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You'll like this A positive insurance story for once

T.C

Been there, and had one
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My daughter passed her driving test just under 2 months ago.

Mother in Law has decided to give up driving and so gave (gifted) my daughter her car a 52 plate Nissan Almera which she and the father in law purchased new but hzave only done 32,000 miles in the 19 years or so they have owned it (father in law died 10 years ago)

So as a first car, perfect. I can't stand the thing, but as they say for a first car it is ideal and a second class drive is better than a first class walk and my daughter has nothing to compare it with other than my Mrs C-Max and previous instructors school cars.

Anyway, Mother in law added my daughter on to her insurance policy as a named driver up until November when the registration would be transferred to daughter, car would be taxed in daughters name and she had time to sort out her own insurance policy....

So, daughter starts searching around for her own insurance using the comparison websites and phoning one or 2 insurers directly. Bear in mind she is 30 years old, a Scientists and a female (which the insurers seem to favour) and for TPF&T she was getting quotes ranging between £980 and £3,500, and this is with her agreeing to have a black box fitted....

So out of interest I called our insurance company (the one that promotes a certain Royal Naval rank ;) ) and said we have a multi policy, daughter lives at a different address but you are promoting multi cover for the family even though different addresses might be involved.

Yes was the answer, so I handed my daughter over to go through her details thinking they would come back with some really stupid exorbitant price.

10 minutes on the phone, deal done.

Still TPF&T but first premium? £510...

In August our policy is renewed and hers will become due as well so in effect 9 months cover, but providing she does not have a bang, they will give her a full 1 years no claims at the end of that 9 months which will also help reduce her premiums.

So in 10 minutes for the sake of a phone call she has saved nearly £500, and because we are policy holders, she was not required to pay a massive up front deposit as part of her premium.

So for once, I saw well done to an insurance company who have actually done something positive and helpful for once and actually saved us a lot of money.

So if you have young drivers in the family and premiums are through the roof, maybe worth considering if you have a multi policy with your insurers.

Worked for us, I am sure it could work for others....
 

sr71caspar

B̶a̶n̶n̶e̶d̶
Club Sponsor
That is a good result.

Why TPF&T though? Did you try to get quotes fully comp? Fully comp for me is only a few quid more than TPF&T.
Some insurers now see TPF&T as more of a risk- i.e. you've gone for less cover because you know you're more likely to have an accident.
 

Minkey

Ok it was me
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From what I've been told often fully comp is cheaper than TPF&T as it shows you are more likely to look after your car rather than just worrying about other cars, additionally by having fully comp you build up a no claims bonus
 

T.C

Been there, and had one
Club Sponsor
That is a good result.

Why TPF&T though? Did you try to get quotes fully comp? Fully comp for me is only a few quid more than TPF&T.
Some insurers now see TPF&T as more of a risk- i.e. you've gone for less cover because you know you're more likely to have an accident.
Comp was £400 more because she is a new driver and the car is a cheap throw it away job if it becomes a total loss.

But, as I have said here many times, if you have a crash that is not your fault, then it matters not what level of cover you have, it only helps a little if you are blameworthy or liable....

So the myth about having to be comprehensive to protect yourself in the case of a crash is total bollocks.... :thumbsup:
 

andyBeaker

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
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And to add a further bit of praise for an insurance company and also demonstrate how weird the insurance market can be…..I have just started a ‘non active voluntary advisory role’ with one of the emergency services and had to certify that I had told my insurance company if I was going to use my car as transport to and from meetings. I hadn’t so I did. The insurers told me I would have to increase my cover which was ‘social’ only, to ‘social, domestic and pleasure’. Here we go I thought, they want more money…….reduction in premium of £2.18! And the nice lady on the phone waived the £20 admin fee for the change in view of the underlying reason for making it.

well done to the insurance company named after a town on the coast of East Sussex.

All hail algorithms!
 

Squag1

Can't remember....
Club Sponsor
My bike insurance went up by €7.
Awards were reduced last year on the promise of reducing in premium
 

andyBeaker

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
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Just had my car renewal through…..£27 less than last year….and, amazingly, cheaper than any online quote I could get elsewhere………

Suspect I am in The Truman Show……
 

Martin L Batley

Been there, and had one
Club Sponsor
Hate to burst the insurance love in bubble but I've just received a demand from my old insurance company for overpayment. I got hit from behind and rang to make a claim which they made a balls up from the start. Long convoluted story short, got paid out by my insurance who claimed it back from the other party. Only now the other party is saying they paid me direct. Which they did despite me telling them not to as I'd already been paid. I sent their cheque back uncashed. But incompetence continues it seems. Spent over 90 minutes on the phone yesterday to finally get through to an operator who said the correct department had closed while I was next in queue and had been transferred. They couldn't help as it wasn't their department so I'd have to ring back....Normal service has resumed it seems.
 

T.C

Been there, and had one
Club Sponsor
Hate to burst the insurance love in bubble but I've just received a demand from my old insurance company for overpayment. I got hit from behind and rang to make a claim which they made a balls up from the start. Long convoluted story short, got paid out by my insurance who claimed it back from the other party. Only now the other party is saying they paid me direct. Which they did despite me telling them not to as I'd already been paid. I sent their cheque back uncashed. But incompetence continues it seems. Spent over 90 minutes on the phone yesterday to finally get through to an operator who said the correct department had closed while I was next in queue and had been transferred. They couldn't help as it wasn't their department so I'd have to ring back....Normal service has resumed it seems.
That is a slightly different issue as it comes under claims and I have heard stories like yours on many occasions.

It is no different if you get paid by DWP, interim payment or external loss of earnings insurance pending settlement, the amount you get paid has to be paid back and is either deducted from your settlement and you get the balance, or you will get asked to repay directly.

In your case, as it is clearly a screw up by the insurers, and if they fail to resolve it you will probably have a good case to go to the insurance ombudsman with as you can prove that you never accepted the payment.

Oh and having been on the opposite side of the court opposing insurance companies for more years than I care to remember, I do not do insurance love in's ;) :b1:
 

Squag1

Can't remember....
Club Sponsor
I'm a great believer in registered letters, assuming you remember where the receipt is!
 

andyBeaker

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
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It seems the insurance market is doing something itself rather than being forced into corners by proposed new legislation around the disparity between first year and renewal premiums. I have renewed five separate insurances in the last couple of weeks for personal and business stuff without the need to get on the phone and do the dance this year…two have gone down, three have gone up slightly and all are competitive with the meerkat.
 

Squag1

Can't remember....
Club Sponsor
It seems the insurance market is doing something itself rather than being forced into corners by proposed new legislation around the disparity between first year and renewal premiums. I have renewed five separate insurances for personal and business stuff without the need to get on the phone and do the dance this year…two have gone down, three have gone up slightly and all are competitive with the meerkat.
My car insurance up €50
The claims system was "put right" after the bleating of the companies. We were supposed to get huge reductions.
 

Lee337

Confused Poster
Club Sponsor
Mine went up around £450 they then dropped by almost £400 when I said I was going somewhere else.

Went to another provider & ended up paying £40 less than last years premium. The new provider matched the Meerkats lowest quote.
 
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