As a motorcyclist and a motorist I am compelled, by law, to have my vehicles insured.
I am also compelled, by law, to ensure that my personal details are kept current with DVLA and with my insurers.
But it seems that as a compulsorarily mandated consumer of vehicle insurance products, the companies who provide me with insurance are only interested in ripping me off.
Let me explain.
I have moved house.
I have moved from one suburban area of town to a house a few minutes’ walk up the road in the same suburban area.
But it is a better area.
A nicer area.
The new house is a 2-bed semi, not a 2-bed end of terraced.
The new house has a lovely big garage where my motorbikes will be housed overnight.
The car will sit outside, on the drive.
I rang the car insurer, to advise them of the change of address.
They entered my new details in to their system, and said there would be no change in the premium.
And then they charged me £30 administration fee.
Wow. These people do know that I am compelled by law to notify them of a change of address, right?
And then they charge me £30 for complying with the legislative requirements?
Robbing bastards.
I rang the Daytona insurer (MCE) to advise them of the change of address.
They entered my new details in to their system, and said there would be no change in the premium.
And then they charged me £17 administration fee.
Well, that’s an improvement, but still wow.
So far today I have been charged £47 for complying with the law.
Something, here, is very clearly wrong.
I rang the VFR insurer (Bennetts) to advise them of the change of address.
They entered my new details in to their system, and said their underwriter would not insure me at my new address.
What?
Bennetts were adamant; their insurer would not cover me at my new address, even though my new address has a lovely, secure, dry garage where my bikes will live.
The girl at Bennetts did a search for a new policy, using my updated details, and came back with a quote of £283.
Whaaaaaaaat?
The old premium for the VFR (via Bennetts) was less than half that price.
I told her, as politely as I could, to forget it.
I hopped over to a price comparison website where I was quoted £115.
That’s a massive difference than the rip-off price of £283 that Bennetts were trying to get me to swallow.
Ironically, the £115 quote came in from the Daytona insurer (MCE).
So well done to MCE for saving me from being ripped off from Bennetts.
But as for the insurance industry charging people for complying with the law?
That is just like being mugged.
It’s an “admin fee”, Bren. They have charged you because they had to do some admin: someone had to bring up your details on the screen and type in a new address. Exhausting work that is easily worth thirty of your English pounds.
Following our brief exchange a few weeks back, I ended up switching to Carole Nash. And I’ll do it again next year if it means saving 40 quid.
I still don’t know why Bennetts hiked my premium up so much.
Your premium should reduce if the vehicle is garaged. It’s certainly a question asked by every vehicle insurer I’ve ever dealt with in NZ.