I have been looking with much sympathy at the remarks on insurance in the first car thread. Now, I am looking at Jap cars, nearer the other end of the performance range but then I am nearer the other end of the age range, and 3,000 miles pa will more than suffice.
So, I have been trying various sites to get a ball park figure for two models, with singular lack of success. I can't remember all the different ways that I have got stuck, but a usual one is to require a registration number - effectively, buy the car first and then we've got you, I feel! This is not much help when insurance may be one of the factors that would affect choice.
I wrote to my present classic insurer naming the models, but they just sent back a change/add vehicle without comment. Perhaps I should just chance them.
But I do feel I am being asked to buy the pig, with the price ticket in a poke.
|
Tomo
You're often much better off using the phone rather than the internet, as you actually speak to a human being.
Get a copy of Parkers guide. It gives insurance groups for the cars. Not infallible, but it will save wasted journeys looking at cars you definitely can't afford to insure.
Regards
john
|
|
|
> but a usual one is to require a registration number -
Did they tell you why they wanted that ? You might find that they were either trying to confirm the age of the vehicle, or concerned that the plate itself may have a value. If you knew why they wanted to know, you may have an alternative way of offering the same information or confirmation.
Certainly obtaining quotes is not an unusual part of the car choosing process.
M.
|
|
|
|
Odd thing this. I phoned to switch the cover from my roadster to a runabout that I bought for winter and when I gave them the reg. they told me what make, model, cc, and date of registration. When I asked how they knew I was told that they have a direct link into the DVLC. I guess it's like an additional HPI check. It would be interesting to know if they have uncovered any cars where someone has given them the reg. and they have then come back with a car that bears no resemblance to the one recently purchased and sitting on your drive.
|
|
|
Yes, I know the 'phone is better, bexcept I have a hearing problem - I hear sounds but don't make out speech well (especially some of the curious dialects, but that's another beef!). It's to do with having different sensitivity to different frequencies, and is so common that a very good device called a speech intelligibility enhancer is manufactured for use with amateur radio - you can boost or attenuate different frequencies; but it is not very convenient to adapt to a telephone.
It's not just to do with volume, and when one asks for repeats, and they shout at the other end, it gets worse.
It has been suggested the problem may be connected with old-fashioned motor-cycling - just a perforated pipe straight through the rear can, and no helmet - audible for three minutes going away at speed, my brother said - happy days! But I think exposure over some years to the noise of large rotary convertors is as likely.
Anyway, thanks for the interest.
|
|
|
They ask for the reg no. so they can look up the exact make/model of car which saves time and avoids any confusion. However, every site I've ever visited (and it's a lot) allow you to leave the reg no. blank and select the car/model from drop-down lists. i.e. they all recognise that you may not have bought or registered the car yet.
In some cases, they will display the drop-down lists even when the reg no. is quoted. This applies when the car is newly registered or when the DVLA data is insufficient to fully identify the model of car. You can't, of course, take out the insurance without supplying a reg no.
Keith
|
|
|
Tomo,
If you are just looking for ball-park figures and there is no alternative, give them any ol' reg. (Preferably one you saw on an existing car of same model.)
I couldn't even get a quote with all the info bar the reg from direct line and that ilk by phone. When l actually got my car, the reg wasn't recognised by the insurers (NUdirect) computer anyway! (Hope this isn't an indicator of future "no officer, l had no idea it was stolen" etc..)
Dan
|
|
|
![2022 Toyota GR Yaris 1.6 3dr AWD [Circuit Pack]](http://images.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/url/crop/90x60/https/assets.heycar.co.uk/t_default-export/f_auto/application_assets/vehicles/pictures/d7d7bc41a9956f45c9c1835b2dcde691/604fc74964480d085f7c7100619462cf.jpg)
