They make it up as they go along...

[didds]

House & contents insurance policy expires end of April .

I have a renewal quote form my current insurers, Company A, for £515.
I jump o0n a couple of comparison sites for quotes.

Best quote is for £495. TBH for the sake of £20 Im happy to take the renewal from A.

I check the renewal quote details. Based on £390K rebuild and 4 adults (family) in house. I note the comparison site rebuild guesstimate is showing 500K, and we now only have 3 adults in the house.

So I get onto online chat with company A.

The conversation goes something like this (this is VERY abbreviated).

Me: can i have a quote please for 500K rebuild and 3 adults
Much flapping with irrelevant questions and configmations of what I want versus what I have already been quoted.
A: That will be £515
Me: same as for 4 adults at 390K rebuild then.
much misunderstanding from A over my query. Eventually
A: yes.
Me: OK. There is a possibility that one of my children may be moving back home in the enxt year. What happens then?
A: you can call and update the policy. For £24 admin charge.
Me: OK. what is the quote for 4 adults, 500K rebuild

MUCH confusion by A over what i am requesting, and an attempt to change the xsiting policy 9with 3 weeks left oin it) for a £25 charge, which I nip in the bud.

Eventually...

Me: Just a quote for 500K rebuild and 4 adults 9family)
A: £4433.
Me: WHAT? 3 adults is £515 and 4 is £4433 ? EIGHT fold increase ?
A: Yes
Me: That cannot be right. Please check
A then rambles on about fluctuating markets, many fold reasons for premium changes etc
Me tries to interrupt the blather to just ask for a review of the 4K quote. A continues to ignore my please

Me: Look - I have an online quote from the comparison site for company A for 500K rebuild and 4 adults here for just shy of £600. How can you be quoiting me 3$K ?
A: starts to blather again.
Me: How can 3 adults be £515, and 4 adults be over four thousand pounds

sounds of penny dropping

A: that was a typing eror. It is £438.21.

Me: So you are now telling me 4 adults is £77 cheaper than 3 adults, same rebuild value and everything else
A: yes.

So our renewal at the end of the month will be an increased building cost and same adults - and almost £80 cheaper than their original quote.

They make it up as they go along.

That all took an hour. At leats in effect I earned £77/hour for it!

[monabri]

I bet you're filled with confidence about your insurance company! I'd gave gone with someone else based on their general lack of competence.

[didds]

I bet you're filled with confidence about your insurance company! I'd gave gone with someone else based on their general lack of competence.

I do follow that... but I dont trust any other insurance company any better. And ultimately of course its not actually company A, but the sub-continent based call centre that company A have contracted to do their triaging.

[stevensfo]

I bet you're filled with confidence about your insurance company! I'd gave gone with someone else based on their general lack of competence.

I do follow that... but I dont trust any other insurance company any better. And ultimately of course its not actually company A, but the sub-continent based call centre that company A have contracted to do their triaging.

This is the first time that I have heard them ask about how many adults live in the house!

Surely, the more adults in the house, the less chance that you'll be burgled?

What about a dog? Do have to specify which breed?



Steve

[DrFfybes]

What about a dog? Do have to specify which breed?

Steve

Not specifically as long as it isn't on the Dangerous Dogs list.

However some companies did want to know the age and weight!

[Bminusrob]

Don't get me started on buildings and contents insurance. I have just renewed mine, but the prices have got silly.

Last year, I paid £278 for buildings and contents (rebuild cost £500k, contents £75k, £250 excess on both). This year, about a month before renewal date, I start getting the usual emails from various thieves - confused.com, meercat.com, Saga and a couple of others. I also got a renewal email from the company I was with for £378, so an increase of £100 or over 35%. So, I tried the comparison sites, and their prices are even sillier, so I try Saga. They have a wonderful scam, where they will guarantee to keep your price the same for three years. Saga's three year price was £872. Yes, £872. Now some of the comparison sites were even sillier, but most weren't. I tried the Saga one year price, and that came out at £595, so well over double what I paid this year.

Finally, I tried one more comparison site. Exactly the same details as all the other quotes - and most of the prices were silly - £500 or more, except one - Saga, with a price of £355. I checked the details - no errors, so what is going on? I had already decided never to use Saga again after a previous bad experience. Clealy, this bad experience was not a one-off.

Eventually, I called the company I was already with, and with a bit of jiggery-pokery, got the price down to £354.

The world is mad.

[Gerry557]

What about a dog? Do have to specify which breed?

Steve

Not specifically as long as it isn't on the Dangerous Dogs list.

However some companies did want to know the age and weight!

I hope that was for the dog and not the wife
Otherwise none of us will have insurance