rip off merchants!

[Just Anne]

A couple of months ago my car reg was announced over the loud speaker in Tesco. With a sinking feeling I went to customer services to meet a distressed very apologetic lady "I'm so very sorry, I've damaged your beautiful car" she explained the wind had caught her door and it had hit my door.

There was a lot of her paint on my door and mirror, she gave me all her details and the next day her insurance company called to sort everything out. Repairs were organised at my main dealer's bodyshop who had my mini for a week. Car and loan car collected/delivered to me at work, all sortedHER insurance co. Great relief and my faith in human nature intact.

Just renewed my insurance and the bastards put up my pemium by £30 stating the reason that I was clearly putting my car at increased risk because of the areas I parked in!! I was in Tesco!! and I usually park away from the door to reduce the risk (and I think the exercise does me good). Never once made a foccin claim in 25 years of driving and 28 of riding.... thieving foccin bastards.

Why is this allowed to happen?

Anne 

[paul.s]

insurance companys allways win mate just like bookies i work in the motor trade and when doing estimates its suprising how many people actualy believe that because they have protected no claims there premiums wont go up next year  :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes .even ringing your company to tell them of an incident will be marked on your record and even if its not your fault your classed as more of a risk

[Grahamm]

Thank them for the reminder that your insurance is due for renewal and tell them that you're going to another company!

See how quick they are to put the premium back down again and if they don't you can probably get a better quote elsewhere anyway.

[acid drop]

Phone your insurance company and ask to speak to someone in customer services I did this when I had a dispute over an increase in premium and got it temoved

[Gingernutz]

Shop around - mine was up for renewal yesterday and the sneaky gits had claimed my insurance was cheaper by £20 than last year - then in small print showed the monthly rate well up - they had increased their credit charged for monthly payments to well over a credit cards rate. I compared the meerkat and got a cheaper rate - RAC Insurance- on credit £270 - than they wanted as a lump sum £311 - always worth shoping around and once you put your details in one year it gets very quick from then on (10 minutes max to change this yeat)

[Major Rant]

Why is this allowed to happen?

They work on the principle that anyone who has had an "insurable event" is more likely to have another - they are probably right and it has stood up in court.

I had similar after I deliberately drove into a woman in a red Golf who crossed into my lane (Actually I expected her to back-off but she didn't).  I am an increased risk because I am prepared to play "chicken" with tossers.

You could try sueing her in the small claims court for adversely affecting your insurance credentials.

[richfzs]

Why is this allowed to happen?

Anne

Because they are scum who think they can get away with taking the piss. Unfortunately, the fact they are still trying it, suggests the UK public are mostly pretty thick individuals that fall for it.

Fortunately, you are a more enlightened type, who can get a few quotes from other "piss-takers", of which some will be cheaper (perhaps significantly) than your previous premium, and certainly cheaper than your renewal, at which point you will have the pleasure of suggesting something unmentionable to your current insurer. And lo, suddenly their price drops (it being christmas and all that, and they have targets to meet, and other sob stories), to the point it makes it easier & cheaper to stay where you are (because you don't have to prove security, alarms, NCB etc to the new insurer).

And then you have the pleasure of deciding whether to stay, or stick with the unmentionable suggestion and go elsewhere. Its a win-win, don't let them fuck you over.

[pitternator]

I think the compare sites proliferation mean that if you dont use them...you almost certainly will get ripped off. The insurers are simply being chancers by trying a rise in premium.
Since I started using compare sites, all my insurance has been obtained significantly cheaper, hence it is now an ibso facto...

I compare buying  insurance to  getting best interest rates on savings...you MUST shop around, since banks, like insurers profit from folks indifference . I had letters from 2 of my savings providers claiming to offer best rates  after promo period...only to find after a simple search I could get at least 20% more interest just by opening a new account at another bank!

[ZiggyCol]

Insurance companies rely on renewal 'zombies' for their best margins. Anyone prepared to shop around or challenge will likely get a better deal.

My most recent multi-car renewal came through at more than the company were charging in on-line quotes for the 2 cars individually! I challenged it and immediately got a better rate.

Don't ever accept a renewal without checking it out, especially these days as many companies are taking the approach of auto-renewal i.e. they inform and if you don't cancel they auto-renew at the price stated.

[peterjca]

I always call my insurance company to question my renewal quote. Strangely they always seem to find a cheaper one. I've been with H&R for years, apart from 2 years when I was with ebike. Highly recommend H&R. (Ebike was a pain when I had to claim 3 years ago because it was virtually impossible to talk to someone. Will never go with an online-only/mostly-online company ever again.)

Remember that the insurance company's definition of "risk" isn't necessarily you being a danger on the roads. An insurance risk means a risk of them losing money/not making enough.

And like the banks, it's all a con.