Car Insurance

Its Car Insurance renewal time unfortunately but for me this year it has a twist. Basically I have a couple of questions and if anybody could give any helpful advice. I've had a bit of a crap year in 09 with two speeding convictions (38mph in a 30 zone) and a claim on my insurance (300 odd pound for a clip of another car in a car park). So if I am renewing and I add this detail then my premium is through the roof. If i don't add it obviously its much cheaper. But can I accept a quote without disclosing? The comparison at the minute is a 200 pound difference which is manageable. However what if I say nothing about the convictions and claim?

The insurance company will ask you, directly or indirectly. You're required to answer truthfully. End of story.

If the gardai have your license from the speeding, then the insurance company will be able to find out. AFAIR they agreed to lower premiums for drivers with zero penalty points, and not impose fines on anyone with 2 points, but only if they were given access to the driver database.

As for the claim on your insurance, it depends on the other driver. If he chooses to go through his insurance company then your company will be notified, and you will have to give a statement on the incident. If you were at fault, they will load your next renewal. If he doesn't, and just charges you for the repairs, then you don't have to notify them. But it's unlikely that he'll do that.

So, basically, admit it. They're going to find out eventually anyway. Your premium will be loaded for 5 years following an accident (I have a year left from a crash in 2006) so you may as well start paying now rather than in 12 months.

What's going on here? Did all the companies just get together and decide to screw everybody and make it borderline pointless even shopping around? Ten years driving, no claims, no penalty points, full licence and all that lark... charged a renewal of €580 for fully comp.

Worst thing is, after ringing a few other companies that's actually starting to look quite reasonable! I would have got the same cover for closer to €300 two or three years ago. Chill Insurance offered me €765 even though I told them I was offered €500 elsewhere! Liberty (formerly Quinn Direct), who I was with nine years and were always the best value back in the day offered me €670 or something like that for Third Party!

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Did all the companies just get together and decide to screw everybody

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Yes. This is Ireland after all.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

and make it borderline pointless even shopping around?

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You'll save if you shop around. I got a renewal quote of €995 Third Party back in June. Shopped around online and I was quoted anything from €710 to €1600 with various companies. I obviously went with the €710 (Aviva) which was Fully Comp.
The €1600 quote came was from 123.ie, Liberty were something similar too.

It's ridiculous really.

Having to give tedious amounts of information makes shopping around, well, not really worth it I think. If I thought I'd knock a couple of hundred off the €580 I would for sure, but that looks highly unlikely. I haven't tried to knock the price of that down yet though so that's my next (and probably final) step.

My girlfriend was driven to literal tears over this the other week. She's still a newish driver, but never any problems, no points, no accidents, not even a ding, and she's still being told everywhere that she has to pay more than last year. Passing the test was a very proud moment for her, but every step since then - those moronic "N" plates, tax, insurance hikes, aside from the general stupidity on the roads - has combined to sort of ruin it.

I've been driving for about 12 years and have my full licence around 9. I actually just gave up the car in the summer due to the insane quote of 1300 I got. I'm still a full time student so I have little choice. But I can only imagine what it's like out there for some. I have a woe is me story about losing my no claims, but safe to say the entire industry is there to screw you if your'e male and under forty

It should be noted I've zero points and zero accidents and zero dings.

Hopefully the recent raids by the EU of the insurers will lead to a competition judgement, but the investigation seems to be fairly limited, to marketing collusion. The whole industry needs a major investigation, and reform. I may have said it before in this thread, but I think one way of dealing with the problem would be to disallow insurers from dropping their quotes -- you make the quote, you stick to it. There should also be a fixed quotation form, i.e. all insurers have to use exactly the same data sets and forms for quotations, to simplify the process of moving to other providers.

AFAIK Mad Moose, leaving out details like that would invalidate your insurance were you to make a claim on it, and might constitute fraud (knowingly making an untrue statement in order to avail of a cheaper rate). The insurance industry is rotten (not just motor insurance) and some of Dahamsta's ideas would be a good start.

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Originally Posted by Eminence Grise

AFAIK Mad Moose, leaving out details like that would invalidate your insurance were you to make a claim on it, and might constitute fraud (knowingly making an untrue statement in order to avail of a cheaper rate). The insurance industry is rotten (not just motor insurance) and some of Dahamsta's ideas would be a good start.

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Considering he asked that question 7 and half years ago EG I'd say he has made his decision on what he's gonna do at this point :P

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

Came back from holiday late last night - brain is still working on 'over there where the sun shines' time!!!

Coincidentally enough, Mrs Grise got a registered letter from her insurer today threatening to cancel her cover as she never gave them proof of her NCB, even though she has half a dozen emails and a doc signed by them confirming exactly that. Plus ca change....