ALF
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Insurance/pointsFrig! I was under the impression the first 3 or 6 points made no difference to your policy. Adding 3 points SP30 to my quote for insurance next year (it's a about to expire) has changed my quote from £400 to £500! Quite a % increase! How have others fared?
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Humphrey The Pug
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I thought the same as you, an SP30 didn't change your premium one iota as everyone has three points for speeding.
How wrong was I, our £350 per year premium went up by about £50 when Tina got done for speeding earlier on in the year.
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Blarno
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Clean licence!
(So far...)
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BeN
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I shudder to think how much my 12 points will incur in insurance...
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Racing
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I think the insurance companies just use any excuse possible to whack up your premium.
I shall forever remain of the considered opinion that car insurance is a government-sanctioned licence to print money.
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Mark
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Thinking that 3-6 points won’t matter to an insurance company is about as wise as thinking that your No Claims Bonus (if you pay extra) is protected – the computer/underwriter still sees a bump/claim and adjusts/raises the price accordingly.
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Roadsterstu
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| Racing wrote: | I think the insurance companies just use any excuse possible to whack up your premium.
I shall forever remain of the considered opinion that car insurance is a government-sanctioned licence to print money. |
I quite agree. A few years ago it was the case that insurance companies generally ignored the first 3 points. Then, with more and more scameras and more and more drivers gaining points, clearly there was an opportunity to make some more money. It seems to be the same with how long a points or accident history insurance companies now ask for. It always used to be 3 years' worth. Now it's 5 years. Even though your points don't last that long.
And, of course, the higher your premium, the more tax the government get.
A licence to print money it most certainly is.
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Boxer6
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| Mark wrote: | | Thinking that 3-6 points won’t matter to an insurance company is about as wise as thinking that your No Claims Bonus (if you pay extra) is protected – the computer/underwriter still sees a bump/claim and adjusts/raises the price accordingly. |
Beat me to it!! 
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canadian bacon
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zero points, and just don't get me started on insurance....
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garry
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Mine seems to go up even though I have no points or claims.
I'm paying circa £800 per year for the mercedes.
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PG
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To give NFU Mututal some credit, our premiums (max NCB and protected)did not go up when Mrs PG had her mis-hap in the Audi. But I have noticed that insurance in general has gone up masses in the past few years.
The next politician that tells me that CPI is only 1% will get laughed at and then beaten to a pulp.
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Blarno
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| garry wrote: | Mine seems to go up even though I have no points or claims.
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Ditto.
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Gurney
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When I had 3 points after an attempt on the land speed record in a Punto GT my Insurance certainly went up and that was back in 99.
Clean license at the mo but only a matter of time.
I REALLY get angry over the 'taking into account over 5 years' rule. Whilst I have been honest about declaring the GTA as an import which has cost me £4-500 extra I would happily fail to declare 3 points after 3 years.
I know the insurance bandits are supposed to have links to DVLA and each other but in practice I have never found this to be the case.
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TimR
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| Gurney wrote: | | I know the insurance bandits are supposed to have links to DVLA and each other but in practice I have never found this to be the case. |
+1
I might test this theory after my recent indiscretion.
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Gurney
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I am wondering about 'testing' whether they know the GTA is an import.
Always feel like saying:-
'Is it an import?'
'Yes, it was built in Italy you mouthbreather'
Don't think it would reduce my premium though! I simply cannot understand why a car with UK spec (ok swop xenons for cruise and it's identical) should cost more to insure because it's been sat in a Malaysian warehouse for 3 years.    
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BeN
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| Gurney wrote: | I am wondering about 'testing' whether they know the GTA is an import.
Always feel like saying:-
'Is it an import?'
'Yes, it was built in Italy you mouthbreather'
Don't think it would reduce my premium though! I simply cannot understand why a car with UK spec (ok swop xenons for cruise and it's identical) should cost more to insure because it's been sat in a Malaysian warehouse for 3 years. |
I think that's the sticking point. You never know what the car's been up to in that time in a faraway land, and the insurance companies want to take precautions.
Silly but understandable.
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Mark
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| Gurney wrote: | I am wondering about 'testing' whether they know the GTA is an import.
Always feel like saying:-
'Is it an import?'
'Yes, it was built in Italy you mouthbreather'
Don't think it would reduce my premium though! I simply cannot understand why a car with UK spec (ok swop xenons for cruise and it's identical) should cost more to insure because it's been sat in a Malaysian warehouse for 3 years. |
It probably has zero to do with your particular example – computer/underwriter sees/hears “import” – so, now you have a premium for a 200X Alfa Romeo 156 GTA at £XXX and then add XX% (standard % against insurable value for any “import” that comes through) to £XXX and hey presto, you have a final (ridiculous) figure.
Cough up.
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DradusContact
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One of things they look at with the price though is how expensive it is to get replacement parts, usually one of the reason foreign cars are that little bit more expensive to insure.
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Mark
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| DradusContact wrote: | | One of things they look at with the price though is how expensive it is to get replacement parts, usually one of the reason foreign cars are that little bit more expensive to insure. |
Yes, cost to repair is almost as important as who's driving the car in many cases.
However, if Gurney's car is UK spec, it should (theoretically) be no more expensive to insure than a 156 bought/sold/sourced in Birmingham.
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Twelfth Monkey
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I had three points about 13 years ago, and my premium wasn't affected. Clearly things have changed.
Garry/blarno, I always use an increased premium as a reason to do a little shopping around, and mine generally only ever increases when I change my car. The Beast costs me a little over £400 fully comp etc etc, so I'm eyeing Garry's £800. I'd guess that the Merc is a little lower down the insurance scale, so maybe it's that high because you do a lot of miles?
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Gurney
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Yep other than I have xenons instead of cruise it's no different to a UK GTA.
BeN makes a fair point about what a car may have been up to whilst abroad but mine had zero miles, it annoyed nobody as it was stored in a warehouse.
It is, after 16,500 miles and 18 months mildly broke at the moment btw, shock horror.
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scamper
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My 3 points came off my licence, so it will be interesting to see any reduction come renual time. I work with the insurance world and things have been tough in certain areas for several years. They evidently try and make more money from the poor old motorist!?
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Mark
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Car insurance does appear to be on the increase - but I've just managed to knock around £210 off my annual buildings and contents insurance. The level of cover has been carefully checked and it is like for like.
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Gurney
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For some obscure reason my house and contents insurance is only £150 with Egg.
Numerous attempts to beat it have ended in failure, plenty who gaurantee to beat it openly admit they won't get anywhere near it come renewal.
I have decided to just shut up and instantly pay every renewal, just in case it's a boob. Been that for 5 years now give or take a tenner.
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Jasper
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| Gurney wrote: |
It is, after 16,500 miles and 18 months mildly broke at the moment btw, shock horror. |
Like a Passat, mildly broken way?
| TimR wrote: |
I might test this theory after my recent indiscretion. |
Ooh I must have missed that thread, what happened?
Look on the bright side, it's not been a great year in the Ruxton house with Mrs R stuffing the Golf up the back of a BMW.
Renewal is at the beginning of December so I really should start lubing up.
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Boxer6
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| Jasper wrote: | | Gurney wrote: |
It is, after 16,500 miles and 18 months mildly broke at the moment btw, shock horror. |
Like a Passat, mildly broken way?
| TimR wrote: |
I might test this theory after my recent indiscretion. |
Ooh I must have missed that thread, what happened?
Look on the bright side, it's not been a great year in the Ruxton house with Mrs R stuffing the Golf up the back of a BMW.
Renewal is at the beginning of December so I really should start lubing up. |
Speaking of which, is it fixed yet?
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Gurney
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The GTA has an airbag warning light. It appears to be the passenger screen pillar bag that's at fault.
Cost of a bag + fitting is £600. ARUK cannot trace my car on it's warranty ZX81 computer, despite the fact I have a printout showing it to be on!
A chap on AlfaOwner had a similar fault, cured by cleaning a dodgy terminal (they all live under the rear parcel shelf).
Oddly since investigation the light has gone out so maybe it is simply a connection - it is an Alfa after all.
So far cost me nowt, Bauer Millett have been excellent.
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Jasper
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Yes it is.
It's not a great job TBH as it was cheap. Plus, it now has rather fetching GTi headlamps, which have black backings instead of the chrome originals.
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Racing
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| Gurney wrote: | The GTA has an airbag warning light. It appears to be the passenger screen pillar bag that's at fault.
Cost of a bag + fitting is £600. ARUK cannot trace my car on it's warranty ZX81 computer, despite the fact I have a printout showing it to be on!
A chap on AlfaOwner had a similar fault, cured by cleaning a dodgy terminal (they all live under the rear parcel shelf).
Oddly since investigation the light has gone out so maybe it is simply a connection - it is an Alfa after all.
So far cost me nowt, Bauer Millett have been excellent. |
The airbag warning light in mine was forever playing peek-a-boo. Blakc & White told me not to worry about it.
This thread suddenly gave me the fear about whether the insurance on the 135i was due so had to rush off and check. But fortunately it's not due until next month.
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Gurney
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I have even had a very concerned phone call from Alfa UK about it (before I knew they had lost the car on their warranty PC).
Seems they take Airbag failure very seriously. Still, it's off (the fail light) at the moment so not particularly worried.
Besides the 156 might have 8 airbags but it's rigidity is such that being inside a bouncy castle won't have much effect if it's reduced to the size of a Fisher Price pedal car.
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Gurney
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Just had a phone call from Bauer Millett, the GTA has been located on Alfa's warranty database.
New pillar airbag winging it's way to BM to fit asap.
Excellent service from the chaps at Bauer Millett, seems I have struck lucky with a new Alfa dealer that understands the concept of good service.
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ALF
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| scamper wrote: | | My 3 points came off my licence, so it will be interesting to see any reduction come renual time. I work with the insurance world and things have been tough in certain areas for several years. They evidently try and make more money from the poor old motorist!? |
Surprisingly enough, nothing happened in terms of a reduction when I went from 3 points to a clean license!!! They just want 25% more when I go the other way.
Car insurance is a total bind and personally I'm just going to get the very cheapest I can. Which will not be the bastards I'm currently with. I don't really give a rats about "service" - if the worst comes to the worst they all give you the same derisory amount for your car and as Mark says they all put your premium right up if you have a knock regardless of "protected" NCD...
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scamper
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how come protected NCB can not actually be protected? Having only just become a private motorist with a massive 1 yr NCB I get the impression insurance companies use the NCB as a `reward' not to increase your premium, rather than give you an actual reduction
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Bryan M
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Racing - it can't be a year since you got the 135i can it?
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scamper
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He probebly has a multi car policy for his Fleet so the renewal for all is the same date?
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TimR
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End of March wasn't it?
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DaveGibson
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| scamper wrote: | | how come protected NCB can not actually be protected? Having only just become a private motorist with a massive 1 yr NCB I get the impression insurance companies use the NCB as a `reward' not to increase your premium, rather than give you an actual reduction |
That's the clever bit. You are protecting the NC discount but it doesn't freeze the basic premium, which is still dependent on your record.
| Bryan M wrote: | | Racing - it can't be a year since you got the 135i can it? |
Just because you buy a new car doesn't mean you buy a new policy. I bought my Lexus in January but my existing policy ran until the end of May (as it still does).
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Matt
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I'm not going to get too excited about the insurance for the Astra, as I've not owned a car for longer than March to December yet!
Given the bespoke nature of its bodywork, the insurers missed a trick granting it group 9 status.
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TimR
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| Gurney wrote: | Just had a phone call from Bauer Millett, the GTA has been located on Alfa's warranty database.
New pillar airbag winging it's way to BM to fit asap.
Excellent service from the chaps at Bauer Millett, seems I have struck lucky with a new Alfa dealer that understands the concept of good service. |
I see from autotrader that BM have a Grande Punto Abarth Esseesse in.
Looks very nice although a little pricey at £17k 
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