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Insurance policy 'additional costs' bit of a rant...
r1_pete - 22/9/10 at 03:07 PM

Just got the insurance renewal for the Jaguar, the policy is £88.29, but the total is £137.79, so I ask where the other £49.50 goes.

Here's the answer cut from their email

With regards to your motor insurance we would be obliged if you would note our comments below. We acknowledge receipt of your recent correspondence with thanks. We can confirm that the total payable for your policy was £137.79. This included a £30.00 policy issue fee, and £88.29 payable to the insurer. As per our terms of business, policies with Trinity Lane also have a percentage fee based on the insurer premium that is applied to your policy. This works out to be £19.50. We trust the above is clear to yourself, should you have any further queries then please do not hesitate to contact us.

So the insurer gets £88.29 and the broker £49.50 for shuffling a few bits of paper, pressing a few keys and sending 3 emails........


flak monkey - 22/9/10 at 03:21 PM

Yep, thats how brokers make their money - they wouldnt do it if there was no money in it.

But you also probably got cheaper insurance going through a broker as a lot of the companies (like Highway, Equity Red Star and Trinity Lane) wont give such good deals direct, or even quote at all on specialised/modified vehicles.


loggyboy - 22/9/10 at 03:30 PM

Just count yourself lucky the premium is that low. For most that £50 extra is going to be less than 10% of the premium.


Hellfire - 22/9/10 at 06:17 PM

If you're not happy with it, have a ring round some of the other insurance companies........

Phil


norfolkluego - 22/9/10 at 06:27 PM

Frankly for motor insurance I think brokers have had their day. The comparison websites do exactly the same job as they do for free basically. For commercial insurance where specialist knowledge is needed, brokers still have a role to play, but for home and motorinsurance why pay someone to do what takes 30 seconds on your own sofa.


GeorgeM - 22/9/10 at 07:57 PM

quote:
Originally posted by norfolkluego
Frankly for motor insurance I think brokers have had their day. The comparison websites do exactly the same job as they do for free basically. For commercial insurance where specialist knowledge is needed, brokers still have a role to play, but for home and motorinsurance why pay someone to do what takes 30 seconds on your own sofa.


That's fine until you need help, a good broker will help you through a claim.
Some on line companies just have a po box address for claims. You can pop into your broker to sort a problem instead of 2 hours talking to a non-english speaking call centre

Well worth a few pounds extra- if you find the right one, might not be any extra !


bigbravedave - 22/9/10 at 09:07 PM

on the tin top I got insured for over a hundred pounds less then what the insurer that underwrites the policy was prepared to offer me direct.

Ive used HIC for 7 years in a row, I always do a price comparison, then phone them to see if there's anyway I can reduce it further, they are really clued up and I saved a further 30 quid by adding the misses

with more compensation claims these days most brokers do seperate legal cover through their own policy rather then the underwriters.

I made a claim a few years ago and they just delt with it, very simples!


mad4x4 - 22/9/10 at 09:14 PM

I got told that £120 is the "basic" minimum standard policy pirce - you won't get insurance much below that


norfolkluego - 22/9/10 at 09:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by GeorgeM
quote:
Originally posted by norfolkluego
Frankly for motor insurance I think brokers have had their day. The comparison websites do exactly the same job as they do for free basically. For commercial insurance where specialist knowledge is needed, brokers still have a role to play, but for home and motorinsurance why pay someone to do what takes 30 seconds on your own sofa.


That's fine until you need help, a good broker will help you through a claim.
Some on line companies just have a po box address for claims. You can pop into your broker to sort a problem instead of 2 hours talking to a non-english speaking call centre

Well worth a few pounds extra- if you find the right one, might not be any extra !



Stand by what I said about brokers for personal/motor insurance, complex commercial stuff is a whole different ball game.
Lets be honest most broker sold policies are not done through a local high street broker anymore, they're done online or over the phone with one of the big brokers so you can't 'pop in' anyway and the claims help number will probably be that of the insurer not the broker.
If you have a good local broker, fine, use them and pay the extra, they may well be worth it, I for one wouldn't use the big ones anymore. In my opinion you're paying for them to do something you can do for yourself, poor value if all they do is sell.

[Edited on 22/9/10 by norfolkluego]