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Spitting feathers

(61 Posts)
tanith Fri 02-Nov-18 14:12:46

I’m so mad? had a small prang in my car this morning not my fault a silly man pulled into the side of me on a roundabout, he apologised and we exchanged details, that’s not what I’m mad about though.
Rang my insurers and made the claim on my policy which is up for renewal in 2 days, so while on the phone I said might as well accept the new quote and while we’re at it please remove my late husband from the policy, BIG MISTAKE, apparently because I no longer have a spouse on my policy the premium is recalculated and it’s gonna cost an extra £80! Oh my can’t believe but the girl said it doesn’t seem right but that’s what all insurance companies do. I told her I’d be looking elsewhere. ???

notanan2 Tue 06-Nov-18 11:12:18

Have you tried phoning them up and asking them to match your old price? I have always lowered my quote by ringing and asking

cornergran Tue 06-Nov-18 07:42:31

Slightly off thread I know sussexborn but your friend isn’t alone. The same thing happened to a close friend trying to change credit card details after her husband died. She even had a letter explaining why it was necessary. Beyond belief.

Hope there’s a solution tanith, no sense to car insurance is there?

tanith Tue 06-Nov-18 07:34:23

naheed I’ve already tried that and the first one on the list was the same company at almost the new price they quoted me, all the others on the list were higher so it was a waste of time. My GS said to try putting him on my policy so I may try that. At least the man who hit me admitted liability straight away.

naheed Mon 05-Nov-18 22:05:26

I'd try price comparator website to find alternative insurance company to compare prices.

balloonlady Sun 04-Nov-18 21:16:00

I know the feeling, recently our car insurance was up for renewal.As we had disposed of one car on a multi policy I was informed that I had to pay an extra £100 + talk about adding insult to injury. There are still two drivers and less risk with one car , so how can they justify it?? angry

Riggie Sun 04-Nov-18 14:01:28

Several people I know who have been removing spouses or otherwise changing insurance have saved a lot of money by using a local bricks and mortar broker

maddyone Sun 04-Nov-18 13:42:29

Sussexborn, that story is both sad and funny at the same time. It doesn’t say much for our education system that a call operative can insist on speaking to a dead person, and even be backed by the supervisor does it?

Sussexborn Sun 04-Nov-18 12:30:25

Things have actually improved somewhat! When my friend’s husband died the call centre operative insisted he must speak to him in person. Assuming a misunderstanding she tried explaining again and AGAIN. She then asked to speak to his supervisor who told her that the young man was right!! Eventually the company apologised and sent her flowers and a reduced premium! She has a fairly dark sense of humour but was laughing and crying when she told me about this. She must have felt that she had fallen down a rabbit hole and landed in Lalaland!

Marieeliz Sun 04-Nov-18 12:15:33

My brother was on my policy, he lived £259 miles away but it saved me money, occasionally when I went to visit he drove as he knew the area better. When he died, I had no one I could put on, only my friend who is 4 years older than me. 84. She has a good driving record though so my premium was less.

jaylucy Sun 04-Nov-18 11:50:38

Wonder if it works the other way ?
The reduction because of the premium when adding another driver is purely a sales thing (along the lines of buy one get one free)
Each person should be taken on their own merits and premiums worked out on that.

Jens Sun 04-Nov-18 11:20:39

Good for you, ensure you get a certificatefor no cla8m Bonus and find another 8nsurer. only when they keep losing business will they finally get the message, we will not be robbed or pressured by black mailing threats

Katekeeprunning Sun 04-Nov-18 10:58:31

It's ridiculous isn't it. My uncle put me on his policy (my aunt had gone into a nursing home) and he saved approx £150

Lancslass1 Sun 04-Nov-18 10:47:54

I asked if our daughter could be added to our Policy and the amount was reduced by over £30!

maddyone Sun 04-Nov-18 10:44:52

Tanith, you did the right thing, change your company. But it may help if you put a second driver on the policy. Get the quotes for yourself as a single driver and for yourself plus one other.
My elderly mother has my husband on her policy as a second driver, it’s reduced her policy price by £200.

Tanith, I’m very sorry to read of your loss.

Barmeyoldbat Sun 04-Nov-18 10:08:46

we found it also increases if you are living together and have different surnames. Changed my surname and the price went down.

sarahellenwhitney Sun 04-Nov-18 08:58:06

Chelseababy Thanks for the info never knew that but ready and waiting when my next premium is due.

67George Sun 04-Nov-18 07:32:46

How I got round that I put my daughter on the car insurance ?
Which is handy also

Nannarose Sun 04-Nov-18 07:29:41

It's also worth considering lowering your annual mileage if, with only one driver, you do less. However, it's important to be accurate, as has been said, or you may invalidate the policy.
It can be worth going to a specialist broker as well - Saga being an obvious one for older people. I still use the broker I had when I worked for the NHS - apparently community nurses are high risk (distracted & rushing I suppose!) but th specialist broker could point out that we also tend to be careful.

Aepgirl Sun 04-Nov-18 07:20:33

When my daughter got married and moved away I asked to have her name removed from my car insurance and, yes, the price went up - so I kept her on. Doesn't make sense to me!

driverann Sun 04-Nov-18 07:02:54

Insurance companies are currently under investigation for ripping motorists off. Last December I decided that my car was not worth paying another £800 out to have it repaired yet again, so scraped it, (That’s another story) Anyway, LV insurance told me if I got a replacement car within 21 days then my 75% no claims would still apply. However I never bothered for ten months, my husband has a car. Then I decided that I felt that I had lost my independence so purchased another car. When I telephoned LV to insure it they told me “we have no records of you so we can only insure you as a new driver.” The cost £780 per year. I had been with them for 34 years. Another insurance company insured me for £268 per year. Rip off merchants or what.?

GabriellaG Sun 04-Nov-18 06:58:15

My ex has me named on his policy and I have him named on mine, even though we live in different countries and have been divorced for almost 20 years. I'm lucky in that he pays for my car and all associated costs.

jocork Sun 04-Nov-18 06:46:47

I was on my daughter's insurance for about 5 years when she first had a car. It saved her £500 the first year, and eventually was cheaper for her alone. She simply checked every year. We lived 100 miles apart and I only ever drove her car twice, once to move it to a car park from a camp site and once for a long distance when she injured herself and couldn't drive home!

Ashcombe Sun 04-Nov-18 06:15:34

Four years ago I became divorced and moved into a flat so I notified my Ins Co of the change of address. Being divorced incurred a higher premium which was reduced when I remarried a year later! When I subsequently added my new husband to the policy, the cost decreased again!
Obviously, I was a crazy driver during the period between marriages but I’m staid and sensible again now! Bizarre!

Saxifrage Sun 04-Nov-18 01:16:35

I now have both my son and daughter on my policy. They both have their own cars and don't drive mine but that worked out cheaper.

newnanny Sun 04-Nov-18 00:32:34

I am named as a second driver for both my sons on their car policies. I have only ever had one minor accident about 40 years ago so lower their premiums.