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[U5]Uk Car Insurance Companies

by Mary Simone, Mar

Remember back when you had to travel from insurer to insurer or spend hours on the telephone ringing up possible insurers to find the best deal on car insurance? Who actually has the extra time anymore to run all over town? Besides, the odds aren’t in your favor that you actually found the best deal, anyhow. That’s why so many of us are now shopping on the World Wide Web for those tough to find items that require comparison shopping, with insurance being at the top of the list. Here’s a quick and easy guide to getting car insurance in the UK.

1. Service is a top priority. What good does saving a few pounds do for anyone if your claim is constantly placed at the back of the pile, your telephone messages go unreturned, and you’re inconvenienced for weeks on end? These things are called accidents are for a reason, and the entire scenario can be exhausting enough without your insurer dragging their feet at every possible avenue. So before you agree to the terms and conditions of an insurer, be sure to check their customer satisfaction ratings and for any complaints filed.

2. Price is another important point to consider. And the best way to get the best price is by comparison shopping. Be sure to inform any potential insurer that you will be getting multiple quotes from other insurers. This will help to keep them at the top of their game and at the bottom of their price.

3. Have your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) ready. Just because you’re driving a Honda Civic, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be paying the same rate as someone else with a Honda Civic, even if your driving records are exactly the same. Your auto might have anti-lock brakes and an anti-theft device of sorts, while the other might have an expensive sound system. All of these things will have an effect your individual quote and final price.

4. Don’t be afraid to say NO! If you don’t need the extra coverage for compact discs, don’t buy it- no matter how much the insurer tells you that it’s a good idea to have. You’ll need basic collision to protect your car, comprehensive to protect others, and a few other tidbits depending on your individual situation. For instance, perhaps your auto has a loan from the bank attached to it. In this case, you are technically not the owner of the car--the bank is, and they can demand as much insurance coverage as they’d like on their investment.

5. Just because something is easy, it doesn’t mean it’s bad. There are some highly qualified websites out there on the Internet who will do all of the comparison-shopping for you. Such a service is free, as you, the insured, do not pay for this service; the insurance company you choose picks up the bill.

Let's assume that your vehicle is badly damaged. It could have arisen from a fire, or damage as a result of a theft. Let's assume that the repair costs will be ?5,000. If the current value of your vehicle is for example ?5500 and the salvage valuation of the wreck is ?600 then it makes financial sense for your insurance company to total loss the vehicle rather than repair it.

Let's suppose that the salvage valuation is only ?400. The chances are the insurance company will still write off the vehicle. The repair cost estimate of ?5,000 is based on a visual inspection and assessment of the damage. There is a strong possibility that there could be more damage discovered once it was stripped down. So even though it looks cheaper to repair the vehicle it would be treated as a border line write off.

They will want to move the damaged vehicle into 'free and safe storage'. This is usually at a salvage dealer. The reason is simple. The vehicle repairers have cottoned on that there is easy money to be made. They won't be appointed as the repairer but they will charge your insurer simply for holding your vehicle in their yard. They will sometimes charge incredible daily rates that can make car clamping fees seem like peanuts! Even the cheapest rates are in the same ballpark as car parking charges in Central London. Insurers pay out millions of pounds every year for storage charges so they want to move the vehicle as fast as humanly possible.

Because they lost sums of money dealing with certain customers they might simply inform you that they are planning to move it in 48 hours rather than asking your go-ahead. What has happened on occasion is that the salvage people are so fast off the mark that the car is being picked up by the salvage truck before they've even told you that it is a total loss!. Not surprisingly this can cause upset to some clients.

But bearing in mind the circumstances, please be sympathetic! They aren't disposing of your vehicle, just moving it in order to save money. You might ask why you should bother about saving money for your insurance company? The answer is simple. The more money that the insurance company pay out on claims, the more you pay in insurance premiums. It is in our best interest to help them save money. My advice is - do as they ask. Always agree to have your vehicle moved from a vehicle repairer. If you don't, they can insist you pay the storage charges from the date of your refusal.

Occasionally with an older car, it can be a write off yet still be perfectly safe and legal to drive. It might have a low value and only some minor cosmetic damage. Frequently insurers will allow you to keep the vehicle at home whilst the next steps in the procedure take place, provided that it isn't clocking up any storage charges.

Article Source : Best Auto Insurance Rates

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Both Mary Simone & Trevor Dace are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Mary Simone has sinced written about articles on various topics from Auto Insurance, A Secured Loan and Debts Loans. Mary Simone recommends that you visit for more information on car insurance.. Mary Simone's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.

Trevor Dace has sinced written about articles on various topics from Mortgage Insurance, Insurance and Auto Insurance. This article was written by Terry Cod. He has many years of experience working as a claims adjuster with a number of UK insurance companies. His website