Insurance

eSure just informed my son that the discount for having house insurance was only for the first year. Can't remember them saying that when signing up. Checked around and they are still just about the cheapest. Rover 820 auto, fully comp-£280. DaveK.

One problem in comparing insurance quotes is that there are always hidden costs that are not immediately obvious. I've been with AXA direct now for three years. I always phone (and internet!) around for other quotes at renewal. This year I found a quote that was £45 cheaper and was about to sign up when, on a hunch, I asked them about their policies on 'Courtesy Car' insurance. Axa will provide cover for courtesy cars free of charge for up to four days. The cheaper company (Hastings) did not volunteer the information but when I asked stated that they charge £25 per time for covering a courtesy car. My car had a recurring fault this past year and I required a courtesy car on four occasions when the car went in for attention. This cost me nothing with Axa but would have cost me £100 with Hastings. You've got to look deep!

Kev

Cheers,Hadn't thought of that,too late now as I'm signed up.Had to make a two day decision so I went for it with the 70 quid saving.I don't do too many miles a year so maybe it will work out.Regards

Kwik Fit Insurance has over 800 employees and is part of the Ford Motor Company one of the largest motoring companies in the world.

Kwik Fit Insurance have negotiated a fantastic policy at very competitive prices.

All policyholders receive an auto save card, providing discounts at all their service centre's.

They offer unlimited cover for manufacturer's standard fit stereos and for your vehicle's windows, windscreen and sunroof.

Their cover pays £2500 if you suffer from a serious or fatal injury in a car accident and they cover personal possessions up to the value of £150, if stolen or damaged.

If your vehicle is stolen they will give you a courtesy car for up to 2 weeks and up to 90 days European cover is available for an additional charge.

Replacement locks cover is available if your keys are lost or stolen as well as guaranteed courtesy car provided by their approved repairers for the duration of repairs with easy to read policy documentation.

Benefits are dependant on the type of cover selected, and are subject to terms & conditions as shown in policy document.

Policies taken out entitle you to free membership of their Auto Save Club with 10% off everything you buy for the insured car from any of their service centre's in the UK, Holland or Belgium.

I just got a quote from Kwik Fit Ins and they offerred me three quotes ,Churchills,and two others .Not sure about Churchills but the others are deffo dearer than my present one Axa. Stuart

" YESTERDAY is history

TOMORROW is a mystery

TODAY is a gift

That is why it is called the present "

Hello,

Every time people phone they seem to get different quotes from insurers. I got a quote on the phone then told them it was £20 less on the internet and had to finally give the quote reference. My car was £950 3rd party fire&theft with Kwik Fit, no points in the last 15 years but 4 years NCB. One court case after a taxi driver lied and got his friends to say they were in his taxi AND on the pavement at the same time so they could all put false claims in. The solicitor actually advertises no win no fee stuff on taxis! He had only done it three times before with other people and the insurers database to prevent fraud does NOT work. Direct Line wanted £375 fully comprehensive. Guess which one I went with!

No wonder the insurance costs are higher, a lot of fraudulent claims just get put through and nothing is done. CIS told me that there was not enough evidence of fraud. Two of the taxi driver's friends, one now in prison for robbery and the other claiming disability benefits (poor thing - nothing wrong with him) completed a handwritten statement saying they were injured when I apparently hopped over some parked cars sideways and hit the car they were in. They could give tiny details but didn't know the make or colour of my car. The Judge in court was laughing and took 15 minutes to decide to stop the hearing as it was clear who had lied. They went to doctors and lied too. They were followed by private investigators! The same people then completed more handwritten statements showing where they were standing at the time of the accident on a pavement. The longer it went on, the more they had to lie. The only problem was that it took 2 1/2years to get sorted out due to continual delays and the insurance company wanting maximum costs when it went to court, they knew the other side wouldn't win. Think of the bill for all those letters and phone calls that were not required.

It seems a blind eye was turned by CIS as the people concerned said they simply "completed the wrong forms" sent in error by the solicitor. They were just forms asking YES/NO questions. But they give two different stories which proves they lied anyway - they just forgot that my insurance company would end up with all the statements and photographs of them. They claimed not to know each other but were always at each others houses. That's how I got the pictures of the taxis parked up together.

As far as I know they're still at it, making claims through a bent solicitor in Birkenhead. The favourite place is a car park in Wirral. Two friends stand at the end of a row and signal when a car is going down the main road. The taxi pulls out and the other car hits the front so the taxi can say the other driver should have seen him and stopped. With me they got the timing wrong and as the taxi pulled out I was already past halfway so he hit the back wheel at 90degrees. The two friends then claim to be injured passengers, but in my case it went wrong so to get the taxi driver out of trouble they also said they were independant witnesses.

Fascinating when you know what some people get up to. Like the drivers who put cars into reverse and ram the car behind them! The only way to go is an in-car camera system similar to the ones the police use. That would stop fraudulent claims.