuff" to insure. Had my fill of annoying call centres / computer says "..." / "admin charges" for changing addresses etc today.. gggrrrr....

That's not a rip off at all. You have a bedroom rated policy. You chose it! They charge on number of bedrooms instead of sum insured, on the basis that by and large, the bigger your accommodation the more stuff you have.

If you'd lived in a 2 bed and moved to a one bed, it would have come down even though you have the same stuff. You wouldn't be bleating then!

[Monty Zoomer]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

bungle said:

Let's face it, all insurance is a rip-off. Moved house today (same first part of postcode, so same "risk area" they said) but because the new house is 1 bedroom bigger it's 25% more for contents insurance. Even though I've got the same amount of "stuff" to insure. Had my fill of annoying call centres / computer says "..." / "admin charges" for changing addresses etc today.. gggrrrr....

That's not a rip off at all. You have a bedroom rated policy. You chose it! They charge on number of bedrooms instead of sum insured, on the basis that by and large, the bigger your accommodation the more stuff you have.

If you'd lived in a 2 bed and moved to a one bed, it would have come down even though you have the same stuff. You wouldn't be bleating then!

Working on that principle, if he converts all of his bedrooms to lofts, his insurance will be free

[FurballS2000]

A friend of mines surname is Quick. I'll tell to try changing his name when his renewal comes round!

[DonkeyApple]

Bigcraigy said:

Hi everyone!!

This may have been mentioned before but if not great!! While the Mrs was pricing up for insurance for her cousin the other night she wrote her surname (Lawson) in by mistake, she then realised this once quotes had been generated. So changed it to the correct surname (Malham) expecting it to make no difference but it increased the premium by £200. So then changed it back to the first one price dropped £200.
So I've given this a try changed only the surname and again different surnames generated different prices?!?!?
Is there any genuine reason for this because I can't think of one or are they using your surname as another way of pulling our pants down!!!
Anyone else had this?? If not give it a try!!

Thanks
Craig!

Everyone knows those Malhams are wronguns.