That Old Chestnut......
 

....and by that I mean car insurance. In recent months stories about skyrocketing premiums have appeared all over the news, and as mine is due again next month I've been dreading getting my renewal quote. Well this morning it arrived by email, which I opened with great trepidation, and my jaw dropped when I saw that the price had actually gone down from £158 last time round to £153 for the upcoming year. Not sure why and I'm now in total shock, so I think I'd better go and have a lie down.

Lucky you, grab that certificate while you can.

Have just renewed mine recently but the quote went up by over 50% however a quick call got the quote down to less than last years.. Robbing bar stewards!

Amazing, if you would be so kind as to reveal (by pm or email if you like), details of car/cover I would be greatly obliged.

It's no secret. Insured fully comp with NCD protection and windscreen cover and courtesy car during repair (yes I know it will be written off for the smallest scratch) but without the other bells and whistles like breakdown cover etc. Company is quotemehappy.com

I have just been gobsmacked. I just got a quote from your company, £849.28

That is with a clear licence, accident free, full no claim and IAM. At about £650 higher than my present company, I think they are having a laugh.

'They' certainly are. 'We' are now conditioned to expect huge increases in virtually everything. We value our cars as other clubs do with their marques. Yet when you look at values in resale markets, suddenly it's rather different. Time for 3rd Party only? Unless we have 'agreed value' cover it's pointless kidding ourselves.
I spent 25 years in selling/admin/claims Motor insurance amongst other things and am (was!) aware of such things as inertia selling. The market benefits hugely from customer inertia and I now consider my renewal a full month prior to the due date. Then try the old insurer with the alternatives. Do not leave it to the last minute. Think of it as an eleven month policy.

I did just that ray with mine. 28 days prior to renewal quotes from compare the market and money supermarket brought mine down by 35%. Did not bother to wait for my renewal quote ,with my existing insurer as they are coming out later than normal . I took the insurance on offer whilst i could. This seems to be a normal trend that is happening from renewal quotes , from your existing company , as they know that prices increase rapidly towards the renewal date. Took your advice ray .. glad i did .. :D

I am in the process of finding new quotes for fully comp insurance. The AA just raised mine by a sniff under 70%, and me a Gold Member with 25 years claim free! You couldn't make it up!
After Easter I will give the AA an opportunity to do the decent thing, but meanwhile I'm trawling the 'industry', more in hope than anticipation. My first try came in nearly double the AA's inflated offer. Are they all in league, I wonder.
Derek.

In short, yes, frequently. In the 'City' they all use the same pubs etc. They are what used to be known as the Vine. Not necessarily producing grapes but certainly consuming plenty.

xsport p.8: Thank you.