Do they want my business...

daffy2

because it doesn't seem like it.
My car breakdown renewal came through, and the premium was £16 higher than last year - an increase of 50% - so not unreasonably I wanted to know why.
After 20 minutes(10 mins of which was waiting and answering 'security' questions)on a chargeable phone number(no email to make initial enquiries) I've got it down to last year's rate.
But....as a 'loyal' customer why should I have to go through these hoops. Last year involved a lot of faffing(and was why I was given a 'discount' as I was told today)as their new computer system had decided that I owned a rare expensive sports car for which I wanted the full menu and had priced accordingly.
Grumpy old woman that I am I just want a sensible quote from the company I've been with for several years, for a service I've not made a claim on in that time,be able to pay it without charges for the privilege of giving them money(had to use my debit card rather than the credit card I wanted to use as there was a 10% charge for that). Next year there'll likely be the whole thing all over again - threaten to leave, get the discount, stay. That all costs the company much more, in hard cash let alone good will, than just doing the sensible thing. Some companies are beginning to get the message about loyalty, but I suppose the trouble is that too many folks just auto-pay whatever's demanded which of course suits the company financially and admin-wise more than offering the correct/reasonable figure.
'Shopping around' isn't the answer.I don't want to spend ages filling in comparison or other web pages to get back quotes that don't apply,as has tended to happen in the past, to pay by methods I don't want to use. In any case anything offered is always an 'introductory offer' and will increase the following year. Thank heavens I have an insurance broker for the rest(must check and see if they are doing breakdown - they haven't in the past) who I've known for 30+ years, does whole of market, takes payment by card/cheque without charge, recognises me when I phone and which policy I'm calling about and so doesn't need to spend 5 minutes checking my inside leg measurement for 'security purpose'.
Rant over, now to get washed and dressed and start the day properly....

stickywicket

Daffy, I feel your pain Not to mention frustration..It was the inside leg measurement that did it, wasn't it

Mr SW's modus operandi for avoiding the hassle of changing insurers (for car, home etc) is to find a cheaper quote then go back to his current insurers with it. They almost always say nonchalantly, “Oh OK, we'll do it for that.” (Who was it that said “Insurance is theft”?)

He swears that car insurance is by far the easiest to do on comparison sites (Travel insurance is a nightmare) but we usually ends up with D*r*ct L*n* who don't do comparison sites.

You might find Martin Lewis helpful too. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/car-insurance/ . Some stuff here that surprised me.

barbara12

Its all a pain..and if you fill in the comparison sites then you are inundated with emails ,and letter because of your postcode...
We got a good tip of the Martin Le*is site..and saved £60 off our road side recovery..you just ask for a reduction and say you are not happy with the latest quote..they gave us another price that was a little lower..a pause from us..then they came back with the last one..

daffy2

It was the inside leg measurement that did it, wasn't it

Yes, as it's not a measurement I find a need to remember...

I do check every now and then whether I'm still getting a good deal with insurance(the banks offer to quote every now and then), utilities etc, but I find the online sites very time consuming and frustrating, probably because I fall outside the norm for some things. Until last year I had very old cars/uncommon models which were either rejected or weren't recognised, so gave up on the online option for that. I don't want to pay by direct debit- it doesn't suit when income fluctuates as mine does, I don't want firms having access to my account to help themselves, and also I have an objection to lending money to multi-million pound businesses.
In terms of general insurance so far the broker has always come up with at least a comparable quote and usually cheaper - even if I contact the same firm direct as new business - how stupid is that? - and I don't have to key in all my details time and time again - with all the opportunities for errors to creep in.
The electric(and in my new home gas as well) supplier I've been with for a good few years now doesn't even feature on most comparison sites but the best alternative deal I managed to come up with earlier this year was £60 pa more expensive and that was monthlydd/paperless/online account management/me supplying readings etc etc - ie everything I didn't want to do! If I'd still been Economy7, as in the previous house, it would have been over £100 pa more expensive...

Airwave!

A car insurance firm got its own back when my car was hit by another whilst parked, to get their money back they sold my details to hundreds of firms (£5 a time) who have been calling me for the last six years asking me to claim compensation (I wasn't even in the car)..............

So, about 500 calls later, I am uninterested in insurance companies.


:cheers:

Megrose2

That is awful, Airwave. Insurance companies bewilder me. We go through the same carry-on every year, too. We even play the 'who can go lower' game between two sister companies with different names, but who are owned by the same organisation. Absolutely crazy and it always hikes up my blood pressure!

Meg