Solitary chicken - need advice

[CatieB]

Some of you may remember I posted about giving up a profession. I am now a student social worker spending some time at uni and the vast majority in placements.

 

I have to tell my insurance company of the change obviously but particulary as I need business use whilst on placement...my insurance company do not have any helpful category like student social worker, apprentice or trainee. They have student or social worker.

 

If I choose student both mine and hubbys policy go up over £300 EACH for the rest of the 8 month term If I choose social worker its over £100 each

 

Quite frankly its ridiculous I am the same person driving in the same way. Yes I know its statistics. Whilst at uni I am doing EXACTLY the same journey as uni is across the road to my last office. And in my first placement I am doing 1/4 of the journet. GRRRRR. Not happy. I am still a member of my last profession to to add insult to injury but they dont care about that as Im not working as it.

 

What is anyones view. I think the social worker is the better description, not because of the cost but because of the business mile thing travelling to user places etc.

[Grandmashazzie]

Are you self funding or sponsored by a trust? If a trust they may have car schemes and cheaper ins.

[CatieB]

I am sponsored but no such scheme unfortunately.

 

I have been on a comparison site this morning and I can take out a new policy for around the same price I am paying currently even with declaring that I am a post graduate student. I think I may do this even though it will cost around £65 each to cancel our current policies. The very annoying thing is that my current insurance company were amongst the best quotes grrrr.

 

Thinking of leaving just out of principle now. The way insurance companies conduct their business is shameful. At renewal this year they put hubby and I up by over £200 each until I rang and challenged them and then they gave me a better deal.

[soapdragon]

Car insurance seems a licence to print money! Every year I use price comparison web sites (I have soooo many meercats!!!) and the difference is amazing. Given that I am 50 plus (just), driving max 5 000 miles pa in an 02 Skoda Fabia my quotes ranged from £167 to £1 054! Yes, some came with 'extras' not all of which I wanted but inputting basic data came up with such a huge variation; how does that stack up

 

Should you want/need to make changes once you have taken out the insurance (as you clearly need to do) then your current insurers have you over a barrel and can charge what they want unless you are prepared to cut you losses and walk (tho, of course, they still 'make' on the early exit charge.) Circumstances do change over a year and, yes, it incurs a fee for the admin but they seem to take this far too far.

 

Personally, I think there needs to be much more regulation within the industry

[HarrisonFamily]

I would also suggest getting an new online quote with the same company just to see what it comes up with...you might then be able to argue with them over the prices they have quoted.

 

For 3 years I have been with the same company but each year I cancel my renewal and get a new online quote which is always cheaper !!!!

[CatieB]

I would also suggest getting an new online quote with the same company just to see what it comes up with...you might then be able to argue with them over the prices they have quoted.

 

For 3 years I have been with the same company but each year I cancel my renewal and get a new online quote which is always cheaper !!!!

 

I tried that without success. In fact they came up third cheapest in one of the online comparison sites but couldn't give me that quote nowhere near it. To stay hubby and I could pay an increased £320 with me as a post grad student. To leave them was just under £100. I left and started again with different companies for hubby and I. By doing that I got prices as low as I paid last renewal and obviously for the whole year not part.

 

Still seriously unimpressed. And guess what...........still driving the same

[Scary Mary]

Sorry, just came across this post.

 

My Daughter found that you have to be sneaky to get a "new" quote from your current insurance company. She routinely uses a variation of her first name and a shortened form of her surname - otherwise they always come up at the value she has already been quoted. Using her variant of a name, she usually gets a lower quote ( they want to get new customers), and then she phones then up and asks them to honour that quote, which they generally do.... bit of a faff and so much for treating your loyal customers well !

[soapdragon]

This behaviour makes me so mad (not your daughter, Scary Mary...the insurance peeps!!) Its always 'great money saving deals' for new customers when what they really should be doing is looking after their existing customers so that they then recommend the company and they can build up a loyal client base. As it is everyone seems to do the same as me which is to shop around every year and go with the cheapest.

 

If the insurance companies had the same people renewing every year then their admin costs have to be less so they can offer better deals...that has to be a win/win situation? All in all I reckon that it takes me best part of 4 hours to trawl through the comparison sites and decide which to go for....I want no claims protection added as I have around 15 years and its often cheaper to get breakdown cover with the insurance too.