Car insurance - grrrrr

Grannylyn, I'm afraid that's standard practice: if you can't find and name the person or vehicle responsible for the damage, it has to be a claim on your own insurance, so you pay the excess. I kind of understand that, but I do get annoyed that it is then classified as a "fault" (rather than "no-fault") claim, even though it was in no way your fault. They ought to have a third category of claim in which the fault is attributed to a person unknown.

Car parks are where most of my claims (or unclaimed knocks) have occurred. They're high-risk places!

I let an insurance broker do the work. They contact me a few weeks prior to renewal and sometimes recommend changing to a cheaper insurer. Any unusual requests are handled personally over the phone. Yes I pay for their service but the quotes are always reasonable and I'm grateful that there is so little hassle.

Just had car bashed into in car park
Saga inform me I have to pay £400 excess even though it wasn't my fault

Just moved to live in the Republic of Ireland. .insurance rates here are extortionate to say nothing of road tax. Nissan micra insurance €352 as compared to£168 in uk. Road tax was, I think,£110pa now €270. Roads are so bad that I have already lost one of my brand new number plates! Love it here though- won't be coming back.

Granny 23; wasn't their excuse for increasing insurance tax to [supposedly] cover costs for flood damage? Something that was sneaked through very quietly, I believe.

I am with Saga at the moment and the renewal cost of my, admittedly, low insurance premium went up from £163 to £195 this year.

I have decided to stay with them for this year, but next year with DH's non-classifiable incident outside the three year window, I will shop around and see what else I can find.

Saga are the worst and that annoys me because they think they're dealing with little old people who won't query their massive price increases ...

I was with Saga but the premiums were creeping up each year. I decided to look around and got a similar quote from Direct Line but with NO excess! I hadn't asked for this but it came up on the online form, so I rang up to check. He said yes, it's because I'm a low-risk, low-mileage driver. So it's worth looking at the whole package on offer. I still wouldn't claim if I just had a small knock, but it's good to know that if I did have to claim, I wouldn't have to pay an excess.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39558258

I never had insurance in my own name, having always been 2nd driver on DH's policy, so I was dreading the call to inform our Insurance Company (Direct Line) that DH had to return his driving licence as his Dementia worsened and I was now the sole driver. However, they could not have been more helpful and understanding. In one call they transferred the Insurance and no claims bonus into my name and even lowered the premium (I got a rebate) because I am in a lower age bracket than DH.

BTW the price of all types of insurance has risen recently because the government has increased the rate of insurance Tax.

Yes, always best to shop around, we ring several to get the best quote.Best deal with Zurich quite often, Saga are always high prices.

grumppa It just wasn't worth it for £35, particularly as we are about to go on holiday and the insurance expires while we are away.

Quite separately, I am not prepared to deal and bargain with insurance companies. How can I trust a company that will happily overcharge me if I do not notice and call their bluff? They give me a quote and if it is too high, I go elsewhere. No second bites at the cherry.

When I said "talking" to an insurance broker I meant just that: explaining face to face.

welshwife I do wonder for what reason they do that! I suppose there must be a reason as to why! they cant give you the lower quote in the first place! I suppose they rely on so many percent just accepting it!

When Saga did the thing of sending a repeat quote which was very high we looked around and then DH rang them and told them we had a better quote. They said they would reduce the quote and he had great pleasure informing them it was too late as he had taken another quote and they should have given the revised quote as the policy price because he was sick of needing to telephone them every year.

Biker try LV- I live in London, no claims ever and I still paid £582 this year, it has shot up £100, but I do have medical problems which to date have not affected my driving.

Oh how I wish I could even get a quote even double your £200 ..

Sooooo very frustrating.

Have driven for 40 year (perfect clean licence, no claims)

The last 12 yrs of that I was Named driver on DH s notability car
(again no claims etc etc )

The car had to go 3 yrs ago for obvious reasons!

But I have been named driver on DDs car for that 3 years and also on my dads car for about 2 yrs.

The last 9 years I have ridden scooters/motorcycles and racked up 6 yrs no claim(no claims still clean licence etc.)

Have managed to put a little away in the hope of getting little 2nd hand car.

Found a couple to look at.Honda Jazz 10 yrs old 53,000 miles 2 owners brill condition.

Corsa 10 yrs old and Toyota Yaris 12 yrs old.

Lowest INSURANCE quote I can find is!!!! £670 and that without legal insurance so you can add another £30 on top of that.No break down nothing.

They will NOT take my 6 yrs no claim discount form my bike/scooter and use it for my car insurance.

So I have to start form scratch like some young kid that just passed their test! very frustrating , and have stopped me in my tracks so to speak .GRRRRRRR....

I have one more to ring up Te*co..but not holding my breath!

I am sick of having to phone up each year whoever I'm insured with to get them to bring their quote down; they then [Saga are the worst] have the cheek to say 'do you want us to automatically renew your insurance next time'. Not likely!

Monica, we generally stay with the same company as can't always be bothered to shop around. BUT! I generally phone them up, say I am disappointed at the renewal cost, have seen I can go elsewhere for £x unless they want to keep my business, they usually come up with a better price, well they have so far! Might be worth a call. Saved loads on our house insurance as well (even got them agreeing the figure was diabolical).

Well, our car insurers accepted it as a valid motor vehicle claim.

grumppa It was brokers I was looking at. The AA, Kwikfit, or rather RIAS and one insurer, Direct Line.

My car insurance bill is low, under £200 for comprehensive cover, but it went up £35 this year so I thought I would shop around, on principal, I have been with my existing insurer several years and wanted to make sure there current quote did not include a loyalty price hike.

If the damage to the other car was made good out of your motor cover, and not under the public liability cover of your household policy, then it's a claim under a motor policy.

Your problem arises because on-line quotation services are just not flexible enough. Talking to an insurance broker is sound advice if you have not already renewed.

Think oriel has a point and it's not a car accident at all. I'd have a word with a local broker and get their opinion.

As you say, it's an odd one. Its not really a vehicle related accident at all as the only link to a vehicle is that you were tying an item to it. It sounds more like a public liability insurance claim to me.

I guess you'll have to speak to someone.