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Price comparison companies

• Best Advice UK
• gocompare.com
• Moneysupermarket
• Tesco Compare

List of companies
(analysed by Matthews Guide)

• AA Insurance
• Admiral
• AIG Direct

• Asda
• Auto Direct
• Aviva
• Barclays Insurance
• Bell Direct
• Bradford & Bingley
• Budget
• Churchill
• CIS

• Dial Direct
• Diamond
• Direct Choice
• Direct Line
• E Car Insurance
• E Sure
• easyMoney.com
• Egg
• Elephant
• Endsleigh
• First Alternative
• Ford
• Halifax
• Hastings
• HSBC Insurance
• Insure & Go
• Insure it all
• its4me
• Kwik Fit
• Lancaster Insurance
• Liverpool Victoria
• Lloyds TSB
• Marks & Spencer
• Masterquote
• Mercedes
• More Than
• Nationwide
• NatWest
• Nissan
• Peoples Choice
• Privilege
• Prudential
• Quinn Direct
• RAC
• Rias
• Royal Bank
of Scotland

• Saga
• Sainsbury's
• Screentrade
• Sheilas Wheels
• Swiftcover.com
• Swinton
• Tesco
• The Post Office
• Toyota
• Vauxhall
• Virgin
• Volvo
• What Car Insurance
• YES Insurance
• Yorkshire Bank
• Zurich

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Budget
3 Stars
Budget
Intermediary insurance company – Owned by Budget (BISL). BISL own comparethemarket.com (price comparison site).

Awards:
• Winner Best Intermediary.
• Runner-up Best Value For Money.
• Third Best Internet Design.

(av) amounts in brackets are market average.
Address:
BISL, Peterborough, PE2 6YS.
Affiliated Companies:
• Post Office • Bradford & Bingley • Dial Direct
• Marks & Spencer • Yes Insurance.
APR on instalments:
23.2% (23.5%) average.
Cancellation charges:
Pro rata plus £35 (£42) admin fee.
Courtesy car:
Normally included, check before purchase (£24) good.
Foreign Use:
Normally 60 days (69 free days) good.
Notify your company of any trip abroad before going.
Legal protection:
£26 (£21) poor value.
Maximum age for new business:
80 years-of-age.
Personal accident cover:
Up to £5,000.
Policy amendment fee:
£25 (£16.75) hard to justify very high.
Protected no claims discount:
Do not pay more than 10% extra.
Staff:
OK 6/10 (7/10).
Standard use of car:
Social only, extra use costs more.
Stereo & personal effects cover:
Stereo up to £500 less excess.
Vehicle breakdown:
Basic cover price £70 including home start (£65.50) poor value.
Voluntary excess available:
• £50 • £100 • £150 • £200 • £250 • £300
• £350 • £400 • £450 • £500
Windscreen Cover:
Included free – Excess normally £50 (£63) good.
Cards Accepted:
• Major Credit/Debit cards.
Website:
Average site.
Phone Number:
Freephone: 0800 328 3595.
Customer Services: 0870 584 5375 (High Tariff).
Claims: 0870 845 678 (High Tariff).
Comments:
Often competitive, decent quality intermediary. Very high charges. The Budget group have been competitive throughout 2007, usually offering good value for money. Worth a try.

Our opinion:

• Good professional company in most ways. Competitive at all times on most risks other than young drivers.

• Always include courtesy car on Comprehensive. Excess stated is total amount.

• Legal expenses, administration fees and breakdown are too expensive.

• This company also handle:
Post Office • Marks & Spencer • Yes Insurance • Debenhams Insurance.

• Budget offer good rates for vans.

• Budget Insurance offer temporary cover from one to twenty eight days for cars and vans.

• We've had several complaints from clients saying that they have been kept hanging on when phoning customer services on an 0870 number, this seems rather bad planning and can be a huge expense to the caller (Budget will be receiving money from the phone provider with the 0870 number).

• Green insurance?
A new company called I Buy Eco which portrays itself as being eco-friendly is actually Budget Insurance in disguise. Looks like an attempt to cash in on the green party.

 

Tel: 01782 838404 • Email: info@matthewsguide.co.uk
The Matthews Guide to Motor Insurance – Independent Insurance Advice