75ZT Community

My insurance was due to expire on the 28th April - it is with M&S and includes RAC etc.. I got the renewal offer and it was for £317. This was on the basis that I was employed and doing 25k miles a year.

When I took out the insurance I was living in Surrey and when I moved to Lincs got a nice refund as a lower risk area.

I had used one of the comparison sites last year to get my insurance and they sent me an email quoting £307 based on info I gave last year, i.e. living in Surrey.

I went on a couple of comparison sites and put in the new car details and also that I was retired. Quote £369 for M&S.

I then phoned my insurers, told them that I had sold the car* that the insurance was on a couple of days before I retired, the details of the new car and that I had retired. The new quote £500 +. I then told them that the comparison sites had quoted £369 with M&S.

'Ah, normally via the comparison sites there is an introductory discount, just a minute'. 'Yes we can do it for that with this new reference number'.

I insured via M&S but went via one of the comparison sites directly.

So customer loyalty = customer rip off.

* when I told them that I had sold the car they said that they would cancel the policy. In addition, I told them not to renew it as they would otherwise automatically. A few days later I received another certificate of insurance and a statement showing the cost had reduced by 8p. I phoned about this and as told that the policy had not been cancelled but had been set to not renew automatically - it was then cancelled.

Unfortunately that is the way all the insurance companies carry on, just a fact of life. I presume the assumption is that a good percentage will just renew automatically.

BTW I'm retired and in North Cambs, my current policy came in at just over £200.00 (MG V6 Auto) through Adrian Flux (no roadside assistance included, I get a good discounted rate from RAC as a valued customer) The last insurance renewal notice was excessively high (as usual) but a phone call sorted that out.

Ditto to Adrian Flux - I was pleasantly surprised how much cheaper they were than anyone else who quoted!

My insurance is on an 04 CDTi Tourer, 25,000 miles wfie and I driving (both retired) and UK and European RAC Breakdown cover, 'Keycare' and legal assistance all via M&S..

M&S use BISL brokers as do RAC (BISL also own one of the comparison sites) and RAC quoted higher.

Keen to have RAC breakdown cover. Hired a van - I had to arrange breakdown insurance and did so via RAC - to take somethings down to our French house, got there, went to get some DIY bits and it broke down. Phoned the RAC and what a superb service:

'We will get you checked in to an hotel whilst the reapirs are being carried out'
'our house is only about 40 miles away'
'We will get you a taxi there, sorry, we cannot arrange a hire car until tomorrow'
'Just get me back to the house, I do not need a hire car'.
For the next couple of days they phoned to make sure I did not want a hire car.
As our departure was getting near they started to talk about hiring us a car to get to Calais and then another for 24 hours in the UK if the van was not ready and they would then get the van transported back.
As it was the van was ready in time and they sent a taxi so that we could pick it up.
Superb service.
NFI naturallyjust a very satisfied customer

They assume you will be using the price comparison sites. That is where the deals are to be had. Loyalty rewards are a thing of the past, thats just the way it is.