Insuring the Mk VI

[Rolfe]

I haven't done any serious comparing yet, partly because I've been off sick all week and I realise I left my renewal documents (with the exact details of my present policy) on my desk at work.  I'll have to do something quite soon though.

You're all quoting some very cheap prices, how are you doing it?  Large excess?  Not taking a protected no claims bonus?

I don't understand why it's so much cheaper to have another named driver.  I always thought it cost more to do that.  I'm the only person in our house with a driving licence, and I can't immediately think of anyone else.  A girl-friend who lives 60 miles away?  Why would adding another name with exactly the same demographics but a different (and much worse) post code decrease my premiums?

Rolfe.

[Rolfe]

OK, this is bizarre.  I tried Comparethemarket.com, and got a range of quotes from £198 to £479.  They aren't identical of course, the more expensive ones have extras.

The bizarre bit?

The cheapest one, at a whopping £198, is from

RAC Insurance.

My present insurer.

Who want over £600 to renew my current policy.

OK, I do have extras at present that aren't quoted for in the £198, but how ae they getting this up to £600+?

I think I need to have a little word with Mr. RAC Insurance Services.

Rolfe.

[am1w]

OK, this is bizarre.  I tried Comparethemarket.com, and got a range of quotes from £198 to £479.  They aren't identical of course, the more expensive ones have extras.

The bizarre bit?

The cheapest one, at a whopping £198, is from

RAC Insurance.

My present insurer.

Who want over £600 to renew my current policy.

OK, I do have extras at present that aren't quoted for in the £198, but how ae they getting this up to £600+?

I think I need to have a little word with Mr. RAC Insurance Services.
 
Rolfe.

£198: this is a an amazing price and seems too good to be true.
I am going to do some checking tomorrow.
Will keep you posted

[am1w]

OK, this is bizarre.  I tried Comparethemarket.com, and got a range of quotes from £198 to £479.  They aren't identical of course, the more expensive ones have extras.

The bizarre bit?

The cheapest one, at a whopping £198, is from

RAC Insurance.

My present insurer.

Who want over £600 to renew my current policy.

OK, I do have extras at present that aren't quoted for in the £198, but how ae they getting this up to £600+?

I think I need to have a little word with Mr. RAC Insurance Services.
 
Rolfe.

£198: this is a an amazing price and seems too good to be true.
I am going to do some checking tomorrow.
Will keep you posted

Have you checked Zurich Insurance?
They seem very competitive.

[keelaw]

The cheapest one, at a whopping £198, is from

RAC Insurance.

My present insurer.

You've worked out the way that insurance companies try to max their profits.  Most people elect not to change their insurer due to the hassle factor and don't mind paying a bit more each year to renew.  ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS shop around and NEVER accept a renewal quote.  Often insurers will discount their "new policyholder" quotes just to get you on their books.

All a bit strange since renewing a policyholder is much cheaper than getting a new one (less admin, no commissions to pay, etc.)


Anyway, well done for shopping about, now just bag your 400 quid saving and you can stay with you current insurer, easy!!   

[Rolfe]

I suspect I'll end up paying more than £198.  That looked like an absolutely pared-down quote without some of the extras I currently have.  I can't imagine what extras I could put on it that would put the price up by £400 though!

I tried the same thing with confused.com, and again the RAC was best, at £211.  Slightly different package, I think.

Until 2007, I didn't ask too many questions, because my motoring costs were paid in full as business expenses.  So I just paid what the RAC asked every year, and claimed it back.  I thought it was a bit pricey, but then I had a performance car (stop sneering at Ariel the Peugeot GTi-6, that could go like a bat out of hell in its day!), and at the time I had a few points and a few claims.  And the RAC package did claim to shop around for you and get the best quote, so I thought I was getting a fair deal.

However, the points are all gone - the last transgression happened in December 2004 so that's more than five years ago - and the claims are even older, and dammit, why did I have a protected no-claims bonus if that was making a difference anyway?

So, since none of them seem to care about points or claims that are more than five years old, I now have a clean record.

I'm female, and sorry guys, but that is an advantage in this game.

I'm not exactly a spring chicken either, but neither am I senile.

I live in a nice rural postcode with a vehicle crime rate close to zero.

I keep the car in my garage overnight (this time that's actually true, though the Peugeot seldom actually saw the inside of the garage).

I don't have a huge mileage - only about 11,000 miles a year.

I don't mind a reasonable excess.

I've got a complete rescue/recovery package (courtesy of VW at the moment) so I don't need those bits.

WHAT THE HELL ELSE DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET A GOOD RATE? ? ? ? ? ? ?

It seems to me they hiked the price up every time I collected any points, and maybe any time I had a claim in spite of that protected NCB, and they've never brought it back down to compensate.  I'm going to have a serious heart-to-heart with RAC insurance, and if they don't bring that price right down, I'm just going to go round the revolving door.

I was right, they were robbing me blind.

Rolfe.

[keelaw]

WHAT THE HELL ELSE DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET A GOOD RATE?

I find (as a mid-30s bloke so this might not apply to you) that adding an additional driver brings my insurance premium down.  Even adding my wife who is younger and has only had a licence for 2 yrs has brought down my premium.  Theory I guess is that a "safer" driver uses the car instead of me, thus less likely to have an accident.

Also since I have use of other cars on a regular basis via work or friends, declaring this also brings my premium down.  Theory being that I drive my insured car fewer times, less likely to have an accident.

Finally I am with Admiral and their 10 mth NCB accelerator will give me more NCB years quicker (I had to make a claim a few years back).

Hope this helps

[Rolfe]

I find (as a mid-30s bloke so this might not apply to you) that adding an additional driver brings my insurance premium down.  Even adding my wife who is younger and has only had a licence for 2 yrs has brought down my premium.  Theory I guess is that a "safer" driver uses the car instead of me, thus less likely to have an accident.

Also since I have use of other cars on a regular basis via work or friends, declaring this also brings my premium down.  Theory being that I drive my insured car fewer times, less likely to have an accident.

Finally I am with Admiral and their 10 mth NCB accelerator will give me more NCB years quicker (I had to make a claim a few years back).

Hope this helps

Well, I'm trying to figure out who this "safer" driver might actually be!  The car's still the same, and the mileage per year is still the same.  I've got no points and no claims.  Who could this mythical person possibly be who would be a better risk, on paper and on the facts available?

That's an interesting point about the work cars though.  I do occasionally drive a pool car at work.  It's a Focus estate.  I didn't mention that because I don't drive it any more than I can help.  But if it would bring the premium down, I should fess up!

Rolfe.

[am1w]

Some time ago we had a thread on insurance costs, and I remarked that I thought somebody was robbing me blind.  I've been insured through the RAC since about 1993, and just continued the policy when I got the GTi.  They charged me about £60 at the time, for the change of car.

Now my insurance premium is due, and they're wanting over £600 for the privilege.  This seems pricey to me.  I've just run my details through Direct Line's web site and they came up with £340, which is quite a difference.  I'm not convinced I was asked enough questions or given enough information though.  The RAC policy included "business use" (only needed to be able to claim mileage for occasional weekend work and similar), added at no extra cost a year ago.  There may be other advantages to the RAC policy I'm not aware of.

What think you guys?  Any good recommendations?  What should I be paying and what should I be getting for my money?

Female, 56 years old, most recent conviction was over five years ago, most recent claim was over six years ago, and I do about 11,000 miles in a year.  Good postcode (Peeblesshire).

Rolfe.

Just had a chat with my Broker.
£550 or less with Zurich.
You can go online and check with Zurich.
www.zurich.co.uk/personal
Am paying £580 at present for my Honda Type R GT which is in the same Insurance Group as the GTi.
They do not touch modified cars.
More accurate and hopefully lower quote nearer the time.

[Snoopy]

WHAT THE HELL ELSE DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET A GOOD RATE? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Rolfe.

If you read the link i posted earlier it tells you everything you have asked since the start of the thread 
Why the RAC are quoting such high renewal
How to get it cheaper, job discription, cash back etc etc
Why sometimes adding a second driver helps
etc.

In your case a second drive will probably not help as your already female of a more responsible age.