HFM???

I had an experience with a windscreen company which for various reasons started with a quote for doing it without involving the insurance company.

From our own pockets, the cost for a windscreen for an N reg Corsa Merit was about £120 (after a little negotiation). Once the insurance company got involved, we paid the excess and the insurance company were invoiced for something well over £300 IIRC.

I remember thinking at the time that I wished I had thought of that.

Yup, ripping off insurance companies is de rigeur. They're ultimately ripping everyone on the roads off because our premiums are inflated to cover the inflated costs the insurers bear.

They get a block discount.

Hmm??? Block discount involves them being charged more? It's the same with things like recovery, I know a bloke who had an old camper van that he wanted to restore transported from Devon to Derby for £100 on the back of a small car transporter where as the micra that the insurance were paying for to be moved was at something like £3.80 +vat a mile (plus the same for the "empty" return trip). It's no wonder insurance premiums are so high when everyone rips off the insurance when they get the chance because they in turn feel they are being ripped off paying there insurance premiums.

It's because they spend so much of their resources competing for customers and not enough on getting the best deal for their customers on things like this.

Well, that and the fact that so much of their costs are made up of legal fees...

That's a bit pikey. Mine are over £800 :-)