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CAR INSURANCE INCREASE

(71 Posts)
FishandChips15 Tue 06-Jun-23 12:30:45

I have just received my car insurance renewal and it is over 50% more expensive than last time.

Does this sound about right? I am with SAGA and drive a car that is ten years old!

karmalady Tue 06-Jun-23 18:50:08

My saga car insurance went up a few £ in january, now £320 for fully comp plus legal fees, two other drivers etc. Perhaps it does not cost so much where I live

I like saga for insurance particularly house and contents

Grannynannywanny Tue 06-Jun-23 19:00:17

I’ve been with M&S for many years and always found them competitive . Each year when my renewal arrived with an increase I’d phone them and they’d reduce most of the increase as a loyalty discount. This year there was a proposed increase of 35% and they refused to negotiate at all. I was told they were “no longer allowed” to negotiate a better deal. I cancelled and went with LV for £260 fully comprehensive. M&S policy included AA cover but I’ve now booked that directly with AA on a discounted price. My monthly total is £12 a month less than the M&S renewal.

2 weeks after I cancelled my M&S policy I had a call from them asking why I’d cancelled and I told them it was entirely down to cost and their refusal to negotiate. The caller said they’d lost a lot of custom in recent months for the same reason and asked if I’d consider renewing my policy and he’d work out a competitive rate. I told him he was 2 weeks too late .

Germanshepherdsmum Tue 06-Jun-23 19:55:11

Sounds a bit like breaching data protection.

JRTW2 Thu 08-Jun-23 11:07:02

Shop around. My renewal quote was £1800 but another company offered me £850

Quizzer Thu 08-Jun-23 11:10:56

Many car insurers rely on customers just renewing without query. Ask them if they can reduce it and if not, look elsewhere. Reputable insurers often offer great deals to new customers.

WoodLane7 Thu 08-Jun-23 11:12:28

I received my new quote from Chruchill - it had rsen from £190 for the year to £285. Went on Confused.com and found equivalent with Aviva for £178. Cotacted Churchill to inform I would not be renewing this year and without hesitation they dropped their quote to £233, reduction of £52. (obviously still declined and went with Aviva; they coughed and spluttered a bit when I asked why they couldn't have offered me £233 at the outset))
These car insurance companies try it on, reliant on time-poor customers who don't have time to shop around and will just cough up the renewal.
So in short the answer yo your question is, it doesn't sound right bbut it does sound like the kind of stunt insurance companies try to pull

HeatherMH Thu 08-Jun-23 11:24:44

Use a cash back site such as Quidco. My renewal was £250, by using an online comparison such as Money Supermarket or Compare the Market through Quidco, I got a new policy for £180 and £45 cashback. Worth changing insurers every year, quick and easy to do

Nannapat1 Thu 08-Jun-23 11:34:33

Unfortunately sounds right if you are an existing Safa customer! If you look elsewhere, you will almost certainly find cheaper.

Nannapat1 Thu 08-Jun-23 11:35:01

Not Safa but Saga!

glammanana Thu 08-Jun-23 11:37:51

I have used Darwin Insurance for the past 3 yrs after buying my new car £290.00 fully comp to start with and now £320 after 3 yrs of increase,Saga quoted £580.00 on the same car totally unbelievable I think Saga expect us all to think we are getting a good deal from them with them dealing with the older insurers and not bothering to complain just going along with the increase

knspol Thu 08-Jun-23 11:38:01

Minew as due to increase by £40 but then DS found me a better deal by a company underwritten by the original company for £60 less than last year. I do have another person on policy which brought the price down a little.

Jess20 Thu 08-Jun-23 11:40:53

Got some better quotes then ring saga and tell them it's too expensive and ask them to give you a discount.

TanaMa Thu 08-Jun-23 11:53:36

I have always found Saga very expensive ( like their holidays!)
Direct Line reduced my car insurance when I queried it. LV looks to be competitive.For older drivers who do little mileage, a black box can prove a money saver - the same device new/young drivers can use to get better insurance deals.

Maude42 Thu 08-Jun-23 11:59:44

Mine had gone up lots too so I rang them and they reduced it enough to stop me going on a comparison site
Have a go at ringing them they will probably give you a lower price
Good luck

gangstergranny Thu 08-Jun-23 12:10:52

uk.news.yahoo.com/martin-lewis-warns-motorists-one-073609766.html

NotSpaghetti Thu 08-Jun-23 12:14:50

Georgesgran

You could also opt to increase your voluntary excess, which should reduce the premium.
It’s interesting to know that mobile signals and store tills tell’ where you go, so if you drive to the local shops most days for a wander, you’re deemed at higher risk of an accident than if you only go once or twice a week.
Incredible? It’s true.

I don't quite understand what you mean here Georgesgran.

I don't think local shops (or your phone) links to your insurance company?

NotSpaghetti Thu 08-Jun-23 12:16:30

Sorry Germanshepherdsmum I see you have asked about this. I think it sounds most peculiar!

4allweknow Thu 08-Jun-23 13:08:25

Would contact the insurer and ask why such a large increase. Also go on comparison websites, get some quotes, note them down and obviously if less then your renewal tell them what you have been quoted elsewhere. May get your insurer to reduce to at least one of the lower ones.

Grantanow Thu 08-Jun-23 13:18:57

I never just renew. I always haggle (with LV in my case) and it always reduces. Insurance companies love people who just renew!

icanhandthemback Thu 08-Jun-23 14:03:51

Cars in accidents are more expensive to repair as getting the parts is more difficult. Also the value of second hand cars has risen enormously with the lack of new cars being imported. All this has a bearing on your insurance quote. However, it always pays to shop around but make sure you quote like for like and then go back to your old insurance company to see what they can do.

Yertiz Thu 08-Jun-23 14:15:57

I renewed my policy as it was a lot more than last year. I went through TopCashback compare and got a fully comprehensive policy with no voluntary excess for £123.00 and also £45 cash back. New policy was with M&S

polly123 Thu 08-Jun-23 14:19:52

Direct Line up even though I haven't claimed and been with them for a long time. Cancelled immediately and that wasn't easy. Moved to another with far better premium.

icanhandthemback Thu 08-Jun-23 15:17:05

polly123

Direct Line up even though I haven't claimed and been with them for a long time. Cancelled immediately and that wasn't easy. Moved to another with far better premium.

Direct Line will never haggle either. At least you know where you stand. I hate this business of we'll sting you if we can but we'll charge the proper price if you find us out.

Maggiemaybe Thu 08-Jun-23 15:24:27

I always use a comparison site, then get on to our insurer, Hastings, who invariably match the cheapest comparable quote. I do find it a bit galling though, as they could have offered this price to start with - maybe next time I'll actually switch to the cheaper company.

British Gas Homecare gave me my best win this year. They sent their usual inflated quote (up 70% this time). I spent about two minutes texting them. Was offered a price just 30% more than last year if I accepted a £50 excess. Said no thank you, we wanted to stick with the zero excess. So the next text said, okay, you can keep the zero excess at the same price as last year. Will this be acceptable? You bet it will!

DH suggested I should have said no, I'd like a 10% discount on last year's price. I'll let him do the negotiating next year. wink

Iam64 Thu 08-Jun-23 15:25:30

Try other companies. Iv. Just used saga for half what my usual firm wanted. It’s tedious but they’ve forced us to shop and move