Vocal Voices

.... so flamin' difficult these days?
Renewing the motor insurance policy.

Every 2 years, our agents require copies of our driving licences and the DVLA licence summary - some sort of anti-fraud regulations.

Photocopying the former on the printer, scanning them across to the computer, (then trying to find out where they've been sent ) isn't a major problem, but the DVLA require you to jump through identity hoops, including asking for your NI number (why? Isn't my driving licence number sufficient?), to get a code, then you have to work out how to access that document, and then download it to your computer, (again, where has it gone?) and then work out how to upload all these documents to an email. Tried to print out a hardcopy of the DVLA documents as a failsafe; the printer promptly fails with an error, so I have to reboot the system.

Having got the documents attached to an email, I send it off, job done. Err no, two of the four attachments apparently failed to download . Phone up the insurance brokers to apologise, give DVLA information over the phone. Try to email the errant two files to myself, this time it works! Re-send the two missing files to the brokers, hopefully successfully. Will have to wait and see.

Now all this may sound trivial, but it's taken me over an hour of headbanging to get done what I need to do. Renewing your motor insurance never used to be as complicated as it is now. And all this is on a desktop; how people get on trying to do it on a mobile phone I have no idea.

I really am getting too old for this sort of caper. Off now to lie down in a darkened room with my head in an ice-bucket .....

That does sound like a whole lot of red tape!

Ossie, one thing which you can do to save some pain is to set your browser to ask you where to put your downloads. By default it dumps it in Downloads, but if you change the setting to ask you can then choose the folder you want it in. I have my passport, driving license and other documents saved on OneDrive where I can simply attach them to things.

Save document scans as PDF by preference. It produces a smaller file and you don't wind up with the mail being too large to send. If you use onedrive or google docs you can send links to your insurance agent who can then download them themselves. This avoids sending issues.

I know it's a PITA, but they are trying to avoid some of the larger abuses which happen and driving licenses are one of the picture identities which unlock other services. So they should be providing a high barrier.

Being organised makes things a lot easier. Starting with the browser download setting, having a folder structure set up for scans and insurance docs and then in the way you approach getting things and sending them to other pepole.

For me it's really simple. For Mrs S it is always a PITA for me because she has none of these stored. I've started storing her stuff and I just pick it up the same as I do for my own.

Car insurance?

All I ever get asked for is make, model, registration, my name, address, how many years no claims and if I want fully comp. Then they want my money.

They all seem to know every damned thing about me as soon as they get my name, address, and registration, so I do not know what all the copying of this, that and the other is about.

I use comparison sites to get a few quotes then go to the insurers' sites direct and fill in the details. Then I cancel and phone them up and ask if they can beat the comparison site quotes by knocking off a bit of their commission. It has worked a few times! I have absolutely no loyalty, none whatsoever. I also save a few bob by paying in full rather than direct debit.

I don't get most of this crap either. I just use SAGA due to their green card policy.

This year my insurance dropped by 40%. I turned 60 last year and this is my renewal. I just pay the fee and it's done.

Most of my documentation stuff is with other agencies and the company contracting. Hence why I'm organised.

Is it the in-betweeners, the agencies, asking for all this stuff?

I never use them, so would not know, but going direct I have never had a problem.

With that damned parked car I was able to use open and official databases to find that it was taxed, had insurance and an MOT. Insurers must have access to much more information such as the owner's name, address etc. The police certainly do, though they would not let me know any of it.

Workingman wrote:Is it the in-betweeners, the agencies, asking for all this stuff?

I never use them, so would not know, but going direct I have never had a problem.

With that damned parked car I was able to use open and official databases to find that it was taxed, had insurance and an MOT. Insurers must have access to much more information such as the owner's name, address etc. The police certainly do, though they would not let me know any of it.

I suspect it is WM.

No the police won't tell you... We do have "some" privacy after all...

I'm about to renew mine - was with Sainsbury's insurance and it's gone up by £90 for the year.... so now shopping around for a better deal. But same as Frank says; all I'm asked for is

make, model, registration, my name, address, how many years no claims and if I want fully comp

as well as optional extras


Ossie; does your agent shop around for best deals for you?

Yes they do (according to them), and it's been the same sort of figure for a number of years now, around £250 with full no claims discount. Can't grumble!
Went up £8 this year.

Master O was with Hastings, they've just quoted him an increase of over £50 for renewal, so he's gone elsewhere and got it cheaper than the previous year.

Slightly off topic, but for home and contents insurance, we've been with the same company for a number of years, and over the last two years, the cost has actually fallen from £43/m to £30/m.
I suspect it may be something to do with the new "law" that says you can't charge existing customers more than what you're prepared to offer new customers ....