Car insurance Quotes change with Occupation

Brian2011

Hi,

When I get car insurance quotes online, I get different quotes based on occupation selected.

I am a student and I got a quote for €417 fully comp, I then selected factory worker and got a quote for €411, and then with accountant selected I get a quote for €340.

Just wondering do they check this out and what happens if I do have to make a claim, will I be found out or does it make any difference?

newbie13

Brian2011 wrote: »

Hi,

When I get car insurance quotes online, I get different quotes based on occupation selected.

I am a student and I got a quote for €417 fully comp, I then selected factory worker and got a quote for €411, and then with accountant selected I get a quote for €340.

Just wondering do they check this out and what happens if I do have to make a claim, will I be found out or does it make any difference?

First clear your computer`s web history & cookies and everything than try again.

Or try with different web broweser. Opera, FF, chrome. you may then see difference again

Brian2011

newbie13 wrote: »

First clear your computer`s web history & cookies and everything than try again.

Or try with different web broweser. Opera, FF, chrome. you may then see difference again

What??

I am being serious, same insurance company, different quotes based on occupation, how do they check this if I had to make a claim?

Stheno

Brian2011 wrote: »

What??

I am being serious, same insurance company, different quotes based on occupation, how do they check this if I had to make a claim?

Ask you to provide proof?

Brian2011

Stheno wrote: »

Ask you to provide proof?

Well last year I said I was a teacher and they didn't ask me for nothing so I guess they ask at claim time then??

Stheno

Brian2011 wrote: »

Well last year I said I was a teacher and they didn't ask me for nothing so I guess they ask at claim time then??

Yes probably if they had reason to ask.

zarquon

In the event of a claim they do not have to pay out if you have falsified your details. If you have an expensive accident you will be screwed. It's a risk but essentially you are paying a few hundred euro for a useless piece of paper for your windscreen

Brian2011

zarquon wrote: »

In the event of a claim they do not have to pay out if you have falsified your details. If you have an expensive accident you will be screwed. It's a risk but essentially you are paying a few hundred euro for a useless piece of paper for your windscreen

Ok but its bullsh*t!!, why does a student have to pay more than say an accountant or other professional? are they considered better or more experienced drivers then?? bullsh*t

slimjimmc

Brian2011 wrote: »

Hi,

When I get car insurance quotes online, I get different quotes based on occupation selected.

I am a student and I got a quote for €417 fully comp, I then selected factory worker and got a quote for €411, and then with accountant selected I get a quote for €340.

Just wondering do they check this out and what happens if I do have to make a claim, will I be found out or does it make any difference?

Insurance is all about risk of payouts which is why price varies across occupations and across insurers. Another insurer might give a cheaper quote a factory worker than an accountant because their claims history show lower payout to factory workers.

Whatever you do do not attempt to deceive/defraud an insurer by giving false information, it could have very serious consequences for you should a claim be lodged against your policy.

bar32

Brian2011 wrote: »

Well last year I said I was a teacher and they didn't ask me for nothing so I guess they ask at claim time then??

If you crash a car at 12.30pm during a school day they might start asking questions!!:)

zarquon

Brian2011 wrote: »

Ok but its bullsh*t!!, why does a student have to pay more than say an accountant or other professional? are they considered better or more experienced drivers then?? bullsh*t

It's all about risk assessment. Statistically students would be involved in more claims on a proportionate basis than accountants hence why an additional premium is added as students are deemed to be a higher risk group. This is the same reason why young men also used to receive a higher premium over young women as they carry a higher statistical risk

Premium rate differential are based on statistics and historical evidence therefore you have no recourse. You need to specify you are a student. If you give a false occupation the insurer can invalidate your insurance should a claim occur and you will be legally responsible for all damages at that point.

jimgoose

Brian2011 wrote: »

Ok but its bullsh*t!!, why does a student have to pay more than say an accountant or other professional? are they considered better or more experienced drivers then?? bullsh*t

Because, in the complex mathematical language of the underwriting actuary, an accountant is a boring, unimaginative drone unlikely to be involved in road accidents, while students are perma-stoned, clueless ne'er-do-wells who are liable to level a small city with one swipe of a '96 Micra.

Tzardine

jimgoose wrote: »

Because, in the complex mathematical language of the underwriting actuary, an accountant is a boring, unimaginative drone unlikely to be involved in road accidents, while students are perma-stoned, clueless ne'er-do-wells who are liable to level a small city with one swipe of a '96 Micra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DYje57V_BY

djimi

Its one of things that makes absolutely no sense, and Im amazed that nobody has challenged them on it before now. Your occupation makes absolutely no difference to your motor insurance quote. Even if there is the chance that you will be driving a lot then that is already covered with another of their questions.

Ive been tempted a couple of times to select "chicken sexer" because I think it would look funny on my insurance cert :pac:

Tzardine

djimi wrote: »

Its one of things that makes absolutely no sense, and Im amazed that nobody has challenged them on it before now. Your occupation makes absolutely no difference to your motor insurance quote. Even if there is the chance that you will be driving a lot then that is already covered with another of their questions.

Ive been tempted a couple of times to select "chicken sexer" because I think it would look funny on my insurance cert :pac:

Of course it does. A hospital doctor for example driving home after working for 24 hours straight is more likely to have a crash from tiredness compared to say a part time chicken sexer.

bazz26

Insurance companies have used profiling for years based on statistical data they have gathered. Not being honest with an insurance company up front is a very dangerous game to play.

djimi

Strituck wrote: »

Of course it does. A hospital doctor for example driving home after working for 24 hours straight is more likely to have a crash from tiredness compared to say a part time chicken sexer.

Okay maybe something like a doctor is an exception, but for a lot of jobs there are no difference. In the example given by the OP, factory worker and accountant, there should be no difference.

LiamoSail

djimi wrote: »

Okay maybe something like a doctor is an exception, but for a lot of jobs there are no difference. In the example given by the OP, factory worker and accountant, there should be no difference.

Generally speaking, an accountant is likely to be more intelligent then a factory worker. The accountant will also be subjected to a greater level of mental stimulation. On the basis that the greater a persons intelligence, the more likely they are to be a better driver (not always the case obviously, but more often the case then otherwise), it stands to reason that in playing the numbers, an accountant will be seen as a lesser risk then a factory worker

Scortho

LiamoSail wrote: »

Generally speaking, an accountant is likely to be more intelligent then a factory worker. The accountant will also be subjected to a greater level of mental stimulation. On the basis that the greater a persons intelligence, the more likely they are to be a better driver (not always the case obviously, but more often the case then otherwise), it stands to reason that in playing the numbers, an accountant will be seen as a lesser risk then a factory worker

Better driver??? How does one define a better driver?


An accountant however may be more likely to abide by the rules of the road more...ie not speed for fear of getting fined

Wudyaquit

They don't make any judgements on what traits a particular occupation might have. They just look at the statistics of how many accountants have a crash versus teachers versus doctors etc. If accountants have 20% fewer accidents statistically, they can expect to pay 20% less broadly speaking.

An insurance company could technically get out of a claim if you've provided incorrect information, but I've never heard of a claims handler checking so it would be unlikely to have any effect but you would be taking a risk..

djimi

Wudyaquit wrote: »

They don't make any judgements on what traits a particular occupation might have. They just look at the statistics of how many accountants have a crash versus teachers versus doctors etc. If accountants have 20% fewer accidents statistically, they can expect to pay 20% less broadly speaking.

It just makes no sense to do this, and I dont know how they have gotten away with it unchallenged until now. If I leave my job as an accountant on Friday and start as a engineer on Monday does that make me more/less of a risk in the space of a weekend?

Insurnace works off statistics, but surely those statistics have to be relevant.

Wudyaquit

It's all based off averages though. They don't expect every accountant to be safer but they're willing to accept anomalies knowing that history has shown them that overall they can afford to underwrite an accountant for less than some other occupations (you'd be something of an anomaly in that case).
Same as when women paid less - there are plenty of women who are unsafe drivers but statistically women had fewer and lower speed accidents so they could afford to underwrite for less...