Motoring Discussion > Variation in quotes, depending on Location Tax / Insurance / Warranties
Thread Author: Meldrew Replies: 32

 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Meldrew
Obviously one would expect some variation in quotes depending on the area in which a car is kept and used. I drive a 1250cc hatchback and partner drives a 1400cc auto, we are both in our 70s and drive less than 7K miles a year. She commutes a 10 mile round trip, 3 days a week, to work and we both have full comp and my cover is just SD&P. Hers is garaged and mine lives on my drive; I live in a village outside Stamford and she lives in Wokingham. I have Null Points and she has 3. My premium for renewal is £165, usual cover plus 90 days green card, her best renewal quote is £422 ie more than double. These prices are from Confused. What is going on?
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Meldrew
Partner is thinking that some of it may be because her car is auto and mine is manual. There might be a difference but not £200 extra, I would have thought!
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - -
Have you tried exchanging cars and or moving her in with you (virtually), i would imagine the major difference is postcodes.
Is there a claim from her past still affecting her risk?

Wokingham and it's surroundings are major traffic conurbations, factor in increased car and other crimes, it's hardly surprising.


 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Videodoctor
1250cc vs 1400cc

Driving to work vs Domestic use.

3 points vs 0 points.

And finally partly due to location.

It all adds up to a higher premium.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Meldrew
I understand the differences that you have kindly identified - I am just surprised that combined, they add up to that sort of difference. Car swap no, she likes her automatic, co-locating on paper would be a deception and would have council tax and other implications. I am happy with my premium and she is stuck with hers. I don't suppose going to a broker is going to help but we might give that a try.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - -
Car swap no, she likes her
>> automatic, co-locating on paper would be a deception and would have council tax and other
>> implications.

Don't need to swindle anyone M, just play with the autoquote system a bit and see what differences come up, just to satisfy your curiosity..
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Slidingpillar
Stamford ought to be a cheap area for insurance, Wokingham won't be.

Car repair costs figure too, so yours might be cheap to repair, and hers isn't. Any remotely sporty name usually means a higher group as well.

3 points is not usually an issue.
Last edited by: Slidingpillar on Sun 30 Oct 11 at 18:01
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Meldrew
Apologies - I am so dim! I will try a quote for her car at my location and report back tomorrow. Thanks!
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Meldrew
I have done the "GB Shuffle" and got a quote for my partner's car at my address and it is only about £70 less than the Wokingham one. Thus, for similar people and the same address, similar mileages and NCD and 3 points each, a Ford KA is £165 and a 206 Auto is £327. I am puzzled but stuck with the results. Thanks for your interest and input. Partner wonders if the Auto is relevant? I told her probably not.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - kb
"Partner wonders if the Auto is relevant? I told her probably not."

My Mrs. and I are both insurance companies 'favoured' Everything (address, age, occupation, NCD etc. etc.) is to their liking..........but the auto option versus manual on the same model of car definitely upped the premium for both of us. Not a huge amount (about a tenner IIRC), but definitely dearer with some companies. I recall some other companies didn't penalise the auto but were dearer in the first place.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Runfer D'Hills
Is your's an "old" Ka or a "new" one Meldrew? My wife used to have an 04 "old" one before she turned it upside down.

I used to love driving that thing. It felt like a go-kart mostly. Can't think of anything current quite so pure. ( Maybe the outgoing Panda on reflection ) As with original Minis it was like little mongrel, full of life and no pretensions. Great wee car.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Meldrew
Mine's the new one, although there has been a mid-life update this year. I handed in a £250 Renault Clio and got £2K off on the scrappage scheme. I don't go more than about 25 miles from home - I use the train for my distance work, so it suits me.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Stuu
>>Partner wonders if the Auto is relevant? I told her probably not.<<

No, unlikely, but you can do another shuffle online to check it.

Off the top of my head, the Ka is quite low ins grouping isnt it? Sometimes similar cars can have very different groupings, Ford are usually lower than most, presumably due to repair costs.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - -
>> Apologies - I am so dim!

No apology needed M, you just needed a reminder to do the ''shuffle'', i like that term..;)

From reading your further postings there is still quite a difference, i wouldn't have thought there would be such a marked increase to an auto with not much bigger engine either, no obsure or otherwise makes or sporty pretensions for either car either, most odd.

Did you try both yourself and your partner in your car at her address too, to see what your car would be like at Wokingham, or did i miss that.

Either way, have you tried the few insurance companies directly who don't appear on the comparison sites, or indeed a competent broker.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Zero
There is a significantly, by some large margin, increased risk of motoring accident or incident in crowded Reading, than a sleepy rutland village.

Most of your increase is location pure and simple. You may not believe it, but the insurance company risk data backs it up, hence price increase.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 30 Oct 11 at 20:00
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Meldrew
I read what everybody is saying I am just amazed that the premium difference can be that much plus, when I got a quote for her car at my address the premium was over £300 against my £165, same post code, a 206 vs a KA.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Iffy
I'm surprised the same address quotes are so far apart.

Assuming Melders' partner is female, her quote could be less - gender makes a big difference in younger drivers, maybe not so much in older ones.

 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Meldrew
Yes she is female. She does have a 50 year old and a 70 year old, both clean licences, as named drivers but even that shouldn't account for the difference.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Stuu
Confused.com has never got me a good price, so maybe try all the companies that dont use it.

I only pay £430 a year for my Ignis Sport which is a 1500cc, to do 15,000 miles business use.

My mum at 57 pays £260 a year for a V6 Hyundai.

Its either location or where your getting the quotes, or a combination of both.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Stuu
A quick look at ins groups puts a new Ka at group 3, a 206 auto anywhere from group 9 to 16, depending on whether 1.4 or 1.6.

That could account for a portion of it too.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - -
>> A quick look at ins groups puts a new Ka at group 3, a 206
>> auto anywhere from group 9 to 16,

Big difference there, and Meldrew's young lady does have named drivers too, it all adds up.

Where did you find the insurance groups please Stu, would be handy for reference.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Stuu
www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/facts-and-figures/

Course these are part of the 50 group setup so the differences arent huge, but every group makes a difference.

For balance, my car is grp 21.
Last edited by: FoR on Mon 31 Oct 11 at 11:51
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - -
Thanks Stu, didn't know Parkers did that quick reference guide, useful, and it shows torque figures which many references do not, BHP is quite irrelevent for my driving.

The C2 VTS Hdi goes in group 14, quite a bargain.
My old Benz doesn't show a grouping though it used to be 18 in the old groups, and i shall be investigating whether i can get on a classic policy now it's over 15 years.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Meldrew
Thanks FoR I think I'll wind my neck in! I did not have the faintest idea that there could be that much Group difference between 2 1300cc (roughly) hatchbacks. It is my lady friend's problem and I have my done my best on this insurance for her. I think you have come up with the true reason and I thank you!
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Stuu
Just remember it is the 50 group rating as opposed to the previous 20 group one, but I imagine they used it to raise some cars risk over each other that were previously in the same groups.

I imagine that in the old 20 group system, the Ka is 1-2, the 206 anywhere between 5 and 8.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Zero

>> for her. I think you have come up with the true reason and I thank
>> you!

Not so fast.

Direct line for me on an 09 Ka £296
Direct line for me on an 06 206 £336

Not such a big difference.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Stuu
Of course if she has points on her license, that seems very relevant too, try adding 3 points on Zero, does it make much difference?

I think its a combination of several factors.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Zero
Me, 06 206, added an SP30 with 3 points.

£399.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - -
Chuck 2 named drivers on you're soon starting to add up.

You can see why those areas renowned for uninsured drivers and crash for cash criminals end up very expensive, half way there in a relatively normal place like Wokingham.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Meldrew
My lady 04 206 SP30 £427 so ball park really. This has been a very illuminating thread!
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Iffy
...Me, 06 206, added an SP30 with 3 points...£399...

Seems the oft-repeated advice that insurance companies don't worry about the odd three points is not quite right.



 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Bill Payer
I'm surprised by how much the lady's insurance premium is, and by how little it changes when switching the addresses.

My daughter in her late 20's pays less on her Golf, and that's with 3 named drivers.

Area usually makes a big difference. I pay £250 for my Merc with £100 excess in rural Cheshire. I put a central Leeds postcode into my details on one of the comparison sites for someone on one of the Merc forums and it jumped to over £700.
 Variation in quotes, depending on Location - Meldrew
My limited experience in these matters is that, if you get 3 points SP30 and tell your insurance company, they note them and don't want more money, When/if you renew with them they still don't care. However of you change insurers the attitude seems to be a little different = they are taken into account.
Latest Forum Posts