Insurance renewal scam ?

[DeanoH]

Today I received a text advising that my vehicle insurance was overdue. A policy number was quoted but nothing useful like a rego or vehicle type. A phone call to the company that I'm 'lucky to be with' soon found that my vehicle policy did indeed fall due today. No correspondence, email or otherwise had been received relating to this renewal.

No worries sir, we'll gladly email you a copy of the renewal documents/policy for your immediate attention. $418.32 will see you good for the next 12 months, including windscreen cover. Hmm ................. , a quick visit to the company's site determined that exactly the same cover, less windscreen cover, could be had for $286.62. Bloody expensive windscreen thinks I. Adding windscreen cover added $80 per annum which I thought was a bit rich for a $130 (supply and fit) windscreen, so I gave it a miss.

I wondered what the cost would be if I added the missus to the policy, so fed the info in to find that the cost had decreased to $267.29. Bloody strange. :confused:
Looked up my states major automotive body insurance company and even with my Gold Card 40+ year membership discount of 15% the same cover was $600+ :o

No worries, I'll try the mob that sounds like Cooee who advertise that they can save you a fortune. Well ........................ after a really strange experience where they extract everything but your jock size and cross your heart and hope to die avowals should their company ever use/on sell this info they also came up with a $600+ premium.

So back to Jenny, the original insurer. Is their tactic not to send out a renewal notice so to stampede you into renewing at an inflated rate ? and why the decrease in premium for nominating an additional driver ?

Even so Jennys new policy option is looking good. :)

Anyone out there familiar with the vehicle insurance game that can make any sense of this ?

Deano :)

[BMKal]

Not sure about those issues - but I was pretty ****ed off to learn that after recently renewing insurance on the D4 with RAC over here, they no longer cover windscreens in the policy - and there has been no corresponding reduction in the premium. :censored:

Will be having a talk with them about this next week, and possibly cancelling the policy with them and moving to someone else - depending on what is available.

[ATH]

Our van insurance went up by over third on renewal with RAC not long ago and I never noticed until I was chucking out old paperwork!
On the phone quick smart and got a "loyalty discount" which bought the increase down to about 12%.
Plus I hear they're not covering anything less than ANCAP 4 rated vehicles in future so if that's true, it's bye bye RACWA after dawg knows how many years. 4 policies going elsewhere
AlanH.

[Roverlord off road spares]

Deano, Shannons all the way. That's why I have 6 Cars insured with them as well as house and contents. pay by ther month with no extra fee like some. Easy to deal with, in event of a claim very fast and obliging.
"I suppose it's all about the way you drive" :D

"Cooee" one of the dearest since they ask more questions.

[Cliffy]

+1 in Shannon's!
Great discounts on multiple vehicles if you have the LR bug bad.
Choice of repairer.
And a lot of other good enthusiast related points.

[rangieman]

I was with first company then inflated their premiums with the renewal so i switched to cooee great discount then when it came up for renewal same drama and some which started end of july i tried to cancel my policy what a drama.
Well i had to cancel my credit card what a head ache as they kept taking the monthly payment .
They in this last week have finnaly canceled the policy and im still trying to recoupe the money they stole from me:twisted:
I ended up with budget got a far better deal aswell as a $100.00 credit card;)

[Ferret]

...and why the decrease in premium for nominating an additional driver ?

Mrs paid my insurance renewal online without telling me. When I found it was paid I had to ring the Co. because I wanted to amend the policy to include cover for my new GOE rims, value ~$2700

After amending the policy to include the rims I got a $65 refund on the premium I had already paid??? :D

[Roverlord off road spares]

I was with first company then inflated their premiums with the renewal so i switched to cooee great discount then when it came up for renewal same drama and some which started end of july i tried to cancel my policy what a drama.
Well i had to cancel my credit card what a head ache as they kept taking the monthly payment .
They in this last week have finnaly canceled the policy and im still trying to recoupe the money they stole from me:twisted:
I ended up with budget got a far better deal aswell as a $100.00 credit card;)
The Credit card you paid for in the premium, should have asked them how much less without the credit card.
Be careful Chris of these giveaway credit cards, as in 12months time you'll probably get a $50 annual credit card fee, and the Indians in Customer service in Mumbai, they don't like you to cancel without a fight.
A trap when you buy interest free also, as the get you on a credit card you didn't want in the first place.
Cheers,
Mario

[rangieman]

The Credit card you paid for in the premium, should have asked them how much less without the credit card.
Be careful Chris of these giveaway credit cards, as in 12months time you'll probably get a $50 annual credit card fee, and the Indians in Customer service in Mumbai, they don't like you to cancel without a fight.
A trap when you buy interest free also, as the get you on a credit card you didn't want in the first place.
Cheers,
Mario

No probs mate it was a use only once card then throw it;)

[DeanoH]

Thanks all for the responses.

It's interesting to note the brand loyalty towards the Irish Aphrodite. I used to have the OKA insured with them as most insurance companys don't want to have anything to do with a vehicle a little bit different. They were interesting to deal with initially as they required me jump through all sorts of hoops to prove that I was an 'enthusiast' as opposed to an average vehicle owner, and made me feel like they were doing me a favour by insuring the vehicle. By renewal time I'd found it much cheaper to go with the CMCA insurers which is where the OKA remains insured. As other vehicles came up for renewal during this time I checked with Irish Aphrodite who were always more expensive than the main competitors such as Jenny or my states Major Automotive Body even with my supposed 25% 40 year membership discount.

If I had a classic or special vehicle I would go with Irish Aphrodite as this is the market they understand and specialise in. But for my daily drive Triton ute although a good vehicle it's nothing special. Note. Irish Aphrodite's premium is within cents of Jenny's renewal cost for the Triton and I do have house and contents policy with them.

Jenny offers a $100 discount for new policys and IMO expects at renewal time the bill including extras like windscreen cover will just be paid like any other recurring bill.

It's a lot cheaper for me to take out a new policy with my existing insurer than renew the old policy (or a new policy with Irish Aphrodite), in my case over $150 or 36% cheaper. :):):)


Deano :)

ps. I didn't think company names were allowed in this type of discussion ? :angel:

[Roverlord off road spares]

If you check out who owns or underwrites a lot of the companies, you find it ends up at the "Corporation of the sun"

P.S At the end of the day, Deano, it's about how you drive.;)
Cheers,
Mario