Insurance Quotes - Complete madness.

[JTaylor2005]

What are peoples thoughts on this? I currently have an insurance policy with Elephant. It is due to end on the 9th of this month. So of course I have started looking around on-line for quotes.

I noticed last year that just before my Elephant policy ran out that they disappeared from comparethemarket. (Elephant, Admiral, and Bell all went. They are usually the cheapest quotes I get)

This year exactly the same has happened. Elephant know my policy is coming to an end so they and their sister companies pull out of advertising on comparethemarket. So I decided to try something today after I had a ridiculous quote from a chat with elephant about continuing my policy with them.

I decided to change one letter of my name on the compare the market website. This could be seen as a typo. Instead of putting Taylor I put in Taylot (One letter away on the keyboard)

I changed no other policy details and instantly Elephant, Admiral, and Bell all were back in my online quotes. They had also managed to knock a whopping £600 off the quote I was given to on the phone for being an "existing valued customer"
Anyone else think that the way insurance run is crazy? Maybe if we make a typo every now and then it might possibly save us £600 haha.


Original Quotes with correctly spelled name.

Quotations with incorrectly spelled name but the same details.

[Toms306]

Where did you get the idea you were valued as a customer? Its all new customer discounts these days!

That's still a hell of a lot for a HDi though.

[JTaylor2005]

Yeah but £600!!! complete madness. Would it be wrong (Do you reckon it would work) If I signed up to that £830 quote and then just phone up and say sorry I spelled my name wrong on the website. Surely they can't then charge £600 for the privelidge of having an R at the end of my name? haha

And yeah. I don't have the greatest of history with driving :/ Although the last 2 years have been squeaky clean

[Piggy]

Try brentacre bud.
Nothing online, call them. Chat. Get a great service and price.
Mention 306oc too!

[Toms306]

Oops, ok I won't ask what you've done then.

Tbh, I've got my name wrong on insurance a couple of times (but I do have a stupid surname ) but that's ok cos its always wrong on V5s as well.

Tbh if you phone them now and say that you accidentally spelt your name wrong and saw the price difference, I reckon they'd be willing to drop it... I doubt you'll get it as low as being a new customer though, I just switch between them each year for the 'new' discount every time.

[highwayman306]

It is still a bit high really :/
Age and where you live can have a lot to do with prices, getting a girlfriend or another driver on it can lower it in some cases too

As for insurance companies and comparison sites...well, they are all shysters! They make deals with each other and runs rates on ads,.. sometimes playing insurance companies off against each other can get some deals

[JTaylor2005]

Yeah that was what I was thinking to be honest. Just try and make them feel like idiots and lower the price. It's a bit of a difficult one. I will definitly give brentacre a try though Cheers

I wasn't the best in my first car and it has given me a bit of a history that I still pay for but I have stopped being so much of a muppet in my newer cars and its paying off now

[Iceman299]

Admiral wanted £500 for the 306 and £500 for the astra. Rang them up and got it down to £600 for both cars with multicar on a 12month policy. I hate admiral with a passion so stuck with chris knott even if it meant paying a little more

[Toms306]

Its worth noting that if you're going stage 2, Admiral group don't allow intercooler mods...

[JTaylor2005]

Oooh did not know that one :/

[Toms306]

Nor did I until it was too late.

[Eeyore]

i was quoted only an extra £1000 to add the 1.8 onto my saab policy.

[thododd]

Admiral wanted £500 for the 306 and £500 for the astra. Rang them up and got it down to £600 for both cars with multicar on a 12month policy. I hate admiral with a passion so stuck with chris knott even if it meant paying a little more

Last time i tried that they wanted 600 for my dtub and 600 for my ax gti ..... or 1800 for them both on one policy!! WTAF!!

Conclusion. Insurance companies literally pull a number out their arse and thats that.

[Kezzieboy]

I'd sign up with the typo, and then you can probs change it online anyway

That's bang out of order though, I'm sure that can't be legal!