It's that time of year again and I wasn't expecting to change my
insurance provider, as for the past 4 years they have given me a renewal
price that was less than I paid them the previous year. Not by very
much -1.2% in 2019, -4.8% in 2020 and -3.0% in 2021. I was very miffed
when I discovered, that this year, they were asking for an increase of a
whopping +29.2% which took the renewal price to around �320 which they
said was "The good news is that your price will be the same or lower
than a new customer who starts a policy in the same way that you did".
So from a policy of around �245 they are now hiking that up to �320. I
was immediately on the 'phone to discuss this. In the past I have,
where necessary, managed to negotiate a more satisfactory deal.
Unfortunately this time the best the agent could do was get the price
down to a few pence below �300. I tried every trick in the book that I
was aware of, but to avail. The agent kept saying that "they didn't
want to lose me" but there was nothing else he could do. He even agreed
with me that my best course of action was to consult the comparison
websites and go with the best offer I can find there. I started that in
motion and got 43 almost instant quotes, the cheapest being �92.27 from
LVE which, with the addition of 'Home Emergency' and 'Legal cover' would
take it to �167, which even a considerable saving over last year's
premium. Strangely, on Confused.com, my current insurer comes, out with
a renewal price of �115.30 which, with the added 'Legal fees' cover and
'Home Emergency' cover comes out at �182. This is �60 less than I paid
in 2021 and almost �140 less than they are asking for 2022. What's that
all about? Perhaps anyone over 81 (it was my birthday a couple of days
ago) are considered as fair game.
Just as an aside I was curious as to what the most expensive price
would be. �440 is what it was, but that was inclusive of the 'Home
Emergency' cover and 'Legal cover', even so!!! ???
--
Heard melodies are sweet but those Unheard are sweeter.
FN 2�22+. Mungo Brandybuck of Buckland..
flyingnun@roseofwhite.plus.com

On 07/04/2022 12:25, Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°22 + wrote:
> It's that time of year again and I wasn't expecting to change my
> insurance provider, as for the past 4 years they have given me a renewal
> price that was less than I paid them the previous year. Not by very
> much -1.2% in 2019, -4.8% in 2020 and -3.0% in 2021. I was very miffed
> when I discovered, that this year, they were asking for an increase of a
> whopping +29.2% which took the renewal price to around £320 which they
> said was "The good news is that your price will be the same or lower
> than a new customer who starts a policy in the same way that you did".
> So from a policy of around £245 they are now hiking that up to £320. I
> was immediately on the 'phone to discuss this. In the past I have,
> where necessary, managed to negotiate a more satisfactory deal.
> Unfortunately this time the best the agent could do was get the price
> down to a few pence below £300. I tried every trick in the book that I
> was aware of, but to avail. The agent kept saying that "they didn't
> want to lose me" but there was nothing else he could do. He even agreed
> with me that my best course of action was to consult the comparison
> websites and go with the best offer I can find there. I started that in
> motion and got 43 almost instant quotes, the cheapest being £92.27 from
> LVE which, with the addition of 'Home Emergency' and 'Legal cover' would
> take it to £167, which even a considerable saving over last year's
> premium. Strangely, on Confused.com, my current insurer comes, out with
> a renewal price of £115.30 which, with the added 'Legal fees' cover and
> 'Home Emergency' cover comes out at £182. This is £60 less than I paid
> in 2021 and almost £140 less than they are asking for 2022. What's that
> all about? Perhaps anyone over 81 (it was my birthday a couple of days
> ago) are considered as fair game.
> Just as an aside I was curious as to what the most expensive price
> would be. £440 is what it was, but that was inclusive of the 'Home
> Emergency' cover and 'Legal cover', even so!!! ???

I was with an insurer I was happy with because each renewal was around +
or - 1% of the year before, until the price for renewing shot up.

I recall a new piece of legislation where companies were forbidden from
offering existing customers a worse renewal quote than the price they
were offering to new customers. Unfortunately this seems to have
levelled up, with new customers being offered the same elevated price
the existing customers would have been quoted. Another example of
unintended consequences!

If confused.com allow you to get the lower price from your existing
insurer, then that is probably the way to go. After all, you were happy
with the company, but not their elevated price.

I have not used confused.com. I tend to use www.aspokesmansaid.com
because they say they don't recommend based on commission income.
However, in my case I bank with Nationwide and they had an insurance
deal for their current account holders which was cheaper than what
comparison websites were offering (and cheaper than I had paid the
previous year) so I took that.

Jim

Indy Jess John wrote:
> On 07/04/2022 12:25, Flyi�g �u� 2�22 + wrote:
>> It's that time of year again and I wasn't expecting to change my
>> insurance provider, as for the past 4 years they have given me a
>> renewal price that was less than I paid them the previous year. Not
>> by very much -1.2% in 2019, -4.8% in 2020 and -3.0% in 2021. I was
>> very miffed when I discovered, that this year, they were asking for
>> an increase of a whopping +29.2% which took the renewal price to
>> around �320 which they said was "The good news is that your price
>> will be the same or lower than a new customer who starts a policy in
>> the same way that you did". So from a policy of around �245 they are
>> now hiking that up to �320. I was immediately on the 'phone to
>> discuss this. In the past I have, where necessary, managed to
>> negotiate a more satisfactory deal. Unfortunately this time the best
>> the agent could do was get the price down to a few pence below �300.
>> I tried every trick in the book that I was aware of, but to avail.
>> The agent kept saying that "they didn't want to lose me" but there
>> was nothing else he could do. He even agreed with me that my best
>> course of action was to consult the comparison websites and go with
>> the best offer I can find there. I started that in motion and got
>> 43 almost instant quotes, the cheapest being �92.27 from LVE which,
>> with the addition of 'Home Emergency' and 'Legal cover' would take
>> it to �167, which even a considerable saving over last year's
>> premium. Strangely, on Confused.com, my current insurer comes, out
>> with a renewal price of �115.30 which, with the added 'Legal fees'
>> cover and 'Home Emergency' cover comes out at �182. This is �60
>> less than I paid in 2021 and almost �140 less than they are asking
>> for 2022. What's that all about? Perhaps anyone over 81 (it was my
>> birthday a couple of days ago) are considered as fair game.
>> Just as an aside I was curious as to what the most expensive price
>> would be. �440 is what it was, but that was inclusive of the 'Home
>> Emergency' cover and 'Legal cover', even so!!! ???
>
> I was with an insurer I was happy with because each renewal was
> around + or - 1% of the year before, until the price for renewing
> shot up.
> I recall a new piece of legislation where companies were forbidden
> from offering existing customers a worse renewal quote than the price
> they were offering to new customers. Unfortunately this seems to have
> levelled up, with new customers being offered the same elevated price
> the existing customers would have been quoted. Another example of
> unintended consequences!
>
> If confused.com allow you to get the lower price from your existing
> insurer, then that is probably the way to go. After all, you were
> happy with the company, but not their elevated price.
>
> I have not used confused.com. I tend to use www.aspokesmansaid.com
> because they say they don't recommend based on commission income.
> However, in my case I bank with Nationwide and they had an insurance
> deal for their current account holders which was cheaper than what
> comparison websites were offering (and cheaper than I had paid the
> previous year) so I took that.
>
> Jim
>
I've just got off the 'phone with my insurer, who, after I'd
described exactly what the problem was and drew his attention to the
quote that was on the confused.com website, and I mentioned the new bit
of legislation he reduced my premium to the same as the confused.com
with the addition of Legal cover and Home Emergency cover. So my new
premium is now �186.25 slightly less than the �319.72 they were asking
for at first. What is it they say? If you don't ask, you don't get!!!
Summat like that.
--
Heard melodies are sweet but those Unheard are sweeter.
FN 2�22+. Mungo Brandybuck of Buckland..
flyingnun@roseofwhite.plus.com

Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°22 + wrote on 07/04/2022 :
> I started that in motion and got 43 almost instant quotes, the cheapest
> being £92.27 from LVE which, with the addition of 'Home Emergency' and 'Legal
> cover' would take it to £167, which even a considerable saving over last
> year's premium. Strangely, on Confused.com, my current insurer comes, out
> with a renewal price of £115.30 which,

My own cheapest was LV on the Compare site and that of A N Other, who
had been paying double the LV quote. I went with them and it was about
the same as your quote. My partner used to handle the renewal upto 5
years ago or rather it auto-renewed, increasing year on year until it
got in excess of £500 and I stepped in. Competitive quotes were 1/5 the
auto-renewal quote, so I did the obvious and I have done it each year
since.

I also accept the maximum excess, on the logic that if I were a claim
for a small loss, I would be more than paying for having made the small
claim in the following years in increased premiums - therefore better
to pay for small losses out of my own pocket, should there be any.

On 07/04/2022 17:47, Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°22 + wrote:
> Indy Jess John wrote:
>> On 07/04/2022 12:25, Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°22 + wrote:
>>> It's that time of year again and I wasn't expecting to change my
>>> insurance provider, as for the past 4 years they have given me a
>>> renewal price that was less than I paid them the previous year. Not
>>> by very much -1.2% in 2019, -4.8% in 2020 and -3.0% in 2021. I was
>>> very miffed when I discovered, that this year, they were asking for
>>> an increase of a whopping +29.2% which took the renewal price to
>>> around £320 which they said was "The good news is that your price
>>> will be the same or lower than a new customer who starts a policy in
>>> the same way that you did". So from a policy of around £245 they are
>>> now hiking that up to £320. I was immediately on the 'phone to
>>> discuss this. In the past I have, where necessary, managed to
>>> negotiate a more satisfactory deal. Unfortunately this time the best
>>> the agent could do was get the price down to a few pence below £300.
>>> I tried every trick in the book that I was aware of, but to avail.
>>> The agent kept saying that "they didn't want to lose me" but there
>>> was nothing else he could do. He even agreed with me that my best
>>> course of action was to consult the comparison websites and go with
>>> the best offer I can find there. I started that in motion and got
>>> 43 almost instant quotes, the cheapest being £92.27 from LVE which,
>>> with the addition of 'Home Emergency' and 'Legal cover' would take
>>> it to £167, which even a considerable saving over last year's
>>> premium. Strangely, on Confused.com, my current insurer comes, out
>>> with a renewal price of £115.30 which, with the added 'Legal fees'
>>> cover and 'Home Emergency' cover comes out at £182. This is £60
>>> less than I paid in 2021 and almost £140 less than they are asking
>>> for 2022. What's that all about? Perhaps anyone over 81 (it was my
>>> birthday a couple of days ago) are considered as fair game.
>>> Just as an aside I was curious as to what the most expensive price
>>> would be. £440 is what it was, but that was inclusive of the 'Home
>>> Emergency' cover and 'Legal cover', even so!!! ???
>>
>> I was with an insurer I was happy with because each renewal was
>> around + or - 1% of the year before, until the price for renewing
>> shot up.
>> I recall a new piece of legislation where companies were forbidden
>> from offering existing customers a worse renewal quote than the price
>> they were offering to new customers. Unfortunately this seems to have
>> levelled up, with new customers being offered the same elevated price
>> the existing customers would have been quoted. Another example of
>> unintended consequences!
>>
>> If confused.com allow you to get the lower price from your existing
>> insurer, then that is probably the way to go. After all, you were
>> happy with the company, but not their elevated price.
>>
>> I have not used confused.com. I tend to use www.aspokesmansaid.com
>> because they say they don't recommend based on commission income.
>> However, in my case I bank with Nationwide and they had an insurance
>> deal for their current account holders which was cheaper than what
>> comparison websites were offering (and cheaper than I had paid the
>> previous year) so I took that.
>>
>> Jim
>>
> I've just got off the 'phone with my insurer, who, after I'd
> described exactly what the problem was and drew his attention to the
> quote that was on the confused.com website, and I mentioned the new bit
> of legislation he reduced my premium to the same as the confused.com
> with the addition of Legal cover and Home Emergency cover. So my new
> premium is now £186.25 slightly less than the £319.72 they were asking
> for at first. What is it they say? If you don't ask, you don't get!!!
> Summat like that.

Success!

What a pity they didn't originally offer what you eventually got. :-(

Jim

On 7 Apr 2022 at 19:40:58 BST, "Harry Bloomfield Esq" <a@harrym1byt.plus.com>
wrote:

> Flyiñg Ñuñ 2°22 + wrote on 07/04/2022 :
>> I started that in motion and got 43 almost instant quotes, the cheapest
>> being £92.27 from LVE which, with the addition of 'Home Emergency' and 'Legal
>> cover' would take it to £167, which even a considerable saving over last
>> year's premium. Strangely, on Confused.com, my current insurer comes, out
>> with a renewal price of £115.30 which,
>
> My own cheapest was LV on the Compare site and that of A N Other, who
> had been paying double the LV quote. I went with them and it was about
> the same as your quote. My partner used to handle the renewal upto 5
> years ago or rather it auto-renewed, increasing year on year until it
> got in excess of £500 and I stepped in. Competitive quotes were 1/5 the
> auto-renewal quote, so I did the obvious and I have done it each year
> since.
>
> I also accept the maximum excess, on the logic that if I were a claim
> for a small loss, I would be more than paying for having made the small
> claim in the following years in increased premiums - therefore better
> to pay for small losses out of my own pocket, should there be any.

In 2020 I paid Hastings Direct £220.
This year I paid LV £191.
Same house same cover. I always check caompaison sites and if necessary talk
to the insurer, who inevitably makes adjustments to the quote.
And in all my years of house ownership I've never needed or paid for any
additional emergency or legal cover. Which is always over priced.
There are plenty of plumbers, builders and electricians about. And if I ever
need legal assistance, Citizens Advice can probably help.

--
A bore is someone who persists in holding his own views after we have enlightened him with ours.

On 08/04/2022 in message <t2onn0$r1o$1@amos-jones.eternal-september.org>
Ray wrote:

>There are plenty of plumbers, builders and electricians about.

Not in East Dorset there aren't :-)

My surveyor told me my chimney needed attention when I bought this
bungalow. It was the fifth builder I spoke to who actually turned up and
he said thee chimney was fine but the flashing needs repairing/replacing.
I have been trying to find a roofer since!

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
There are 10 types of people in the world, those who do binary and those
who don't.

Ray pretended :
> And in all my years of house ownership I've never needed or paid for any
> additional emergency or legal cover. Which is always over priced.
> There are plenty of plumbers, builders and electricians about.

Nor have I ever paid for that, I am probably more capable of dealing
with an issue, than anyone they might send, anyway. The might be plenty
of such trades about, but the decent ones are normally fully employed.
The emergency ones will normally be the less skilled ones.

The one thing I will not tackle is the roof and I have the phone number
of a local guy for that.

Jeff Gaines wrote:
> On 08/04/2022 in message
> <t2onn0$r1o$1@amos-jones.eternal-september.org> Ray wrote:
>
>> There are plenty of plumbers, builders and electricians about.
>
> Not in East Dorset there aren't :-)
>
> My surveyor told me my chimney needed attention when I bought this
> bungalow. It was the fifth builder I spoke to who actually turned up
> and he said thee chimney was fine but the flashing needs
> repairing/replacing. I have been trying to find a roofer since!
>
We've got several roofers round here, the trouble is, they are never
able to do a job until the week after the end of the next month. One is
based at his home 9 houses from me. He has several staff and seems to
specialise in large jobs such a schools etc. A few summers back though
he and his younger son put a new one-piece fiber glass covering on my
flat kitchen extension roof, in place of the usual (in those days)
roofing felt. The surprising thing was they actually came and did the
job on a Sunday.
--
Heard melodies are sweet but those Unheard are sweeter.
FN 2�22+. Mungo Brandybuck of Buckland..
flyingnun@roseofwhite.plus.com