THE Examiner Readers Letters page is excellent value. It saved me £258 this week.
This was because I read the letter from GRN of Fenay Bridge who was shocked to see that the quote for home insurance for his/her elderly parents had rocketed by £50 to £320 on their renewal quote.
GRN said: “I saw the letter, otherwise it would have been automatically renewed. With one phone call the quote was dropped by more than £100.”
The very same day I received my renewal quote for home insurance which was with a company well known from its TV advertising. Respected, solid, trustworthy. I was shocked to see it had rocketed from £324 to £418 – a whopping rise of £94.
This, too, was an automatic renewal. “No need to call,” it said.
Not that you like to. All those telephone options – press one for this, a five for that. This is the sort of thing I just stick in the drawer and let happen – except that I was cross and had read that letter.
First, I went online to a price comparison website and found equivalent insurance for my house and contents started at £138.03p. I checked through the dozens of offers and picked the Co-op at £160. I mean, if you can’t trust the Co-op, who can you trust?
I phoned the original company and spoke to a young chap who brought up my account on a computer screen. I said I didn’t want to renew. When he asked why, I said because for no understandable reason the quote had increased by £94 since last year and I thought the new figure was unreasonable.
He immediately offered to reduce the quote by £150.
Too, late, I said. I’ve moved to the Co-op at a lot less.
Like GRN in that original letter, I was amazed that companies simply increase renewal quotes without, it appears, rhyme or reason. It makes me think they do it on the assumption that many people will not query it and simply accept the new price.
“No need to call,” said my renewal letter.
Oh yes there is. Call them up. Get a reduction.
