Rant about Insurance Company Renewals
 

So the renewal quote for our Buildings and Contents arrived last week

I have a set process for all insurance renewals.

Firstly go at least two comparisson sites and check what they come out with.

Based on their results then check out the cashback sites and work out if the cashback was paid which would then be the cheapest.

Decide which one to go for, clear my cookies and purchase the insurance.

However this time I noticed that the playing field is no longer flat. The best deal with a company I had heard of before on the comparrison sites was with Policy Expert. They were around 25% cheaper but were also giving legal cover and home emergency cover thrown in for free.

I looked at topcashback and after clearing cookies clicked through form them to Policy Expert and set up for a quote. Surprise, surprise the quote was £30 more epensive and the free legal cover and emergency cover was gone. I weighed up the options but as it was a £70 cashback decided to purchase.

Of course the cashback didn't track. I raised a ticket but they take weeks to resolve so I cancelled the policy which wasn't due to start anyway till end of September went back to topcashback cleared cookies again and clicked through to Compare the Market and bought the original deal with the freebies. Of course once again the purchase didn't track for the £30 cashback.

I then contacted AA to tell them I wouldn't be renewing with them. They ask as they do as to why. I explain they are not competative in prices and they then offer to look at it to see what they can do. I refuse to listen to their price.

I am fed up of insurance companies sending out renewals which if you contact them they will reduce the price. Its a con based on the percentage of people who don't get back to them and just accept the first price offered. You want to keep my business make your first price the best price you will offer.

Earlier this year my golf insurance was due for renewal. The price for the year was going to be £32. Not much in the scheme of things but another company were offering the same level of cover was £17. I phoned to tell them I was not renewing. They asked why, they offered to reduce but still didn't come close. They asked the name of the cheaper company and on being told said they also owned that company and could complete the purchase for me there and then using the details from the other company! So they own two insurance companies who provide the same insurance cover. One is half the cost of the other. The only difference is that one of them advertises in the Golf Magazines the other is unknown unless you google for the insurance.

It is a minefield, I also do my sister's, quidco are similar, in that, they dont always match the online quote you do yourself. X

We don't use any of the cashback companies.
Just as insurance companies rely on auto-renewal apathy, cashback companies benefit from customers not chasing failed tracking.
Do you think clearing your cookies repeatedly is a contributory factor ? (I don't know).

Every year our AA home buildings & contents, motor, and breakdown renewals are much higher.
We find the lowest quote on the comparison sites, plus Direct Line, and others that don't sell through them.
We phone AA and they match the cheapest quote or beat it, for same level of cover.

We then ask for a shopping voucher to compensate for phone call charge. Our last renewal cost over £8 for the phone call. The shopping voucher they e-mailed was £20.

It's all a pain but at least they sort it out in the end.

Totally agree, insurance companies are a law unto themselves. Having dealt with them professionally for 25+ years nothing they do surprises me any more.
However, you would be surprised how many people just pay upon receipt of renewal notice without shopping around or calling to haggle. I guess the insurers decide to hedge their bets and hope you do the same!

I know! It’s so annoying. When I rang up Esure to say I wasn’t renewing with them and had already found alternate insurance he was quite indignant I hadn’t rang them first! Maybe send me a reasonable renewal quote and I might have.🙄

Good tactic about asking for a voucher ref phone costs. Never thought of that. Now filed away in my head for future use.

Just received our new phone bill.
To ring the AA about reducing their renewal quote was two separate calls to 0344 numbers for two different car policies.
One call was 53 minutes costing £8.43, the other was 52 minutes costing £8.37.
I also had to ring an 0344 number to chase the voucher e-mails they promised. That took 5 minutes costing £1.
I complained I had to ring up so they e-mailed a voucher for £10 as compensation.
So for this phone billing period I'm up £33 ish.
On top of the money saved on premiums.