Brokers always add a 'premium' onto their prices.
For the cheapest insuance, go to the insurance companies that actually underwrite the whole thing.
Recently, whilst being quoted by 2 insurance companies for difficult cover (needed whole of Europe including former Yugoslavia !), they both told me at the end of the whole conversation that there cover was underwritten by AXA - I rang up AXA Direct, and got the same cover for 25% less !!
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Sometimes brokers can be cheaper - for instance when a broker's client base suits an insurer, the premiums will be lower than for any random direct caller. In my case, AXA direct wanted £1500 whereas the RAC through AXA wanted only £750 - got cover cheaper than that but the principle sill stands. It just depends on who you are really...
With Elephant, be careful that the quote they give you isn't only for 10 months, not 12, and with a very high excess. It's still the best deal but £700 for ten months is more like £980 for the year. Depending where you are, you may also find that Admiral's other arm (they also own Elephant), Bell Direct, may come out very cheap for you.
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The quote I was given was for the 10 month bonus accelerator. This works out as around 850 for the whole year. The 12 month figure I was quoted was for about 790.
My excess is 400, 250 of which is voluntary.
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Don't forget that you may have to stay with Elephant to get the full benefit of the 'accelerated bonus'!
It's similar to those adverts that give you your first year's premium back after 5 claim-free years - what they don't make so obvious is that you have to stay with the same insurer for 5 years and take their premium whether it is good or bad.
The only way to get the 'best' deal (not nececcarily cheapest) is to phone around and do as many quotes that you have time to.
My renewal was 20% more than last year's premium (and that was the best I could find then) so I started ringing around again, I found an insurer that offered a lower excess, more days European cover, breakdown cover and had reduced my premium by 50% - and that's with a £3000 fault claim.
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"I then tried www.elephant.co.uk and for a quote for.....£711.9 Comp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
It would be cheaper just to use your computer to make your own insurance certificate! Elephant are terrible, I was with them last year, and have a folder of letters to and from them. The experience is akin to having bought your insurance from a bloke in a pub.
Their admin is useless, changes to the policy such as car changes are not made on their system. and if you need to make a claim, even if its a third party at fault, you may as well pee up a rope.
I took legal action and after a year got £900 compensation.
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I found a brilliant site the other day:
www.insuresupermarket.com/
here you only enter your details once, and the site goes away to all the big name cpmpanies like AXA, churchill,
AA etc. Saved over £100 on my Polo's cover!! (This was 25% cheaper!)
Warning: because the site goes away to all the other websites, it does take a while to come back with all the quotes. Well worth it for my saving anyway!
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Thanks Epic, your info was invaluable.
I used your link and my insurance went down from £302 to £173 with directline with my 4 years no claim protected (Norwich Union had no protection!) Which is about 1/2 what the cars worth...honestly I resent paying the same premium as the value of my car when full of petrol!
Elephant by the way wanted the same as my renewal with Norwich Union. Also best I could get on www.confused.com was £270.
Cheers
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