Business news on the radio this morning.

A representative from the vehicle insurance industry was speaking of their
rising costs, noting that last year they paid out 110% of the money they
took in in premiums.

Parenthetically, she said that those people who go online to get quotes are
monitored as to the responses they make - those that change their answers
to see if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing
so.

--
Spike

On 11/08/2023 09:24, Spike wrote:
>
> Business news on the radio this morning.
>
> A representative from the vehicle insurance industry was speaking of their
> rising costs, noting that last year they paid out 110% of the money they
> took in in premiums.
>
> Parenthetically, she said that those people who go online to get quotes are
> monitored as to the responses they make - those that change their answers
> to see if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing
> so.

Which is unfair. I could be an Engineering Consultant, Principle
Engineer, Company Director, Electrical Engineer, Instrument Engineer.
Some of which don't properly describe my position and others that aren't
on their list, but all of which are correct. If they don't have a proper
category for my profession, why should I be penalised for trying more
than one of the closest options?

Spike wrote:

> she said that those people who go online to get quotes are monitored as
> to the responses they make - those that change their answers to see if
> they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing so.

I've wondered about that, never found it affects things ...

Spike <aero.spike@btinternet.invalid> wrote:
>
> Business news on the radio this morning.
>
> A representative from the vehicle insurance industry was speaking of their
> rising costs, noting that last year they paid out 110% of the money they
> took in in premiums.
>
> Parenthetically, she said that those people who go online to get quotes are
> monitored as to the responses they make - those that change their answers
> to see if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing
> so.

I put in almost-but-not-quite-accurate answers to a comparison site work out
which insurer and options to go for, and then go to their site and put in
the correct details in order to buy it. That avoids my details being
spammed across all the insurers on a comparison site, and any kind of
profiling like this doesn't work.

Another thing I've noticed is not to do searches after about 9pm, as some
insurers computers are down for maintenance. You get fewer, often higher,
quotes back as a result.

Theo

On Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:24:33 +0000, Spike wrote:

> Parenthetically, she said that those people who go online to get quotes
> are monitored as to the responses they make - those that change their
> answers to see if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded
> for doing so.

Been that way for 10 years, when I worked in insurance.

When you can't allow that women drive better than men* you have to use
all sorts of proxies to infer it.

There are lots of little gems buried in the stats actuaries use.

*Or at least cost less to cover.

On Fri, 11 Aug 2023 09:48:30 +0100, Andy Burns wrote:

> Spike wrote:
>
>> she said that those people who go online to get quotes are monitored as
>> to the responses they make - those that change their answers to see if
>> they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing so.
>
> I've wondered about that, never found it affects things ...

It isn't the only marker.

On 11/08/2023 09:48, SteveW wrote:
> ..... Principle Engineer.......,
Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !

On 11/08/2023 09:24, Spike wrote:
> Business news on the radio this morning.
>
> A representative from the vehicle insurance industry was speaking of their
> rising costs, noting that last year they paid out 110% of the money they
> took in in premiums.
>
> Parenthetically, she said that those people who go online to get quotes are
> monitored as to the responses they make - those that change their answers
> to see if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing
> so.
>
I've always tried to get a 'one hit' quote, because it feels like under
the bonnet that could well happen.

Same with booking flights. I have had the price increase while I sit
there procrastinating

Mark Carver <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> On 11/08/2023 09:24, Spike wrote:
>> Business news on the radio this morning.
>>
>> A representative from the vehicle insurance industry was speaking of their
>> rising costs, noting that last year they paid out 110% of the money they
>> took in in premiums.
>>
>> Parenthetically, she said that those people who go online to get quotes are
>> monitored as to the responses they make - those that change their answers
>> to see if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing
>> so.
>>
> I've always tried to get a 'one hit' quote, because it feels like under
> the bonnet that could well happen.
>
> Same with booking flights. I have had the price increase while I sit
> there procrastinating
>

I had that some years back booking on Easy Jet, you would get a price but
if you looked elsewhere and came back the EJ price had gone up. At the time
the remedy was to flush all cookies and you would get the original price
back. I think they have got more sophisticated about it now.

Richard

SteveW <steve@walker-family.me.uk> wrote:
> Which is unfair. I could be an Engineering Consultant, Principle
> Engineer, Company Director, Electrical Engineer, Instrument Engineer.
> Some of which don't properly describe my position and others that aren't
> on their list, but all of which are correct. If they don't have a proper
> category for my profession, why should I be penalised for trying more
> than one of the closest options?

Do that here:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/car-insurance-job-picker/

and then you know which of your occupations is cheapest, without having to
try them all on the insurer's site.

Theo

On 11/08/2023 10:49, Tricky Dicky wrote:
> Mark Carver <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>> On 11/08/2023 09:24, Spike wrote:
>>> Business news on the radio this morning.
>>>
>>> A representative from the vehicle insurance industry was speaking of their
>>> rising costs, noting that last year they paid out 110% of the money they
>>> took in in premiums.
>>>
>>> Parenthetically, she said that those people who go online to get quotes are
>>> monitored as to the responses they make - those that change their answers
>>> to see if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing
>>> so.
>>>
>> I've always tried to get a 'one hit' quote, because it feels like under
>> the bonnet that could well happen.
>>
>> Same with booking flights. I have had the price increase while I sit
>> there procrastinating
>>
> I had that some years back booking on Easy Jet, you would get a price but
> if you looked elsewhere and came back the EJ price had gone up. At the time
> the remedy was to flush all cookies and you would get the original price
> back. I think they have got more sophisticated about it now.

It has indeed been with Easyjet bookings, so there we are....

Mark Carver <mark.carver@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> On 11/08/2023 10:49, Tricky Dicky wrote:
> >>
> > I had that some years back booking on Easy Jet, you would get a price but
> > if you looked elsewhere and came back the EJ price had gone up. At the time
> > the remedy was to flush all cookies and you would get the original price
> > back. I think they have got more sophisticated about it now.
>
> It has indeed been with Easyjet bookings, so there we are....

A possible remedy is to search using a third party site like Skyscanner. I
don't know exactly how they work but I suspect they don't forward every
query to EZY, they do some local caching so that people searching for the
same dates at roughly the same time get the same prices. At the very least
EZY can't single you out from all the others via cookies.

When you've decided, go direct and book in a single hit.

(this research-decide-pounce technique also works for cashback sites, where
you can buy using a second browser with the cashback login to ensure the
affiliate commission gets allocated to your cashback account and not some
other referrer you used in the research phase)

Theo

On Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:40:18 +0100, Mark Carver wrote:

> On 11/08/2023 09:48, SteveW wrote:
>> ..... Principle Engineer.......,
> Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !

Sounds like something this government needs...

--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 11/08/2023 10:40, Mark Carver wrote:
> On 11/08/2023 09:48, SteveW wrote:
>> ..... Principle Engineer.......,
> Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !

I know. I spotted it just after posting, but it didn't seem worth a
follow-up to correct it.

On 11/08/2023 09:24, Spike wrote:
>
> Business news on the radio this morning.
>
> A representative from the vehicle insurance industry was speaking of their
> rising costs, noting that last year they paid out 110% of the money they
> took in in premiums.
>
> Parenthetically, she said that those people who go online to get quotes are
> monitored as to the responses they make - those that change their answers
> to see if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing
> so.
>

Always been similar. Your need to clear your cookies when trying
different information.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 11/08/2023 09:48, Andy Burns wrote:
> Spike wrote:
>
>> she said that those people who go online to get quotes are monitored
>> as to the responses they make - those that change their answers to see
>> if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing so.
>
> I've wondered about that, never found it affects things ...
>

Try putting publican or anything to do with the alcohol trade :)

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 11/08/2023 11:51, Bob Eager wrote:
> On Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:40:18 +0100, Mark Carver wrote:
>
>> On 11/08/2023 09:48, SteveW wrote:
>>> ..... Principle Engineer.......,
>> Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !
>
> Sounds like something this government needs...
>
>
>
Please NO, we have enough principles as it is, without engineering any more!
--
"An intellectual is a person knowledgeable in one field who speaks out
only in others...”

Tom Wolfe

On 11/08/2023 10:49, Tricky Dicky wrote:

>
> I had that some years back booking on Easy Jet, you would get a price but
> if you looked elsewhere and came back the EJ price had gone up. At the time
> the remedy was to flush all cookies and you would get the original price
> back. I think they have got more sophisticated about it now.
>
> Richard
>

Easy Jet always changed their price depending on how many seats they had
left. At one time I could book an easy jet flight for work and get a
cheap flight by booking, say a week, in advance. The "management" then
decided after obtaining a price they wanted to approve it first. They
then took 2 or 3 days to sign it off by which time the price had
increased fivefold :)

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 11/08/2023 10:07, Jethro_uk wrote:
> On Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:24:33 +0000, Spike wrote:
>
>> Parenthetically, she said that those people who go online to get quotes
>> are monitored as to the responses they make - those that change their
>> answers to see if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded
>> for doing so.
>
> Been that way for 10 years, when I worked in insurance.
>
> When you can't allow that women drive better than men* you have to use
> all sorts of proxies to infer it.
>
> There are lots of little gems buried in the stats actuaries use.
>
> *Or at least cost less to cover.

I read somewhere that women generally have more accidents, but that they
tend to be smaller ones, thus cheaper to repair, particularly when the
excess is taken into account.

--
Colin Bignell

On 11/08/2023 12:11, SteveW wrote:
> On 11/08/2023 10:40, Mark Carver wrote:
>> On 11/08/2023 09:48, SteveW wrote:
>>> ..... Principle Engineer.......,
>> Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !
>
> I know. I spotted it just after posting, but it didn't seem worth a
> follow-up to correct it.

I'm astounded the number of times I see it spelt that way, even on job
adverts. Someone I met once even had that spelling on his business card !

alan_m <junk@admac.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
> On 11/08/2023 09:48, Andy Burns wrote:
> > Spike wrote:
> >
> >> she said that those people who go online to get quotes are monitored
> >> as to the responses they make - those that change their answers to see
> >> if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing so.
> >
> > I've wondered about that, never found it affects things ...
> >
>
> Try putting publican or anything to do with the alcohol trade :)

According to the MSE checker thing, for a £1000 baseline:

Sand merchant £1000 (baseline)
Gravel merchant £5211

???

Its normal clawback. I mean surely you only have an offer because you can
lock people in to recoup the money, Telecoms and internet companies have
been doing it for years.
Brian

--

--:
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Spike" <aero.spike@btinternet.invalid> wrote in message
news:kjm9i1Fnp7uU1@mid.individual.net...
>
> Business news on the radio this morning.
>
> A representative from the vehicle insurance industry was speaking of their
> rising costs, noting that last year they paid out 110% of the money they
> took in in premiums.
>
> Parenthetically, she said that those people who go online to get quotes
> are
> monitored as to the responses they make - those that change their answers
> to see if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing
> so.
>
> --
> Spike

On 11/08/2023 12:49, Mark Carver wrote:
> On 11/08/2023 12:11, SteveW wrote:
>> On 11/08/2023 10:40, Mark Carver wrote:
>>> On 11/08/2023 09:48, SteveW wrote:
>>>> ..... Principle Engineer.......,
>>> Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !
>>
>> I know. I spotted it just after posting, but it didn't seem worth a
>> follow-up to correct it.
>
> I'm astounded the number of times I see it spelt that way, even on job
> adverts. Someone I met once even had that spelling on his business card !

likewise prescribe/proscribe

--
The biggest threat to humanity comes from socialism, which has utterly
diverted our attention away from what really matters to our existential
survival, to indulging in navel gazing and faux moral investigations
into what the world ought to be, whilst we fail utterly to deal with
what it actually is.

In message <ub57jd$r48q$1@dont-email.me>, The Natural Philosopher
<tnp@invalid.invalid> writes
>On 11/08/2023 12:49, Mark Carver wrote:
>> On 11/08/2023 12:11, SteveW wrote:
>>> On 11/08/2023 10:40, Mark Carver wrote:
>>>> On 11/08/2023 09:48, SteveW wrote:
>>>>> ..... Principle Engineer.......,
>>>> Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !
>>>
>>> I know. I spotted it just after posting, but it didn't seem worth a
>>>follow-up to correct it.
>> I'm astounded the number of times I see it spelt that way, even on
>>job adverts. Someone I met once even had that spelling on his business
>>card !
>
>likewise prescribe/proscribe
>

See also :

wonder / wander
definitely / defiantly

These days no doubt blamed on auto corrupt.

Adrian
--
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On 11/08/2023 09:48, Theo wrote:
> Spike <aero.spike@btinternet.invalid> wrote:
>>
>> Business news on the radio this morning.
>>
>> A representative from the vehicle insurance industry was speaking of their
>> rising costs, noting that last year they paid out 110% of the money they
>> took in in premiums.
>>
>> Parenthetically, she said that those people who go online to get quotes are
>> monitored as to the responses they make - those that change their answers
>> to see if they can get a lower quote get their premiums loaded for doing
>> so.
>
> I put in almost-but-not-quite-accurate answers to a comparison site work out
> which insurer and options to go for, and then go to their site and put in
> the correct details in order to buy it. That avoids my details being
> spammed across all the insurers on a comparison site, and any kind of
> profiling like this doesn't work.

I would expect for the purposes of fraud protection they would uniquely
fingerprint your browser and PC and log the information entered against
that as well as the stuff you choose to give.

--
Cheers,

John.

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