Insurance Renewal

[billdunstew]

You lot don't know that you are born, my cheapest quote was in fact Direct Line at £1304.33! This for a 2024 MG4 Trophy, just wait until you get past 85 and see the premiums rocket.

 

[Julian Edwards]

Oh dear, I am heading your way. I will have to start planning on going carless.

 

[EVsince2016]

My Direct Line renewal was c£1100, paid £522 via a direct quote with Direct Line.

Crazy!

 

[OriginalBigAl]

Oh dear, I am heading your way. I will have to start planning on going carless.

When starting out you can go on your Dads insurance. Would it be possible to reverse the situation and go on your sons/daughters ticket???? as an included driver.

 

[dsimpkins]

When starting out you can go on your Dads insurance. Would it be possible to reverse the situation and go on your sons/daughters ticket???? as an included driver.

That loophole got closed down decades ago. If you are the main driver, then the policy has to be in your name.

I clearly moved into the next age bracket for car insurance, luckily for me, my renewal dropped by £80 compared with the year before.

 

[securespark]

Funnily enough, I posted the following in another forum only on Thursday.

My Mum (heading for 89) asked me for help with her car insurance renewal.

You know the usual routine....

You ring your insurance company. They tell you it's going to cost more this year and your loyalty means sweet FA.

So you end up trawling the comparison sites for a better deal.

I suggested a starting point of ringing her existing insurer and asking what the renewal would be.

Her renewal is due 1 October, but Which? magazine reckoned she should start enquiring around 3 weeks before for the best price.

The upshot was she was told that last year's premium was £967.84.

This year's would be.....


......£894.33

But we can do better than that, she said. Because of your loyalty, we can offer you this year's premium at......


........£794.33


A discount of 173.51.

Now, I know a premium of nigh-on a grand is huge but for a nearly 90 year old, it's there or there abouts.

But to get a chunky discount is very welcome!

She was at my house and I put the call through for her on speakerphone so when I heard this, I was open-mouthed, as was Mum.

She was one happy person!

She has a 15 plate Skoda Yeti 1.2 TSi Elegance with 13K on the clock, declares a small annual mileage and has two named drivers, my sister, aged nearly 65 and one of my Mum's friends, aged 77.

 

[johnb80]

That loophole got closed down decades ago. If you are the main driver, then the policy has to be in your name.

I was in this situation when I shared a car with my son. I contacted Direct Line and asked what the definition of 'Main Driver' was, they couldn't give me an answer. The situation for us was that I drove the car 4 days per week an average of 6 miles per day. My son drove it twice per week but his trips were 15 miles per day for two days. In summary, I drove 24 miles per week but the car was in my care / control for 4 days, my son had the car for 2 days and drove it 30 miles. Which one of us is the main driver?

I clearly moved into the next age bracket for car insurance, luckily for me, my renewal dropped by £80 compared with the year before.

 

[OriginalBigAl]

That loophole got closed down decades ago. If you are the main driver, then the policy has to be in your name.

I clearly moved into the next age bracket for car insurance, luckily for me, my renewal dropped by £80 compared with the year before.

Loophole, how can it be a loophole , I had only just thought of it !!!!

 

[popladdy]

Loophole, how can it be a loophole , I had only just thought of it !!!!

That's how I done my first car insurance in 1969, my dad took out a policy with me as a named driver for my car. so you are a bit late thinking about it

 

[dsimpkins]

That's how I started with my first insurance when I passed my test too, but if you tried that now, you'd be in the doodoo big time. My children are either new drivers or about to be new drivers. There are legitimate ways to ensure they don't get stung by insurers.

1, They take out a learners insurance policy on a car. Make sure they take a year to get their license, then they start with 1 years no claims (provided no accidents), builds confidence and experience.
2, Don't convert that learner policy into a full policy (the day my daughter passed her test, her current insurer offered her a discounted policy to drive her mum's Polo. Went from around £200 to £4500. NO THANK YOU. Shopped around £2,200 was the best offer.
3, Buy a car that isn't popular with other new drivers. VW Polo is very popular, and insurance companies know this. Shopped around and she bought a VW New Beetle Cabrio (not popular with youngsters) Insurance (with 1 years no claims) half the price of having her own policy on her mum's Polo. Beetle has a bigger engine, and more power, but is cheaper to insure.
4, As others have mentioned, there is a sweet spot on when to look at new policies, or renewals. It's around 21 days. We found the car, paid a deposit, and arranged final payment and collection 3 weeks later.
5, Blackbox is pretty much mandatory for new drivers unless you want to pay at least double.
6, Use comparision sites (more than one) as you may find a better deal than just with a meerkat or opera singer. USwitch worked out best for her.
7, Play with the voluntary excess, again there is a sweetspot. Too litlle makes it more expensive, too much also makes it more expensive. Back button in browser is very helpful for this.

The other recommendation I have is for anyone you know learning to drive, rather than take their test in their examiners car, take the test in their own car. Not only should they be more comfortable and at ease with it, it won't have dual controls. Examiners will then select easier route as a result of the lack of dual controls.

Finally, driving safely with blackbox means her renewal couldn't be bettered by shopping around, and is less than half the price of last year. Also got to ditch the blackbox. She just needs to keep up the good driving and not be silly.

 

[johnb80]

That's how I started with my first insurance when I passed my test too, but if you tried that now, you'd be in the doodoo big time. My children are either new drivers or about to be new drivers. There are legitimate ways to ensure they don't get stung by insurers.

1, They take out a learners insurance policy on a car. Make sure they take a year to get their license, then they start with 1 years no claims (provided no accidents), builds confidence and experience.

I did something a little bit better than this which worked well. Buy a scrappy, never to be ridden moped (£30 ours cost), insure it in your child's name, leave behind the shed for a whole year from their 16th birthday until they're 17. When they take out a policy as you suggest they have already gained 1 year no claim discount which in our case was 40%, a huge saving on youngsters insurance premium.

 

[Ian Key]

As long as the cost of the scrappy and its insurance is less than the 40% discount although now it seems to be 30% for the first years NCD

 

[johnb80]

As long as the cost of the scrappy and its insurance is less than the 40% discount although now it seems to be 30% for the first years NCD

Insurance quotes when he was 17 were £2500+, 40% off was £1000. The scrap moped we used for my second son too, when it had worked for him we sold it on and got more for it than we paid. It was a winner all round.