Experience on switching insurance to courtesy car (during car service, for example)

simulacra75

Have been insured with its4women last couple of years and they've been pretty competitive overall. I realise that they're effectively a broker for AIG, but something that's kinda annoying is, since they're effectively a website (and not a very good one), if i need to switch my insurance to a courtesy car while getting my own car serviced i've found it next to impossible to do, you need to do it a few days in advance and need to know the reg of the car you're changing to, etc.

Was considering switching to Revlout this year, but since they're just another broker for AIG, is it just jumping to the same situation, with another "company"? Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Ta

HeidiHeidi

I was briefly insured with its4women a few years ago, and bailed out for that very reason, among others. Yes, you'll have insurance and a disc and a cert - but feck all customer service, charges to switch insurance over when leaving car in for service, and the final straw for me was ludicrous restrictions on cover to drive other cars - which I only discovered by accident when enquiring about something else entirely (which took about two days trying to get in touch with them to make the enquiry).

That was the deal breaker for me so I cancelled the policy, got most of my money back, and have decided since then that the 50 quid or whatever extra to go with mainstream brokers who have a phone line with humans at the end of it is worth the money.

coylemj

You always need to know the reg of the car you're borrowing. In most cases where I got a replacement car, the procedure was that you handed your insurance cert to the receptionist in the showroom, she would then phone your insurance and get the cover transferred to the dealer's car. So it just took one phone call with no advance notice.

HeidiHeidi

That's the procedure with most insurers.

Its4women, over25.ie or whatever it was called and all those online brokers are a nightmare if you want them to actually do anything - you can't ring, it's all communication by email and it's like wading through treacle. Or it was when I last engaged with them, and I doubt anything has changed.

And in the event you do actually manage to get in contact, they charge for everything, including transferring insurance temporarily.

They're as cheap as they are for a reason.

I'd hate to think what they'd be like to deal with in an actual serious claim situation.

As I said, I decided the extra to deal with a broker with an actual phone line, with actual humans you can talk to, was worth the premium.