Home Insurance?

My policy with Castle Cover was due for renewal on the 28th of this month. I received details stating that I needn't do anything and my monthly payments would just continue. On checking the payments had gone up £6 per month to over £300. I kicked up a fuss last year about this hike and they dropped it instantly. Fed up with this I responded to a Rias leaflet to see what they would quote.

I was on the phone to Rias for a good half an hour only to be told they couldn't give me a quote there and then. First of all they tried it on with double glazing type spiel saying the quote could only be for today. After this they changed their minds and said they would have to ring me back Monday to discuss it further? Really? Told them off and hung up.

Searched for 'Home Insurance Quotes Online' and ended up on Compare The Market. Amazing as it took me only minutes to enter the necessary details and receive quotes from loads of companies. The cheapest being AA at just £83! I added extra emergency cover and the ability to pay by direct debit for a total yearly cost of just £126.

So I've cancelled the cover with Castle Cover and saved a load of dosh. Great because I need to fork out for a few pairs of trainers and the money I have saved will cover the expense easily .

Sorted .

Re: Home Insurance?

£300 sounds exorbitant Mark I pay less than half that 'like for like' so with a comparable excess etc.

I never renew my cover automatically and alway telephone a company when I am interested and haggle playing off one company with another

Re: Home Insurance?

I use Churchill for all my insurance requirements, they can't be beat ... but watch out for AA they put their premiums up one hell of a lot after the first 12 months.

Re: Home Insurance?

By the looks of it they all do - or most do. Dead easy to cancel one policy and take another by the looks of it. Will renew it every year if that is the case. The number of quote results was very long so plenty of companies to choose from.

Re: Home Insurance?

Won't catch me on the phone to these companies again. The less I have to do anything over the phone the more I like it. Just lost a good half hour of my life and accomplished absolutely nothing by chatting to Rias.

Re: Home Insurance?

I suppose the 'bean counters' have worked out that it is more profitable for all the companies to play this silly "hot potato"/pass the parcel game with policies. They all hope that they won't be the ones who hold your policy when the claim comes.

We gullible public think it would be better for them to just hold onto a loyal tranche of customers who don't need to shop around to get cheaper cover but that is obviously not the case - they wouldn't do it if it didn't suit them.

So, once again it's down to us to look out for ourselves and make sure we don't allow ourselves to fall victim to the inertia selling decribed by MJK

Re: Home Insurance?

A lot of things can be found cheaper on these compare sites with the same cover. Car insurance is another ripoff if you stay with the same one every year.
Insurance companies use the first year as a hook and once caught they bang up the cost.

Re: Home Insurance?

We don't renew anything these days without using a comparison site first, because you can bet you'll always get a much better deal elsewhere.

Re: Home Insurance?

Here in Florida because of our hurricane season, nsurance companies try to raise our policy every year, despite the fact that its been 10 years since the last storm.

Re: Home Insurance?

This is what I've found so I go on these price comparison sites and usually end up with a different insurer each year.