Admiral have just rewarded another years claim free motoring with a 30% price rise so I need to do the rounds of comparisons again.

I have previously used go compare and combined with quidco to get best deals, Is there any merit in using other comparison sites or do they all do the same thing and offer similar prices?

Out of interest, GoSkippy is coming up with much cheapness, any experience of them as an insurer?

No, each comparison site has its own commission araingement with those on board.

Hence you have different sites offering different providers.

Isn’t this under review by the FCA?

Money Saving Expert will tell you which ones to use to get the best coverage of insurers.
From my experience, prices do vary between them though.

I use Confused for car insurance, purely because it has all my details saved and I can’t be bothered to re-enter them for the small difference it might make on another site.

Compare the Market has the best offers, if you like cuddly toys, or going to the cinema in the week.

I use Confused for car insurance, purely because it has all my details saved and I can’t be bothered to re-enter them for the small difference it might make on another site.

I usually use go compare for the same reason, just wondering if I might be missing a trick.

I’m with Elephant (Admiral in disguise)

They always put my price up every year, a quick telephone call usually brings this down to a similar price to what I’m currently paying (which is as cheap as the cheapest quotes on comparison sites)

Been with them for at least 5 years now as a result

Things may have changed but… in the past it was possible to rotate from Elephant to Admiral and back again every year, without losing your NCB. Basically Elephant (or Admiral) would give you the ‘new customer’ price, then the next year when they try to jack up the rates, switch to the other and get the new customer price again.

It’s amazingly annoying that insurance companies do it, but it’s a probability thing. If even 1% of customers renew without haggling the price down, that’s basically free money the insurance company’s earned – and they’re so based on winning new customers that the churn doesn’t bother them, it seems.

If even 1% of customers renew without haggling the price down, that’s basically free money the insurance company’s earn

This was the legislation I heard about. Stopping the insurers “hope they won’t notice, or be bothered to get a new quote” price hikes.

GoSkippy is underwritten by Southern Rock Insurance. The Offshore based company owned by Mr Arron Banks; a divisive character whose involvement in and funding of political affairs around Brexit is well known.

There have been numerous “would you buy a Dyson/ drink in a JD Wetherspoon pub given the owners’ political views” threads recently. This may influence whether you wish to use them.

Please don’t let this comment send the thread off on a tangent from the original question though.

GoSkippy is underwritten by Southern Rock Insurance. The Offshore based company owned by Mr Arron Banks

Thanks. Decision made right there.

No, not really, it’s a real den of vipers.

Go to confused.com and it’s little surprise if Admiral or one of it’s many sub-brands come out on top, which has nothing to do with the fact that Admiral own confused.com of course.

There are other similar allegiances with most of them.

I thankfully don’t have to buy car insurance any more, but if you’re determined to get the best deal I think there’s 3 comparison sites you need to use to get the best spread, plus then going to Direct Line and another direct type provider. It’s an hours work I guess.

If you want free cinema tickets just compare ‘one day fish domestic travel insurance with backpacker levels of cover’ and buy the cheapest one for £1.34.

I had same as OP with Admiral. Previous years with a phone call they would drop the price but not this time (been with them about 6 years). So time to call their bluff.

Shopped around and Churchill offered the best comparable alternative, saved £220 on 2 cars.

Note the comparison sites start off ignoring the add-ons to look cheaper. Then you go to the providers site, put in loads of details, add windscreen cover, legal etc and end up back to square one. Watch the excess too as they start that high to lower the headline price.

To answer the OP – no.
A couple of year ago I did the annual car insuranced renewal farce. Started on one of them (maybe the meerkat one) and got a best price of about £450. Then though I’d better try one of the other sites (either Confused or Go Compare) and the same details came out with best price at £350 – but from the same insurer! Exactly the same cover, same insurer but £100 cheaper by getting there from a different site.

Business opportunity for compare the compare the market. CompareSquare is the name and it’s hosted by a right-wing shyster opera-singing mammal. Or something like that.

Check out direct line as well. I have home and car with them. Both much cheaper than the comparison sites. I also found I got loads of spam after using the comparison sites

As above, it’s a mess. If you have expensive insurance don’t just try one comparison site and check out a few of the bigger insurers by going direct. Last time I renewed a few comparison sites indicated one insurer that was good value, but as with hotels, calling them direct got the comparison site quote less commission.

I’m not sure how I feel about legislation coming in to stop insurers and energy companies shafting existing customers. The current system is like a tax on poor personnel effectiveness, which benefits people who can remember to shop about. If you can’t be bothered to read renewel letters or put in calendar reminders then I’m not sure the government should regulate that stupidity away.

Sometimes it’s cheaper to go direct. My renewal was over 400. Go compare had my insurance coming out at over 30o.
Aviva came out at 186 but did include a 20% discount as I another product with them

I’m with Elephant (Admiral in disguise)

They always put my price up every year, a quick telephone call usually brings this down to a similar price to what I’m currently paying (which is as cheap as the cheapest quotes on comparison sites)

Been with them for at least 5 years now as a result

I’m direct with Admiral multicar. I recently used Confused.com to get the lowest price for both cars and they matched it within a 5 minute call. The rep on the phone asked lots of questions about my quotes and stated it was because I’d obviously done my homework I wasn’t bullshitting them.

I also tried a few others – Directline wanted the same for just my car as I’m paying Admiral for both.

Appearance and placement on any comparison site is influenced by they level of commission an insurance company pays the comparison site. As this is now where most people buy insurance they’ve a lot of power and insurer will look to pay more based on the comparison site’s potential to generate volume. That cost has to go somewhere so worth shopping about.

IIRC the FCA were requiring greater clarify and prominence of the change in premium to previous year when sending renewal information.

So I did the rounds with a couple of comparison sites, LV kept coming back cheapest. So, out of interest I went to direct to LV (via Quidco) and they were cheaper still. Multicar with LV was £400 cheaper than my renewal with Admiral, plus £35 Quidco cashback. That also included improving cover to include Legal protection.

i’m not even going to ask Admiral to match, their renewal premium was just taking the piss.

On confused it tells you that if you go direct to the insurer you will get the same price…

Is that BS then??

Yes, I would call that out as BS, not much difference but certainly not the same. Quidco cashback also makes a difference (extra £10 with LV than confused)