insurance renewal costs - lucky escape

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Mon 9 Jul 2007 09:03
insurance renewal costs - lucky escape - wotspur
For several years I had been with Eagle star for my insurance, then a few years back they were taken over - my cover expired on saturday, so i rang to renew. Now normally I speak to several companies, then through shere laziness, get them to price match, saves the hassle of changing companies.
However, I had been ultra busy and hadn't had the time so I just rang to renew at 562.15, and make up a figure generally 20% less for them to try and match, I mentioned I now do more miles, to which the young lady asked what I did.
Now I've been self employed for 16 years as an agent, visiting potential clients etc and been insured under business used, fully comp with protected ncd.
I was informed that they now classed me as Commercial , which they no longer did, unless through their commercial department- I searched the FORUM and found the commercial van specialists, as recommended by fellow BR'S, who, whilst they couldn't help, passed me on to "Core??", very helpful and got several companies to quote ranging from 697 - 471, but on a whim I phoned Virgin, who I have several accounts and with extra discount I managed to obtain cover for £463, via UKI ??, and I could have spread the payments without extra costs - I hope they turn out to be as good as it sounds-
moral don't be lazy shop around
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Mon 9 Jul 2007 10:24
insurance renewal costs - lucky escape - Bill Payer
When you say you're an Agent, are you carrying stuff around with you, like the old fashioned Commercial Travellers?

I'm basically an agent too, going from customer to customer, but not carrying goods / samples. All the advice I've seen and taken is that normal Class 1 business cover is fine.

There's no logic in insurance companies pricing - my daughter changed her policy mid-year with Admiral from SD&P to Class 1 business, and the premium went down and they sent her a small refund!
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Mon 9 Jul 2007 11:07
insurance renewal costs - lucky escape - Ruperts Trooper
I've found it pays to hunt around every year and I'm always astounded at the range of premium, all for identical cover, some years varying by a factor of 3.
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Mon 9 Jul 2007 11:14
insurance renewal costs - lucky escape - Bill Payer
I've found it pays to hunt around every year


I don't do that - I'm with what I believe is a good company, with good cover and good service level (tested it when someone ran into back of Mrs BP's car - they took care of the whole thing and I didn't even have to pay and reclaim the excess). I know they're not the absolute cheapest, but they're not a million miles out, and, when push comes to shove this is one area where cheapest might not be best.
I use Frizzell, also known as Liverpool Victoria. WhatCar's insurance is through them too.
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Mon 9 Jul 2007 14:42
insurance renewal costs - lucky escape - Ruperts Trooper
As I said I hunt around and go with the cheapest - last insurance year I had an accident involving £2500 damage to a 7-year old Astra - I was expecting it written off but I was very pleased they repaired it.

There's no guarantee that a more expensive company would do the same so I don't regard cheap insurance as inferior cover, in fact looking back it's been with some big, respected, names - AXA, Norwich Union, Zurich and More Than.
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Mon 9 Jul 2007 18:58
insurance renewal costs - lucky escape - geoff1248
I spent quite a few years using my home as an office but working at clients premises. My then insurance coy. said that I was in effect using the car to travel to and from my place of work which just happened to be at a number of different addresses. Thus normal private insurance cover would be sufficient as it cover travel to and from my place of work. They even confirmed this in writting.
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Mon 9 Jul 2007 19:21
insurance renewal costs - lucky escape - nick
I can highly recommend confused .com. What's nice is that they email you just under a year after you first use them having saved all your details. All you need to do is update your car if you've changed it. I've never failed to save a couple of hundred pounds by using them each year. All online too, no forms to fill in.
I have no connection with the company other than as a satisified customer.
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Mon 9 Jul 2007 23:45
insurance renewal costs - lucky escape - Bill Payer
Thus normal private insurance cover would be sufficient...

That's different from what I (and I imagine) the OP do though - we go from place to place during the course of a day.

I think you'll find that most insurance companies cover commuting to *one* place of business per day. The reason my teacher daughter changed to business cover was becuase she sometimes has to go to different schools and her insurer (Admiral) said that's fine on a per day basis, but they wouldn't cover her under commuting for going from school to school during the day.
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Mon 9 Jul 2007 23:53
insurance renewal costs - lucky escape - ukbeefy
Has your daughter ever investigated the special teachers policies available through the teaching unions? When I worked in Insurance we did a big scheme for the NUT and they had a special policy with specific cover for teachers eg cover to take kids back and forth to parents, other add ons etc.

was pretty good value at the time thru CU. They got a better deal than CU staff did! Also generally being a member of a large scheme does get you better service at claim time...

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Tue 10 Jul 2007 00:06
insurance renewal costs - lucky escape - Bill Payer
Has your daughter ever investigated the special teachers policies available through the teaching unions?


Thanks, but yes (and my other daughter who works in the NHS did too). However all the special policies were miles out. A bit like Endsleigh saying they're cheapest for students, but then not being.

I'm always sceptical about such offers and that was especially noticeable on the NHS 'deals' where the quotes were frequently higher than going through the normal route.
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