# How to save Â£360 on insurance...



## Kell (May 28, 2002)

This is part flame, but part advice, so I'll moderate the tone and just tell you like it is.

Insurance comes up on here quite a lot with many companies offering to save you X amount when you switch. But you can save money by not switching too.

Had the TT for 5 1/2 years and always been insured with Elephant. Every year however, they send us a renewal quote which seems excessively expensive. My wife (and I can't stess enough the point that it's her doing this and not me) then goes online and gets a quote from them for the same car, with the same excess etc as a new customer and it's always cheaper.

So this year our TT insurance renewal came in at about Â£470. She goes online and get a quote for Â£270. In the end, over the phone, she manages to get it for about Â£290. (Did you know it now costs more to say your car is garaged than if it's kept on the drive???)

Couple of weeks later the insurance comes through for the A4. Again it was high - Â£490. Again online it came out cheaper and while they tried to match the price it came out at Â£310.

HAd we gone with the renewal, it would have cost us an eaxtra Â£360 for the same insurance.

I still can't believe that even after five years, this is still going on, but thought I'd make people aware and have a little moan at the same time.

Why can't they treat their existing (full NCD) customers the same as prospective ones?


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## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

Save even more by going through Rpoints or Quidco , Just bought buildings and contents insurance for Â£57


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## mw22 (Aug 15, 2005)

It's retarded ain't it.
Had my renewal through last week - gone up by 10%.... 
Shopped around, knocked a few quid off what I paid last year - rang up current insurers to say I'm not interested "well, lets have a look and see what we can do" - Nothing apparently. Wouldn't move on the renewal price they'd previously sent.
Tried it online again, and its almost 20% cheaper than the renewal quote!

I can sorta understand them keeping the renewal high when its sent out - some people are just to lazy to change. But when Ive told them they can stuff it next year - you think they might try and match the quote - especially when I can get it even cheaper with them by going through their online quoting for a 2nd time.

Mike


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## Munchkinfairy (Jul 20, 2007)

It's a joke! I had the same thing for my last car - they kept putting up the renewal each year, so I asked them why and they drone on about the increase is to cover non-insured drivers blah, blah. So I went on one of the sites to search for the chaepest and went with them. I am now quite happy to change every year if my current insurance company want to put the price up for being a valued customer. I think it is very sad that they all want to be the cheapest to insure you as a new customer, but once you are a customer, they are not bothered at keeping you as a customer - surely they must lose loads of money this way? :?


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## slg (May 6, 2005)

Cheers Kell, just saved myself Â£100 complaining to Elephant!!


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## Widget (May 7, 2002)

I can highly recommend the RAC. They've been absolutely brilliant with me.

The insurance policy on both cars is one of the most comprehensive I've come across, and the cheapest this year.

I got my Buildings and Contents renewal from Directline - Â£498 - Cheeky sods, phoned up the RAC who, with mutli-policy discount capabilities got my custom (exaclty the same level of cover) for Â£240!

And they're based in Norwich, 15 miles away from me.


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## Captain Moonlight (Jan 19, 2007)

My last renewal notice came in around Â£390 from Direct Line..so called Privilege - Â£275!

So called Direct Line ..to see if they would at least match it (be less hassle) response ?" sorry the renewal was our best price" so told em to stick it...and jumped ship to privilege.

The certificate arrived a few days later with this at the bottom :' part of direct line' !!!! tut

And some weeks later after Privilege losing my proof of NCB I called them.... response? "oh yes we can retrieve it from Direct Lines database as we use the same one" mmm

Still saved some cash but ..come on!


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## scott28tt (Jul 30, 2002)

I've just moved from Admiral (who have been cheapest for past 3 years for me) to RAC and saved loads, so I'm pleased to read Widget's post 

The renewal letter from Admiral was 490, RAC was 310, phoned Admiral and they magically got their quote down to 420, so still significantly more than switching to RAC.


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## Gizmo750 (Sep 16, 2004)

Have to agree with Widget - RAC came up trumps big time this year.

I tried to keep with Noel Dazely and just pay an increase until the end of the year when my policy for the TT would have run to. They wanted Â£500 just until the end of the year for the 911.

Bit of ringing around / Confused.com work and the RAC insured me, for a year including Business Class 1 cover for Â£600 - NICE 8)

Got their paperwork through and its very good cover terms too.


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## phope (Mar 26, 2006)

Tesco Insurance (part of the Direct Line database) just tried to screw an increase of Â£270 from Hev just for moving from Falkirk to Aberdeen (a much lower risk area!) when she notified them by telephone...went online as a new customer, and the quote was much lower :roll:

Sickened her so much that she changed immediately to Admiral (had been with them before) and insured the A4 at the same time on a dual policy...the quote for the two cars from Admiral was then less for than the original Tesco price for the TT alone

I have to admit that I've been with esure for the last few years, and they have been competitive every time on renewal, but loyalty gets you nowhere with insurance...you have to be prepared to change every year to get the best (not necessarily cheapest) quote


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## coupe-sport (May 7, 2002)

Good one Kell - changed from Directline this year - pisses me off that they start the letter "thankyou for being a loyal customer for the last 6 years" and then sting you with a crap renewal quote. Esure got my business for the car, and Tesco for the house.

James


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## jampott (Sep 6, 2003)

Esure will get my business for both, this year.

Sign up via Quidco and you save Â£150. Â£75 off their car quote and Â£75 off their home quote.

Bargain.


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## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

jampott said:


> Esure will get my business for both, this year.
> 
> Sign up via Quidco and you save Â£150. Â£75 off their car quote and Â£75 off their home quote.
> 
> Bargain.


Split the home quote in half buildings/contents and save Â£150 :wink:


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## Blade_76 (Aug 11, 2004)

I am with direct line for my car and house insurance, each year I go online and do a new quote as a new customer as its always much cheaper than the renewal..

When i phoned up the first time round to question this, I asked the advisor if they could give me a reason for the difference he just said "I cant offer you the insurance at the same price, so just do it online and save yourself a few quid".. So I did :lol:

Turns out it was more than a few quid tho.. 8)


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## El Greco (Mar 9, 2006)

I managed to save over Â£1000 by moving to 'More Than' for 3 cars (Freelander, Merc C220cdi and The TT Roadster)  
Tom


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## Duncdude (Feb 27, 2007)

Its called 'Apathy' and the insurance companies capitalise on what is a very common form of insurance laziness that affects millions of people. Some people (i.e the smarter ones like you guys on here) do something about it, but im sure we all know people who just go with the renewal on house/car insurance incorrectly assuming that there is some kind of loyalty benefit to staying with the same company, or that the renewal is a genuine fair quote.... Yeah right!


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## genocidalduck (May 19, 2005)

No one seen the advert then?

"Brand new customers only"

Must admit im abit shocked. I can't believe you guys didn't know to what extent insurance companies do to fleece you once theve got you as a customer. I know your all smarter than that. Simple reason is your all smarter than me. 

I'm also insured with Elephant. And obviously i get my renewel every year and generally its more than the previous year. So my bit off advice is. Once you get it ( This is if you don't want to shop around.. Phone them up and ask them if they can do better. If your not happy. Tell them you want to cancel your current policy with them on the date it expires and then ask them to quote you on the same car as a new customer. Then obviously get it cheaper.


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