Car insurance

[Sorastro]

It's that time of year again having to sort my car insurance out, not something I look forward to.

Having got rid of my ageing car about 12 years ago, now able to use a company vehicle, much to my disgust I inadvertently lost ALL my no claims that I had built up over 40 years by not renewing. I asked my insurance broker at the time if I could pay a nominal sum just to keep the N.C.B. but to no avail, they said, in order for that to happen I had to pay the lot every year, even though I no longer owned a car so claims for accidents would obviously be nil, a win win situation for them I thought but no chance, so they have lost my future custom and I had been with them a good few years.

So when I got a car about 6 years ago I thought s*d you lot I'll look on line and having to start from scratch again it was just shy of £400.
Now it's coming up for renewal this time I will only have 6 years N.C.B. and I don't really want to use on line again as I prefer face to face in an office I can visit.
I have looked on line for comparison {compare the market} and the online one I'm with at the moment still looks the best, even though my renewal quote has gone up by a tenner, others, on the site, who claim to look after the more "mature" driver have turned out to be some of the dearest, those like Age U.K. and Saga
but I still would prefer to deal with a high street broker if I can.

So this week I will be going round a couple of the brokers to see if they will beat or at least match my renewal quote.
Places like Spire {near train station}.... A to Z on Cavendish st.... Buckingham's in Clowne.
If any of you deal with any of the above {good or bad} or any other high street insurer who would give me a decent shake, please let me know.
 I've got till the week end to make a decision....thanks   

[Umpire]

I went with the Coop  and jt was about  £60 cheaper than the year before.Whether it was just to get my business we will see  when its up for renewal.I did it on line by the way.

[Tarzan]

I have been using Spire Insurance for years, I have always found them friendly, helpful & competitive.
I use the price comparison sites just before my renewal, but Spire usually manage to beat the online quotes.
When i get my renewal letter, i go to the office & they will often do it cheaper than their own renewal price. 

[Sorastro]

Thanks..

First port of call this morning was Spire insurance, didn't get it cheaper but got N.C.B. protection, all it cost was 3 quid more than renewal price from previous online insurer.

Also got to ring up tomorrow about breakdown cover that runs out same time.
Used Green Flag and paid £71 last year, this year they want £85 that's just their recovery plan. Looked on moneysupermarket same time as car insurance and put my details in and looked up Green Flag......

For just recovery £36....... for Green Flag Excess {one above recovery} £41   

I also left a review {today} on trustpilot about Age Co {formally Age U.K.} if Green Flag don't get their fingers out tomorrow there will be one on there about them too.

[Alsatian]

Breakdown recovery can be a minefield, one thing to bear in mind is that, other than the AA and RAC, they will nearly all use the same 3rd party repairers (eg Red House Service Station etc) the big differences are how long they will try to repair the vehicle at the roadside, and how far they will take you if it cannot be repaired (ie will they take you to a hotel up to 10 miles away, or will they take you to your destination?).

Also a lot of companies have cheaper premiums due to charging an excess payable on each breakdown, and a maximum number of call outs each year.

You pays yer money, and takes yer choice!

[handy]

Tend to stick with Direct line I phoned to cancel and they lowered my premiun so stayed with them as they are quick if you have an accident , Green flag only used once wife broke down in Sheffield and i traveled from Hull and found her quicker than them (puncture only)  never used them since Breakdown was with the AA for years and always ring to cancel to get offered a lower price but last year woman on phone would not go low enough  ( i always try to get same price as a new member does which i think is only fair ). AA or Rac are the best really (because they are the biggest) and the best deals are normally in shopping centres like Crystal Peaks RAC are there often, but AA have stopped trading like that now .

[Sorastro]

Thanks handy, as Alsatian says it's a minefield. After Alsatians post I re checked on the Green Flag site and it says £41 but with a £40 excess. I've never come across excesses on breakdown cover before, and I have had b/down cover for well over 40 years on and off, so will keep looking, failing that any decent quotes will stay with them, I can't afford to find out I've made a mistake one day when I'm stranded in heaven knows where with a dicky policy.

I spoke to my brother last night who uses the same b/down company every year {R.A.C.}  and just renews it yearly by d/debit that's why this year he is paying in excess of £120 and his car is only about 3 years old, he doesn't own a computer, he like many rely on their company looking after them.
As with your wife's case handy, years ago a friend of mine broke down just before midnight on Hasland toll bar, he rang his b/down company I believe {AA or RAC} and they sent their "nearest" van. He got there at 3:30a.m. he had been sent from SCUNTHORPE!!!

[Sorastro]

The expression a week is a long time in politics, so too for car insurance.
I always tell people to barter with insurance companies and threaten to leave to get a better offer, I obviously didn't practice what I preached, well not very well anyway.

Over the past 2 days I've done a total reverse. Rang my on line car insurer to cancel the renewal policy and they immediately came back with a "new" offer, and it was over £80 less than the original quote {now less than £200} instead of over £260 so stayed with them for another year.
Same with Green Flag, rang them and told them I had put my car details in on line {as a new customer} and I could have joined for £70 instead of the £85 they wanted, and without hesitation the guy on the other end said "O.K. we will renew it at that price then".

My only gripe was both calls meant ringing premium lines and I'm on pay as you go on my mobile so the total cost of the calls came to £13.