Administration Fees

[nactel]

Does anybody know if there are insurance companies that don`t charge for altering details on motor policies. Having just paid a fee of £25 to change my registration of my car.I find this quite excessive.

[woofgang]

I don't think that Sheila's wheels does

[Hypognosis]

I used a spam-trap email address at a comparison website which turned up on my new policy. They let me change this to a valid email with no charge.
Liverpool Victoria (aka LV=)

A reg number change does entail a certain amount of admin. Whether the admin fee is exhorbitant, for all of 5 minutes' work is not for me to say.

If you change reg number but not the car then I take that to mean 'cherished number'. I'm surprised they didn't up your premium, outright, assuming the plate cost hundreds of pounds. If it's just changing it to match your initials, then maybe not. ;-)

[woofgang]

I have got a cherished plate and the insurance doesn't cost me any more because of it. I went to Sheila's wheels from churchill when i got alloy wheels on my previous car. They wanted to hike my insurance because they said the alloys made the car more nickable which was fair enough I suppose BUT they also wanted to exclude value of the alloys from any payout!

[Hypognosis]

Watch out for the innocent question "Have you made any alterations to the vehicle?"

Last year's broker explained to me that it is now routine for insurers to 'shop around' for their target customers. In my case they reject any car which is no longer as the factory made it (aftermarket stereo I'd fitted). Maybe car customisers have a reputation for claiming often?

I thought with alloy wheels, they take the wheels and leave the car? (or do I watch too much TV?)

[woofgang]

No idea Hypgnosis, but after the "chat" with Churchill, I phoned Sheila's wheels. When the nice man had finished laughing he agreed that it was ridiculous. he asked me the cost of the wheels and when i told him, he said they could be covered in their standard policy. That was about 10 years ago and every year i check the premium and every year they come out the cheapest for me so i must be their target customer.

[nactel]

I never changed my car, just the registration to my initials. I do my insurance on line so when I contacted the insurance to tell them they sent me an e-mail in less than a minute to say it was done!!!

[TWR]

It's the case of Insurance comp trying to take the pizzzzzzz, simple answer, tell them to keep it, there are plenty out there that want your Business that also involves their re-new quotes, if they will not drop tell them bye bye, I have done kit a couple of times now, Nactel, believe me Loyalty means sod all now, sod them.

[ToraToraTora]

one of the ways they subsidise dirt cheap premiums for new customers is by lumping these charges on. I always time the changes to renewal if at all possible and then I hit the comparison sites for the best deal, do that every year.

[SpikeyBush]

My car was recalled to have a new starter motor fitted. Dealer reckoned it should be done within the day so requested temporary transfer of my insurance to the courtesy car only until 5pm that day. My insurers wanted €25 which the dealer reimbursed. At 4pm the dealer called to say the starter motor was being a bit problematic and one of the bolts needed soaking overnight in penetrating oil. My insurers wanted another €25 to extend the temporary transfer of cover saying it was another policy amendment, each of which is €25. To say I was annoyed would be an understatement and a complaint to the manager did no good. After years of the best prices they lost my custom through showing their true colours, ie being a shower of s..tes. I have since found another insurer who may not be the cheapest but does give good service when you need it and they don't charge for small changes. So the message to Top Quote Direct of Letterkenny is this. Bu66er off.

[ToraToraTora]

that's odd normally the courtesy car will be insured by the garage anyway.

[SpikeyBush]

maybe it's different in the UK, I was still driving jalopies when I emigrated so never encountered the main dealers there

[twix123]

The other side of the coin is that any company offering motor insurance in the UK must be a member of the Motor Insurers' Bureau. As a member they contribute to the MIB levy and supply data to the Motor Insurance Database.

Every time you change your vehicle or its registration number your insurer is obliged to inform the MIB, to do this obviously they have to employ staff, who don't come free plus there is the levy which has to be recouped from their customers. You should find details of these administration charges listed in your insurers Terms & Conditions.

[nactel]

Yes l quite agree