Renewing Car Insurance - are there any companies you recommend or think I should avoid?

[bizzylizzy]

As the subject says. I'm about to renew my car insurance. A job I hate doing. My current company has put the premium up by over £150 and refuses to reduce it. Neither me nor my husband have had an accident for decades (touches wood) but my current no claims is 6 years because that's the max the company will go up to. I can get the premium way down on the sum quoted of course, but is it a false economy? I've found one company who are quoting a fantastic price, but when I checked up on them, there were loads of disgruntled customers saying, 'don't touch these people with a barge pole'. So can anyone recommend a reliable insurance company who won't charge an arm and a leg? Thanks everyone, happy driving.

[Buenchico]

It might be worth giving Post Office Insurance a call. When I renewed my car tax, at Post Office branch, I was invited to have my name entered into a competition if I agreed to let Post Office Insurance call me. I was confident that they wouldn't be able to offer a lower premium than the one I was getting elsewhere but I decided to enter the competition anyway. So I was surprised that when I did receive the phone call from Post Office Insurance that they could offer me a much lower premium, with a year's free RAC cover thrown in as well.

I'm now in my second year with Post Office Insurance. Including the highest level of RAC cover (with home start, recovery, etc - now at a reduced rate), my annual premium is £273.34. That's for a 58 year old male in Suffolk, with maximum NCB, driving an X-reg Escort.

Phone [phone]

Chris

[evil__sheep]

i am with LV, and the premium is good. However, i have (thankfully) never had to use them, so don't know what they are like at claim settling. I reckon you are bound to find crappy reviews of most companies online for 2 reasons 1) people don't tend to say what their experience is like unless it's rubbish and 2) people have such high expectations

[erin-x]

I asked on here about yes insurance a while ago when I renewing it. I got my quote from gocompare and it was the best one so I grabbed it. It was only after I sealed the deal that I looked at their reviews :( and I was shocked by how bad they were. I asked on here and people reassured me that the majority of people who give reviews are the ones who have had bad experiences. The people with something good to say hardly ever give reviews.

[hc4361]

You MUST use Gocompare, Compare the Market, MoneySupermarket and Direct Line

[KJN]

Never taken negative reviews at face value regarding any insurance, the only people that post reviews on the internet seem to post negative reviews. If a Company is giving you what you require then take it . It does not pay to stay with the same Insurance Company and you should look around each renewal period, they send renewals out at the last minute and take it for granted that we will stay with them to save the hassle. My Insurance is due soon and I will look around once again.

[jno]

I've found DirectLine the cheapest - but then I've never claimed on it.

[dennisb66]

I have max NCB on a 57 Fiat,I usually change companies every year after an exhaustive check of various companies.This year I settled on RIAS for my car and home insurance.Annual cost £260 ,I'm 76 years young.

[TWR]

I've had a quick look at the post Bizzy, contact your Insurance & state you are not pleased with their Quote & restate what you have said, make sure you get this done before your renewal date, if they will not drop tell them you WILL BE GOING, that what I done with a couple prior to the one I am with now, Loyalty mean nothing with the insures I can tell you that for certain, if they will not drop SOD them, look at Martin Lewis site, look for brokers ask for Quotes I know its a lot of messing about, I searched for a new one when the firm I was with would not drop in-turn I saved £ 80 for the exact same. there are some that offer cash back, that's a load of Bull sht, its just what they put on the price, don't forget to give them your Mileage, where the car is kept etc, a lot of companys now go on postcodes this gives them the crime figures for the area in-turn it either increases the cost etc.

[gingejbee]

I have two cars insured with MoreThan and am the only person I have heard of whose premium (on both cars) was actually LOWER this year compared with last year - and I didn't have to ask for it. They seem to play fair - with me, at least!

[R1Geezer]

Just go on the comparison sites, mine went from 597 to 344! No prizes for loyalty. I switch every year now and I'm paying less that I was 3 years ago! The insurers relay on apathy to keep you. I'm with Admiral this Time.

[R1Geezer]

It's almost certain that if you stay with one company for 2 years you are paying too much, that's because they all effectively discount initiall (especially via the comparison sites) to get people on board in the hope they can recover the discount on "renewal my apathy" - jno, do a compare site run, direct line are one of the dearest that's why they are not on the compare sites.