Compare The Market dot com?

[Hendry]

Has anybody had any dealings with them or taken out car insurance policy via them?

 

My current insurance runs out tonight at 23.59 so on Friday I called round a few insurers and went on some comparison sites etc and a quote from General Accident on the compare the market site was by far the cheapest so I went ahead and accepted it on Friday evening but yet both yesterday and today I've had emails from compare the market with regards to the quotes I've had still being available and to click on and view my cheapest quotes etc when I've already taken out insurance via them, so its a bit pointless/a waste of time them sending me emails, its like they don't know I've taken a policy via them, but how can they not know when it was done through their site (direct link from the quote screen on their site to the quote screen on insurers site) so should I be worried the insurance hasn't gone ahead despite me going on and purchasing it and giving card details etc?

[srad34]

Sites like this are for folk that can't be bothered to take the time to call around = you will always pay more!

 

But hell, its only my opinion.  

[worldofceri]

I wouldn't worry so long as you've got a confirmation email for the insurance you've taken out. The comparison sites will spam you from now until eternity anyway! I still get emails telling me the insurance is due on cars I haven't owned for donkey's years.

[laser wheels]

Fair play to them, they are usually pretty good for me. Whenever I call Footman James or Adrian Flux they are always 3-4 times more expensive than the meerkats. I did end up saving a few quid going direct to Lancaster this time around though!

[brickwall]

Have been very good to me!

 

Although one place wanted to charge me  £2200 for fully comp an the rangie!!!!!!

[Spiny Norman]

I get good results from Confused.com.
Comnparethemarket.com send out a fuckton of spam in my experience, so don't give them your main email address.

 

Both are big, genuine companies and are as safe as any online seller I'd reckon.

[jonathan_dyane]

Last time I used them and got a keen price to insure my MZ (about £58) and what's more I was eligible to receive a free meerkat doll which I chose to have sent to my father who is repulsed by the talking meerkat advert.

 

All in all I was extremely satisfied!

[Guest Breadvan72]

Much better to ring people up.  I like Footman James for oldies and Chaucer Direct for relative newies.

[Bobthebeard]

Performance Direct have always offered good prices for my older stuff over the last three years... (Cant actually remember if they originally came via the meerkats though.)

Until you actually want to change anything or cancel mid term. Recently added Mrs Beard as a named driver on the Prelude and got hit with the £50 'brokers fee' on a policy costing £130. The insurers made no charge!

Cancelled my policy for the recently departed 944 and got no refund even though the policy was only five months old. Suspect a refund was due, but they 'kept it' as part of some small print somewhere possibly advises.

Footman James will be getting a call at renewal time!

[TimothyClaypole]

No problem with the service they provide but some of the companies on there are absolute shite.

 

Octagon - top of my list for dodgy practices.

 

Although I suspect they are all the same, everything's ok until you need help or anything then they are rubbish.

 

On the other side:

 

 

[anonymous user]

For many years I insured through the Co-op, the local agent was an older chap who worked from his house a few miles down the road from where I grew up. He was great, I'd ring up and tell him what I'd bought and he would send me a cover-note (this was after I had moved away from home). I never had any problems with switching from one ridiculous car to another, if it cost more he'd tell me to drop it in when I was next down, if less he'd ask if i wanted a cheque or to collect when I was next down. Unfortunately he has long retired. Main car is through LV but I suspect I could get it cheaper; the others through a local broker who is not too bad (apart from a while ago when they tried to charge me £40 to reprint a certificate, they didn't in the end because I sulked in their office until they did it for nothing)

[Pillock]

I use comparison sites to identify cheapest firms then go direct to them, and pay even less. I have no qualms about diddling anyone insurance-related.

[Micrashed]

Ive used them a few times, Billys dog has one of my toys, the kids have others and Alexi lives up at my caravan keeping guard.

 

I CBA phoning round numerous companies, but suspect I may have to if I want to try and keep both the Micrashed and the newbie insured together....

[brickwall]

I sold all my meerkats on ebay thus reducing my premiums further.

[Hendry]

Much better to ring people up.  I like Footman James for oldies and Chaucer Direct for relative newies.

 

 

 

Sites like this are for folk that can't be bothered to take the time to call around = you will always pay more!

 

But hell, its only my opinion.

 

I did call several companies up, the AA, the RAC, Swinton, Direct Line, Churchill, Endsleigh, Liverpool Victoria, Esure, etc etc and all the comparison sites. Compare The Market were by far the cheapest bar none.

[londonm]

Compare the market is great, though I think it may be owned by one of the big insurers. Every year I switch insurer through it, because nowadays insurers see customer loyalty as an excuse to rip them off. The Direct Line business model is also redundant, price comparison is how you play it these days.

[Pillock]

The issue I found was some of the quotes magically rising in price between being offered by a comparison site, and going to the insurers website to buy.

 

Example - got a quote of £290 from Lloyds. Click though, here are the details for your £290 quote. Click on payment, please enter your card number to be charged £740. WTF? Click back, refresh page, here are the details for your £740 quote.

[TimothyClaypole]

Better a few minutes on the internet than days on the phone back in the old days.  

 

"Have you had a quote already Mr. Senior?"

 

Que lying about the last quote to try and get a better price then being told "We can't match that". etc etc.

 

Direct Line were a big advance but they've lost it by refusing to join in and taking their ball home. Why would you ring them when you have 50 quotes already... 

[New POD]

I'm about to start a trawl on behalf of my son, on his first insurance, age 21.

 

He passed his test at 17, and has 2.25 years of insurance experience as a named driver.

 

Car is a 1.6 16V Astra Club Mk4 W reg, with 19K on the clock, he will have 2 named drivers, me, and the wife. Car will be parked in the road.

 

Anyone want to guess what the price ends up at.

 

I have 4 weeks to sort it, before the FiL gives it to him on his 21st birthday.

[gtd2000]

I also use www.moneysupermarket.com but either will produce good results.

 

They have some advice om possible cash back payments for insurance policies over at www.moneysavingexpert.com via Quido etc.

 

They never end up being the cheapest with cashback, for my situation but for others it works out very well.

[spike60]

Your postcode will have a big effect on the price too.

[spike60]

I use Confused as a tool to check the viability of old donkeys I'm considering, even if I don't always insure through them, a handy tool. Yesterday a battered Monteray £276, a Volvo 244 £83. Be a fool not to.....

[londonm]

I'm about to start a trawl on behalf of my son, on his first insurance, age 21.He passed his test at 17, and has 2.25 years of insurance experience as a named driver.Car is a 1.6 16V Astra Club Mk4 W reg, with 19K on the clock, he will have 2 named drivers, me, and the wife. Car will be parked in the road.Anyone want to guess what the price ends up at.I have 4 weeks to sort it, before the FiL gives it to him on his 21st birthday.

Where do you live, Moss Side or Bridport?

[hennabm]

I have used Swinton for a number of years for my old 320 and they were always cheaper.

 

But not this year. It had gone up by around £40. So after haggling with them on the phone they were still dearer than a like for like quote on Gocompare. The cheapest there was Saga at £99. However when I clicked through from the Gocompare site to Saga, the premiuim had gone up around £15   When I phoned to check I was informed that "they all do that sir". No they f*** don't I told him and rang off.

 

Checking again the next cheapest was the Policyshop at £99. I took this one with no hassle.

 

The irony is it is with the same insurer as Swinton were offering but cheaper.

 

It pays to shop around.