So protected no claims, 5 years of no claims this year, never claimed against my policy.

Have had, due to recently mentioned slightly damp engine issue, claimed against my classic policy for the van.

Last years insurance for my volvo estate £660, this year renewal quotes cheapest £880, with additional claim (not even on same policy) £1200, yup one claim and another years no claims and my **** insurance has doubled!

**** thiving c*nting F8cking gits. Its not as if i can afford to **** eat as it is.

Im tempted to put the money aside and drive with no insurance – the fines the police seem to hand out seem to be decidedly less than my premium for a year.

I no have the choice of stopping my claim for a new engine for my camper and not being able to afford to replace it or claiming for an engine and not being able to insure the volvo I need for work. ****.

GAH!

No camper or no work.

You decide.

What do you need the camper for?

the fines the police seem to hand out seem to be decidedly less than my premium for a year.

But if you hit someone (serious personal injury for example) and they claim against you it could ruin you for life.

one_veryveryunhappy_hippy….

i feel for you dude, insurance time is the worst time of the year 🙁

I've been fine with DeVitt Insurance despite points for the sins of old.

Worth a shop around defo.

understand the rant, but look at it another way- what was the last premium for the camper? And how much is it going to cost to fix the engine?
Cost of car insurance has gone up dramatically this year- it's been widely reported (aorund a third in 9 months). The cost goes up when claims go up.

"Last year the cost of meeting claims exceeded premium income by 22%, and the spiralling increases we're seeing show that insurers are trying to fill that chasm."

Doesn't make it any more bearable knowing the reason though.

You really are gonna have to change your username now.

I feel for you tho dude – cars suck and so does car insurance 🙁 Can't you SORN the camper and come back to it later?

Is **** ridiculous, i mean I live on like £30 a week for food /clothing / petrol (anything extra over commuting) and if my parents didn't fed me occasionally then i actually wouldnt eat everyday. My insurance premium is now going to technically bankrupt me unless I cut some other out goings though im not sure what I can cut.

I cant even sell the Volvo as im still paying for it and its now worth less than I have still to pay.

I cant sell the camper a) – because it is my camper and ive been working on it for m9ost of a decade. B) because without a working engine i'll get the square root of f'all for it and im still paying off loans for it for the next couple of years.

AAAAAAAARrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrGGGGGGGGGGGG.

I cant sorn the camper as its unmoveable due to engine death and the lack of anywhere to store it.

Premium on the camper is usually £250/£300 a year. New engine is going to be between £1 – 2k.

My wife had a bump last year, her first in +20 years of driving.

Her policy almost doubled too.

I wrote my car off last year, and despite losing 3 years of ncd my premium only increased from £450 to £600, and that's on a more powerful, more expensive car. Moral is, shop around. There must be better deals than you're betting at the mo. Don't take the prices churned out by comparison sites as gospel.

Is **** ridiculous, i mean I live on like £30 a week for food /clothing / petrol

So cut your cloth accordingly – running one vehicle on that sounds like a stretch, let alone two. Moneysavingexpert.com will help pare sown the cost as much as possible though.

my insurance was £1600 last year… so no doubt, similar or more this year…

It's not only a £200 fine, but 6 points on your license (and the associated increase in premium linked to it for the next 4-5 years too), so it's wise to drive with insurance… Let alone the other implications!

Does make you sick though… My insurance on my car when I was 17 (which incidentally was quicker than the car I drive now!) was just over £700 a year fully comp. I'm just past my 30th birthday, have a years no claims, live in a nice area, drive a slow old diesel Passat, have a clean license now, and my insurance is over £800 per year! And I spent a day finding the best quote I could, ringing everyone and playing them against each other…

13 years of experience has resulted in what? A £100 more expensive premium than when I was 17! It's a joke quite frankly…

Though I did feel slightly better when I was chatting to an 18 year old I play cricket with the other day, he's recently passed his test, and his insurance premium on his 14 year old Renault is £2500!!! And again, he spent the day phoning around to get that quote too! He's doing an apprenticeship at the moment, earns £110 a week, £50 of that goes on car insurance, about £30 on petrol to get to and from work… I moan about being skint, but I'd not want to be young again these days!

£30 a week and you're running two vehicles and complaining about the costs? I must be mis-understanding this somewhere along the line. Campers are never cheap to run, especially not ones with powerful custom engine builds – if youre on a shoestring it's clearly not the way forward.

13 years of experience has resulted in what? A £100 more expensive premium than when I was 17! It's a joke quite frankly…

Hmm, yeah but 13 years experience and an unmentioned number of at-fault accidents (one at least)? Incidentally I'm almost identical to you but with full NCB, one non-fault claim fully recovered, and had no points at any time. Running a 2001 2litre turbo diesel estate just north of Glasgow and my premium this year was £250, so they clearly weight accidents heavily.

Point well made mboy – "inflation".

Prob is neither vehicle is worth the outstanding loans I have on them. Especially not the camper now it doesnt have an engine. If I sell the van i'll still be in pretty much the same financial situation i'll just have thrown away £5k or so and many many hours of time and heart ache.

Wasn't in this much of a financial black hole until my housemate moved out earlier this year and ive been trying to cover the rent on my own. Going to have to move to cheap accommodation however its few and far between around here – at least in areas where my bikes will remain un-stolen. Or anywhere big enough for me and a bike that isnt a 2nd floor flat.

The only other option is moving back in with my parents for a while and sorting my finances out – however i think that option will lead to me slitting my wrists before I get out of debt…

Stupid thing is if I had more of a deposit i could get a mortgage for way less than renting.

GRRR ARRRG! (insert Muttley impression here)

Point well made mboy – "inflation".

Well it would be "inflation" if the cost of earnings had gone up in line with the cost of living…

If that were the case, I'd probably be on a nice 6 figure sum, instead of my meagre existence as is… 😉

My insurance premium is now going to technically bankrupt me unless I cut some other out goings though im not sure what I can cut.

Time to give the cars up for a while then?
I've been in similar situations over the years & walking away from them until things improve is often the only sensible route

Can't you rent your room to someone else? Get a girlfriend to share the costs with? 😀

Change insurance company?

Don't renew old policies unless you need those benefits some systems renew old policies that make your insurance go sky high.
Having a claim will bunk up your insurance as you are greater risk even if its not your fault so you use legal cover instead of claiming of your own. And Protect your no claims bonus. Keep your excess to level you can afford.

Limit your mileage. Get kids off the insurance and buy them a bike.

Don't buy a car that is expensive to repair as insurance companies will factor that.

Hmm, yeah but 13 years experience and an unmentioned number of at-fault accidents (one at least)?

One accident just over 12 months ago, classed as equal fault on both drivers… She actually hit me, and pretty much wrote her car off, but despite the fact she was on the WRONG SIDE of a main road that I was pulling onto gently, they still classed it as equal fault… Anyway…

Not had another accident in almost 10 years.

FWIW I filled in all the details on the online insurance calculators as if I hadn't had an accident too, and it came in only about £100 cheaper.

It's the NCB that makes the massive difference (I've only been earning my own for a year or so now, had a company car for a while in previous job), a full NCB can mean as much as 60-70% off your insurance premium!!! Protected NCB's are well worth paying the extra for, as if you had an accident this year, it could save you many hundreds of £'s each year for the next several years…

Can't you rent your room to someone else? Get a girlfriend to share the costs with?

If i could get a GF i doubt i'd be quite this bitter and grumpy. I accepted i'd die alone a long time ago, I'd just rather not die alone & broke

After living with my two best mates (at separate times) – guys i've know since birth and who are like brothers and ending up wanting to kill both of them – I think for everyones health im best on my own, the house is full of bikes and to be honest im probably Manic Dep.

I can't give up the cars completely. I need something to commute to work in as by public transport it will take me nearly 2 hours each way to do 15miles. I regularly have to use the car for work as there are never enough works vans. I cant use the camper full time as I will freeze to death during the winter.

Somethings going to give. Quite likely my sanity.

Hippy are you on unemployed?

Is that what you told the insurance? do you live with your folks- you could be a carer instead of unemployed.

I'm suprised you could claim for an engine-how did that work then?

Fully employed. Not been unemployed since I finished Uni. Live on my own currently. Single no dependants.

Engine claim was accidental damage due to water ingress in to engine block via induction leading to scrap engine. Have been told I am covered – just waiting on engineers report on damage. Whether i'll end up putting the claim in is another matter.

a full NCB can mean as much as 60-70% off your insurance premium!!! Protected NCB's are well worth paying the extra for, as if you had an accident this year, it could save you many hundreds of £'s each year for the next several years…

Even without protected NCB, generally the most you'll lose from a fault accident is 2 years NCB, not all of it.

I can't give up the cars completely. I need something to commute to work in as by public transport it will take me nearly 2 hours each way to do 15miles.

Cycle. It's only 15 miles, that's an hour tops on an MTB with slicks. Sometimes you have to cut your cloth, this is going to be one of those times 🙁

By the time winter comes around you'll have enough cash saved to pick up a banger for bangernomics and make it through the winter. I'm afraid 2 vehicles on loans while practically unemployed (ok, employed but with zero spare cash) is simply financial suicide waiting to happen, and not likely to be helping your sanity. Ditch them now, cut your loses, before they drag you right under.

At the very least could you not find a friendly family member/colleague/neighbour who will lend you their drive for 12 months while you sorn at least one of them?

Where does everyone get practically unemployed from? I have a full time job!

The problem is with cycling to work is a) i can't carry site gear / survey gear etc, b) if there is a **** up on site or an emergency and I dont have a vehicle I cant get to a site immediately which my be 50 or 100miles away.

I have 4 years protected no claims bonus – soon to be 5 years – however this seems to mean nothing if you actually have a claim.

Its surprising how few people want a dead rusty camper on there driveway. THe only family i have locally are my parents who have had to put up with it for years. Most my other friends dont have the space and my work wont have it in the yard. (insurance reasons – even tho the gaffer always keeps his spare cars here)

The problem is with cycling to work is a) i can't carry site gear / survey gear etc, b) if there is a **** up on site or an emergency and I dont have a vehicle I cant get to a site immediately which my be 50 or 100miles away.

Should the company not be giving you a vehicle for those occasions, or an allowance?

Im tempted to put the money aside and drive with no insurance – the fines the police seem to hand out seem to be decidedly less than my premium for a year.

But when you do get stopped by the police (and you will) and you get an IN10 most insurers won't touch you with RO's sweaty crusty Kn*b on the end of a barge pole.

The claim is classed as an incident and most insurers underwiters will rate on it as you have a claim on there.

There are a handful of works vehicles when they are not out its first come first grabbed. I can only take a vehicle overnight if i know for certain im going to site in the morning – they are not available for general use. If I get a call at 7am – i either go from home to site in my car, or drive 45mins in to work in the hope there is a van before i go to site.

I get mileage paid at 0.38p/mile if I use my own car, however i still have to pay the initial outlay on fuel and my calculations show that it doesnt cover much more than fuel let alone servicing / tyres / insurance etc.

Jebus I even have to use my own mobile for work most the time as there's one office mobile between four people.

To be honest a payrise would help but the chances of one of those is less than 0! I work in the geotech industry and it's never been the best paid.

Just to clarify I wouldnt actually consider driving without insurance.

So can't you:

1) Claim for the camper
2) Have engine fixed as result of the 1) above
3) Sell the camper with the working engine as a result of 2)
4) Pay the increased premium on the Volvo as a result of 3)

That must ease your financial burden surely.

Maybe if you trimmed you're hair you might get the GF …. ?!! 😉 😆

Sorry, that didn't help much 😳

I'd have a serious chat with work if I were in that situation. If they NEED you to get out and about like that then they really should help out by providing a vehicle. Put the numbers in front of them and tell them why 38p/mile isn't enough. Sounds like the car is an integral part of the job, so expecting you to use your own car I reckon is a bit much.

Your car coudl go wrong at any moment of course, or need tyres etc, so that's a burden you would be able to get rid of if you didn't need the car for work.

Works stance is that the industry is struggling and that we all have to make sacrifices. I have not had a payrise (even cost of living) since the start of 08.

I have to pay for business use myself so my car is insured for trips to site. Ive had punctures on site which the company has refused to pay for ('that is what the mileage allowance is for'). The cars done 50k in the last four years and is dying fast. Had another puncture the other day – actually on way back from one of the directors funerals however I cant afford to replace it so my spare is back to being a temporary space saver.

So can't you:

1) Claim for the camper
2) Have engine fixed as result of the 1) above
3) Sell the camper with the working engine as a result of 2)
4) Pay the increased premium on the Volvo as a result of 3)

If i do this – i *may* get enough back to clear the loan on the van – however it wont go anywhere to recoup the thousands ive put in to it. It'll also mean nearly doubling my insurance on the volvo and I doubt that will be for one year but years to come.

PikeBN14? What the **** is your problem – the **** do you know about how I look. I don't exactly see how thats **** relevant.

I feel your pain, my car insurance trebled this year. Lost my no claims as car was stolen, I've only had my own car 3 years so wasn't in a position to protect the no claims. Car was recovered with minor damage (bumper trim) and returned to me, I reckon the increase in the premium is more than the cost of the claim.

It's very tempting to get rid, I think I could hire a car for the occasions I need it for less money, but unfortunately I'm meant to have one for work. Very annoying as I commute by bike but maybe need my car for work purposes once a fortnight.

you lot have expensive insurance, mines always been about £350 from when I was 17 until now at 36 (10 year ncb, no points) I do get comp rather than TPFT. My motorbike was £120 comp even though its abandoned on the street over night.

Blimey, so much for trying to add a little humour in to a depressing situation!

I don't know what you look like, but why else would you have 'hippy' in your name?

Don't you just love this place 😆

My insurance almost doubled when I committed the "crime" of claiming when my R32 Golf was vandalised (failed attempts at nicking the alloys). Utter to55ers. Shopped around and found it cheaper and it's been going down and down every year until…

…this one.

It's gone up £40 – dammit! Getting old is meant to have the advantage of cheaper insurance!

£460 (me 35) with wife (32) as a named driver, BMW Insurance, 6 years NCB, IAM driver, no points, postcode impossible even for couriers to find (middle of nowhere), 335d Touring.

Wife's Jimny is almost free quite handily.

As tempting as no insurance might be on a cost front, you could well end up in an even more dire situation if the worst happens.

If you use an insured car for business use you'll probably end up with no job, and a car that's a bit smaller and more cube shaped than when it started if you get caught. Plus the points for an offence that marks you out as a very high risk for a loooong time.

Hope you can get it sorted somehow, but short of selling a kidney or other organ I'm a bit stuck. Do you have anything you could flog, even for well under market value to get you out of the hole? LCD TV, laptop, or other electrical stuff?

What would you're employer do if your car was off the road for whatever reason, places i've worked before have been sympathetic enough to come to an arangement for a few weeks, even though it meant having no car for paersonal use.