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I think one of the problems these days is that most people shop generally (not just insurance) by price, rather than product quality. The problem with insuarnce is that you acn only really tell if its a good quality product if you have a claim, particularly if its a complex one or you need something sorted out very quickly. Most often, you get what you pay for in terms of customer service when you need to file a claim.
Unfortunately, the difference between the lowest and highest premiums (taking into account some firms deliberately quote ridiculously high to discourage potential clients rather than just refusing to quote) is so high that most people opt for the lowest or near that. Its the same with gas/elec utility firms - all that 'shopping around for the best price', 'cashback deals' etc that TV 'guru' Martin Lewis advocates is all well and good, but getting a really cheap deal often means you then have to put up with really poor customer service when an issue arises, and insurance is no different.
I've been with Esure for over 15 years and been lucky enough (touch wood) to have never had the need to make a claim. I went with them mainly because of price (they weren't the cheapest, but in the lowest 10 of over 100 on the screenscraper website) and that they are backed by one of the larger underwriters, but that doesn't mean they are any good during a claim. My policy has similar caveats, including £25 - £35 for changing details or requoting for a new vehicle mid-year, although on more than one occasion this has been waived (without even asking). Sometimes its not the firms' policy that makes the difference, but the attitude of the person we speak to during a call and how we come across to them as well.
I dallied once with changing to NFU, who do have a good reputation, but was put off when the quote came in for £650, rather than Esure at £300, and a good 30-40 other quotes in the range of £275 - £375 with about the same level of cover. I'd probably pay somewhere around the £400 mark (relative to the quote at that time) for a policy from a firm that does have a really good reputation, but not double. I also think some firms only care about getting new business (hence the low quotes on the screenscraper websites), and once you're on board you are just another mug to be fleeced if you need to have any dealings with them outside annual renewal.
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