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Many years ago, I passed my driving test at the second attempt. I felt an unprecedented level of joy because this was it, my ticket to freedom. I could finally look cool and drive around my babe magnet of a car turning heads on every street. Unfortunately, this joy was short lived and it was all because of car insurance. Like they said in the advertisement with Nigel Mansell (great to have Nige back by the way), British people simply can't haggle because we feel rude.
I found myself being conned into paying £1,200 for 3rd party cover and settling for a 1.2 litre Renault Clio which was the most dreadful thing you could imagine. The gearbox was simply shocking, and refused to go into 1st of 2nd gear unless double clutched. Rather than turning heads in a babe magnet, I was turning heads as people asked "who is that young idiot who can't drive and keeps crunching his gears?"
I have since learned the importance of haggling with insurers. I don't want other young people having their dreams crushed like I did; you can get a better deal. Youre not going to get insurance cheap because, frankly, your young and insurers stereotype people. If you're under the age of 25 and a man, in the eyes of car insurance firms you're obviously going to be a demented boy racer who enjoys mowing down old ladies. Even if you're a monk and spend hours on end in solitude contemplating religion and such, you are still stereotyped as a boy racing havoc-causing youth. To you young people, I therefore pass on the following advice:
Shop around, buy insurance online...
Shop around. Ask as many different insurers as possible for a quote because their will be massive differences. Some insurance companies simply don't want to take on young drivers and will therefore try to price you out. Price comparison websites are useful for doing this and could save you hundreds.
Buy your car insurance online. Insurance firms are quite happy to have reduced staff numbers as this saves them money. So this is why they encourage people to shop online by offering them a saving on their car insurance, as they don't have to hire as many people when people shop online.
Buy a small car to begin with. Don't get your hopes up. Give up on the dream of the babe magnet. Life's unfair and you better get used to it now. The insurance on a Clio is cheap, but don't get one made before 2001 as the gearbox will shock you. It is French after all.
Reduce your mileage. Your insurer will ask you how many miles your going to be doing. Try and keep it as low as possible, but don't exceed your stated amount as they will rub their hands together and refuse to cover you in the event of an accident.
In summary, life is a dreadful thing. Don't get your hopes up and think that the car you're going to get is going to be an amazingly powerful motor that would put Nigel Mansell's Williams to shame. It's probably going to be a Clio, which will make you look stupid, but that's okay. You will build up no claims discount over the coming years which will reduce the price of your insurance and in a couple of years insurers will be offering you far cheaper deals and you can beat that Clio senseless with a branch after buying your brand new sporty motor.
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When I phoned the original company to decline their offer, and explained why, did they offer a reason, no they did not. 'Sorry we cannot improve the quote', no explanation, and obviously don't care that you are going to cancel.
I have a couple of theories; they rely on people not checking and automatically renewing thus abusing a trust, there is such competition and we are all changing company on an annual basis that it is not worth engendering loyalty. beyond these simplistic reasons I am at a loss.
P.S. Guess what quote I accepted?
Instead, the lovely people of this country just bend over, allow the Government to have their way. Then make a fuss to the person next to them.
Anyway, I hope you find something at a good price,
The risk assessment calculation should be made part of the policy, printed on it. And the assumptions included in it should be challengeable.
Do insurance companies make billions from car insurance? Based upon what? Where diid you find this fact? I have also seen many many car insurance campaigns and not one claims to be a public service provider.
John R.