Norwich Union - Dick Turpin

[DCM]

As there renewal was more like Highway Robbery!!!

Let me see, 1999 Chrysler Voyager, No Claims, full NCD, no claims, alarmed, driveway... limited milage... we shall stick your insurance up over £150 to £636 fully comp.... gocompare, Zurich, with less excess and a better policy, £380!!

[peetbee]

Well, they've got to pay all those celebrities to advertise their name change to Aviva so they have to get the money from somewhere!

[DCM]

Originally Posted by peetbee

Well, they've got to pay all those celebrities to advertise their name change to Aviva so they have to get the money from somewhere!

not getting it from me, you know what I am like... and that definately wasn't Tamiya value for money!!

[Spencer Mulcahy]

I have had the same trouble with them been with them for years. Been driving for 19 years with not one claim (touch wood) 1.2 fiesta LX £440. I have been on compair the market cheapest £160 fully comp all in.

[Northy]

Originally Posted by Spencer Mulcahy

I have been on compair the market cheapest £160 fully comp all in.

Or was that compare the Meerkat? What you have bought there is a ever so slightly used and abused prostitute Meerkat from kazakhstan!!!

G

[Scouser]

Insurance on our 4x4 went from £330 to £590. Surprisingly we said no to the renewal and went elsewhere!

[DCM]

so it isn't just me then... thieving bar stewards!

[MRD]

Over the past 5 years my policy has dropped from £1200 to £500, This last year I earned my 5th year of no claims and turned 26 which should have made a fair drop in my policy cost, so I was suprised when my Tescos renewal came in at more than last year and thats without protected no claims. I swapped to Esure and got it for £450 with all the extras and protected no claims. It pays to shop arround.

[DCM]

I looked at eSure, but there was a clause over the no claims, something to do with the car being vandalised.

[JBL]

Norwich Union/Aviva group made a loss of £885 million last year and yet they still paid all the senior managers bonuses!!

I would definately look elsewhere for car insurance!!

[Zipper]

Having worked in the insurance industry for 10yrs, unfortunately this hiking up the renewal price is the norm.

After paying all the marketing costs to get you to call them in the first place, sales agents wages, admin team etc etc the insurer is desperate for your business. As long you are the type of risk they want, they will pitch it low to get you on their books. An insurance company will not have made a single penny profit at this stage and most will have made quite a loss.

The profit is all about the renewal, so insurers will push up their prices as they know without doing a thing, at least 50% of the public will simply renew their policies without shopping around. The other 50% will call to say they are not renewing (as most insurers will automatically renew unless you call them) and this will give the insurance company a chance to sell to you again. As an example, they send you a renewal for £500 to which you call them to say you want to cancel. They then say something along the lines of "let me speak to my manager" and hey presto, suddenly the premium is reduced by £100. Another 25% of customers will fall for this. The other 25% will go elsewhere.


My advice... never accept your renewal. Even if you want to stay with your existing insurer.. give them a call first and say that you want to stay but have been quoted cheaper elsewhere. They might not be able to match your cheapest quote but they will usually knock a good amount off their original quote.

[DCM]

The last few years, I have always taking a new quote with Norwich (which is always cheaper), and told them, that is the price I am paying, no admin charge, initial fee's etc, and they have done it. Now, you enter your registration number, and won't let you get a 'new customer' quote.

[Spoolio]

Didn't you change your car within the last policy year DCM? Funnily enough our premium with NU has increased by pence. Ordinarily - and also working in Insurance for over 20 years god help me - I'd have shopped around this year, but I had to claim on my NU Direct policy over the new year and I couldn't fault the service I got. At the end of the day that is what you pay for and in many cases the service can be quite er, "variable".

[bodgit]

I found Zurich the cheapest over the last 2 years.
My C-max 2.0 Tdci gp 10 on a 55 plate came in at £352 fully comp with full breakdown inc home start. I got the quote from compare the market then just phoned Zurich direct and saved the middlemans fee.

[DCM]

Originally Posted by Spoolio

Didn't you change your car within the last policy year DCM? Funnily enough our premium with NU has increased by pence. Ordinarily - and also working in Insurance for over 20 years god help me - I'd have shopped around this year, but I had to claim on my NU Direct policy over the new year and I couldn't fault the service I got. At the end of the day that is what you pay for and in many cases the service can be quite er, "variable".

yeah, which they charged me for (fairly I guess), plus I also paid to insure the old car for a month @£30 a month.... so they got their money out of me..... I just think they assume that lots will just forget to shop round and pay a dividend that is 40-50% more than current market trend.

[SlowOne]

I've been with Direct Line for 15 years. Not only do they give superb service, but every year I try to beat their quote, and fail. Same with Chris's car - never beat them on price.

Now, isn't that the company that aren't on comparison web sites, and don't pay those middlemen, or a bunch of celebs, or any brokers? Hmmm...

[peetbee]

Originally Posted by SlowOne

Now, isn't that the company that aren't on comparison web sites, and don't pay those middlemen, or a bunch of celebs, or any brokers? Hmmm...

Apart from Paul Merton and Stephen Fry , although these days Paul Merton aint a big celebrity anymore!

I'm with Direct Line too, haven't been able to beat their renewal for the past couple of years either