Why is insurance such a joke

[skygod]

I just put my details into an online quote thingy, I'm going to be 19 soon (few weeks, so put a DOB of a few weeks ago to simulate being 19). I searched for a crap group 1 insurance car (fiat panda) with a 999cc engine to put in, worth 150 quid or so, third party fire and theft, kept garaged in a nice location, not inner city, nice suburb, the online quote was 1200 quid. How much of a joke is that really. Also I think that putting 10000 miles was cheaper than 3000 miles... how does that work? I know you'd knock it down somewhat by ringing round etc, Does anyone know how to get it to an affordable level? its not like I searched for a 1.8 litre escort. God imagine the kind of quotes you'd get on that!

[clancyblob]

My sons both had this problem, but got reasonable deals with Tesco (on Turbo car), and with Elephant (online) for a small Panda. Sadly you are paying for the statistics that show male drivers under 25 are 7 times more likely to have an accident than any other road users. It's all that fresh testosterone, but it's a price worth paying!! You are doing the right thing going for something cheap and cheerful with a smaller engine. Take heart, as each accident free(!) year passes the premium will drop significantly! Your job status can affect premiums too. When a music student Son Number 1 was cheap to ensure, but now he's a musician he's in the expensive bracket! College weren't teachimg him to be a worse driver! But entertainers, musicians, and some other classes are regarded as high risk. I suppose it's roaring home at 4am from a late gig driven by a roadie high on coke and adrenalin what counts!

[bluejonjo]

Milage adjustment only really changes if you go 12k and ABOVE. They assume a minium risk for anything below, unless its a classic. Which is a good place to start if you want cheap insurance...MGB, Old Mini etc, but your along the right lines for cheap insurance. Try and find something which is cheap to repair, look at nominating a higher excess, and bump up the security (Think Thatcham approved)

Try an independant broker, do the pass plus or IAM, and try and keep you head down for a year! Its just one of those things mate! Mine was 1600 for the first year on a diesel fiesta!

Insurance is a bit of lottery at the best of times. Brokers who are underwritten by say Norwich Union will sometimes quote cheaper than if you went direct cos they buy insurance in bulk.

After all that If you get it under a grand for anything in your first year your doing well. Lifes s a bitch.

[Toureman]

Try

http://www.confused.com/pages/index.jsp?MediaCode=100

Your classed as one of the drivers most likely to have an accident, no way to get around it!

[QueenOfSheba]

I paid nigh on a grand (�996) for Third Party Only insurance when I was 18, about 9 years ago, on an Automatic 1.3 Popular Mk 2 Escort...! Don't think it matters what sex you are, they just hammer you if you're under 25 - Though having said that, I had tried 3 different driving jobs up until the age of 19. Just got to put up with it - My insurance has reduced over the years ,finally!

[saxo_boi]

no way im 19 and paying 1000 for a 1.8 astra. try barclays i found their online quotes good

[Loosehead]

Trouble is mate, you are in the group that causes most expense to the insurers, you may personally be a sensible driver but I'm afraid until you start building up a NCB and get a bit older you're tarred with the same brush.

[morg_monster]

most of the premium goes towards third party claims. If you have an accident, unless you have a seriously flash car, fixing your car up is a minor cost compared to the amount your insurance could have to pay out to the person in the other car who got whiplash or whatever, when they go for compensation. Unfortunately the only thing you can do to get this aspect down is just build up a no-claims-discount and in a few years you will see the effect. I would be surprised if you manage to get the price much below �1000 at the moment.

One tip would give which genuinely does work is to put your mum and / or dad as a named driver on the insurance, or anyone who has had a licence for 5+ years with no points or insurance claims in the last few years. My mum drives my car occasionally and brings down my insurance by �100.

Alternatively, have a sex change...

[gouldc]

In reply to morg monster, putting a second driver on your insurance does normally bring your premium down a lot (especially if it's your mum or dad). However, DO NOT get someone else to insure the car and put yourself on the poliocy - this is fronting, and is fraud - I catch people on a daily basis and take ghreat pleasure cancelling policies and refusing t opay out for claims becuase some scumbag refuses to pay the full price for insurance

[Gef]

gouldc I can't see the logic in your answer. If I insure a car and name my son as a named driver then I don't see why it makes any difference who is driving it.

[clancyblob]

I think gouldc is referring to either someone pretending to be someone else, or dad claiming the Punto GT Turbo or whatever is his, and adding 17 year old son as an "extra" named driver, where in fact the Punto is really son's car and he will drive it nearly all of the time, probably won't let dad near it in fact!

The prime user will then be the high-risk 17-year-old, not the low risk 50-year-old with 30 years NCD as claimed on the Policy. I'm not a great fan of insurance companies but I'm with them on this point. The main driver is the risk that needs to be insured, with proportionate additional premium for any additional part-time risks.

We found that adding my 17-year-old to his mum's policy on a Renault 5 Auto old-dear's car cost us nearly �200 notes for the first year (Third party Fire and Theft). Adding the next son on cost only a fiver admin fee.

[QueenOfSheba]

Just had a thought after reading through thread again- Some cars are high groups even though they may be old cars in the insurers eyes.

My MK2 Escort was a high group despite being as old as me, as it had always been in a high group for years and the system didn't seem to have EVER been revised.

Also, not worth having anything but Third Party only, or sometimes TPF&T if its not much more, with older cars, cus if someone bumps you (not your fault) the insurers won't find it worth their while to repair and so will write it off on you and offer you a paltry sum according to their book price on the model, not what it may be worth to you or reflect what you may have paid for it and any mods etc.

This happened to my Hubby when a bus 1,000,000% at fault pulled right across a dual carriageway from a bus stop, straight into him and despite apologising profusely (therefore accepting blame), the bus company put up a fight, though I've heard they have something like �250,000 liability on their insurance... That's why I hate buses with a passion!

Very sorry for the rant, hope you've found a good quote - Have you tried www.confused.com? Quite a handy site!