This year's adventure!

[audigex]

So, after messing around every year trying to find reasonable (I don't even mind if it's not "cheap" - just okay would do!) insurance, here I am again.

24 years old, male, 2 year old A3 TDI Black Edition 170. 2 years NCB. Let's see how we get on.

As a ballpark, last year's insurance was 1000, rising to 1400 when I moved house into a worse postcode area. The target this year is initially back under 1000, aiming at 800.

So what have we had so far?

- Audi Insurance "unable to quote" because apparently young people are allowed to buy Audi's, but not insure them.
- Aviva wanting £3000
- Direct Line wanting £1800
- My own renewal with Admiral coming through at £1111, although that's got some extras which I'll be removing, so call it £1000.

So I do some more digging. If I go on a price comparison site and use last year's details I get £720! Excellent. But wait, a few details have changed in 12 months, so I correct those. £730!

Okay, let's look at those quotes.
1) With Bell and wants one of those stupid little boxes. I have no particular objection to having my driving monitored, but my commute is twisty A-road and some lanes... some braking and hard cornering is, while perfectly safe, common. So this is out.
2) plus 3 and 4, are variants of my current company, and all are lower than my current quote. Possibly a bargaining chip, although it may be that they have some details which I've corrected. I've no idea if they instantly match or whether I can even use these quotes as I'm already a customer.
5) Tesco Bank, at about £880. My only other realistic option, and the backup option if I argue too hard with Admiral and end up cancelling in protest

I do a re-quote on Tesco's site and, despite a supposed discount for clubcard members I get slightly higher at £900! What gives there? Same details + discount = higher price?

So the plan of attack is to get in touch with Tesco, ask for a clubcard discount on that quote and see if they can price match Admiral. I'll then get in touch with Admiral and see if they can price match their own online quote.

If I can get either of them below £800 I'll be happy, although below £700 would be ideal... updates to follow!

And if any of the car clubs on the forum see this - let me know if you've got any chance of beating £700 for an unmodified A3 Quattro Black Edition TDI 170, for a 24 year old male in a "B grade" postcode area according to the checker, and I'll give you a call.

 

[Av4nt]

Have you tried Chris Knott and Greenlight insurance?

 

[voorhees]

Also Dan at Adrian Flux
My old insurance wanted 650 for my stage one Golf,Dan got me 530 for my stage two plus Golf

 

[Tim@Prestige]

Have you tried our scheme?

 

[ChrisKnottIns]

I have no particular objection to having my driving monitored, but my commute is twisty A-road and some lanes... some braking and hard cornering is, while perfectly safe, common. So this is out.

The black box contextualises the driving style against an underlying map so that driving at 60 on a motorway is OK but driving at 60 through a village is not. They are looking for driving styles that are out of context. However, here's an interesting article about the 'savings' - Speeding fines from your insurer with 'black box' car cover | Mail Online

None of our policies require a black box (nor do they contain horse-meat - old joke!).

 

[audigex]

Yeah, that article matches much of my thoughts on them.

For me, it's not that I worry about paying more for bad driving - because in all honesty I don't drive fast. I spend most of my time commuting on roads that just aren't fun to be that quick on, even when you're not behind a lorry, or cruising on the motorway. I just don't trust the boxes to know exactly where I am (am I doing 70 in a 40 zone on the A6, or on the M6 100 yards to the east?) , nor the insurers to not make it a scam. If they're basing it on my driving ability/style, why do they still charge me more due to being young? Surely that's irrelevant once they can track my driving?

Either way, I'm not interested.

Prestige and ChristKnott - do either of your schemes have requirements to be modified? That was my issue with Sky Insurance last year. And Prestige, do I have to quote a code or anything with yours? I'll give you both a ring later once I've seen whether Admiral are sticking by their guns on the renewal.

Oh, and I don't need an MOT for another 12 months, do I get an extra discount for that?

 

[Tim@Prestige]

Prestige and ChristKnott - do either of your schemes have requirements to be modified? That was my issue with Sky Insurance last year. And Prestige, do I have to quote a code or anything with yours? I'll give you both a ring later once I've seen whether Admiral are sticking by their guns on the renewal.

Oh, and I don't need an MOT for another 12 months, do I get an extra discount for that?

Lol! The MOT is a freebie for people who renew with us

No requirements re mods with us & just mention Audi-Sport.net when you ring

 

[ChrisKnottIns]

Hi audigex,

We can quote for modified or standard cars under the club scheme. If you need us to ring you please PM your number.

 

[audigex]

Quoted for myself only with Prestige and plus two named drivers with Chris Knott... Prestige have said it's currently looking at about 900 (Although how do you know before going to the under-writer? I hope it's not a marketing ploy to approximately match my other lowest quote)

Anyway, I'll see what you both get back to me with and then look at whether I should add the named drivers to Prestige's. I've not seen whether Tesco will price match Admiral, or admiral will price match their own quote (Although I could presumably just cancel my current policy and take the new one out...).

If you get under 800 I'll consider it, if it's under 700 you're probably winning as I'd prefer to move away from Admiral, and if you get under 600 you can have my card details...

 

[audigex]

Chris Knott have done pretty well - 710 on condition I can prove my 750 Elephant quote (not a problem apart from that I've double checked now I'm off the phone it's actually 730)... for 20 less, though, I'll quite happily move away from a company known to be arsey when it comes to paying claims out.

It doesn't include breakdown cover (but there again, neither does Admiral), but I've still got 12 months left on my 3 year RAC cover from Audi, so I can survive that.

Just waiting for Prestige to get back to me and to transfer some money across as I don't have 710 in my account right now.

 

[ChrisKnottIns]

I guess Milton told you our Breakdown Cover is only £54.50 if you do want to have it when the RAC runs out?

 

[audigex]

Yeah he mentioned it - mine doesn't run out until a week before 2015's insurance is due, so it's not an immediate issue.

Just had a call back from Prestige and they aren't even close, so looks like you've got my custom. Considering my initial target this year was <1000 with a hopeful 700-800, I'm pretty happy with the result! Thanks. You've not beaten Elephant by much, but tbh I've spent the last 6 years wondering when anyone other than Admiral/Elephant was going to give me anything resembling a sensible quote.

 

[ChrisKnottIns]

Excellent news. I know Milton has diaried it to call you on Thursday. Thanks for the opportunity to quote. Glad we could help.

 

[jojo]

Good stuff from our site sponsors. :icon_thumright:

 

[audigex]

Half an hour on the phone with Admiral to cancel (and correct my postcode for the next month until my policy lapses) and they've got their quote down to £717... I'm slightly amused to find that they don't have the authority to knock off an extra 8 quid to beat your price, but I'm going to stick with Chris Knott on the basis of £7, the audi-sport sponsorship and the whole "Admiral shirk claims" thing.

Although if you could persuade Milton to knock an extra £11 off to get it under £700, you'd make me a very happy man ;-)

 

[jojo]

Half an hour on the phone with Admiral to cancel (and correct my postcode for the next month until my policy lapses) and they've got their quote down to £717... I'm slightly amused to find that they don't have the authority to knock off an extra 8 quid to beat your price, but I'm going to stick with Chris Knott on the basis of £7, the audi-sport sponsorship and the whole "Admiral shirk claims" thing.

Although if you could persuade Milton to knock an extra £11 off to get it under £700, you'd make me a very happy man ;-)

LOL! Haggle like mad they said!!

 

[audigex]

You never know, eh? It genuinely would make me a very happy customer to be paying <£700 though.

And the Admiral quote dropping by £400 was the best haggling I've probably ever done... but still, I'm not staying with them on the principle of them trying to charge me £1110 for something they can obviously do for £720.

When will insurance companies learn that if they were more transparent, we'd all be infinitely happier? If I could go on a quote and it had a base price of £400, and then added/subtracted from that for different criteria on the fly - or applied a multiplier or similar - then I'd be way happier... even with the good insurers, it seems like they just pull a number out of the air and see whether you go for it, then try to match others.

If I could see my insurance was £400 base, -5% for a safe postcode and -5% for a secure car park, +20% because I'm doing 40% more than the average 10,000 miles, +30% because of only having 2years NCD, and +30% because of my age, I'd be like "Oh, that's a sensible way they've worked out my £720, it's just an 80% multiplier based on reasonable factors (apart from age which has nothing to do with anything)".

Then I could look at another company, see they were penalising me more for the mileage and less for my age, and drop my mileage. Or find one that cared more about my age with the idea that it will drop more next year, or one that cared less about my age on principle. Pick one which places less emphasis on speeding fines if you had them, or based on postcodes if you know you're moving somewhere better. If nothing else, a bit of transparency would just make it feel more sensible - as far as I can tell, even those in the insurance industry don't really understand where the numbers come from.

Anyway, that's my traditional yearly insurance rant over.

Oh and just for the record, Prestige didn't give me a like-for-like quote with Chris Knott... I did their quote first and was doing them with just me until Chris Knott suggested doing a like-for-like with the Elephant quote I already had. So their £1500 isn't really representative/fair, in case anyone is judging these guys on it. I doubt they'll be able to more than halve it just for a couple of named drivers, so I'm not wasting anyone's time with another quote with them, but I don't want anyone assuming they were doing daft quotes.

 

[ChrisKnottIns]

Half an hour on the phone with Admiral to cancel (and correct my postcode for the next month until my policy lapses) and they've got their quote down to £717... I'm slightly amused to find that they don't have the authority to knock off an extra 8 quid to beat your price, but I'm going to stick with Chris Knott on the basis of £7, the audi-sport sponsorship and the whole "Admiral shirk claims" thing.

Although if you could persuade Milton to knock an extra £11 off to get it under £700, you'd make me a very happy man ;-)

I'm sure he'll be helpful. I'll have a word before he calls you.

 

[audigex]

Policy purchased

£400 less than my renewal, £40 better than what they thought was my best other quote (although it was actually £20 better), better conditions on the policy and I can understand the accent on the phone!

A thoroughly painless experience from start to finish, and your Mr Milton is a very nice chap.

 

[ChrisKnottIns]

Thanks audigex - we genuinely appreciate your custom.