Haggling with QuoteMeHappy?

[TomsFocus]

Has anyone managed to haggle the renewal with QMH?  I've seen this page on their website which suggests it's a futile exercise?  Quotemehappy.com

I'm perfectly content with the service so far.  The accessibility of online & mobile app policy management is ideal as I can't use phones.  Plus they don't charge any admin fees for making changes during the policy.

However their renewal comes out around £40 more expensive than Tesco Bank.  Tesco Bank also charge £10 less than QMH for cancellation, but I would have to write to them to do that, whereas QMH can be cancelled online easily.  Tesco Bank quote is roughly the same through various comparison sites so I could also benefit from a £20 Halfords voucher from Confused.com or up to £150 in 'garage vouchers' from MoneySupermarket.  (Not looked into full T&Cs of that yet.) 

This is for the Mk4 Focus so I do expect to either change car & change address at least once this year, OR cancel the policy altogether.  Which makes the decision a bit more difficult.

Ideally, I was hoping to sell the car before this years insurance expires, but that's looking unrealistic now.

[TomsFocus]

Quick update...turns out QMH do now charge admin fees for policy changes, despite being online only and the customer making the changes, £12 plus insurance tax.  That's a bit disappointing as it used to be free and one of the benefits of this particular company.  Having said that, they're still much cheaper than their parent company, Aviva, for me!

I'm still trying to plan with too many unknowns, so have decided to stick with them.  But a new quote comes out nearly £40 cheaper, so I'll let it lapse* and then start that.  Details are slightly different so I may see if I can edit the renewal down to that price first.  Either way, will be leaving it until the last minute in the hope of the Mk4 getting sold before then!

*The other major benefit of QMH that I'd forgotten about is the ability to choose whether you want auto-renewal or not, with an easily accessible online/app tick box.

[TomsFocus]

Update - I did stick with QMH, but couldn't get the renewal price anywhere near the 'new' quote with them.  Not entirely how that works out legally, but it is what it is. 

So I let it lapse and then started the new quote for £40 less than the renewal price, and also with a much lower excess too.  I couldn't find cheaper anywhere else and do like the low hassle accessibility with QMH.  

Cost me £265 fully comp with 1 years NCB on the Mk4 Focus Active Vignale.

[StephenFord]

Just wanted to say, 'well done', and didn't want to have a whole thread with just you posting LOL

[Wino]

Just to follow on from @StephenFord a job well done @TomsFocus might have a look at QMH as our Focus has been insured with Aviva for the last 2yrs.

No luck here. £24 dearer for the year.

Edited May 2 by Wino
Additional information.

[isetta]

I’m with direct line. They are not on comparison sites which makes it more work to compare. They were cheaper when I changed to them but not checked for a couple of years now.  But I don’t think they charge admin fees for changes even if done by phone. Unless they have sneaked that in recently.  The other thing I like-  you know the third party driving other cars.  These days many insurers have changed the wording so that it only operates if there is a policy in force on that car elsewhere (eg the owner has it insured for him only driving) .  But direct line have not restricted like that.  Why does this matter?   You drive your mate’s car for some reason , police stop you , but it turns out your mate’s policy was cancelled due to a bounced direct debit.  Hence your third party driving other cars does not cover you.  So you have committed an offence - driving without insurance. It seems to be a subtle change that some insurers sneaked in under the radar.      And on that subject, when I started driving in the 80s , the norm on car policies was to get third party driving other cars And Motorbikes (if you had appropriate licence) .  The motorbike bit seems to have disappeared. I didn’t notice when . 

[StephenFord]

9 hours ago, isetta said:

The other thing I like-  you know the third party driving other cars.  These days many insurers have changed the wording .... 

Another thing that many won't realise is that my insurance use to give me 3rd party cover for another car. I used it maybe 1 or 2 times/year when my car was in for service, and I would use my mums old Toyota Yaris for a day or so.

Then I found out when I lost my job, I also lost that cover. If you are unemployed, insurers retract 3rd party cover for another car because obviously you are a much higher risk?? - disgusting, but I'd expect nothing less from insurance companies...  (It was with 'elephant', but I subsequently found out that all companies do the same)

[TomsFocus]

16 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Another thing that many won't realise is that my insurance use to give me 3rd party cover for another car. I used it maybe 1 or 2 times/year when my car was in for service, and I would use my mums old Toyota Yaris for a day or so.

Then I found out when I lost my job, I also lost that cover. If you are unemployed, insurers retract 3rd party cover for another car because obviously you are a much higher risk?? - disgusting, but I'd expect nothing less from insurance companies...  (It was with 'elephant', but I subsequently found out that all companies do the same)

Are you sure it's all companies?  Or just all Admiral group?  (That includes Admiral, Elephant, Bell, Diamond, Ford Insure, etc!)

Most places that offer DOC's, only do so above 25, but I've never heard of it being restricted to employed people only.  

[StephenFord]

8 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Are you sure it's all companies?  Or just all Admiral group?  (That includes Admiral, Elephant, Bell, Diamond, Ford Insure, etc!)

 

Fair point, It was a few years ago now, but I remember getting quotes form about 4 or 5 companies and they all said the same. Ended up adding myself to my mums policy as a 2nd fully comp. driver for about £20!

[TomsFocus]

14 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Fair point, It was a few years ago now, but I remember getting quotes form about 4 or 5 companies and they all said the same. Ended up adding myself to my mums policy as a 2nd fully comp. driver for about £20!

I'll have to check my policy docs later.  Although I've never used it so far, I think I am covered to drive other cars despite my circumstances!  I know it only applies to cars that are already insured by the owner though, as Isetta said.

[unofix]

4 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

I know it only applies to cars that are already insured by the owner though, as Isetta said.

It has always been my understanding that to use any motor vehicle on a public road that the vehicle must be insured, not the driver !! Of course the driver must also be insured to drive the vehicle which is a separate issue, and may or may not be on the same policy. As is quite often the case your own insurance policy will in most cases allow you to drive another vehicle but with only third party cover, and always provided that the vehicle is insured.

If it was ever legal to drive an uninsured vehicle on a public road, relying purely on the fact that the driver was covered by their own third party insurance I very much doubt. What would be the legal position regarding the insurance if someone driving an uninsured vehicle on their third party cover was to stop on a public road, and get out and go in to a shop. Mean while the car rolls down a hill, knocks over and kills a pedestrian ?

I suspect that all that has happened is that the wording of insurance policies has been changed not to alter the cover but to make it clearer to all, that a vehicle must be insured in it's own right if it is to be used on a public road. Also as we mostly all know now, a vehicle must be road taxed at all times or declared SORN, and to be able to tax a vehicle it (not the driver) must have insurance.

 

[TomsFocus]

Must admit, I'd never really considered a difference between a car being insured and a person being insured.

Where I used to live, I often had 2 or 3 cars at a time, all parked on private ground, but on a hill towards the pavement & road and no fence or barrier of any sort.  They were generally taxed (remember tax was transferable back then!) but I rarely insured more than one at a time.  Wasn't bothered by them getting damaged/stolen...but I never considered what would happen if one rolled into the road or pavement like that.