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Buildings & Contents Insurance

Just had an email to say my buildings and contents insurance is going up over 60% next month, obviously I’ll go on some comparison website to see if I can get a better deal, just wondered if anyone else was getting huge increases, without having made any claims, I know they rely on inertia, but this is crazy!

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  • Rates in general are up around 3-5%, so something else a foot there, any claims, floods nearby etc?
  • edited August 2021
    Rob7Lee said:
    Rates in general are up around 3-5%, so something else a foot there, any claims, floods nearby etc?
    Not that I’m aware of,bit of a shocker to wake up with!
  • Out of interest who are you with?
  • Out of interest who are you with?
    Hastings
  • edited August 2021
    Just had an email to say my buildings and contents insurance is going up over 60% next month, obviously I’ll go on some comparison website to see if I can get a better deal, just wondered if anyone else was getting huge increases, without having made any claims, I know they rely on inertia, but this is crazy!
    The FCA has recently banned "price walking". So, on general insurance, prices should be the same for new or old customers from next year. According to the FCA, in 2018, 6 million loyal policy holders would have saved £1.2 billion* had they paid the average price for their actual risk.  Read more here https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-confirms-measures-protect-customers-loyalty-penalty-home-motor-insurance-markets

    So, your insurer either hasn't read the rules, is making hay while the sun shines or perceives you to be a higher risk for some reason. Might be worth having a word with them and asking why they aren't getting themselves sorted out before they are forced to.

    Of course this will mean that the savings the more astute used to make by switching insurer every year will be much more difficult to find.

    * These are the FCA's words. But I assume that's an aggregate saving and that there weren't 6 million people spending more than £1.2bn each on home insurance. But it's still £200 pp which is shockingly huge frankly.
  • I change company every year through a comparison site as you mentioned, fairly low aggro swapping providers and definitely the cheapest way to get it done.
  • Just had a conversation with a friend of mine. While away in the Lake District her house was burgled. Two expensive bikes (she has twin sons), jewellery with sentimental as well as monetary value, three laptops, XBox, two iPads bits and pieces of porcelain and some expensive shirts, dresses and leather coats .. all in all quite a haul. Of course, the insurance company are not paying out as the expensive items were not declared as such and there are no receipts for much of the goods.
    She is totally cheesed off with her hubby who filled out the policy details and it seems went for cheap coverage. The irony is, her hubby is a copper. So beware, check your policy details VERY carefully and learn how to put a curse on tricky dicky insurance assessors.
  • Yep I change every year just like internet, gas and electricity. I also use topcashback as you can get a little bit back. What we make from topcashback pays for a few days away every year. 
  • Out of interest who are you with?
    Hastings
    Personally I would try 2 or 3 of the comparison sites, say (comparethemarket.com / moneysupermarket.com / gocompare.com) there are others you will see also.

    There is always a deal giving you a better quote as new business.  Its just the way insurance companies work, when they have people tied in & not changing after a few years they try it on.  




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  • This year my existing insurer has quoted a 4% increase, usually I change every year as to get a good renewal price is rare in my experience. I have gone on the comparison sites and no other company comes close to matching the quoted renewal price. 
  • You can also try getting a quote direct with one of the main insurance companies.

    We were with Halifax for a couple of years and unfortunately last year had to make a claim for the first time in 20 years on home insurance.  As I expected our premium jumped up for renewal. I was surprised even with the claim against us stated, we still got a very good quote via the comparison site with 'More Than'.  Basically what we paid the previous year.   
  • Just had an email to say my buildings and contents insurance is going up over 60% next month, obviously I’ll go on some comparison website to see if I can get a better deal, just wondered if anyone else was getting huge increases, without having made any claims, I know they rely on inertia, but this is crazy!
    Notwithstanding comparison sites still worth a phone call to them asking if they can better it - for the sake of a short call it may see the quote revert to where you want it
  • Out of interest who are you with?
    Hastings
    They tried to raise my car insurance by around 40% to over £1,000. Found an alternative at £400.
  • Renewed with more than for £284.88, thanks.
  • Crusty54 said:
    Out of interest who are you with?
    Hastings
    They tried to raise my car insurance by around 40% to over £1,000. Found an alternative at £400.
    Fuckers giving my town a bad name.
  • Just renewed with Home Protect for a second year, half expecting a price hike but only about £30 more than last year and  got down even lower than last year's premium by raising voluntary excess. 
  • Out of interest who are you with?
    Hastings

    Crusty54 said:
    Out of interest who are you with?
    Hastings
    They tried to raise my car insurance by around 40% to over £1,000. Found an alternative at £400.

    surprised by that.  I went with Hastings (for car insurance) after shopping around a few years ago - I wasn't going to get a great deal, as my previous car got nicked and written off the year before.

    Last year the renewal was a few quid cheaper than previous year, and I didn't have time to shop around so just went with it.  This year it's again a few quid cheaper, but I'm going to see what else is out there.
  • Now to sort out gas and electric!
  • If you have elderly friends or relatives read this.
    My friend of forty years David died about four years ago.
    David was like the big older brother I never had.
    When he died he left just his wife of 90years old and no other relatives.
    They had a very traditional marriage, David looked after the finances and his wife Joan cooked the meals.
    So because of our friendship, we (my wife and I) look after Joan.
    Keeping a eye on her and without being to intrusive her finances.
    We had to get her used to banking and to start using her debit and credit cards.
    I remember taking her shopping and waiting as she used her card for the first time.
    "What's my pin number John?" she shouted.
    Very embarrassing. 
    I digress.
    So you get the idea.
    We called in to see her as we do at least once a week and she showed us a letter from her house  insurance renewal from Halifax.
    She wasn't sure if her renewal £450 was ok.
    I was horrified and rang Halifax to explain their cost which seemed excessive.
    The nice lady on the phone said she would send alternatives for Joan to consider.   
    The next time we visited Joan they had indeed sent her a revised cost, £400.
    I rang Halifax to explain the cost and the nice lady said they had reduced the sum by £50 as she was renewing the policy. 
    I asked how the policy was set up.
    The nice lady said Joan had a garage with £5000 pounds worth of goods inside.
    Her garage was actually empty.
    The nice lady also pointed out that Joan had a study with £3000 pounds of valuables. 
    All total nonsense.
    After much bargaining I got the lady down to £156.
    Now the above may seem annoying but, I asked the lady when the policy commenced.
    She said 2012.
    I was a bit confused as my friend David was vehemently opposed to insurance and insurance companies for all the years I knew him.
    But in 2011/12 he started to suffer Alzheimer's disease.
    I would hate to think he was taken advantage of, but I wonder.    

     
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  • That’s dreadful John.
  • Cheapest by far for me this year was with Halifax Bank- very cheap for buildings/contents/legal cover. 
  • edited June 2023
    Just had a buildings and contents renewal quote in from my current provider - LV - and the thieving bastards have ramped up the premium by 33% with no explanation. Have been with them for years and have always been pretty reasonable, but fuck that.

    Didnt even bother ringing them, just cancelled it straight away- was an automatic renewal too, so they were probably banking on me not doing anything.

    Spent 10 minutes online and have got a quote from Aviva for the exact same cover at less than half what I paid this year, let alone what those scouse fuckers wanted to raise it to.

    Seriously. How are they allowed to get away with this shit? Its shocking.
  • edited June 2023
    I tend to end up changing buildings and contents supplier every year, as they all do the same just hope for apathy, and that people can’t be bothered to do it, as they don’t like change, or hassle, if you’re in that boat, do look at changing, you’ll be surprised how much you will save.

    Edit just looked up at the top of the thread, as I thought that looks familiar, didn’t realise I’d started it lol.
  • edited June 2023
    They will have an algorithm somewhere that works out the chances of someone moving against certain premium hikes. It's a numbers game. I've probably just moved down into the "less likely to be able to work a computer" category so they thought they could take the piss.

    Hopefully me cancelling has just fucked up their spreadsheet,  in it's own small way.
  • Always use price comparison sites and then if you wish to, call your existing provider advising them what you can get elsewhere. Often but not always they will match or near as dammit match that offer and then you can stay put if you choose to.
  • Is going for the cheapest always the best option?

    I've never made a claim but surely there is a big difference in service levels when you do make a one?
  • If the company has a decent reputation I choose the cheapest.
  • Just one word of caution, if you live in a high subsidence area changing buildings insurance a lot will not be helpful if you ever have an issue.

    Whilst every insurer has different views as to the type of business they want and therefore price accordingly, do read in full exactly what you are buying, often to the untrained eye they will look the same but not always the case.
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