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Admiral vs Admiral

jdrrco

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 6, 2006
Messages
1,693
Location
North Yorkshire
Car
Kia Stinger GTS & W202 C200
Mrs jdrrco's insurance came up for renewal last Monday. Admiral auto-renewal price increased from £325 to £805. Unsurprisingly, we weren't too chuffed about this. She rang and after several long waits on hold (over an hour in total) and reducing her mileage from 4k to 3k pa because of Covidness, they offered to reduce it to £555, the best they would do in spite of asking to deal with retention dept etc etc.

I went on the various comparison sites and found her a new quote for £276 ...through Admiral!

Cancelled the auto-renewal and immediately signed up with the same company for half the price.

With all the extra administration they now have to do, plus the commission to the website, it still beats me why they don't seem to be able to provide a decent quote.

Just saying...
 
Recently, 1st Central whacked my renewal price up and refused to budge. A week later on a comparison site and they offered the best value comprehensive insurance - all the bells and whistles! Yours, perplexed, SW20.
 
I use a simple method that has worked well for the last two years. Phone up the day you get the renewal quote - they consider you a lower risk than someone who phones up just before your insurance is due to expire. Offer them the chance to 'come back with a better price before you trawl the market for a better quote'. Because you have phoned the day you get the renewal quote they know you have time to research a better quote. For the last two years they have comeback with a quote that was lower than the previous year's price and therefore significantly less than the renewal price. This has worked across two cars for two years as I am now paying less than two years ago. Always watch out for the little extras you don't need that they slip in as well.
 
You guys never seem to learn.

Complain too much and they will stop playing the game with us and the premiums will be higher for all of us...not just those who can't be bothered to shop around.

Just saying...
 
With all the extra administration they now have to do, plus the commission to the website, it still beats me why they don't seem to be able to provide a decent quote.

Because if somebody just goes with the renewal then their margin goes up by several hundred % and likely they keep that high yield in following years.

And if they don't go with the renewal then they may well still retain the customer at a lower margin with another chance to try ramping the yield on the next renewal.

The cynical part is if you are older then they seem to have the extra incentive to try bumping up over and above any genuine additional risk premium because too many older people seem less reticent to change as they get into their 60s and also prices start to rise once people pass into their 70s.
 
Did Mrs Jdrrco have a 'significant' birthday recently ?
No, she is now 44 and has 2 years NCD, as opposed to none last year. I know it's what they do, but it just feels better to sound off occasionally.
 
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Weird, my premium with Admiral has reduced year on year. Also, dont be afraid to ask for a better quote.
 
My Mum's car insurance jumped by £100 from £330 to £430 at the AA. I phoned the AA with my Mum. They countered with £375. We said not good enough, try harder. Now a websearch said minimum around £300, but we have her house insurance and breakdown with the AA too and I explainedthat they would lose those if we changed insurers. They came back with £362 which we accepted. Now I could have saved £62 but convenience and the preferences of my Mum are a factor. One 10 minute phone call saved £68. They deliberately try it on. This is why there is no customer loyalty anymore.
 
No, she is now 44 and has 2 years NCD, as opposed to none last year. I know it's what they do, but it just feels better to sound off occasionally.

Well quite a way to go before any large increments for age reason.
 
I think someone has been told off for disclosing his good ladies age..... ;) 😂
 
This happens with most insurance companies, as they give new customers a discount that they won't offer you at renewal. More than once I've cancelled with a company and then taken out a new policy with the same company at a better rate. I even discussed this on the phone with one company and the woman said yes, you're quite allowed to do that, and admitted how daft it was.
 
Apparently they give you a discount in the first year or two.
 
What's bad is AA - They sent me a renewal through and didn't care to look too much and only went 'wtf' when I noticed they pulled 255 quid from my account ... 255 !!!
 
What's bad is AA - They sent me a renewal through and didn't care to look too much and only went 'wtf' when I noticed they pulled 255 quid from my account ... 255 !!!

That is pretty much what they rely on - people not noticing. Worse now since they retain and use your payment details. Your agreement to that will be in the very small print
 

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