Reading about these massive rises in insurance, I researched 3 compare sites, though mine isn't due for a while.

I played it as if renewal was due end of May.

Obviously all our circumstances are different but I was comparing with my last renewal, which was about end of last September.

Nothing had changed in my specification except car value reduced a bit again (I actually have no idea what it is worth - I put down £9K !!)

I was astonished. My 1.8TSi would now be barely over £200 fully comp with protected NCB. Down from about £230-ish last year. Best quotes were e-Sure and Axa.

Sites used were confused, compare the meerkat, and go compare. The variation between sites amounted to maybe £10. I think Meerkat was best, with their e-Sure at £201

Obviously all our circumstances are different but I was comparing with my last renewal, which was about end of last September.

Maybe you have 56 years NCB and live on Sark but mine went up by over 30% this year (Oxfordshire 4 years NCB).

i've just re-insured with e-sure, already with them for two years with my last car managed to get it down £65 on last years premium, although i have to factor in changing the car from a 1.9 turbodiesel to 1.6 petrol

i've got clean licence, clean record and 10 years no claims

certainly didnt see any sign of these 30% increases anywhere

Make sure you compare the small print on policies, some are skimping on what they give to reduce premiums.

Some of the things to check are

Loan car included if you have a bump, not critical as most body shops will supply one to get the work but nice to know

If you intend going abroad are there any extra charges, some charge heavily for the extra paperwork needed & some you have to pay per visit even though they advertise 90 days cover

Penalty premiums if you cancel early (usually not a probblem as most run the term)

Again on going abroad if you have fully comp is it also fully comp abroad, one company with an aparent good quote on the Abarth only gave 3rd party abroad

Penalties for extending the agreed annual mileage if you have to declare one & look like you are running out of miles what will it cost

Admin charhes should you need to change anything, add a driver, change address etc, some seem to go hard on that

Ensure you arent signing for a policy that has an automatic renew clause, if you have & they do odds are some clause will say you get little of the premium back for cancelling

Lastly some quite good companies are not on the compare sites so shop around on more than those. We have 3 cars & only one is with a company thats on a compare site

Edited 6 May, 201115 yr by Stuart_J

Make sure you compare the small print on policies, some are skimping on what they give to reduce premiums.

Some of the things to check are

Loan car included if you have a bump, not critical as most body shops will supply one to get the work but nice to know

If you intend going abroad are there any extra charges, some charge heavily for the extra paperwork needed & some you have to pay per visit even though they advertise 90 days cover

Penalty premiums if you cancel early (usually not a probblem as most run the term)

Again on going abroad if you have fully comp is it also fully comp abroad, one company with an aparent good quote on the Abarth only gave 3rd party abroad

Penalties for extending the agreed annual mileage if you have to declare one & look like you are running out of miles what will it cost

Admin charhes should you need to change anything, add a driver, change address etc, some seem to go hard on that

Ensure you arent signing for a policy that has an automatic renew clause, if you have & they do odds are some clause will say you get little of the premium back for cancelling

Lastly some quite good companies are not on the compare sites so shop around on more than those. We have 3 cars & only one is with a company thats on a compare site

I agree you have to check the details but the compare sites do give a + or - for things like loan car, legal cover etc.

I must say that every time I go to a "non compare site" company's own website it is much dearer. Only e-Sure, when I did the same quote through their own site, was same as on the Meerkat compare site. But outfits like Direct Line etc seem always much much dearer. I've never had a good quote from AA, RAC, Rias or Saga.

I agree with above that I do have long NCB (but I don't live on Sark!! Hove Actually.) but what I was saying amazed me was the difference to last year - for identical details except slightly lower car value, it will have gone DOWN about £30. Of course I would normally expect to wait for my existing company's renewal quote and see if it had gone up into outer space, but last year my LV renewal was only about £3 dearer.

I agree you have to check the details but the compare sites do give a + or - for things like loan car, legal cover etc.

I must say that every time I go to a "non compare site" company's own website it is much dearer. Only e-Sure, when I did the same quote through their own site, was same as on the Meerkat compare site. But outfits like Direct Line etc seem always much much dearer. I've never had a good quote from AA, RAC, Rias or Saga.

I agree with above that I do have long NCB (but I don't live on Sark!! Hove Actually.) but what I was saying amazed me was the difference to last year - for identical details except slightly lower car value, it will have gone DOWN about £30. Of course I would normally expect to wait for my existing company's renewal quote and see if it had gone up into outer space, but last year my LV renewal was only about £3 dearer.

My quote from my existing insurer on the Nissan went from 670 down to 630 a few weeks ago. Having herard all the hype in the press I was expecting to get a huge increase on such a heavily modified car so agreed its not all bad news out there.

Edited 6 May, 201115 yr by Stuart_J