Insurance co's are illogical

[Messie]

I know we've all heard stories about how insurance companies seem to follow their own alien logic, but this one has been flabbergasted (great word, don't get to use it often!)

Insurance for the R6 needs renewing so got a quote from Motorcycle Direct- didn't like it
Then I went to Bennets and saw they do multi bike policies. Ah ha I thought, the SV is insured through them, I'll add the R6 on. Rang them up and went through all the details and the computer said "No". Why ? because the R6 wouldn't be garaged. Which is a plausible reason except that they don't expect the SV to be garaged. So on a multi-bike policy they want one bike garaged and one not!. If I'd had a garage to put the R6 in (and keep the SV out) it would have cost me ?46 to add it on.

Several stoopid online quotes later (?1500+ for a multi-bike policy from Carole Nash!!!) I go back to Motorcycle Direct. They now halve the quote for the R6 offer very reasonable breakdown cover and have a very helpful chap on the end of the line

So new policy for the R6 is now only ?167!

I'm happy but confused. Just thought I'd share

Insurance co's are illogical

Very

They make it up as they go along.

They sure are, I was renewing mine through Express Insurance on Saturday morning - I'd had my renewal offer through, didn't like it so rang up to see what they could bring it down to. The guy asked me how much I wanted to pay. I said '£50', he said 'No'. Eventually we bartered to a figure, which was £200 less than the original renewal quote so the actual quote the computer came up with was seemingly completely irrelevant.

Having never worked in insurance I can't say for sure but I imagine the computer gives a quote at say, £300. Chap on phone tells you it say's £500. You barter £150 off and think you're winning but they're still winning. Just my speculation!

Cheers,
Matt

I always find talking to people reduces the prices and the computer is for people who can't be bothered to haggle (if they wanted to talk to a person they would have rung and not used a pc) so they make the computer prices higher.

Plus the face that you can always haggle money off the renewal price ****es me off. if they could od it for that price then they should do it without your wasting your time ringing them up!

I tried to add a bike onto my policy but was refused because of my age. They flat out refused to insure me on it until I was 21. the thing is, the bike currently on there now is in the same insurance group as the one I was trying to add on.

Its all too much hassle for me now, so i just run without insurance.















(jk)

Originally Posted by Davido

Its all too much hassle for me now, so i just run without insurance.

Don't, the "oooh your naughty" brigade may come along soon

My insurance renewal for my ZX9R came in at £275 through the post. That includes my old man as a named rider. Not too bad considering the insurance co. sees them as evil fast old school sports bikes.

My dad's '05 SV1000S has been lying in the garage for ages uninsured and with a puncture. (He's been enjoying his new boat too much).

At renewal time I ask CIA for a quote person to person quote, not letter price. It comes down to £255. Then I ask for the SV1000 to be added on as a second bike on the policy. How much more - £25 !!! The only catch is I can't now have my dad on the policy as a named rider because they're concerned that the 2 bikes may go out on the road at the same time!!!!!

So I go ahead with the two bike deal for £280. Then I ask again. They'll put my dad on the policy in case of emergency for an extra £5.....

So the deal goes ahead now for £285. Two bikes on two separate policies with 2 riders (according to the newly posted paperwork the suzuki is on a new 0yrs NCD policy, whilst the Kawasaki ZX9R aquires 7yrs NCD).


Insurance companies really make you wonder how they operate.

[appollo1]

It is definately to your advantage to phone and speak to a person rather than let a computer work out a price for you. Not only with insurance but with AA/RAC breakdown cover as well. saved myself 65 quid with AA when I renewed it.

Originally Posted by plowsie

Very

They make it up as they go along.

My quote here in OZ with eBike got cheaper the fewer years no claims I had - with 0 NCB being the cheapest! I have 3 years no claims, but it worked out better to be a new rider! Nice one ebike!

Originally Posted by Davido

I always find talking to people reduces the prices and the computer is for people who can't be bothered to haggle (if they wanted to talk to a person they would have rung and not used a pc) so they make the computer prices higher.

Not always. I was looking for car insurance a year ago. Got my renewal and wasn't happy so I phoned around and got some cheapr quotes. Rang the original company back, asked if they'd match it and they said no.

So, went onto confused.com and got a quote £50 cheaper than any of the places I'd just phoned. The company offering this quote was....



...the original company who'd refused to budge on price!

What I think's happening isn't that insurance companies are illogical, it's just that their call centre staff are simple drones who do what the computer tells them. And as we all know, computers have minds of their own.

[G]

I think they sometimes pluck the firgures out of a hat.

I rang my insurance company 1 month ago to swap the bike on my policy and they wanted ?525 EXTRA on top of the ?325 I had already paid, the sale fell through and it never went ahead.

I rang again last week to change the bike on my policy again for another sale and for the same insurance group bike, which is just a nippy and the same value.....?185 extra on top of the ?325 I have already paid.

So had I of done it 1 month ago the years insurance would have cost me ?850, where as now its only costing me ?510 for the year.....fully comp at 24 with 1 years NCD