The majority of you are all likely contemplating which motor related gifts you can buy for your friends this Christmas.
Motor insurance is something we like to avoid, when the renewal period comes around we all cringe and moan as our insurers hike up our premiums for no reason at all, forcing us to compare and contrast thousands of providers to ensure we’re getting the best possible deal. If the worst were to happen, there are many reasons an insurance company can refuse to pay out at all, here are some tips so that never happens to you.
Don’t Lie
It happens all too often. You see various things on the insurance form and you think “hmm, if I say yes it’ll be cheaper,” yes it will be cheaper, but it can also land you in trouble if they ever find out. One of the more popular ones is parking your car in a garage over night. Many people lie and say they do, but if an insurance agent needs to come and visit you due to an accident or claim, and they see you have no garage attached to your home, they’re going to ask questions. The same applies to saying you park it on a drive, make sure you have a drive to park it on. You may end up paying more but it’s worth it in the long run. Try saying yes, going back, then saying no. You’ll notice the actual price difference is minimal. You also need to disclose any driving offences, past or present. If they find out you lied they’ll have a reason to not pay out if you crash or cause an accident.
Use No Claims Bonus Protection
The stripping of your hard earned no claims bonus means you won’t get your premiums as cheap as you would like. The more no claims bonus you have, the cheaper it is. However, you need to claim, even if it isn’t your fault, your no claims bonus can be taken off you. It’s entirely unfair. You may think bonus protection is just another way for them to make money, but it can be useful if you have to claim. The amount it costs is far outweighed by how cheaper the car insurance is due to your no claims bonus, so take out the protection as it can really help you out further down the line.
Don’t Put Too Many People On Your Policy
It really is tempting to add your partner or others to your policy. But actually think about it, are they really going to need to drive the car? If so, then put them on the policy, but if they have their own car and are unlikely to drive yours, take them off. The more people on your policy the more they’re going to charge as the car is essentially at more risk. If you’re using the car for a business need and you know many members of your staff will be using it then ask them about business insurance, there are different deals tailored specifically to that which will save you more money.
Don’t Put A Young Driver On Your Policy
They will make the premium go up exponentially, even if you’re the main driver of the car. If you want to teach someone young to drive, that’s fine. But add them on at the time for a specific set period of time, say, a month or two, to help them in conjunction with their proper driving lessons. If you just put them on from the off it’ll cost you way more money than taking out an initial cover with just yourself and then adding the young driver later on. Just call up the insurance firm and tell them what you want to do, there are usually lots of different numbers that can take you straight through to the department you want, like you can see here with tesco car insurance.
Actually Work Out Your Mileage
When they ask you what annual mileage you may people take an educated guess. But work it out. Find the distance to work, and times that by ten a week, then fifty two a year. That should give you your work mileage (without paid leave). Then just add some social mileage and you’re good to go. You may find it’s much lower than you think. The higher the mileage the more insurance companies will charge, so it really is worth taking the time to properly work it out.
Be Careful With Your Excess
Again, increasing the voluntary excess with drop the monthly premium, so do it as much as you want. But be careful, many insurance firms will stipulate a compulsory excess, a set amount of money you have to pay when you’re involved in an accident. If you set a high voluntary then that coupled with the compulsory could end up being quite high, well over one thousand, in fact. So be careful, if you aim on bringing your premium down by paying high voluntary maybe find a company that doesn’t force any compulsory excess on you. They are out there, so just use a comparison site to find the best ones. If you really don’t like the excess phone them and ask them about it, perhaps you can negotiate something else.
Stick Up For Yourself
If they hike your premium after a year, ask them why. There’s usually a nothingness of an excuse and you’ll be better off leaving and finding another company. However, if you particularly like the company you can negotiate yourself a better deal. Sometimes they’d rather have you on their books than not at all, especially if you’re a good driver. If you need to change your number plate, car or home address they’ll try and charge an administrative charge. Argue, say no, and see what happens. The majority of these charges can be waived, so don’t be afraid to negotiate. You can really get some good deals if you follow and combine all the above tips, but by negotiating you can save the most money.
