Direct Line Car Insurance

[neilh]

I'm quite stunned by the call my wife has just had with Direct Line Car Insurance. We've both been with them for many years, have savings with their financial arm and also their breakdown cover. She's just changed cars and did a quick online comparison and found quite a few more competitive quotes. So she phoned them to see what they would do for existing customers.

"Sorry, we don't price match - the quote is the quote"
"But you're over £100 pounds more expensive"
"Sorry. Shall I cancel your existing policy then? And your breakdown cover?"

Literally that quickly. No effort to keep her custom, no attempt to be helpful

Looks like I'll be cancelling my insurance with them, moving our savings, switching breakdown cover and changing house insurance policies then.

Can anyone recommend a good car insurance outfit?

[ratcliffe]

I always run my insurances through confused.com because it comes up with the cheaper quotes. I am currently with Quinns (an Irish company now offering insurance over here)

[Finless]

My cheapest offer last year was through Quoteline Direct. Their ULR section (uninsured loss recovery) are pretty damned good.

There are so many variables to consider that just because someone else got a fantastic price from Bleedemdry & Neverpay doesn't necessarily mean you will too.

Ref your usual insurance company. If their attitude irritates you that much then phone them back and ask to speak to a supervisor or manager. There is no point discussing anything with the usual people on the phone as they have no leeway to make any decisions (AIUI).

[Spacehopper]

Ive also found this with Direct Line. What I did was to get insurance elsewhere and then ask DL for a quote the following year and got a 20% introductory offer. It seems that DL are cheaper every alternate year

Don't bother with Swiftcover.com, (an online only AXA company). My car has been off the road since 28th Jan and will be for another 7 to 10 days. They say they are cheaper as they are a purely online company but their communications are pathetic and they deal with claims at the speed of a paralytic snail. Their performance is worthy of a YD rant.

Gareth

[Jay_Benson]

Originally Posted by Finless

My cheapest offer last year was through Quoteline Direct. Their ULR section (uninsured loss recovery) are pretty damned good.

Que? What is uninsured loss recovery? I am guessing that it is consequential losses but am probably wrong, very wrong. I accept that but like to learn.

[gpj]

Originally Posted by neilh

I'm quite stunned by the call my wife has just had with Direct Line Car Insurance. We've both been with them for many years, have savings with their financial arm and also their breakdown cover. She's just changed cars and did a quick online comparison and found quite a few more competitive quotes. So she phoned them to see what they would do for existing customers.

"Sorry, we don't price match - the quote is the quote"
"But you're over £100 pounds more expensive"
"Sorry. Shall I cancel your existing policy then? And your breakdown cover?"

Literally that quickly. No effort to keep her custom, no attempt to be helpful

Looks like I'll be cancelling my insurance with them, moving our savings, switching breakdown cover and changing house insurance policies then.

Can anyone recommend a good car insurance outfit?

Its always confused.com with me, haven't payed more than £200 full comp on a new laguna for the past 3 years ! ! ! ! !, but the choice of companys and cover is brill, like they say, fill in one form and let them do the rest, and before you ask, no I don't work for them, I'm just a tight git!!!!!

[andrew079]

Try Virgin, I always shop around a lot and they've been the cheapest for quite some time. Also you can pay monthly without penalties and they do break down service. Good luck- Andreas

[hilrosepaul]

Tried Moneysupermarket and confused dot com. insurance direct from Esure was cheaper (online) than via either of them.

[DIVE BUDDHA]

neil

i too left direct line this year after being with them 10 years ,they simply wasnt being competative and when questioned there priceing, i got the attitude of well if ya dont like it go some where else!

so i,m now with hastings direct and saved 130 quid on my renewal cost !

if you ask me theyve got too big for their boots !

[dry suit diver]

Originally Posted by DIVE BUDDHA

neil

i too left direct line this year after being with them 10 years ,they simply wasnt being competative and when questioned there priceing, i got the attitude of well if ya dont like it go some where else!

so i,m now with hastings direct and saved 130 quid on my renewal cost !

if you ask me theyve got too big for their boots !

we go through Kwikfit as a broker who came up, with hastings as cheapest for SWMBO and her car, called hastings direct and they couldn't match Kwikfit price . the level of service has been outstanding in getting SWMBO car fixed after her smash.

I am with Bell as they specialise in low no claims bonus drivers as I cam out of a company car scheme and the family company I worked for had insured vehicles with MD as policy holder and all other employees as named drivers. nobody would count the time I was in the scheme so I effectively started from zero even though I drove in excess of 50k miles a year for business use with no accidents.


insurance sucks but its a neccesary evil.