vehicle insurance cover hidden extras

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Fri 4 Apr 2008 17:49
vehicle insurance cover hidden extras - El Hacko
am in renewal mode, surfing/ ringing around and one company mentioned £15 "may be charged" for changing details. Why? "Because that is what we may charge". Which means they will charge!
So, in the often likely case of changing, say, a vehicle or home address, they whack on a fee for what involves a few keystrokes. Am now going to ask every company which seems to be offering a good deal if/what they charge for this laborious service.
Anyone else experienced such a charge, and if so how much?



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Fri 4 Apr 2008 18:00
vehicle insurance cover hidden extras - El Hacko
PS neighbour just related that he was charged £25 for changing vehicle details
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Fri 4 Apr 2008 18:09
vehicle insurance cover hidden extras - Hamsafar
When I changed cars a couple of years ago from one mundane car to another, my insurer Bell Direct said they could not insure my new car with the current underwriter, and I would have to change, the lady on the phone checked the computer and the price soared by about £500 and was much more than the online quotes I had already which were similar to what I usually pay. I was three months into the insurance with my old ca, but I had to get insurance elsewhere. They then wrote and said they were giving me 7 days notice that the insurance was cancelled, because I no longer owned the insured interest (even though I still did have my old car but was scrapping it). In the end, I was penalised for the insurance being terminated after 3-4 months, and got about 1/3rd of the annual premium back, I complained by letter a few times but gave up in the end. I now avoid Bell, Budget and Post Office at all costs, as they are the same outfit.
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Fri 4 Apr 2008 18:37
vehicle insurance cover hidden extras - jbif
Anyone else experienced such a charge, and if so how much?


see HJ's news article from a few weeks ago
www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/item.htm?id=4572
Am now going to ask every company which seems to be offering a good deal

Tactics to find best insurance are here
www.honestjohn.co.uk/guides_insurance/saving-you-m...m
and on Martin Lewis's moneysavingexpert website.
I now avoid Bell, Budget and Post Office at all costs

Ashok, those names do not appear on HJ's news item list so they must be outside the "top ten".

Edited by jbif on 04/04/2008 at 18:38

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Fri 4 Apr 2008 19:02
vehicle insurance cover hidden extras - rtj70
"I was penalised for the insurance being terminated after 3-4 months, and got about 1/3rd of the annual premium back"

I always thought car insurance premiums were front loaded. Ignoring paying monthly, the bulk of the insurance premium paid seems to go on the first few months. Cancel the policy and you will not get back the remainng months pro-rata. That's how it works and works against us. Cancel early and you get some back. Cancel late in the policy and you probably get very little.
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Sat 5 Apr 2008 16:49
vehicle insurance cover hidden extras - JamesH
>>I now avoid Bell, Budget and Post Office at all costs as they are the same outfit.

Bell is part of the Admiral group, so you ought to be avoiding Elephant and Admiral. Budget and Post Office insurance are part of BISL, as well as other brands such as M&S, so you might be missing out by striking them off your shopping list.

Edited by JamesH on 05/04/2008 at 16:49

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Fri 4 Apr 2008 22:47
vehicle insurance cover hidden extras - doctorchris
These charges for altering details seem commonplace in the insurance industry now. My daughters have frequently been stung this way especially as students with frequent changes of address.
It's not unexpected as premiums are pretty much cut to the bone especially with savvy customers surfing the web at renewal time. It's just a way of recouping their profits.
I do suggest that anyone anticipating any changes checks the cost before taking out a policy, a cheap quote could end up expensive otherwise.
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Sat 5 Apr 2008 16:22
vehicle insurance cover hidden extras - martint123
Because most people buy insurance purely on price nowadays, insurers do everything possible to get the initial quote down as far as possible.
So, everything else becomes a paid-for extra. Changing details can be more than a few keystrokes, it took my broker months to get the second vehicle or a multi-vehicle onto the MID.
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Sat 5 Apr 2008 16:57
vehicle insurance cover hidden extras - Alby Back
I know its deeply unfashionable and regarded as an almost pre-historic way of dealing with things but I still use a High St broker. I have occasionally checked on 'tinterweb to see if I can beat them but never have been able to for the policy I need. Add to that the lack of effort required on my part and I'm quite happy to remain a dinosaur. They have never charged me for changes mid-policy.
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Sat 5 Apr 2008 19:45
vehicle insurance cover hidden extras - Falkirk Bairn
Last October changed the car - 1st time in 6.5 yrs (Breakdown & Insurance with same Cos for all the time).

Phoned up Greenflag took 2 mins and the car reg & description were changed - NO Charge.

5 mins later phone E-sure about the same matter - the £££s will remain the same but there is a £20 admin charge.

Off with a letter - GF take 2 mins and no charge, E-sure 2 mins and that will be £20. 3 days later a letter saying they would refund the £20.

Policy renewal arrives charge is now £17.50 - still Highway Robbery.

They quote £181 - about the same as last year. Check on Tesco Comapre - my Ins Co and same details almost £40 cheaper. Off with another letter - £39.85 reducation in cost.

If you do not complain they run all over you - all BRs unite and fight for justice..
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