Car insurance

Another little rant which should perhaps be entitled ' How to lose customers'. Mick has used Churchill car insurance for many years, so last year when I was selling my business and the van with it and buying a new small car we used Churchill for mine too, getting a 2nd car discount for doing so.

In early March my granddaughter wanted to be added onto my car insurance to get some driving practice.

Phone call to Churchill: the longest I could add her for was 6 weeks because my car insurance ran out on 22nd April. They couldn't quote for after that. So, ok, 6 weeks it would be. Cost - £132 FOR 6 WEEKS! One of the reasons for the high cost (which I didn't quite take in at the time, I must confess) was that by adding someone else onto my insurance we lost the 2nd car discount. WHY?

They asked if I wanted them to send the next year's quote out with her added and I said 'No, I'll let you know if that changes' (at that cost for 6 weeks, no chance!). So, early April, the renewal letter arrives. Of course, she's included. Seven hundred and stupid pounds. Phone call to Churchill: explained, very pleasantly that I had not wanted her included, would they quote without. Two hundred and something but didn't really register the exact amount as I'd forgotten what the previous year had been (£190). Asked whether I wanted to accept that I said 'yes, ok' until they then asked for payment details. I said that it's not due for over 2 weeks so I shouldn't be paying now. But they stated that if I was accepting it then I had to pay for it then. So of course, I DIDN'T accept it after all. Luckily. 19th April: Phone call to Churchill with the intention of accepting and paying. But I had the sense to check the amount - £277 or £25 pm if I wanted to put it on D/D. Queried the enormous cost, nearly £90 increase. That's because you've lost the 2nd car discount now, came the eventual response after some checking. Why? Because I'd added my granddaughter on. But she's not on there now I explained, as patiently as possible (i.e, not very patiently at all by this point!). I said that at that cost I would be looking elsewhere.

The voice at the other end said she'd look into it - much more than 5 minutes elapsed during which time I was already looking on line for alternative quotes - response was then that there was nothing they could do, that by adding her in the previous year for 6 weeks we'd lost the 2nd car discount. When I then asked why, as we were still insuring 2 cars, she reverted to the ' that's the way it works'!!!!!

She repeated that nothing could be done. Ha ha. Oh yes it can. My car insurance with them was then cancelled as of 22nd April. I got a number of FAR cheaper, like for like quotes, and took one with the AA at £170ish, £15.10pm saving me £10 a month. £120 saving over the year. ALSO let them know that when Mick's car insurance is due for renewal, it won't be with Churchill. Two bits of business gone + anyone else we tell. But do they appear to care?

This is the same insurance company who will not insure my granddaughter on her own mum's car. Why? Kate has the same car as I have, a Fiat 500 BUT she had a chrome kit added and Churchill will not insure a young person on any car that's been modified. Well, I guess the addition of a chrome kit does increase the risk of there being an accident when a young person is driving????????????

I'll put it all down to just another occasion when I've realised I've turned into a grumpy old woman. Or maybe not. Maybe I just expect good service from a company who actually wants my business.