So, I had my M&S renewal quote through. £243 never made a claim etc, been a customer for two years.

I think, I'll just check their online price. £143. WTF. I phone up M&S they tell me to cancel and reapply at the cheaper quote.

Anyone else have this? The mind boggles.

Yes I do it every year. They rely on lazy people to make more money.

This comes up from time to time. Its a usual trick from the insurers to get money out of people who dare to be complacent and assume they will automatically get the best deal.

I renewed, but as A&L were changing to Santander, it wouldn't take my online payment, so after a couple of calls they agreed to match the online price. They couldn't bring the quote up on screen so they took all the details on the phone, at the end they reviewed the cover and the price and I said all correct except I wanted to increase my excess (as I had online to get the price I was happy with). As I said it, I kicked myself as obviously the price had already been honoured. Anyway, the paperwork came through and the excesses are still as standard, so the advisor must have realised my silly mistake and overlooked it 😉

Oh yes. I forgot to point out that the 100 quid cheaper quote is with 0 excess as opposed to 100 quid excess that was there before.

I always phone up to express outrage in the hope they'll reduce it, but I didn't think that I'd need to apply again.

Anyway, i've done that now, so jobs a good un. Expensive snowboard bindings here I come!

Standard practice in all insurance apparently – never accept a renewal!

Customer apathy, although if they keep trying to buy customers through new business and don't retain renewals, they'll go bust! Or need drastic changes to their business model, like not including cover for bikes, higher excesses etc…

yep, been with M&S for 3 years now, each time renewal has been much higher than reapplying and the staff at renewals tell you to apply via the website as new business. Used quidco this year so should get £30 extra back soon 🙂

Ah bugger. Should have used quidco. Oh well.

As above I cancel and take out a new policy every year. If other people don't, that allows them to make it cheaper for me so I'm good with that…

yeh, we just renewed

the Mrs made a claim last year, so reapplying lost us our "protected" no-claims as there's no way of acknowledging it when you're new business

even so, like for like was about 20 quid cheaper (plus the quidco 30 🙂 ) that way than if we renewed. This also means that protected no claims is worthless, so I binned that (for another 10 or 15 quid IIRC)

I've just saved £300 by taking out a new M&S policy on the web rather than just renewing.

That's a lot of money!

Liverpool Victoria renewal = £579 web quote = £275

Nuts!