Hi everyone, I haven't been around this neck of the woods for a long time, but I need the help of the wonderful community I miss.
I have bought a 2006 Vauxhall Signum 1.9 CDTI, which has the same engine as the one in many of the fiats (its a fiat engine at the end of the day!). Using comparison websites, and being at truthful as I can, im getting quotes between 800 and 1200. Similar quotes for the same companies across the different sites.
If you keep searching for new quotes, you will literally keep getting different prices every single time. There is no science to it, no logic to it, just purely random numbers thrown at you. Definition of scamming.
Anyway, I don't want to really rant. I chose the cheapest quote which was with Octagon, went through with everything, put in my financial details, then.......... got a message that they could not process my payment till I called them. So I did, and then they started asking for a whole bunch of documents which I do not have, so I though ****** that, I'll go with the next quote, which was over 100 dearer at 910.
Company called Right Choice, and again went through everything, put in my financial details, and this time all was well. Even the money was taken from my account. I got an email confirming, and stating that a member of staff will contact me shortly to confirm.
Fair enough I thought, so indeed, shortly after I did get a call and the bloke started going through every single question again which I thought was rather odd, then at the end he said that the system is now giving him a screen price so he will have to confirm with the underwriters (what a pointless job that is!). All this seemed rather strange as I thought I was given a quote online which I accepted and paid for?
4 hours later I get a call saying that the guy has been busy calling all the underwriters and unfortunately none of them are giving prices lower than 1200, with most coming in at 1800.
Now here is the issue that is getting them all worked up. In 2006 I bought a 1.9 JTD Fiat stilo, with the same 120 8v engine as the Vauxhalls have. I was a student at the time and got it insured with Ensleigh for 1 year at 900 then with Chris Knotts then next with modifications at 750 odd. So thats 2 years NCD there. Then, mid 2008 I left the UK and went and worked for the British Embassy in Cairo Egypt. Since over 2 years have passed till now, I lost my NCD. Fair enough I though and was happy to pay quotes around 800 - 900 despite them being dearer than when I was a student with a modified car.
I am 27 and have had my license for 9 years. I have been driving for all of them. Yes I left the country for a bit, but that doesn't make me any worse a driver nor does it mean I'm a significantly higher risk.
What the guy said to me when he called me again was that all underwrites were expecting that if I did not have insurance since 2008 in my name, then I was a named driver on another policy and they would want to see proof of that to give me the quotes, and that would still be dearer at 1200. If I haven't been a named driver for that period then they dont want to touch me for less than 2000.
All of this proves that insurance is nothing more than a legalised scam and companies can do whatever the hell they like to rid you of your money.
I am very depressed and dont know what to do. If this will be the situation then I would not be able to afford insurance ever and will have to sell the signum and go car-less till someone decides that the insurance industry needs to be reformed.
Any advice?
I have bought a 2006 Vauxhall Signum 1.9 CDTI, which has the same engine as the one in many of the fiats (its a fiat engine at the end of the day!). Using comparison websites, and being at truthful as I can, im getting quotes between 800 and 1200. Similar quotes for the same companies across the different sites.
If you keep searching for new quotes, you will literally keep getting different prices every single time. There is no science to it, no logic to it, just purely random numbers thrown at you. Definition of scamming.
Anyway, I don't want to really rant. I chose the cheapest quote which was with Octagon, went through with everything, put in my financial details, then.......... got a message that they could not process my payment till I called them. So I did, and then they started asking for a whole bunch of documents which I do not have, so I though ****** that, I'll go with the next quote, which was over 100 dearer at 910.
Company called Right Choice, and again went through everything, put in my financial details, and this time all was well. Even the money was taken from my account. I got an email confirming, and stating that a member of staff will contact me shortly to confirm.
Fair enough I thought, so indeed, shortly after I did get a call and the bloke started going through every single question again which I thought was rather odd, then at the end he said that the system is now giving him a screen price so he will have to confirm with the underwriters (what a pointless job that is!). All this seemed rather strange as I thought I was given a quote online which I accepted and paid for?
4 hours later I get a call saying that the guy has been busy calling all the underwriters and unfortunately none of them are giving prices lower than 1200, with most coming in at 1800.
Now here is the issue that is getting them all worked up. In 2006 I bought a 1.9 JTD Fiat stilo, with the same 120 8v engine as the Vauxhalls have. I was a student at the time and got it insured with Ensleigh for 1 year at 900 then with Chris Knotts then next with modifications at 750 odd. So thats 2 years NCD there. Then, mid 2008 I left the UK and went and worked for the British Embassy in Cairo Egypt. Since over 2 years have passed till now, I lost my NCD. Fair enough I though and was happy to pay quotes around 800 - 900 despite them being dearer than when I was a student with a modified car.
I am 27 and have had my license for 9 years. I have been driving for all of them. Yes I left the country for a bit, but that doesn't make me any worse a driver nor does it mean I'm a significantly higher risk.
What the guy said to me when he called me again was that all underwrites were expecting that if I did not have insurance since 2008 in my name, then I was a named driver on another policy and they would want to see proof of that to give me the quotes, and that would still be dearer at 1200. If I haven't been a named driver for that period then they dont want to touch me for less than 2000.
All of this proves that insurance is nothing more than a legalised scam and companies can do whatever the hell they like to rid you of your money.
I am very depressed and dont know what to do. If this will be the situation then I would not be able to afford insurance ever and will have to sell the signum and go car-less till someone decides that the insurance industry needs to be reformed.
Any advice?
