Car Insurance
I always like to shop around to lower my premiums each year. Its a pain in the arse but I've usually managed to save about £50 year on year, 3 or 4 years now.

Last year I got my renewal quote from insurers, it had barely came down so I started filling in forms for quotes all over the place. Thought it was worth a try filling in a new customer form for the place I was currenltly with, came in £250 cheaper than my renewal quote!

Thought its worth a phonecall so I rings them up:

(after establishing who I am)
Me: I'd like to discuss my renewal quote, I got a cheaper quote by quite some distance and I wondered if you'd match it.

Phone Monkey: We can certainly look Sir, can I ask who the company is offering this quote?

Me: Well its yours....


Always shop around for car insurance, they're more interested in new customers than keeping the ones they have
(Monkeystrumpet monkey. Monkey, MONKEY!!!, Thu 23 Feb 2012, 13:58, 13 replies)

I had a similar thing.
last year. I think it was Admiral, they sent me a renewal for £600, I went online and got the same policy for £350.

I'll never begin to understand insurance quotes. I'm 46, clean licence for nearly 30 years, driving a Vauxhall and have never made a claim or had an accident.

I had quotes, from big name insurance companies, for £1,600. That's a 'we don't want your business' quote, but why not? Can't imagine.
(username failed moderation, Thu 23 Feb 2012, 14:06, closed)

Replace "car insurers" with "mobile phone operators"
and this is my exact experience.
( .Yeti. El amor en los tiempos del cólera, Thu 23 Feb 2012, 14:06, closed)

Internet / cable TV suppliers too.
I went through all my accounts last year, mainly in response to the money saving tips QOTW we had here.

I reckon in the end I managed to save about £100 / month.
(username failed moderation, Thu 23 Feb 2012, 14:10, closed)

And AA breakdown cover.
£153 renewal quote last Christmas (my dad buys me it for Christmas every year, handy), reduced back to the usual £99 after a phone call to retentions.
(WillI'mNot logs in twice a year, every year, Thu 23 Feb 2012, 17:52, closed)

^This
"So what you're saying is you'll reward me for taking my business to one of your competitors for a year...?"
( Afinkawan Yes I can hear you Clem Fandango, Tue 28 Feb 2012, 15:50, closed)

The future Mrs Kenny Martin had this recently with Direct Line.
She cancelled her renewal, then took out a new policy... then got a phone call a couple of weeks later saying "We're still waiting for proof of no-claims bonus from your previous insurer"
(Professor Kenny Martin Hmm? What?, Thu 23 Feb 2012, 14:25, closed)

That should be in
it's own post.

It's the best one yet.
(username failed moderation, Thu 23 Feb 2012, 14:42, closed)

I've posted it now, cheers :)

(Professor Kenny Martin Hmm? What?, Sun 26 Feb 2012, 15:33, closed)

This is a case where the hackneyed phrase makes perfect sense: you couldn't make this crap up.
Genius.
( Matazone has new icons, but is keeping this one, Thu 23 Feb 2012, 15:04, closed)

I got a cheaper online quote than my renewal on my home insurance from the same company
... then they sent me a letter saying they needed proof of value of an expensive camera I had - that they'd insured the year before without question. When I questioned it, they couldn't answer why they'd sent the letter in any case, since the company policy is to only ask for valuations for jewellery.
( Snappyuk gets BIGGER with free sample., Thu 23 Feb 2012, 16:25, closed)

They just make it up as they go along, I'm sure...
I've got a specialist policy for all my guitar gear - I bought a new guitar and added it to the policy, the premium went up. Then I took 3 off as I'd sold them and the premium didn't go down. I emailed them to query this, and they said "We don't reduce the price when you take items off until your renewal is due. As a token of good faith however, if you want to add another guitar now we'll keep the premium at the same price."

Yeah, gee thanks
(Professor Kenny Martin Hmm? What?, Mon 27 Feb 2012, 14:24, closed)

This is fantastic
I have just done this for my home insurance which is up for renewal, and had exactly the same "can I ask who the company is offering this quote?" "er well, it's you, actually" discussion.

Upshot was all sorts of bells and whistles added to the cover, and the best part of £50 knocked off the renewal.

So thanks for the inspiration!
(richardm, Thu 23 Feb 2012, 15:25, closed)

halfers?
glad i got someone some cash for nowt! nice one
(Monkeystrumpet monkey. Monkey, MONKEY!!!, Fri 24 Feb 2012, 12:19, closed)