Car Insurance again ..

I noticed this and told them I didnt want that.... then renewed with the co-op and made more than 100 quid saving without the small print catching me out... on compulsory excess, or courtesy car, or like fxxkin Norwich Union if you ring up to get a quote and accept their quote the policy arrives and say its for domestic & pleasure purposes (excluding commuting) just because I said I didnt use it for work at the moment due to illness.

Its getting to the point that you need a financial adviser to get insurance these days...gone are the days of fully comp or 3rd part fire and theft simplicity. Everything is "a la carte" with or without this that and the other. The insurance companies are looking for every excuse to avoid paying out, but then I suppose what do we expect when we play one off against the other in a bid to find the cheapest...(or in my case the best value)

Oh...and a another VERY important one... talking to churchill i asked about the estimated mileage, and said that because I now had a new car this year and estimated the mileaged based on my old shagged out one my actual mileage is now 2000 miles higher that originally estimated (I keep detailed records). They said (although no proof) that the claims dept allow up to

+500 miles before they say the claim is invalid! A colleague at work was 58 miles higher than his estimate and his insurance company invalidated his claim. (not sure who they were)

So the lesson is choose an insurance company that has the w...i...d...e...s..t range of mileages... like from 12000 to 15000miles (co-ops I think). Some insurance companies go up in 1000mile steps and always estimate higher than you think you do.

Still

ISTM they raise the price if you don't complain about the automatic renewal. I've heard of a few people whose policies went up on the first "automatic renewal" year. IIRC when I renewed the first time after this came out, I told them I authorise a one off payment not a CCA, but when I got the renewal it said they'd automatically renew the next year, I phoned up and complained and they stopped the automatic renewal (the next year I needed to give my card details again). My renewal went down, whereas other people I know (similar area/circumstances) renewals went up!

Some have estimated mileage, other have maximum mileage.

But if they are so fussy, do they specify the exact dates to measure the annual mileage between? For instance if it's 10,000 max per year, is that 1 Jan to 31 Dec, or renewal date to renewal date, or MOT date to MOT date? Obviously these will all be slightly different. And how do they know anyway? Do you have to declare the mileage when you renew?

I believe the mileage was renewal to renewal dates... and to be honest I dont know how my colleague got caught with that one. As you say they dont ask what your starting mileage is... but he may have incriminated himself forgetting what he said at the renewal date.