Dear LPG, 

In October last year, I counted myself as one of the lucky ones because although I had to say goodbye to my beloved car because she failed the ULEZ test, I was able to afford a replacement which I am still getting used to.

Apart from buying it my one real worry was how much more it was going to cost to insure it and I was right to worry.  I have always let my local insurance brokers sort all that, but the cost of a premium for my new old car was about to double according to them.

It was then that I learned about getting comparisons and my eyes were opened to the fact that I have been paying much more than I have needed to for years.  But all that was last year, and it is car insurance renewal time again.   

Now there are no letters but when I got the renewal email from the insurers I used last year, I was a bit surprised.  I expected the price to go up but not by as much as it did.   Armed with what I learned last year, I did the internet comparison thing again and the company that I used last year was not the cheapest but the result on the internet showed a premium of £75 less than the figure they sent me.

It was time to haggle but I am not the best at that.  Luckily my son was on hand to give me some pointers. In fact, I made a point of making the call when he was able to be there for back up.  Before we got started, he wrote me a script which I feel I need to pass on just in case there are any other drivers with this predicament who might need it…

After all the button pressing, option choosing and the pleasantries, it came in very handy…  

So can we talk about my renewal quote please…

While I know that everything is going up, this quote is a bit high (last year’s price with over £75.00 added) – is that the best that you can do?

Nothing we can do 

I found you on the XXX comparison website last year and I did another comparison this year.    I don’t really want to change insurers but there is a bit of a gap between the best quote that I have been offered this year and yours.

How much was that – who was the insurer?  

(only give details If pushed)

 Nothing we can do 

Interestingly enough your quote came in as the 4th least expensive at (only £8 more than last year).   So how come you are asking for so much more than that?

Some concession is likely to be made at this point, so that they can save face – but if not 

So, can I come in as a new client at that comparison site price that you offered this year? 

Why not?...

I did do the comparison and the prices indicated above were honest.  I have to say that I never got very far through the script before they made a sensible offer which left me paying less than last year.

The only other bit of advice I was given is don’t give specifics when it comes to amounts unless you have to and don’t give away any information that you don’t have to.

I will keep the script because, while it won’t work every year, this year it worked a treat!

MT, Lewisham 

 LPG adds some information on today’s celebration… 

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