The old insurance renewal bollocks

[New POD]

So Bottom of the range mk1 mx5 poverty spec 88 bhp 'classic' has been insured on a normal policy via Flux for a couple of years instead of a classic policy, in my wife's name, and now has 2 years no claims. Last year was about £230, with half the no claims.

 

MINI is insured with Aviva initially for £238 a year, until we added the kids and it went to £2000.

 

Mx5 renewal comes through at £227

 

Get a quote on line with Aviva and it comes to £195 but won't let me add the modifications to the quote (a GLASS rear window, and a stainless exhaust - my excuse is that it was cheaper than a genuine standard mild steel one.

 

Aviva ring me up to see if I want to go ahead, and I explain the issue, and they decide that I should have a joint quote on mini and mx5 (as mini runs out in 3 weeks)

 

It comes to £578

 

I say "£227 add £238 equals somewhat less than that, so not only am I insulted warning bells are ringing that I'm probably over paying on my Honda and the house"

 

She re-quotes the mx5 on it's own. £167 quid.

 

MOT is due before insurance is due so lets wait until Monday

 

I phone Flux, to explain the difference between Aviva and them and They can hit £180 with some pointless extras thrown in.

 

I go on line and get a generic quote for both. £240 for the Mini £190 for the MX5.

 

So WHAT THE FUCK ? WHY in god's name do we have to play these stupid fucking games? Why not just quote your best rate first fucking time?

 

Note that The AVIVA lady had no sense of humour either. They go through the old "all calls are recorded, please answer honestly as to not do so can invalide your insurance.

 

I said "So what you just said is "tell the truth or if you have to make a claim, we'll do our very best to wheedle out of paying anything out" ?"

 

She didn't find that funny at all.

 

It's all ballocks ain't it ?

[spike60]

My Z3 2.8 was £180, went to £518 on automatic renewal, back down to £144 when I called to tell 'em to stick it. Privilege.

[Parky]

My first insurance policy cost 280 quid for a 17 year old on a Renault 5 - TPF and T

 

Originally it was 700 quid but I told the broker I had a quote of 300 elsewhere and AMAZINGLY they undercut it ther and then. They have the power but sadly it's the computer that influences results now.

 

I live in a low crime area but apparently when the estate was being built 15 years ago there were some thefts of plant, ergo its a high risk area now. It's a bit like saying a tiny village in the middle of nowhere is risky because a Zeppelin accidentally bombed it in 1917.

 

I get annoyed because some years ago I transferred ownership of our cars to Mrs P so she could build up some no claims. I didn't realise that because I am only the named driver, my no claims is now gone, kaput, finito. Therefore if I ever buy a car for myself I am a similar risk to a 17 year old in Moss Side.

 

So yes, it IS all bollocks!

[lisbon_road]

That is very honest to declare the stainless exhaust.

 

But the Zeppelin comment made my day!

[richardmorris]

I currently live somewhere with CCTV on the half mile driveway and actual police protection (not guarding me mind). Makes no difference at all to the insurance. My neighbours not only didn't bother locking their car, they frequently left the windows open.

[New POD]

That is very honest to declare the stainless exhaust.

 

But the Zeppelin comment made my day!

I guess they are sold as a performance enhancement, and I got it cheap via a group buy on MX5NUTZ, but I can't logically see how with CAT still in place, standard manifold, standard cam, standard timing, standard air filter, why it would make more power than the original. It has a nicer, deeper note. If It gained 10%, it would still have 15 bhp less than cars built a couple of years earlier.

 

I explain that it was cheaper and will last longer than the standard part, and that was the main reason for fitting it.

 

She seemed confused when I said "the first modification is a glass rear window, with a heated element"

 

(The wiring was there as the previous owner had an optional hard top, which I believe also has to be declared as a modification.)

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I wouldnt have bothered declaring either of those

[New POD]

I wouldnt have bothered declaring either of those

No, but they try any trick not to pay up, or WORSE pay up, and then claim it all back off you.

 

The only things I haven't declared in the past would be Astra GSi Brakes and Suspension fitted to a 1.4, mainly because they looked standard with GM markings.

 

oh and Cavalier GSi discs and pads and calipers on a mk2 sri.

[Jim Bell]

Nobody ever claims on insurance. Not for shite anyway. Why would you?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

My rule of thumb about declaring mods is 'if a random member of the public bought this car, could he be reasonably expected to spot that this is a mod and not an original feature?' If yes declare it. If not, don't. I wouldn't have known a glass window on an mx5 was a modification!

[Jim Bell]

Changing the tyres from original is a mod. Aero wipers is a mod. Tow bar is a mod.

Seat covers is a mod. They'd be FUCKING SICK within a week if every policy holder declared every mod as per terms and conditions. And the phone queues would be round the block and up the hill.

I see the point in declaring performance mods. Or mods that make the car potentially more attractive to a thief, but anything else, what's the point?

[EssDeeWon]

I was with Flux for years, but now I have 14 years driving experience with full no claims they always seem to quote very uncompetitive prices. I wouldnt even bother getting quotes off them now because I can pluck a ridiculous figure out of thin air myself.

 

Example - I got a quote on a BMW E39 528i worth about £800, they quoted nearly £500 then wanted £300 excess. I just laughed and to be fair the guy quoting was also slightly surprised at the quote.

 

6 / 7 years ago I had my SD1 V8 insured with them for £200 a year!!!

 

As I say they used to be really good, not anymore IMHO.

[New POD]

Update on said car : So wifey rings up in a fluster, as she's been out in the Mx5 with the dog about 6 miles to the beach, and 6 miles back and she noticed the temp going up into the red and "a horrid smell"

 

Anyway, she let it cool down, walked the dog the last 1/2 mile home, came back, checked the coolant, and that's okay, and driven it home.

 

Now 2 years ago, I flushed the rad, replaced the thermostat (just in case) and noticed the temp sender on the thermostat housing was falling apart so replaced that, along with the coolant.

 

Having read a few other posts (on MX5nutz) I'm thinking that the thermostat is unlikely to be failed closed and it's more likely to be the radiator, and more likely due to the light use it gets. (3000 miles a year)

 

When I get home tomorrow, how do I approach this.

 

MOT is booked in on Saturday at 9am. Am I okay to say to them, only run it when you need as the radiator seems blocked ?

[EssDeeWon]

Cars are left running quite a while now while in MOT's but you can only ask, either a decent chap will oblige or some spotty bloke wont give a blip !

[New POD]

Cars are left running quite a while now while in MOT's but you can only ask, either a decent chap will oblige or some spotty bloke wont give a blip !

I worked in a petrol station when doing my A levels (badly), as a Saturday boy and one of the mechanics, Gordon, now does the MOT's in the place where I usually go. I usually fail, for something trivial, but never anything major.

[New POD]

Gordon said "Yeah, perhaps by next year, you might like to sort out the back end of the sills, but apart from that there's nothing much to worry about"

[New POD]

So phoned Aviva to go with the cheapest quote, and ended up tacking the MX5 to my policy on the accord for £74 for 7 months. Which works out at just £127 a year.

 

Just got to make sure that I save up enough to pay for 2 lots of insurance in April.

[Honey Badger]

Rang up Admiral for a quote on a Lexus RX to replace the S2000 to be told that there would be a £49 increase in the premium and that I would pay a £17 admin fee as the Lexus barge is a bigger risk than a 240bhp rear wheel drive 2 seater.

 

Girl on the phone seemed quite shocked when I said I wasn't going to pay any more on the premium as the new car is a lower insurance group (32) vs the S2000 (40), also pointed out that I wasn't charged an admin fee the last time I made a policy change and I wasn't paying one now, I stuck to my guns despite them being most insistent and after several conversations with the supervisor (probably telling them that she had a right wanker on the phone) I've got the new car insured for the same as the old one with no cost to change.

 

They seem to expect people to roll over and just take what they as gospel and hand over the cash, gets right on my tits.

[PiperCub]

Had a similar interaction with Admiral when they tried to do the same, just argued as you did and they dropped the idea, this usually works I find. To be fair, Admiral have been pretty good with me over the past few years and respond well to being hustled. I think it's a blanket response to get money where possible.