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How can I obtain Cheap Car Insurance?
When you’re looking around for cheap car insurance quotes it’s very important to be aware that every insurance company will have different policy wording that forms the basis of their cover. It is always worth double-checking this and asking if there is anything that is unclear.
Please note that this help guide is here to cover the main factors to be looking out for and does not represent a legal document. It will provide an overview of the following themes:
- Third Party Cover
- Third Party Fire & Theft Cover
- Comprehensive Cover
- The differences in price between types of cover
- The most appropriate cover for your needs
- Other factors to consider when buying motor insurance
These are three main types of a car insurance policy that you will come across:
- Third Party
- Third Party Fire & Theft
- Comprehensive
What you need to know:
Third Party
This covers the policyholder against damage to a third party – so if you bump into another car, they will be covered under your insurance but you will not. In the same way, if your car is stolen or catches fire you will not be able to claim anything from your insurer.
Third Party Fire & Theft
This is the same as the Third Party cover described above, although it also includes insurance against your car being stolen or catching fire.
Comprehensive
A Comprehensive policy will cover all parties in the event of damage or injury regardless of fault. This includes the policyholder as well as all others involved and will also pay out if the vehicle is stolen or catches fire.
What type of car insurance cover is best for me?
It’s important to think carefully about which level of cover to opt for when starting or renewing a policy.
For young drivers with an inexpensive first car, the cost of fully Comprehensive insurance could well be significantly higher than the value of the car. In this case it may well make sense to go for a Third Party or Third Party Fire and Theft policy which will protect any third parties in the event of an accident but leave the policyholder exposed to other costs or losses. The difference in price between the Third Party and Comprehensive quote can often exceed any potential losses anyway.
For drivers over the age of 25 who do not have a poor driving record (through accidents or motoring offences), the cost of comprehensive insurance would normally fall considerably and therefore the difference between quotes for Third Party and Comprehensive cover should be less significant. In this situation it is generally worth opting for fully Comprehensive cover to benefit from the greatest protection.
Why do quotes vary so much between insurers?
Every insurer employs underwriting staff who are responsible for assessing the risk and potential cost of insuring a particular vehicle for a particular person. Each company will have a different assessment of an individual’s risk – and that’s why it’s beneficial to get insurers to compete against one another to provide the lowest quote.
The cost of motor insurance is generally calculated on the following main factors:
- Age
- No Claims Discount/Bonus
- Insurance Group (largely calculated by the likely repair costs for the car)
- Occupation
- Where the car will be parked overnight
- Value of the car
- Driving experience
- Motoring offences
There are other less obvious factors that are taken into account as well: a single male would usually attract a higher premium than if he were married. In addition, men who add a female driver on to their policy can often benefit from a reduction in price. It is well worth young drivers adding a parent to their policy (assuming they have a clean licence and driving experience).
What benefits can I add to my policy?
There are often additional options that you can add to a policy:
- Free courtesy car – the insurance company will offer a replacement car after an accident or theft, although there is often a time limit on this
- No Claims Bonus protection – after 4 or more years without claiming, you can pay a bit more to protect your No Claims Discount so you won’t lose it in the event of a claim
- Voluntary excess – you can choose to increase or decrease the initial excess that you will be required to pay in the event of a claim: this can have a substantial impact on the premium
- Legal protection cover – this covers you for uninsured losses in the event of an accident, such as loss of earnings, personal injury, loss or damage to personal property and insurance excesses
- Increased audio/sat nav equipment cover – if you have expensive electrical equipment in the car, the standard insurance cover may not adequately account for the cost in the event of a theft; this cover can be upgraded
- Advanced qualification / Pass Plus discount – many insurers give a discount for additional driving qualifications, especially with Pass Plus for younger drivers
- Breakdown cover – some insurers offer reduced-price breakdown cover when taking out an insurance policy
What else do I need to know about insurance policies?
It is important to be aware that motor insurance is a legal requirement and drivers face substantial penalties including a jail sentence if caught behind the wheel without adequate insurance (ie. the minimum Third Party cover).
You must carefully study the certificate of insurance and proposal form when you take out a new policy with an insurer. This firstly enables you to identify and correct any errors relating to the vehicle or driver details which could potentially leave you uninsured if not rectified and secondly identifies any situations that your insurance will not cover (such as allowing drivers aged under 25 to drive the car).
It is worth noting that if your vehicle is declared a “write off” and you able to claim on your policy, the insurance company will only pay the market value for the car – which is likely to be less than you paid for the vehicle. Not only does this reflect the depreciation on the car since it was purchased, but it also takes into account that a car bought from a dealership will usually be more expensive than the trade value. There is no way to avoid this, but it is helpful to be aware of it – and insurance companies will never pay out any more than the estimated value given by the buyer when taking out the policy.
Remember, different insurers calculate drivers’ risks differently – so one company may classify a young driver with little experience as a far higher risk than another. Equally, one insurer may reward an experienced driver with a lower risk rating (and therefore premium) than another, so it is always well worth shopping around to get the best deal. By using the reverse auction, you can force insurers to compete against each other to offer you the best price – and ensure that you don’t spend more than you have to on your insurance!
For a cheap insurance quote click on a link in the directory or phone one of the companies below
| Insurance Company Name | Insurers Telephone Number |
| 4 Young Drivers | 0870 77 07 033 |
| Admiral | 0870 548 0000 |
| Adrian Flux | |
| Alexander Forbes World Service | 00 44 (0) 20 7933 0000 |
| AXA | 0870 242 3222 |
| Backford Bloor & Co | 0151 356 8776 |
| Bell, | 0870 549 2000 |
| Bennetts | 0870 333 0008 |
| Bike Team | 0870 897 7733 |
| Brentwood Insurance Services | 01277 262622 |
| Car Insurance Today | |
| Caravanwise | 0800 328 2084 |
| Car'n'Home Insurance | 01243 867 333 |
| Carole Nash Insurance Consultants | 0800 298 5511 |
| ChoiceQuote | 0800 542 53 54 |
| Classicline Insurance | 01455 639000 |
| Comfort Insurance | 020 8984 0777 |
| Diamond Car Insurance | 0870 549 2500 |
| Driver Support Club | 0870 555 0990 |
| Driverplan | |
| elephant.co.uk | 0870 040 6644 |
| Elite Incident Management | 01273 868999 |
| Ensign | +44 (0) 207 898 6770 |
| Express Insurance | 0800 197 7089 |
| gapcover | 0845 838 2033 |
| Halifax | 0845 608 9913 |
| Hastings Direct | 0870 5 04 05 06 |
| Historic Vehicle Insurance Services | 01782 612131 |
| insurancewide | 0870 112 8239 |
| J&M | 01992 566900 |
| JustMinibusInsurance | 08702 424349 |
| Kwik-Fit | 0800 027 9367 |
| Lancaster Insurance | |
| Low Quote Insurance | |
| MAC Ltd | 0870 236 8888 |
| MiniBusPlus | 08702 403478 |
| Monthly Motor Trade | 08707 87 35 16 |
| MPV Insurance | 0845 2300 119 |
| NACO | 01255 820321 |
| Norton Insurance | 0845 811 5050 |
| One Call insurance | 0845 3440234 |
| Osbornes | 01844 213161 |
| Peart Associates Ltd | 0870 2402972 |
| Privilege | 0845 246 0515 |
| Rampdale | 0870 444 6126 |
| ROAD RUNNER | 08707 87 87 20 |
| Roadsure Limited | 01604 639011 |
| Saga | 0800 414 525 |
| Shield Total | 0800 393 033 |
| Superquote.com | |
| Total Insurance | 0870 777 8718 |
| Tourer Select | 0845 071 1000 |
| Tradewise | 08707 002288 |
| TVR Insurance | 0845 450 1820 |
| TVR Quote Insurance | 01455 639000 |
| Van Insurance Quote | |
| young lady drivers | 0800 581 414 |
| Zenith | 0870 777 2002 |
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