Mr Leigh

Admiral wanted 1900 from me this year blaming a 25% increase? Increase in what I ask you! but where did the other 40% incraese also come from? I had no change in circumstance. I went to Privlegde, 980 and the policy arrived in the post next day

(Edited due to an unhelpful and insulting comment)

[This message has been edited by webmaster (edited 05 September 2000).]

ex-webby

Hi All

3 things...

1) Sharing experiences is fine, name calling / insults are not.

2) Admiral gave me a superb quote.

3) They have agreed to help support this site. Respect them for that even if you don't like their prices.

4) As a consumer you can decide to buy your insurance from any company you choose. As a company, Admiral can choose to charge as much as they like. If you don't like the price, don't buy from them. But surely it's worth asking for a price?!?!

Blow Dog and Mr Leigh, give me a break!!

Regards

webmaster

PS. Please be clear that I have NO problem with negative comments as long as they are done in a respectful way. It would be a shame for us all to have to work harder again to find the advertising revenue kindly provided by a company that was insulted the week their first banner ran.

Blow Dog

Webmaster,

I agree that you are running a business here and my original topic title may have been a little impulsive (you have my permission to edit the title).

I shant give you a break though.

scoobysnacks

Hi all,

I recently renewed my insurance for my 98 WRX (after upgrading from a Prelude VTEC). I'm 27 with 3 yrs no claimes. Only one company, out of about 10 or 15 I tried because of recommendation or convincing adverts, beat Admirals quote of £1669 (Hyperformance, and that was only by £30). I decided to stay with Admiral anyway to reduce hassle. Lots of other companies like Adrian Flux (who I know have been good for some of you)quoted a lot more. So I think Admiral are pretty good then, especially for such a mainstream insurance company.

ernie

Hi all

Before I ordered my Scoobie, I contacted various insurance companies, Admiral included, to get quotes and make sure I could afford the premium. At that time, Admiral gave me by far the best quote (circa £900). I ordered my scoobie and just prior to collection rang Admiral to take out a policy. The quote had gone up to around £1800!!! To quote the salesperson in response to my obvious disbelief at such a large increase (double) in a matter of months with no change in details, "we used to be competitive". Says it all, I think, and I obviously took my business elsewhere. Its good that they are providing financial support for this BBS, but Blow Dog certainly has a point

[This message has been edited by ernie (edited 05 September 2000).]

[This message has been edited by ernie (edited 05 September 2000).]

Blow Dog

Are you serious, webmaster?

cem

chuckster

I got a great quote for them on my car, beat 5 others by £300 (NFU, Privledge, Barclays a couple of others). Very dependent on area and circumstances, they don't really like mods I gathered from speaking to them, especially pleased to get a rebate when changing from my modded UK Scoob to a 22B .
They also gave me full no claims on a second car, though I had no entitlement.
Cheers
Chuck
PS. It might also be a good idea not to mock paying advertisers outright when we are all trying to make this BBS financially viable. Maybe a private mail would have been more appropriate.

Blow Dog

HAH!...

I quote Admiral:
"We arent competitive with the Subaru Impreza anymore, we suggest you try other insurance companies."

I can round up 10 other people that can say they have had the same treatmeant. Just do a search on 'Admiral' in the insurance section and you will see how many people were point blank refused or have had MASSIVE hikes in premiums. My quote went up from £1600.00 to £2800.00 with NO CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCE whatsoever and no explanation. So I think I have a viable reason to be amused, if not upset, thank you very much...

p.s. I am still waiting for my £300 excess money to be paid back to me since May, from Admiral. [snip] edited by webmaster due to unhelpful insulting comment [snip]. If they dont like criticism, then tough.

Cem

this is bollox:
[This message has been edited by webmaster because he didnt agree with what i said, therefor, I was wrong. (edited 05 September 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Blow Dog (edited 05 September 2000).]

harryh

I agree that Admiral don't seem to be competative on Imprezas. I'll be changing in a few weeks and I'll have to switch insurers which is a shame as Admiral's service seem's to be top notch. I would have no hesitation in recommending them if you can get a decent quote. Who else sends out your insurance certificate the next day after taking out a new policy?

SimonH

I have no direct experience of Admiral for my Impreza but I agree with Blow Dog's sentiment. Whilst it's very nice for the BBS to have the extra revenue, Admiral's advertising on this site doesn't mean that we all have to be reverential towards them. It doesn't matter how much a company pays for their advertising, if their product is no good then can expect a knocking on these pages. This board is designed to share information to save everyone having to make the same mistakes. If Admiral think they have a product to sell Scooby drivers then will advertise here but will have to take the rough with the smooth. Blow Dog has obviously had a bad experience with them whilst chuckster has had good experiences with them. If Admiral (or whoever for that matter) don't like the press they recieve here (or in any market) then they will target another market, it's as simple as that. Just coz they pay for advertising space doesn't put them beyond criticism.

chuckster

Whoa boys!
Cem hadn't qualified his statement in any way in his first post - clearly if the facts are as he states them then fair play!
I'm more than happy to speak out and protest when I have been hard done by, and have facts to back it up. What I wanted to avoid was some kind of witch hunt sparked off by 1 persons, or small group of peoples, bad experience.
Now, my renewal was in March, if Admiral have since decided they do not care to be competitive in the Scoob market then Cems post is valid - at least now he's qualified his statement it is.
I'd never condone covering up FACTS due to bribery, advertisers pressure, what have you.
Cheers
Charles

chrisp

Admiral are cheap for me and I have today just had a quote to go from my UK to an STi an extra 60 quid for 5 months. I was quite happy with that . There are a lot of variables involved just shop around.

cheers

chrisp

Yex

Cem,

Took me 11 months with countless phone calls, e-mails, snail mails and finally a court appearance to get my £350 excess back after being hit by an idiot.

I have had experience of them and my experience of them was crap, won't ever recommend them as they treated me with complete contempt, even though by going to court they got their outlay back on the repair

Yex

Blow Dog

11 months??...AAARRGGGHH!!!

Mungo

When I was quoted by Admiral, they said £560, I agreed and paid by c/card as this was by far the best quote.
When the docs came through the next day, they'd only quoted on a Sport, not a Turbo, hence their "killer" quote.
This was revised to over £800, at which point I took my refund and went to AXA for about £700 through a broker in Bristol.

Markus

I'm a lazy git. I had the VTS and the ST24 insured with Admiral, when I got the WRX I asked them to insure it, and they said yes. With the modifications that it came with, which they were not too unhappy about, 'we don't like modified cars' they said, the cost was £1400, which I don't consider too bad, seeing as I was a lazy git and did not hunting around.

DavidG

They must think they are competitive for Imprezas otherwise why would they advertise here?

SDB

I know a girl who works for Admiral (complete honey, petrol head, basic dream come true, etc. ). VBH *may* have to take second place!!

This was honestly a genuine offer of support.

grale gav

I've got more than one car, insured thru several different insurance companies.
I have had at least one car insured with Admiral for over 5 years.
Some observations:
1. ALL big insurance companies treat you with contempt - most have a deliberate policy of offering you a good quote in yr 1, with a nice hike in yr 2!!
2. Most big companies - including Admiral - operate the 'approved repairer' con. Approved by who?? Not by you, or Subaru UK (or whatever they are called).
3. BEFORE accepting the lowest quote, ask about SERVICE, hours, helplines, courtesy cars (I had to drive around for SIX WEEKS in a Nissan Micra while they waited for parts!some guarantee cars, some are 'if available'.
4.The bad experiences I've had with them are as a result of these so called approved repairers.
5. Admiral were prepared to go to court last year to defend me after an accident (maybe cos it would also prevent them from having to pay out!)
6. Very few staff down in cardiff know anything about decent cars!
7. Albany, thier uninsured loss recovery people, are owned by them and are the best i have dealt with. I've had my excess back before Admiral have given back my no-claims!
8. their (Admiral's) hours and ability to do everything over the phone is good - just make a note of who you talk to!
9.(Finally!) Surely the SIDC or whoever could sort you out a decent set of rates thru a good broker or smaller company direct? There most be some broker bods on here? For me, AON in Dudley provide the best combination of price and service for my Integrale. They do a 'future classics' policy which older scoobies should be able to qualify for? I think this is a Royal & Sunalliance policy, so should be available thru a good broker, anyway.
Apologies for the diatribe!!

Kevin Groat

Sorry guys but I'm sticking up for Admiral, just renewed at £569 for my STi, nobody else I tried could even come close.

Kevin.

StevieG

Initially I had good service from Admiral;
paid £550 June 99. I was quoted £680 for the renewal this year, but I sold the scoob the day the policy expired. When they requoted me
for my brand new Scoob (collected last Saturday from Holland), they wanted £1,350 !!!! & would offer no reasonable explanation why it had risen approx 130% in 6 weeks.
Needless to say I am now with with Hill House Hammond (AXA policy) for around £900.
Very upset with Admiral to say the least......

Steve

SimonH

Mr Webmaster, sir,
I said I agreed with cem's sentiment but said nothing of his approach. On BBs such as this excellent one there's a fine line between constructively criticising and insulting, a line which we must all tread carefully if threads are not to deteriorate into vitriolic and libellous tirades.
Car Insurance is a subject that enrages a lot of (if not all) car drivers, especially owners of high performance or modded vehicles. From what I can gather on these pages many people are paying into the low thousands for their Scoob insurance which, frankly, beggars belief. If one is going to lay out that sort of cash one needs to be sure it's with the right company. This forum is one of the few places you can actually find out about other people's experiences (not just cheap quotes) with the company; what are their payouts like? How quick do they sort it all out? etc etc
I agree with your point about negative comments but remember, if someone has paid <I>thousands</I> for his/her insurance and then is treated badly at payout time then don't be surprised if they vent their anger on these pages even if said company advertises on them. I personally think it's a bit off to use the fact that a company advertises on these pages as a defence. Yes it is good that they have chosen to support ScoobyNet but there's no such thing as a free lunch....

I would like to add that the majority of my comments are not directed at Admiral per se, but companies in general. I would also like to add that following my earlier post I followed the Admiral banner ad and got a very good quote for my wife's MX5 from them Do you get paid for clickthroughs on the banner? If so I made you a few pence this morning

ex-webby

lol

SimonH
I think you've got the wrong end of the stick mate.

Re-read my post. I have *NO* problem with negative comments at all. Also, I don't think I have mentioned any concern with your posts?

The *ONLY* thing I was concerned about was a couple of rude and unhelpful comments in a couple of the posts which I have edited after emailing the member posted them.

I really hope I am clear on this. I know that Admiral will be just as pleased with constructive criticism as they will with praise, etc. I just don't want to insult (by way of being rude rather than constructive) people who are supporting us.

So, I totally agree with your post in every way.

Blow Dog
Not even a little break?
The "running a business" you mentioned involves a large group of people giving a endless amounts of time to the running of this site for free. It also involves a financial risk for no / very little prospect of a return. If there is a return it will be so small that NOBODY would take it on as a business venture as it simply wouldn't be worth while. When I said "we would all have to put more time in replace that advertising revenue", I was thinking of the effort involved to keep the site you enjoy running for you (and all of us), not a profit figure.

Best regards

Webmaster

Jerome

Personally, I have always viewed *all* insurance companies in a bad light. I have paid many many thousands to various different companies over the years and the only claim I've made was to do with a theft (hardly my fault!). I'm still paying £1400 for my Scoob insurance when a 21 year old is paying roughly half that.

All insurances companies have treated some people well and others badly. Quotes are so situation specific, it is very difficult to compare like with like when it comes to cost. Where the real difference comes in, is how they act when you make a claim. It's all very well getting a cheaper quote, but if in the event of a claim, they give poor service, people should let as many people know as possible (within the aforementioned guidelines) to stop others getting poor service as well. Years of bitterness being aired here...

Jerome.

[This message has been edited by Jerome (edited 05 September 2000).]

Rum*

WELL SAID....I'm with Jerome!!!

Why use a Direct Company when you can use a friendly Broker ??!!
(not that I have anything against Direct Companies...;D).

Nuff said...

C U

Tom

[This message has been edited by Rum* (edited 05 September 2000).]

harryh

After gathering all your details carefully and scrutinising the area you live and taking into account your age and driving history here's the formula most insurance companies use to arrive at your premium (for those of you who know BASIC)

Premium=(INT(RND(1)*3800)+200)

DocJock

Coincidentally I just recieved my renewal quote from Admiral today - £807.

As a matter of interest I got an online quote as advertised on infamous banner - £1340 !! WTF ?

DJ

Dave T-S

Here's a reply I posted on a different thread which is valid here.
I work in the insurance industry (mainly American commercial reinsurance) but am balanced enough to criticise it when it is in the wrong - not infrequently.
However, insurance is not a charity - insurers are there to make a profit for their shareholders. If any of you have shares in CGNU, Zurich, L&G etc etc you will want the biggest dividend cheques possible!!

Unfortunately some people think insurance is a charity and it is their God given right to make a claim - if you think motor insurance statistics are bad look at holiday insurance. I seem to remember reading that more lost Rolex watches were once claimed for than made in one year!
MatthewR is right - I don't have the exact figure but motor insurers are paying out around £1.20 or so for every £1 they take in premiums. You can blame dear old Tone@no10 for starters - cost of hospital treatment is now being charged back to insurers. It is reckoned that the cost of a fatal accident is between £250,000 and £1 million!
It is a statistical fact that the 17-23 year olds generate the most losses which is why they are loaded so much.
Unfortunately the good ole Yoo Ess of Ay litigation culture is seeping through here (sorry Chuckster)- if something goes wrong sue someone else for it. Fraud is rife. Add to that and many people's driving is crap (mine included sometimes) - there is no such thing as an accident - it is usually someone's fault. Ultimately we all have to pay for this (me included - I don't deal in motor insurance so have to pay the same as everyone else).

By the way for quotes Screentrade is good (no connection). I'm running a MY00 UK car, full no claims, age 46, (been waiting to be an old fart - it has it's compensations), rural postcode, £500 excess, paying £582 with AXA via Screentrade. Shop around - there's a lot of competition out there and some of them still want your business.

All of us only insure to get a claim paid and pay as little premium for it as possible.
As I say not a defence of a not perfect industry but just trying to present a balanced view of a very boring subject! From experience of dealing with hundreds of brokers and insurers in the UK and from the USA to Cameroon (honest!)quality and standards varies wildly.

Perhaps we should look to see whether it is possible to put a Soob scheme together with a friendly insurer/broker - sane enquiries only please.

ianlove

For everyones information Admiral paid up fine and without a problem. My STi was 10 days off 12 months old and we agreed the value at £23,500 written off. They paid, less excess, within two weeks. Good enough for me.
ian