Wtf is going on with car insurance prices?

[carlo]

I've been with Direct Line for decades, they were always pretty competitive around renewal time but perhaps more importantly were easy to get hold of, negotiate a slightly better rate come renewal, and be amenable to short term insurance options.

The only reason I'm still with them now is price; my renewal this year was only £20 or so dearer than previous, so tried a couple of other companies and they quoted over double.

Direct Line's service has gone completely down the toilet, I think their call centre is in South Africa or somewhere, they have very little understanding of virtually any question you ask them.  Call wait times are almost exactly 45 minutes (very suspicious, perhaps they're hoping you'll give up) each call.  I find it easier just to renew online, couldn't be arsed with all the hassle.

 

[Matty]

17 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

I once got a quote for £34000 for my 17 year old son to drive my Impreza WRX.

Did you go monthly installments on that or just pay it all upfront?

[Mrcento]

Anyone else noticed how insane as well the excesses have suddenly become?, Even a year or so back, wasn't especially difficult or additionally expensive to have a policy with no, or at least a low excess, you could add a voluntary one (I normally go £250) to bring down the cost a little and still have it at least sort of sensible.

The compulsory excess for a lot of policies now is between £500 and £1000

You can almost understand why so many people are willing to break the law and chance it without. Not only is it already far too expensive for so many people, with clear cons thrown in to milk what they can, where they can, but they're now also throwing in excesses so large that anyone with a lower valued car would be as well not having it on a personal, financial level, it offers zero protection to them and really only has any value on a third party side. For them, they're still going to end up out of pocket massively and a written off car if a bird so much as shits on it with a touch too much acidity and never seeing any of what value it has back.

[Metal Guru]

55 minutes ago, Mrcento said:

Anyone else noticed how insane as well the excesses have suddenly become?, Even a year or so back, wasn't especially difficult or additionally expensive to have a policy with no, or at least a low excess, you could add a voluntary one (I normally go £250) to bring down the cost a little and still have it at least sort of sensible.

The compulsory excess for a lot of policies now is between £500 and £1000

You can almost understand why so many people are willing to break the law and chance it without. Not only is it already far too expensive for so many people, with clear cons thrown in to milk what they can, where they can, but they're now also throwing in excesses so large that anyone with a lower valued car would be as well not having it on a personal, financial level, it offers zero protection to them and really only has any value on a third party side. For them, they're still going to end up out of pocket massively and a written off car if a bird so much as shits on it with a touch too much acidity and never seeing any of what value it has back.

I pay £5 a year extra on my breakdown cover and it covers £500 excess if I have a claim. 

[neil1971]

On 5/21/2023 at 1:25 PM, Metal Guru said:

My wife’s car is with Direct Line and renewal notice was about £50 more than last year (£250 ish). Asked a meerkat and he said £196 best ( of companies I’d heard of). So I phone DL see if they’ll match it and the say how’s £185 sound? Wow, I’d have renewed at about £225 (CBA  to change if it’s less than £30).

They won’t budge on house insurance though.

They wouldn't budge at all for me, had meerkat quotes starting from £213 against DL renewal of £275. Because all the meerkat quotes were £250 voluntary excess and my voluntary with DL is £350, they kept on about it not being a like for like quote, even though the cheapest quote was £250 voluntary and £200 compulsory compared to £350 + £100 with DL so both £450 in total. Even explaining that upping the meerkat excess to £350 would bring that quote down if anything, didn't help. 

I've told them I'm not renewing but wonder if it's worth having another go and hoping to get someone more sensible.

My annual call to Green Flag for the breakdown cover was much less hassle, renewal is always dearer than the same cover offered online to a new customer but they will always match it with no quibble, so managed to chip £11 off, unlikely to change my life!

[barefoot]

I remember when Direct Line was launched - circa 1985. At the time I worked for the Prudential and my rate book for house insurance used to quote something like £1 per £1,000 buildings subject to a £20K minimum & £1.50 per £1.000 contents with another minimum premium. DL stormed in with a quarter of a million pounds worth of buildings cover & unlimited contents for £30. We were dumbfounded. 

Incidentally, my first ever motor insurance, for a '78 Chevette in 84 came in at a heavily loaded £156 because of an accident I'd had. All my mates were paying 60 or 70 pounds. Then I needed to add repping cover which cost me an additional £80. The thing is, my insurance has always* cost me about £150 ever since.  I think that the camper cost £180 earlier this year, and the other three cars which are all on one policy cost about £350 the lot. 

*Apart from 1994 when I bought my 944 and was charged an eye watering £660!

[Flat4]

15 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

I pay £5 a year extra on my breakdown cover and it covers £500 excess if I have a claim. 

Which company is that?

I've noticed that with excesses too. Even Chris Knott, who I normally go to last once I've done all my quotes coz they beat most of them, were struggling to beat a £200 excess offered by Swinton. LV seem to be a minimum of £250 across the board. When I was sorting out insurance for the Outback, the cheapest policies were between £300-450. Paid the extra to have Aviva bring it down to £150.

[artdjones]

On 5/23/2023 at 6:13 PM, carlo said:

Direct Line's service has gone completely down the toilet, I think their call centre is in South Africa

It can be difficult with foreign call centres because the operatives don't understand the way of life in Europe, which isn't surprising. I'd make a terrible call centre operator for someone in India because I don't live there.

I had a lot of calls to India last year about my broadband. One of the guys on the other end obviously didn't understand the phrase " I can see the phone wire lying on the drive". After about 4 calls I managed to meet a nice lady who sorted it all out.

[Metal Guru]

10 hours ago, Flat4 said:

Which company is that?

I've noticed that with excesses too. Even Chris Knott, who I normally go to last once I've done all my quotes coz they beat most of them, were struggling to beat a £200 excess offered by Swinton. LV seem to be a minimum of £250 across the board. When I was sorting out insurance for the Outback, the cheapest policies were between £300-450. Paid the extra to have Aviva bring it down to £150.

It is Emergency  Assist Ltd, got it through Groupon. You have to pay it up front and claim it back.

[straightSix]

Just swapped my address on my motorbike insurance, bike kept elsewhere so not even at my address and I don't drive it around here. Price to you sir? Extra £150 fuck sake