Help!

nickcleverley

Hi everyone, i am going to be 17 in a couple of months so recently I have started to look up quotes online for a few different cars, using a dob that makes out that i am already 17. The insurance quotes i have been getting have been ranging between 4000-5000euro. The cras i have been trying out are all 1litre cars, like corsas, 106s, polos. I must be doing something wrong because they cant possibly charge that price on a 1litre as well as a few of my friends have been getting insured for around 2000. I dont know what to do because i have been counting the days until im on the road but i need to find a cheaper way of getting insured. Does anyone know what i am doing wrong? Thanks

DriveSkill

I'm afraid they can charge whatever they want and without meaning to be a 'spoilsport' or to pour cold water on your plans they would be pretty correct given your details.

If you are not yet 17 the you obviously do not have a Learners Permit and if the plan is to get the learner permit and immediately get insurance in your own name then you are going to pay heavily for it because you are in the very highest risk category and not only that but the insurance company will assume that it is likely that you will be drive illegally.

Remember you cannot drive a car on your own without a fully licenced driver (who has their licence for 2yrs) in the car with you so there are virtually no situations where it makes sense for a Learner Permit holder to be the main driver on a car.

In my view you better options are :

1. Get insured as a 'named driver' on your parents/brothers/sisters car initially, do some lessons, get some supervised practice, pass the test and then start looking for your own car.

-or-

2. If you dont have anyone to be a named driver on then forget getting a car and use an instructor for lessons over a period of 6 months at which point you should be ready for the test. Pass the test and buy a car.

Either way you will need to wait for 6 months from the date of your Learner Permit to the date of your first driving test.

Unfortunately insurance is always expensive starting out but at least with a full licence you will get some benefit and more importantly be legally entitled to drive the car alone.

MascotDec85

You'll probably find that your friends are getting quoted as named drivers on a policy where one of their parents is the main policy holder.
I'm presuming you are getting a quote for a policy in your own name.

If you are buying a cheap, small car consider insuring it 3rd Party, Fire & Theft only instead of Fully Comprehensive. This means that if you have an accident which is your fault your insurer will pay to fix the other persons car but not yours. They will pay or replace your car if it is stolen or goes/set on fire. This type of policy is usually much cheaper.

I can get pupils who take 10 lessons with me a discount of the equivalent of a 1 Years No Claims Bonus. Having something like that should help reduce any policy. Talk to ADI's in your area to see if they can offer similar.

nickcleverley

Thank you for your replies. The quotes that i have been getting have been TPFT so thats why i was so shocked. I live in tipperary and most people do drive on provisionals due to there being a huge backlog of tests booked so the cops turn a blind eye, however i wish to go to england and do an intensive driving course and get a full licence straight away due to there being no silly 6month period over there until you can take your full test. Although having a full licence and getting the quotes made a very small difference.

@MascotDec85 What insurance companies do this?

MascotDec85

nickcleverley wrote: »

Thank you for your replies. The quotes that i have been getting have been TPFT so thats why i was so shocked. I live in tipperary and most people do drive on provisionals due to there being a huge backlog of tests booked so the cops turn a blind eye, however i wish to go to england and do an intensive driving course and get a full licence straight away due to there being no silly 6month period over there until you can take your full test. Although having a full licence and getting the quotes made a very small difference.

@MascotDec85 What insurance companies do this?

First Ireland do it but the ADI must sign off a cert to confirm you've had 10 lessons and the ADI must be insured through them for you to qualify.

nickcleverley

Hmmm i wonder what would be available in Tipp, and honestly not driving is out of the question, i live in the middle of no where with no public transport lol. Also i dont want to go under mum's name, i want my own policy. I guess i will have to try the lessons with cheaper insurance or go and get that full licence in the UK. I still cant get my head around how much these insurance companies think that they can charge people, really it is ridiculous. I know i certainly wont be driving like a fool but then i suppose i have no way of proving that to them.

MascotDec85

nickcleverley wrote: »

Hmmm i wonder what would be available in Tipp, and honestly not driving is out of the question, i live in the middle of no where with no public transport lol. Also i dont want to go under mum's name, i want my own policy. I guess i will have to try the lessons with cheaper insurance or go and get that full licence in the UK. I still cant get my head around how much these insurance companies think that they can charge people, really it is ridiculous. I know i certainly wont be driving like a fool but then i suppose i have no way of proving that to them.

http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Learner-Drivers/Safe-Driving/Find-an-instructor/

Start calling the ADI's in Tipp and ask can they offer that scheme

nickcleverley

Thank You, i will do! God though i wish Citroen still sold Saxos with free insurance lol

MascotDec85

nickcleverley wrote: »

Thank You, i will do! God though i wish Citroen still sold Saxos with free insurance lol

It's sometimes the dealer that does it. My ex got a Saxo years ago with free insurance. It wasn't just the Saxo though, Arnold Clark were doing it with most cars they sold. Keep you eyes peeled but as you're in Rip Off Ireland don't hold your breath.

Good luck !!

Alanstrainor

Ring around to insurance brokers to get quotes. Online systems are terrible for under 25's. So at 17 it's just going to pick a huge number out of the air to scare you away.

nickcleverley

MascotDec85 wrote: »

It's sometimes the dealer that does it. My ex got a Saxo years ago with free insurance. It wasn't just the Saxo though, Arnold Clark were doing it with most cars they sold. Keep you eyes peeled but as you're in Rip Off Ireland don't hold your breath.

Good luck !!

Yess they did it in england for young drivers years ago, a saxo, free insurance and affordable finance for 3 years lol, those were the days :P

nickcleverley

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Ring around to insurance brokers to get quotes. Online systems are terrible for under 25's. So at 17 it's just going to pick a huge number out of the air to scare you away.

Really? So i may be able to get a cheaper insurance through a broker and not direct?

DriveSkill

Can I once again play the 'bad guy' here :

most people do drive on provisionals due to there being a huge backlog of tests booked

This is untrue, there is no major backlog anymore (10 weeks being the norm) and in your situation there is ZERO backlog as you can apply for the test as soon as you get the permit and do it on your 17.5 birthday :-) which is the earliest you can do it by law and nothing to do with any backlogs.

i wish to go to england and do an intensive driving course and get a full licence straight away

Just remember if you are doing this you first of all need to get a UK provisional licence. You need this in order to do the course and then subsequently do the UK driving test - which BTW is generally considered more difficult than the Irish one. So you need a UK address for this and its not just a case of popping over for a week to do a course. If you have a UK address then this may not be an issue!

While 6 months may seem like a long time to be waiting to do the test I think your better option by far is to put off getting a car until after you pass the test, you've survived without one for nearly 17 years so another 6 months is not too long

nickcleverley

Hmmm i dunno, half my family is in the UK so i could sort an address and i could do an intensive 4day course but that would be expensive so maybe **** it just have to pay for the insurance. Not driving for another 6months would be the end of the world to me im already counting the next 4months til i can legally drive anyway so another 6 on top of that would break my heart. I just really really hope that insurance has gone down by the time that i am 17