I always shop around now, not because I'm particularly bothered about a small price increase, but more so that loyalty is not rewarded in any way shape or form by insurance companies.
I had a telephone conversation with my current insurer, in which I stipulated that they contacted me at least four weeks in advance of the renewal date with a price, the reason for this is the previous company sent out their renewal a week before the due date giving little or no time to obtain rival quotes.
While my situation is slightly unusual in as much as I use a specialist broker, rather than a mainstream insurance company, I can relate totally to the more "normal" customer having issues.
My wife when I changed her car from a Connoisseur SE Tourer to a Classic SE saloon, was hit with a charge of over £250 for the change in car, for the remaining three months of cover
I rang up to see why there was such a big hike, and not simply an admin charge, their reply was "it's a diesel car, and different to the one she was previously driving, so this represents a greater risk"
I asked what the renewal figure was going to be, and was told a figure in excess of £400.......to which I replied I would like to cancel the policy as I've already arranged a full years fully comprehensive cover at less than the price of the increase for 90 days, to which they replied you do realise she will lose the proportion of her NCB for that year.......so what? she has full NCB with over 20 years since any incident, and I asked for her proof of NCB to be posted out.
So I insured her with her "new" insurer, which just happens to be exactly the same company she had been with for three years, at less than the previous years premium.
It's all a load of cobblers, they just make it up as they go along in the hope that inertia, and a lack of savvy will keep the sheeple paying through the nose.
Brian
