[Spacecadet]

Last year - Budget insurance £145.

This year, Budget insurance £275

Budget also impose automatic renewal. They simply take the money. You have no choice.

As it happened I read their 'offer to renew' email carefully.

My home and contents insurance for this year is going to be with Privilege. £129.

I called Budget to stop the automatic renewal. The call centre gimp immediately reduced the price to £208 "because the rates have changed since your offer quote"
It was sent on the 2nd of April. I called today, the 4th of April. That's a hell of a change in 1 working day.

Any rate, Budget insurance are clearly a load of bar stewards and thieves as they came up on the comparison sites at £131 for the same cover they wanted to charge me £275 for on Saturday and £208 for today.

Interestingly, at the beginning of the call, the automated voice told me I would be invited to complete a customer satisfaction questionnaire at the end of my call. Strangely, at the end of my call, the chap I spoke to said goodbye and the line cut off. Clearly, Budget only want feedback if you are a happy customer.

****ing gob****es.

 

[PaulR]

My MIL showed me her latest renewal - £750! She has been with Aviva for years and just carries on at each renewal date. This year it had gone up by £200.

I went to my broker - vastly better cover with far fewer exclusions - £300.

They rely upon our laziness - grrr.

 

[Greener123]

Interestingly, at the beginning of the call, the automated voice told me I would be invited to complete a customer satisfaction questionnaire at the end of my call. Strangely, at the end of my call, the chap I spoke to said goodbye and the line cut off. Clearly, Budget only want feedback if you are a happy customer.

Just on this last point, im sure they would be the same as how we do the surveys - not everyone gets selected and it is more often than not a survey on the adviser you spoke to rather than the company itself, it does affect the advisers job if you leave negative feedback even if it isnt directed at them. If they were rude and didnt help you then by all means leave negative feedback, but if they were polite and helpful then leave positive feedback.

 

[Giorget2]

This is very normal with insurers. Just push up the premium by as much as they think the clients will stand without complaining, but immediately say "oh, the rates have changed and become miraculously lower" for the handful of non-lazy clients who actually query the premiums.

Moral of the story: always query.

 

[AlfaDrivingFan]

Read the small print about auto renewal and cancel it well before renewal time. Some of these companies will take your money, keep it for a few days then give it back if you haven't cancelled a minimum of X (randomly chosen number between 2 and 21) number of days before renewal. Nice little scam that earns them a few quid in interest.

 

[Dave Brand]

Axa doesn't take the payment for automatic renewal until the renewal date & allows cancellation with a full refund up to 14 days after renewal.