Car Insurance

Posted by: Paul Hutchings on 07 October 2005

Shopping around for car insurance and so far the best online quote is from The AA.

They quote two prices if I go to the "Buy" option:

One payment
One payment + Protected No-claims Discount (PNCD)

Option 2 is around £50 more.

I've full no-claims since I've been driving, so around 10 years. Am I interpreting it correctly in that if I go for the cheaper option and don't have an accident, my no-claims will be protected because I haven't claimed, and if I go for option 2 it is protected even if I do something rather silly that would lose me my no claims?

Also, some of you may recall but I had an incident where a lorry nudged me some months back. At the time I reported it to the Police and my insurers simply incase he did the same thing. No claim was ever made. Does this mean I have to answer "yes" when asked if I've had any accidents, or can I read that question as "have you ever made a claim"?

cheers,
Paul

Posted on: 07 October 2005 by bluegirl

I don't think simply informing your insurers is the same as actually making a claim. Unless they paid out something, I would say no.

Posted on: 07 October 2005 by Deane F

quote:
Originally posted by Paul Hutchings:

Also, some of you may recall but I had an incident where a lorry nudged me some months back. At the time I reported it to the Police and my insurers simply incase he did the same thing. No claim was ever made. Does this mean I have to answer "yes" when asked if I've had any accidents, or can I read that question as "have you ever made a claim"?

What is the exact wording of the entire question?

Posted on: 07 October 2005 by Paul Hutchings

I think I've just answered my questions. I did something remarkable.. I phoned them up

I told them about the shunt, and was told that if no claim was made it makes no difference to the quotation.

So far as the PNCD thing, from their website:

What is protected no-claims discount?
In the event of a claim, if your insurance company cannot recover their outlay from the person responsible, or you cannot recover your excess, your no-claims discount is normally reduced at the next renewal. Bonus protection allows up to two non-recoverable claims in a three- or five-year period without reducing your no-claims discount. This optional extra can cost a further 15% on your premium.

It's quite remarkable that one insurer can be £300 cheaper than my current one (Zurich) but I know in the past it depends as much on the make of car as anything else and some companies are simply cheaper for "Marque X".

Paul

Posted on: 07 October 2005 by count.d

You are right in your assumption about being able to have an accident and not affect your ncd. Protected No-claims Discount is well worth paying the extra for.

Of course you have to answer yes to the question "have you had any accidents". You have!

Posted on: 07 October 2005 by Stephen B

After decades with no accidents I decided to protect my NCD at a cost of about £20 odd quid. There are too many uninsured drivers around these days so I reckon it was well worth the extra.

Posted on: 07 October 2005 by Paul Hutchings

So anyone here using the AA? Cheapest so far.

I'll head into town tomorrow to see what the local broker can come up with.

Paul

Posted on: 08 October 2005 by Paul Hutchings

Can anyone with any knowledge explain a little on how a broker operates?

Long story short the AA have come up cheapest by about £250, so unless there's a really good reason not to do so, I think I shall be cancelling with my current insurer and switching to them.

I noticed that if I went to their signup page it tells me the policy is from "Kinetic (AA)" seem to be "Kinetic Underwriting Concepts".

Does any of this make any practical difference to me, or do I work on the principle that I'm dealing with the AA and who they choose to use is up to them?

Paul

Posted on: 08 October 2005 by u5227470736789439

Dear Friends,

I see what people pay for insurance and just wonder why it does not seem the same with me.

I have been with the same insurance compmpany for more than 25 years [NFU Mutual], and have never even sought a quote elsewhere.

The last renewal premium on a 1989 Volvo 240 GL was 184 GBP, so what is going on?

This is not an advertisement, but even during that time I have had two claims: First time I reversed a Golf into a lorry trailor, and wrecked the front left wing, and second time I drove a Maxi through a fence at about 40 mph. And each time I was able to talk to someone who knew me personally! None of this terrible talking to total strangers who neither know you OR seemingly care on occasion. The NFU is available to non-farming people and can be found in the phone book.

Fredrik