Page 1 of I thought car insurance was supposed to be cheaper this year?

Yeah right. Multi-car jumped up by £200 and all of the comparison sites are more than last year, and none of them are including legal cover as standard so that's another £20+. What is going on? I loathe this yearly hassle...







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Yes it is a problem and another hastle this year is road tax since all the local DVLA have closed. They seemed to be snowed under at Swansea.

Hence I did not get my road tax reminder last month on our latest car buy, been on to them to them for the last two weeks as was up on the 30/4/14. Had around 4 emails saying they are looking into it. Still no joy. Still no paperwork.

It is now out of date as of today, So no road tax paid.

How long can you hold off paying, before getting £80 fine sent?

Or because I am in correspondance will they withhold fine, or is that another department?

Quote:
bandicoot says...
"Or because I am in correspondance will they withhold fine, or is that another department?"
I think you get two weeks grace if you've paid but no disc. In your situation I think the best move is the local postie for the right form and pay over the counter.

As to insurance it should be a lot cheaper this year. This from moneysavingexpert email.

Quote:
Are you overpaying on car insurance? It's DOWN 16%
How to take advantage of the price drop EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT AT RENEWAL. Some can save £100s The AA's quarterly car insurance index shows prices down 16% over a year, to an average £531, and down 20% for 17-22 year-olds, though that's still £1,160. Check if you're locked into a mega price. Full help in Cheap Car Insurance, a taster...




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Err, i'm not trying to annoy you Chris, but mine has gone down several hundred pounds in the last 2 years. The only change is my age, but I don't think that's the reason. I've been paying vehicle insurance since i was 16 years old, & never claimed from my own policy, & only made a claim against someone else once.

Mine was around the £200 mark in 2007, then went up to around £230 as prices rose, then came back down to around £200. Last year it was £160 as part of Admiral's multi-car thing, but this year they want £600 for both cars. My Mrs can get hers for £240 on her own, and mine is coming in around £200-£210 on all of the comparison sites. That's for like-for-like cover. One of the unknown companies was cheaper than anywhere else, but I read three reviews and discounted them as they were appalling.

I've been reading all of these 'cheaper across the board' things for weeks so I at least thought I'd be able to get it for around the same as last year. No speeding points, no claims... Such a PITA.







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The multi-car thing is not that good, as your putting all your eggs in one basket, and are you really getting a better deal?

I did used that method for one purpose and that was to get my NCB down on my second car quicker, and then when both cars became 60% off, loyalty was finished, and now hunt for the best deal for each car seperately on the comparative sites. 

One of my cars is with Admiral, and they are always pushing multi-car on me, via email and letters, but not interested. Low insurance costs are everything nowadays, especially with this recession, that the collation government say we are no longer in. Who are they kidding 

This item was edited on Saturday, 3rd May 2014, 00:38

On the side issue subject mentioned by me of having the DVLA not giving you a reminder to renew your car tax.....

I was informed after a lengthy and expensive call to Swansea DVLA via an automated service, push button options and then eventually a real Welsh person answering, that all you need is to take your car log book, with your MOT if needed, to the post office and they renew there and then.

DOH, if only i had known that after 30 years of getting road tax renewals,this being the first time without getting one.

Once they switch over to a 'no tax disk method' in October it can only get worse, as your tax disk is a good reminder, and you won't have one on the windscreen anymore.

This means if stopped by police, the only proof is on the DVLA computer.

1st Central, who I were with last year, just got my renewal through. It's £30 more expensive (even though I'm in a cheaper area). But I notice an asterix next to the amount...

...which links to a note saying it includes the insurance premium of £337.95 and optional extras selected by me together with a £50 arrangement fee. I didn't select any of the optional extras.

Is there an honest insurance company out there? Probably not. Anyway, I'll be switching again this year.


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One of mine is up next month so it will be confused.com again to get the best deal, and if you buy from them, someone is going to be a million pound richer in their September draw, I wish 

http://www.insiders-view.co.uk/confused-million-confusedcom-million-pound-giveaway/0098

Cheapest for me (via MoneySupermarket.com) turned out to be a choice of four companies, priced between £165 and £171.

I rang 1st Central to cancel my renewal and the guy had the £337 price without optional extras, which made them giving me the impression I'd selected those with the letter (and not even making it clear they weren't compulsory) doubly disgusting.

So this insurance is half the price of my renewal!

Anyway, my four options where Hastings Direct, People's Choice (which is also Hastings), Hastings Essential (spotting a pattern yet?) and Insure Pink (again Hastings!).

InsurePink donate £10 per policy to the Pink Ribbon campaign for breast cancer, so for just £5 more than the cheapest policy, they'd get £10.

How could I not pay that tiny bit extra when Sue has laid bare her struggles on these very forums? So these are who I went with...

https://www.insurepink.co.uk


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