Insurance advice

randomstuff

Have been looking for insurance for couple days now.

I'm 26, on provisional, want to get a car to start doing the lessons.

Was looking at 2001-4 Ford Focus 1.4 or 2005/6 Nissan Almera 1.5

Usage of car would be under 10k Kms a year mainly commuting a couple days a week.

Best so far is Boxymo for 1,300€, but I've been reading reviews online about them and 'not great' is an understatement.

Second best is from Britton brokers, 2,230€

Third is First Ireland, 2340€, reduced to 1282 after I get full license.

Ive tried AA,one direct,Liberty,123.ie,Campion, axa, they are all quoting above 2.5k€


I'm thinking of either chancing my arm with Boxymo... or go with First Ireland and do the 12 hours lessons as fast as possible, pass the test and get a big refund?


Any advice?

Thank you

Liam McPoyle

Bad in what way, their customer service?

Personally I say go with the best price you can get, hopefully pass your test and this time next year you will have a one year bonus.

Re FIRM giving you a big refund, I'd imagine that is a pro rata price ie that would be the price today if you had a full licence, every day you don't have a full licence the refund gets smaller.

There are no garauntees you will pass your test and I'd say keep the €1000 you would save with boxymo for some additional lessons.

LawlessBoy

If you know that you definitely will not go over your km limit with boxymo go ahead. But i have had a few friends have major problems with them. One of them even got his insurance policy canceled by them.

If you do need to "top up" on boxymo they know how to charge think my friend had to pay €250 for a 1k km top up. His car is now sitting outside his house because he cannot afford to top up his insurance any further so he has to wait for the policy to expire in February.

randomstuff

Was reading some reviews from here https://ie.trustpilot.com/review/www.boxymo.ie

Yes regarding the refund, it would get smaller each month. Would I be optimistic in thinking I can pass the full test after 2 months of driving around? 2 lessons a week + loads of driving with my brother as copilot

Toots

Would you consider going with a different model car? When my husband was learning he was about 23, and we were getting enormous quotes - to the point that we wouldn't have actually been able to afford to insure the car. I rang a few insurers and asked them outright what the cheapest cars to insure were, so we looked at those cars. After he'd had his full licence a year we changed the car to something a bit better, and the insurance was a lot more affordable. His first policy was with Liberty on a Fiat Siecento and it was €1100 for the year.

randomstuff

LawlessBoy wrote: »

If you know that you definitely will not go over your km limit with boxymo go ahead. But i have had a few friends have major problems with them. One of them even got his insurance policy canceled by them.

If you do need to "top up" on boxymo they know how to charge think my friend had to pay €250 for a 1k km top up. His car is now sitting outside his house because he cannot afford to top up his insurance any further so he has to wait for the policy to expire in February.

I'm fairly certain I can control the km limit. I've been cycling around Dublin commuting for past 3 years.

Would be using the car only on very bad weather days, have a 20km each way commute to work. 3 days a week works out to 6,000kms yearly, so the 12,000km limit should be enough of a buffer I'm hoping.

randomstuff

Toots wrote: »

Would you consider going with a different model car? When my husband was learning he was about 23, and we were getting enormous quotes - to the point that we wouldn't have actually been able to afford to insure the car. I rang a few insurers and asked them outright what the cheapest cars to insure were, so we looked at those cars. After he'd had his full licence a year we changed the car to something a bit better, and the insurance was a lot more affordable. His first policy was with Liberty on a Fiat Siecento and it was €1100 for the year.

I would consider something different.

Reason I was looking at the focus and almera is because they seem to be reliable. Space wise good, have a 6 months old so need to be able to fit pram and stuff in the car with the baby. And also they have quite good safety ratings.

Any alternatives that tick those boxes?

Budget for car was 2k, but with these quotes its looking more like 1-1.5k

outlooks

Mitsubishi Colt 1.1 CZ3 or similar. Cheap insurance, cheap tax road, 5.5l/100km.

Miike

Chance chill insurance. I never found them unreasonable!

I've been with them since day 1. I need business class insurance now also and they are BY FAR the cheapest on the market... I made a mistake of putting County Limerick instead of Limerick City with my last quote from Liberty and the insurance went up over 1,000 euros. I think your man was wearing a balaclava on the phone...

randomstuff

Miike wrote: »

Chance chill insurance. I never found them unreasonable!

I've been with them since day 1. I need business class insurance now also and they are BY FAR the cheapest on the market... I made a mistake of putting County Limerick instead of Limerick City with my last quote from Liberty and the insurance went up over 1,000 euros. I think your man was wearing a balaclava on the phone...

Chill insurance outright refused to give me a quote.

I just read their blurb on their website about learner permit drivers... I must give them a call tomorrow morning.

It's weird but the guy didn't even take my details, he just said its a waste of time.

Miike

randomstuff wrote: »

Chill insurance outright refused to give me a quote.

I just read their blurb on their website about learner permit drivers... I must give them a call tomorrow morning.

It's weird but the guy didn't even take my details, he just said its a waste of time.

Yeah I think you should really get onto them. Let me know how you get on!

To Elland Back

Their blurb says under 25 and a permit holder rather than under 25 OR a permit holder. You may be too old for their scheme

Toots

Did you try AIG? They have a driver monitoring thing for young/inexperienced drivers. They tried to flog it to me this year, despite the fact thta I've had my full licence since 2003. They said it was because I was 29 at my renewal date. Glennon's was another broker who I got a good quote from this year for my husband.

randomstuff

Thanks for all the advice so far.

Tried chill, they're quoting me 2700 for the 1.4 focus

Toots wrote: »

Did you try AIG? They have a driver monitoring thing for young/inexperienced drivers. They tried to flog it to me this year, despite the fact thta I've had my full licence since 2003. They said it was because I was 29 at my renewal date. Glennon's was another broker who I got a good quote from this year for my husband.

Just rang them there, apparently I need atleast 1 year ncb for a quote over the phone. If your car is worth less than 2k or if you have less than 1 year ncb, you need to fill out a form and post it to them and it will take 2 weeks for them to get back to you with a quote. Awesome. :rolleyes:

Any other ideas?

ironclaw

The year of your car is going to go against you. I'd run the same quotes with a 2007 car and see what happens. Alternatively, given your low mileage, drop your engine size to 1.0L and go older on something reliable. Toyota Yaris would be the car of choice here, the are bulletproof. You'll probably only be able to get Third Party Fire & Theft here but the reduction in price should be favorable enough and the car cheap enough to neglect the write off cost in the unlikely event that occurs.