Motor Insurance

Despite intense competition between insurance companies, there can still be substantial differences in premiums quoted. This is because some insurers specialise in certain areas while others try to offer a reasonable price to virtually everyone. Your particular details will therefore be viewed differently by each insurer approached.

At John Lane (Insurance Consultants) Ltd we market your requirements to insurers using our computerised system to find the most suited policy at an affordable price. Our searches include access to special schemes which are not available throughout the market.

Payment by instalments

Parting with the cost of a year's motor insurance can be a nasty shock for anyone's wallet, so many insurers allow you to pay by instalments to spread the bill over a period of up to 12 months. However, it should be noted that a finance charge will be levied by most insurers where premiums are paid by instalment.

Lower premiums for safer cars

If you drive a high-performance, sporty car, you are likely to pay more than if you drive a typical family saloon, the logic being that the faster vehicle is, generally, the more prone it will be to accidents. Also, it is likely to prove a more attractive target for thieves and often replacement parts and repair costs will be higher than average. It is worth remembering, however, that every insurance company will set a different premium rate for each car according to its own claims statistics. There are certain industry-wide standards issued by the Association of British Insurers regarding the make and capabilities of every car on the road, but it is always worth trying a few insurers to see if you can find a company that treats your make sympathetically.

Claims handling

The savings achieved by the use of technology to streamline their businesses are giving insurers the ability to keep premiums competitive, but money is also being invested in efficient claims-handling procedures. These procedures place much more emphasis on the use of the telephone and fax machine rather than the post, with estimates, instructions and requests for progress reports being handled much more swiftly.

Of course, some companies will always be better than others at handling the claims process, and probably the only real way to measure a company's ability is to do what no one actually wants to do, and make a claim. That said, there is nothing to stop you asking us about their claims service when you get a quote. While most Insurers will claim to offer a top of the range claims service, we will aim to give you our personal opinion of that particular insurers claims service. For instance, some insurers provide a courtesy car service and will also deliver your repaired car direct to your door.

Vehicle security

An incident of vehicle crime occurs every 30 seconds in the UK, and theft of, or from, cars costs insurance companies many millions of pounds a year. This means that a high proportion of the premium paid is used to cover the risk of theft, so anything you can do to protect your car should work in your favour. Insurers tend to offer lower premiums if your car is kept in a garage overnight. You will also see a reduction if you fit an alarm, an immobilising device and/or a vehicle tracker.

It is worth remembering that not every insurer will offer the same price reduction for every sort of security device. You will also find that insurers vary in their attitudes to where you live, with some seeing it as a crime black spot deserving higher prices, and others charging no more than they would for anyone else. It all depends on each firm's track record in your area.

 

Getting you mobile again

The improved efficiency and speed mentioned earlier is also being used to take the hassle out of getting back on the road if your car is in need of repair after being involved in an accident. The most advanced insurance companies will simply ask you to provide details over the telephone. They will then either fax garages for estimates or contact a garage in the area that is already on their list of approved repair mechanics. As well as speeding up the process, this should ensure that the repair work is done to the highest quality at a reasonable price.

Some insurers will also provide you with a replacement or courtesy car while yours is off the road. All this means that having an accident need not be as traumatic is it once was.

Repair standards

Insurance companies are taking several steps to minimise the cost of car repairs, arguing that high garage costs inevitably result in higher premiums for all car drivers.

It is also becoming common for insurers to impose generally accepted repair standards and to insist on the use of computer technology to increase efficiency and reduce costs. An example would be the audited hand-held computer that holds information on the availability and cost of replacement parts and, therefore, speeds and controls the process of giving estimates. Most top motor manufacturers already supply data for these systems and more are coming on stream all the time.

Accident arbitration

We have all heard stories about the nightmarish problems that can follow a motor accident. You may even experience at first hand a situation where the other person involved disputes your version of events, which can cause all manner of headaches when it comes to sorting out the insurance claim.

If you have legal expenses insurance, however, you at least have the security of knowing that your legal costs will be met. This means that, if you are out of pocket following your claim, you can pursue the other party for the appropriate amount. This might, for example, be travelling expenses incurred when your car was off the road following an accident that was not your fault. You can also use this type of cover to defend yourself if someone brings an action against you. We offer a competitively priced legal fees policy as an optional add-on if it is not already included within your standard policy cover.