Directline: now cheaper to renew than new!!

[Spinal]

As a general rule, I refuse to get quotes from directline (or any company that refuses to go on a comparison site).

If they want to waste my time by making me get quotes one at a time, they don't deserve my hard earned!

M.

 

[Dryce]

As a general rule, I refuse to get quotes from directline (or any company that refuses to go on a comparison site).

If they want to waste my time by making me get quotes one at a time, they don't deserve my hard earned!

'cept that the comparison sites take a fee or margin on the business.

So you're paying for your time not to be wasted.

So far we've found going direct is cheaper - so we don't bother much with comparison sites except to check ballpark prices.

Directline is IM(recent)E expensive. They're nowhere near as price competitive as they were a few years ago. Privilege is the same underlying company but usually cheaper. Ditto Churchill but IME they're pricier than DL. Tesco bounce about in between.

 

[kth286]

mine stayed same this Aug with direct line.

on max NCB and business use gives a monthly premium of just a few pence under £21. (£252)

 

[dog68]

Mine is £518.94, monthly £43, with Rac breakdown cover, 3yrs no claims, with halifax. 42yrs old, gone up £60 this year, too dear me thinks.

 

[Aoraki]

Follow up to post #37

Well, got the renewal through today and it's £30 cheaper than than online.... Result

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

ML270 CDi - Comprehensive with protected NCB
Renewal: £299.25 with option of 0% APR if I want to pay monthly.
Online: £318.15 with interest at 23.9% if I want to pay monthly.
Negotiated: £288.75 with 0% APR paid monthly

C32 AMG - Comprehensive with protected NCB
Renewal: £374.85 with option of 0% APR if I want to pay monthly.
Online: £394.80 with interest at 23.9% if I want to pay monthly.
Negotiated: £348.60 with 0% APR paid monthly

It seems the 0% shouldn't have been re-applied on renewal as it was a promotion last year. They've honoured it though. I suspect that it will have been 'corrected' in the system for next year though.

Twelve months later I've renewed with Directline. Renewals are still cheaper than online, and they're still prepared to do a deal albeit they're giving less away.

ML270 CDi - Comprehensive with protected NCB
Renewal: £379.05 with interest at 23.3% if I want to pay monthly
Online: £385.35 with interest at 23.3% if I want to pay monthly
Negotiated: £345.45 with interest at 23.3% if I want to pay monthly

C32 AMG - Comprehensive with protected NCB
Renewal: £456.75 with interest at 23.3% if I want to pay monthly
Online: £502.95 with interest at 23.3% if I want to pay monthly
Negotiated: £438.90 with interest at 23.3% if I want to pay monthly

Not as chuffed as I was last year but Directline were still by far the cheapest of all those I tried.

 

[markjay]

I am with Aviva, both my cars. No issues with the price. Happily renew every year.

But I found their claim procedure to be lengthy in the extreme and awkward... lots of hoops to go through. Still havn't sorted out my current claim for my wife's car.

However on the basis that my wife and I had only one claim in 15 years between the two of us, and I don't expect I'll have to go through this again any time soon, I'll stick to Aviva. If I do find myself starting to claim more often, I'd go elsewhere. They are so s-l-o-w...

 

[davidjpowell]

Just got a combined renewal / change of car price for the new W203 as it happends that the day I pick it up, is renewal. Insured on my partners policy.

£675, up from £601 for the E320, and the cheeky buggers have increased the excess if I am driving it. Not going with them providing I can get a cheaper policy in principal.

 

[crockers]

Just renewed my wife's Honda via my broker - he informed me that 6 providers are pulling out of car insurance market due to the high number of claims for personal injury.. didn't say who though.

 

[Dryce]

Just renewed my wife's Honda via my broker - he informed me that 6 providers are pulling out of car insurance market due to the high number of claims for personal injury.. didn't say who though.

A few smaller players such as KGM are either up for sale or pulling out. I guess these are also the ones that the brokers fall back on to offer something different.

It's not just the increase in claims for personal injury but also the claims management car hire, fraud, and market growth stalling. Combine that with investment performance and the insurance companies are being squeezed.

 

[allias]

As usual excuse to drag more money from drivers. Im so ****** I have to pay over £1500 for my annual insurance on W210 320CDI.

 

[s500colin]

Direct line might be cheap but has anyone tried to claim on the policy a member of my family had a accident and needed their car recovered they asked so many pointless questions the traffic officer attending had to intervene and tell them to send a recovery truck as they were putting lifes at risk with their delaying tactics.
Also check you pay the extra for a loan car as a standard policy only includes assistance with your onward travel that mean they will drop you at the nearest railway station and no further.

 

[kamalpatel12448]

I've had this situation (cheaper renewing online rather than accepting the renwal in the post) on a regular basis with MORE THAN and I think on-line is naturally cheaper because it saves admin charges.

I cannot speak highly enough of MORE THAN who are excellent when it comes to making a claim. They don't quibble and go way beyond the call of duty - sometimes embarassingly so.

Second that, they even fixed the rust on my 202 wheel arch under warranty. So far they have been the cheapest for me with the best service.
Kamal

 

[kamalpatel12448]

I called my insurance company today as I have the scary renewal coming up in Dec and they asked me about the model of immobiliser in my C63. My response was factory fitted but they need specific model. Anyone know which model is in the C63 to tell the insurance company?

Thanks,
Kamal

 

[E CLASS]

Everytime I simply go on the comparison sites - get the cheapest deal and get my current insurer to match it.

I go with Admiral and they match every time!

Low cost with a good name...

 

[s500colin]

+1 for Admiiral
Each year I check the comparison websites then check my Admiral renewal usually I make the necessary phone call moaning I can get a better quote elsewhere and hey presto they drop their price
£85 this year

 

[kusanku]

I found NU/Aviva to be the cheap, but also beyond awful when I had the misfortune to claim. They admitted liability on my behalf for a collision which was in no way my fault, without consulting with me, based purely on what the third party solicitors said. I gave them the details three times, which they completely ignored and then contacted me to say that I had not reported the accident. All communication was via a call centre in India, speaking to people who had no record of my account of what happened, and just made up bogus additions to the highway code to try to justify why they considered me to be at fault. I was quite prepared to go to court, but had to give up as the fact that my own insurence company said I was at fault meant that no solicitor would take the case.

I wrote two letters of complaint to Norwich Uniion, neither of which recieved a response. However, I am sure they were read by someone, because at renewal time I was informed they would not insure me again, for which no reason was given. I switched to Direct Line, and my premium was actually less than I had paid the previous year with NU, despite now having a claim for which I was listed at fault.

If a company provide a good service and has satisfied customers, they do not need to change their name.

 

[kamalpatel12448]

Think I would have complained harder and pushed for a reason, this experience is worth reporting to trading standards/FSA. They must not be allowed to get away with this kind of service. BTW - They changed name through acquisition branding so name change is nothing to do with the service (I have a little bit of an inside track with Aviva).

I am with MORE THAN and they have done me proud over the years on price and service. Once I've dealt with my renewal I'll explain more.

 

[kamalpatel12448]

So a quick update folks on my insurance - there are a lot of variables to determine the price and these change on a daily basis so prices fluctuate...

1. Accidents/Risk in your postcode
2. Nationwide stats
3. Stats specific to your car
4. Your personal history/age/NCB
5. Mileage you are suggesting you will do annually

Of course there are more factors, but in London insurance tends to be higher and for my C63 all the comparison sites were quoting > £1000. MORE THAN on renewal with two cars with them have renewed my cover for £715. I think this is pretty reasonable.

One of the features I like is the lifetime warranty on any repairs they do for corrosion and work they have done. You might challenge this but I have tested it with a corroded/bubbling paint on my wing/W202 C240 where they had painted the whole side (due to key scratch) and there was no challenge (they put a new original wing on it) although they know it is a know issue on these and they sorted it all out. (I'm fussy about finish and it was a good job).

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Twelve months later I've renewed with Directline. Renewals are still cheaper than online, and they're still prepared to do a deal albeit they're giving less away.

ML270 CDi - Comprehensive with protected NCB
Renewal: £379.05 with interest at 23.3% if I want to pay monthly
Online: £385.35 with interest at 23.3% if I want to pay monthly
Negotiated: £345.45 with interest at 23.3% if I want to pay monthly

C32 AMG - Comprehensive with protected NCB
Renewal: £456.75 with interest at 23.3% if I want to pay monthly
Online: £502.95 with interest at 23.3% if I want to pay monthly
Negotiated: £438.90 with interest at 23.3% if I want to pay monthly

Not as chuffed as I was last year but Directline were still by far the cheapest of all those I tried.

Directline's promotions finish in the next few days so I've already taken out 2 house policies tonight, and next it's the cars. The house insurance is cheaper this year than last with the 50% off current promotion - it's not half the cost but cheaper than last year all the same.

Only got a quote for the C32 AMG so far, but that's gone up to £516.22 in 2011, compared to £438.90 in 2010, and £348.60 2009 - all criteria are identical. I read premiums are going up but I wasn't expecting another such significant rise.