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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

line

 

Direct Line

3 Stars
Direct Line
Major insurance company –
Owned by Royal Bank of Scotland – developed by Peter Woods.

(av) amounts in brackets are market average.
Address:
3 Edridge Road, Croydon. CR9 1AG.
Affiliated Companies:
• Churchill • Privilege • Tesco • Prudential
• Nationwide
• Virgin • Lloyds TSB • Egg
• Royal Bank of Scotland
• Natwest • Nissan
• Vauxhall • BMW • NIG.
APR on instalments:
21.5% (23.5%) average. Deposit then 10 monthly payments by direct debit poor value.
Cancellation charges:
1 months premium charged as fee (£42).
Courtesy car:
Guaranteed courtesy car upgrade £29 (£24) poor value.
Foreign Use:
First 3 days of trip (69 free days) not great.
Notify your company of any trip abroad before going.
Legal protection:
£23 (£21) poor value.
Maximum age for new business:
80 years-of-age.
Personal accident cover:
Difficult to ascertain until policy has been paid for (they do give you 14 days to study the policy and schedule, you can then cancel without penalty).
Policy amendment fee:
£17.85 (£16.75) too high.
Protected no claims discount:
Do not pay more than 10% extra.
Staff:
Good product knowledge, polite 8/10 (7/10).
Standard use of car:
Normally includes use in connection with your occupation + social. Some occupations are social use only.
Stereo & personal effects cover:
Difficult to ascertain until policy has been paid for (they do give you 14 days to study the policy and schedule, you can then cancel without penalty).
Vehicle breakdown:
Green Flag (owned by Direct Line). Basic cover price £35.70 (£34) plus home call £70 (£65.50) expensive.
Voluntary excess available:
• £150 • £250 • £350
Windscreen Cover:
Included free. Excess £60 (£63) average.
Repairs £10.
Cards Accepted:
• Major Credit/Debit cards.
Website:
www.directline.com – Excellent layout, well designed.
Phone Number:
Local rate: 0845 246 8701.
Comments:
Not competitive in 2008 look closely at your renewal premium as alternatives are available. Very expensive. Beware of increases of compulsory excess on renewals.
Best Advice UK
www.bestadviceuk.co.uk

http://www.localmotoring.com
w
ww.localmotoring.com


Company summary:

• Recently competitive on young drivers.

• Not particularly competitive on anything else.

• Direct Line are now charging £10 for windscreen repairs (previously free).

• Beware renewals as compulsory excesses on windscreen cover and accidental damage etc. have been increased and are not very well shown on renewal notices.

• The Direct Line Group have a habit of increasing compulsory excess at renewal without properly explaining or highligting this on the renewal notice. They also impose automatic renewal of policies without properly telling their client.

• Named drivers now earn no claims bonus with the Direct Line Group. But this applies in the first year only and you then go back to one-years no claims discount (assuming you've had no claims).

• Direct Line are not reducing no claims bonus if the vehicle is damaged due to vandalisim.

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