Insurance company ask me to take a free driving assessment?

hairybelly

Got my annual renewal quote in the post today from my insurance broker. I havent even rang around to other places yet but something seems really strange about this. Neither myself or anybody in the family has heard of it before.

It says: "We are delighted to confirm, that after checking with multiple insurers we have secured a bestquote of XXX, this quote is based on you passing a free driving assessment which his inclusive of €50 admin fee and €25 legal expenses."

What the hell? Anybody ever heard of this? Do they actually want me to drive out with a tester and be assessed or something?

Stheno

It would seem so.

Are you a young driver with not much experience?

uck51js9zml2yt

Which insurer.
I was looking at axa recently who wanted people to download an app to theirpphone so they could monitor driving which would effect the quote if it was deemed to be poor little. This l

BMJD

Kinsley Shallow Detergent wrote: »

Which insurer.
I was looking at axa recently who wanted people to download an app to theirpphone so they could monitor driving which would effect the quote if it was deemed to be poor little. This l

those silly boyracers would never think of leaving their smartphones at home

uck51js9zml2yt

BMJD wrote: »

those silly boyracers would never think of leaving their smartphones at home

They risked being penalised if it wasn't on.

hairybelly

Stheno wrote: »

It would seem so.

Are you a young driver with not much experience?

22 with 3 years NCD and driving since I was 18, so yes I'm young and inexperienced by insurance standards.

I just think this is a little mad tbh.

Kinsley Shallow Detergent wrote: »

Which insurer.
I was looking at axa recently who wanted people to download an app to theirpphone so they could monitor driving which would effect the quote if it was deemed to be poor little. This l

Thats crazy. How could they possibly be monitoring your driving from just an app?

uck51js9zml2yt

hairybelly wrote: »

22 with 3 years NCD and driving since I was 18, so yes I'm young and inexperienced by insurance standards.

I just think this is a little mad tbh.



Thats crazy. How could they possibly be monitoring your driving from just an app?

I assume it records speed etc and sends the details back to them. It's part of the policy agreement that it's used when driving.

bazz26

Apps on smartphones can do lots of things without you knowing it.

BuffyBot

Hardly unheard of http://www.aviva.ie/online/driving/ignition/about/

Insurance is all about risk. You prove yourself to be less of a risk, you get a lower premium.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Id laugh at them tbh

"Eh sorry lads, i may be 22 but i do have 4 year ncb and a licence to drive and coach/bus including cpc and and a learner permit for trucks and you want to asses my driving on a car ? Eh see ya !"

marklazarcovic

becoming the great dictators are insurance companies

ardmacha

marklazarcovic wrote: »

becoming the great dictators are insurance companies

You don't have to do business with them. They are giving you free driving assessment, what more do you want?

marklazarcovic

ardmacha wrote: »

You don't have to do business with them. They are giving you free driving assessment, what more do you want?

if you wish to drive legally then yes you do need to deal with them,they are all the same,no doubt they would try use that assessment against you or to tailor the insurance to suit themselves not you..

its just a disc in a window these days.. so many conditions u may as well sit at home

visual

Not enough competition in the insurance market

bazz26

OP, have you asked them how much your premium will be if you decline?

hairybelly

bazz26 wrote: »

OP, have you asked them how much your premium will be if you decline?

Havent rang anybody yet as its not up for another 3 weeks.
It does however say "your existing underwriter is offering a premium of XXX" after the part I quoted in the OP. I presume thats it without the assessment?

Its 100 dearer.

_Kaiser_

hairybelly wrote: »

Havent rang anybody yet as its not up for another 3 weeks.
It does however say "your existing underwriter is offering a premium of XXX" after the part I quoted in the OP. I presume thats it without the assessment?

Its 100 dearer.

Sounds then like you can renew with your existing company for +100, or take the free test with Company B and maybe get it cheaper if you pass.

Personally I'd probably just pay the 100 (8.33 per month!) rather than the hassle and giving them the precedent.. would this be something they'd expect of you every year for example?

visual

Change insurance company and ask to make a complaint.

oldyouth

visual wrote: »

Change insurance company and ask to make a complaint.

Complain about what?

hairybelly

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Sounds then like you can renew with your existing company for +100, or take the free test with Company B and maybe get it cheaper if you pass.

Personally I'd probably just pay the 100 (8.33 per month!) rather than the hassle and giving them the precedent.. would this be something they'd expect of you every year for example?

Yeah thats my thinking exactly. But I'm just not comfortable with the idea of this test or whatever.
I dont want any apps on my phone, nor do I want anything installed on my car.

I dont trust insurance companies at all, and I know for a fact that this is just another thing they can use against customers to raise premiums or not pay out if ever needs be.

Its slightly demeaning and if they want to have an app or whatever constantly monitoring me I would feel uncomfortable, constantly scrutinised and afraid that 1 little mistake would be used against me.

I'll ring around and see how things go.

BMJD

ardmacha wrote: »

They are giving you free driving assessment, what more do you want?

Privacy for one

are they going to phone people on Monday morning to ask why their phone reported them for travelling at X km/h over the weekend? fcuk that

how are they going to prove who was driving what car?

visual

oldyouth wrote: »

Complain about what?

What do you think he is going to complain about the colour of the sky

oldyouth

visual wrote: »

What do you think he is going to complain about the colour of the sky

Sounds as if you would do that. The OP's broker offered a renewal from his current insurer of X and offered an alternative of Y if he took an assessment. The broker was doing his job and the OP is under no obligation to accept either quotation.

corktina

exactly, what the Broker is saying is that he can save you €100... you don't have to do it if you don't want to but you can't have the saving otherwise

timetogo

Its a product. If you don't want it just buy one of the other insurance products. You're not being forced to take an assessment.

bumper234

hairybelly wrote: »

Got my annual renewal quote in the post today from my insurance broker. I havent even rang around to other places yet but something seems really strange about this. Neither myself or anybody in the family has heard of it before.

It says: "We are delighted to confirm, that after checking with multiple insurers we have secured a bestquote of XXX, this quote is based on you passing a free driving assessment which his inclusive of €50 admin fee and €25 legal expenses."

What the hell? Anybody ever heard of this? Do they actually want me to drive out with a tester and be assessed or something?

Hardly ****ing free then is it?:mad:

kaahooters

ardmacha wrote: »

You don't have to do business with them. They are giving you free driving assessment, what more do you want?

It's not free it's €75.

truedoom

23 with 3 years ncd here, and never had that happen to me.

what kind of car are you driving? Maybe related..?

old_aussie

BuffyBot wrote: »

Hardly unheard of http://www.aviva.ie/online/driving/ignition/about/

Insurance is all about risk. You prove yourself to be less of a risk, you get a lower premium.

That's right, they insured him and took a risk and hairybelly has proved himself to them on a daily basis for three years.

So he's entitled to a premium reduction which he's receiving, 30% NCD.

hairybelly could compare the cost of the premium without the assesment and the cost of the premium after a successful assessment, if it's a fair amount/reduction in his favour, then take the assessment.

hairybelly would only need to drive "like he's going for his driving licence" to complete the assessment and completely fool the insurance company into thinking he's a"good" risk.(passed assessment with flying colours)

But no, hairybelly has already done far better and proved himself on a daily basis for three years, representing a "true" assessment of his driving.

That's why he's got 30%NCD.

The insurance company might not have thought this right through.

If we all drove every minute like we're on our driving test, then there would be little to no need for accident insurance.

oldyouth

kaahooters wrote: »

It's not free it's €75.

The €50 is the admin fee the broker is charging regardless of which option the OP takes and the €25 is for optional Legal Expenses cover. Neither are related to the assessment. The broker is obliged to disclose these to the policyholder in the renewal notice

djimi

timetogo wrote: »

Its a product. If you don't want it just buy one of the other insurance products. You're not being forced to take an assessment.

Indeed. When I was with a broker I used to get offered a pretty decent quote from XS Direct most years. I never went with it because I wanted actual cover for my car (ie I wasn't prepared to agree to an excess that was more than the value of the car) but it was just another option that they were presenting to me.

Guffy

This looks like a broker has searched the insurance companies and this is the cheapest option he found. Something like the Aviva ignition which can give you up to 40% off your insurance premium.

Mad not to tbf

BuffyBot

old_aussie wrote: »

That's right, they insured him and took a risk and hairybelly has proved himself to them on a daily basis for three years.

So he's entitled to a premium reduction which he's receiving, 30% NCD.

hairybelly could compare the cost of the premium without the assesment and the cost of the premium after a successful assessment, if it's a fair amount/reduction in his favour, then take the assessment.

hairybelly would only need to drive "like he's going for his driving licence" to complete the assessment and completely fool the insurance company into thinking he's a"good" risk.(passed assessment with flying colours)

But no, hairybelly has already done far better and proved himself on a daily basis for three years, representing a "true" assessment of his driving.

That's why he's got 30%NCD.

The insurance company might not have thought this right through.

If we all drove every minute like we're on our driving test, then there would be little to no need for accident insurance.

I'm open to correction, but I don't believe that this is the OP's current insurer, but another that the broker has had a quote from while doing the renewal process.

So yes he has his current NCD which is being considered in his renewal quotes, but there is also an option from another insurer offering a bigger discount subject to undertaking the assessment that the broker has highlighted also.

keithclancy

I did it with hibernian years ago.. it was just a drive around the place with a guy in the car.

djimi

keithclancy wrote: »

I did it with hibernian years ago.. it was just a drive around the place with a guy in the car.

What happens if you fail for whatever reason? I would have thought that its in their best interest to make it as hard as possible for you to pass...

keithclancy

djimi wrote: »

What happens if you fail for whatever reason? I would have thought that its in their best interest to make it as hard as possible for you to pass...

Just meant you didn't get the discount.

hairybelly

But the thing is, inurance offered without the assessment thing is pretty much the exact same as I paid last year.
So without it, there is no "discount"

Insurance companies are just using this in their favour to **** more people over surprise surprise.

BuffyBot

Just because it had no impact on your particular case, is that enough to assume it makes no difference to everyone else's numbers?

No. It's not.

keithclancy

hairybelly wrote: »

But the thing is, inurance offered without the assessment thing is pretty much the exact same as I paid last year.
So without it, there is no "discount"

Insurance companies are just using this in their favour to **** more people over surprise surprise.

Was a 250 pounds difference for me.

oldyouth

hairybelly wrote: »

But the thing is, inurance offered without the assessment thing is pretty much the exact same as I paid last year.
So without it, there is no "discount"

Insurance companies are just using this in their favour to **** more people over surprise surprise.

You are mixing up insurers with your broker. Your insurer from last year obviously increazed their premium, so your broker had a look around and found an alternative insurer who could offer a similar ptemium to last year, subject to assessment

frozenfrozen

Does this app run all the time while you drive? What happens if you break the speed limit, your premium retrospectively goes up in price?

Would be funny to turn the app on while you were in a plane flying over Ireland. Get loads of fines automatically for doing hundreds of miles an hour

keithclancy

http://www.axa.ie/car-insurance/drivesave/

What a load of balls.

How would the rule out technical problems, I know the GPS on my Phone for example sometimes goes haywire and thinks i'm in a field next to the motorway, or what if you drop your phone on the floor in the car ?

Seems the reviews are not good either:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mydrive.axa.drivesave

hairybelly

Just to update on this. I rang my broker and asked what the story was, they could only give me a quote with Axa for XXX if I took the 1 hour driving test.

I declined. So I rang axa direct, and they gave me a cheaper quote by about €100 if I either took the driving assessment or installed an app on my phone that monitors my driving.

The driving assessment is graded at a 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20% discount dependong on how you perform. 20% obviously being the cheapest insurance rate i.e the €100 less than without taking the test.


So then I rang The AA to see what quotes they could give me...and get this.

They gave me a quote.. with AXA, for even less than when I rang axa direct, except The AA gave me free 24 hour break down assist and memebership of The AA....and NO driving assessment/app, even though I specifically mentioned it to them they werent even aware of such a thing.

So there you have it. Dont waste your time with people asking you to do stupid assessments.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

hairybelly wrote: »

Just to update on this. I rang my broker and asked what the story was, they could only give me a quote with Axa for XXX if I took the 1 hour driving test.

I declined. So I rang axa direct, and they gave me a cheaper quote by about €100 if I either took the driving assessment or installed an app on my phone that monitors my driving.

The driving assessment is graded at a 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20% discount dependong on how you perform. 20% obviously being the cheapest insurance rate i.e the €100 less than without taking the test.


So then I rang The AA to see what quotes they could give me...and get this.

They gave me a quote.. with AXA, for even less than when I rang axa direct, except The AA gave me free 24 hour break down assist and memebership of The AA....and NO driving assessment/app, even though I specifically mentioned it to them they werent even aware of such a thing.

So there you have it. Dont waste your time with people asking you to do stupid assessments.

I wonder was that me you were talking to........ im fairly sure i did that !

hairybelly

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

I wonder was that me you were talking to........ im fairly sure i did that !

It might well have been if you work for the AA insurance crowd!