[MiniOne_Menace]

Please Help ?

At the time when I ordered my mini one i called direct line and got a quote for insurance - i was told that i didn't need 2 list all the options (those below) cause they are options from new and aren't mod's to the car !!

But guess what they have changed there mind and now won't insurance me !!!

What have u guys done with insurance ?? who do u use ?? any tricks ??

Please help if u can ??

Thank u

Mini One - Chili Red
Tartan Red Cloth Sport Seats
Bonnet Strips
17" S Spoke Alloys
Sports Suspensions
ASC+T
Chrome inserts
Auto Air-Con
CD with boost
Trip computer

[BruceK]

Please do a Search for "insurance". This topic has been covered in great detail (for both the UK and the US). Thanks.

[dietcokeplease]

MiniOne Menace,

I suspect that you are a fairly young driver and this is probably one of the causes of the problems with Direct Line.

Direct Line are a very conservative Insurer. Their target market is Mr Middle England with wife, 2.4 kids and the dog. They prefer insuring boring family cars and people who live in low risk areas. They don't want to insure any young drivers or fast cars.

If you have a Cooper with Chili Pack then the premium is loaded by 10%.

Your One is definitely not standard. By standard, Direct Line means how the car is listed in the brochure. This is used by Direct Line to rate your car. If you have added factory fitted options then this deviates your car from the "manufacturers standard specification."

I think that Direct Line are declining to insure because of the addition of Sports Seats, Sports Suspension and 17" Alloys.

Find another insurer online. There are loads of them. It just costs your time online to fill in all the details. If you still have problems, then pick up a copy of Max Power. The classifieds have loads of ads for partly modded and fully modded car insurers for young drivers.

One word of warning for Direct Liners: The Policy is severely restricted and does not give stuff like automatic cover for European Use etc.

[KenL]

Quote:

Originally posted by dietcokeplease
Direct Line are a very conservative Insurer. Their target market is Mr Middle England

Sorry - got to get on your case for this one

Directline are a Scottish company. They were started by one guy who was bought out by the Royal Bank of SCOTLAND.

I live in Scotland and they are very happy to insure my MINI fully comp for a fantastic £240/year

You are right though about their policies. A lot of younger people can get cheaper quotes from other companies. Directline are cheapest for me every year.

Cheers, Ken.

[minimenace]

try www.elephant.co.uk - they are internet only insurers, therefore can afford to offer lower quotes (no overheads). I've been with them 4 over a year and they are great, v efficient. it'll take you 5 mins to get a "quick" quote with a few details and then if you want to go ahead, you just type away.
good luck

[MiniCooperS]

Hope Elephant have bucked up! Yes good quotes but what happens at renewal? Sent three E mails requesting renewal info before I got a message saying we are debiting your credit card. Didn't even know how much for. Seven E-mails later and they finally got the message that I didn't want their insurance anymore. All they want you to do is phone them on the premium number!!!!! My advise is use them as a price ref. only.

[minimenace]

I would have to fight elephant's corner and say that I have had no worries from them. I have just renewed with them and it was painfree - they mailed me a month before renewal asking me if I wished to go ahead/change details and it went smoothly. Moreover, was v surprised to find that my premium actually went down a fair bit - usually after a year most companies try to increase for no apparent reason other than to screw more money out of you. I know their numbers are premium rate, but you can email them and they will call youback no probs. I know it's a premium rate number, but can't you just call from work????

[dietcokeplease]

Quote:

Originally posted by KenL


Sorry - got to get on your case for this one

Directline are a Scottish company. They were started by one guy who was bought out by the Royal Bank of SCOTLAND.

I live in Scotland and they are very happy to insure my MINI fully comp for a fantastic £240/year

You are right though about their policies. A lot of younger people can get cheaper quotes from other companies. Directline are cheapest for me every year.

Cheers, Ken.

One of the benefits of being the wrong side of 30 Ken!

I know, DL are owned by RBS, but they are based in Croydon and maybe I should have said that their target market is Mr & Mrs Middle England, Scotland and Wales (Don't think they insure NI)!

I'm doing the insurance rounds at the mo. My period of free insurance under my dads fleet policy is nearly up. As a second car I only have 1 years no claims and being reasonably mature(33), DL are £533.00, Egg £507, and Admiral £447 with £100 excesses. Admiral seem impressive, they quote a wide range of excesses so you can choose. Also they have a section where you declare mods to the car. My example is as follows:

Excess £250 Premium £356 10mth Bonus Accelerator
Excess £250 Premium £408
Excess £150 Premium £430
Excess £100 Premium £447
Excess £ 50 Premium £472
Excess £ 0 Premium £511

You just know you're old when companies are willing to offer you a zero excess!

ElderlyDC

[Rich-UK]

Try tesco.co.uk, they're even cheaper than Direct Line!

[Dom]

Eagle Star didn't give two hoots about chilli pack and window tints and graphics... and I'm 19

Dom

[smiffy]

Elephant's telephone numbers are no longer charged at premium rates

[ricardo]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dom
Eagle Star didn't give two hoots about chilli pack and window tints and graphics... and I'm 19

Dom

They must have changed their attitude: a few years ago (pre-Zurich merger), Eagle Star was renowned for it's fussiness where modifications were concerned. Their proposal forms used to list "stripes and decals" as modifications which they would not accept!! Make sure you've got something in writing accepting your mods. However, if you did the business over the phone and there's no proposal form to refer back to, then the insurer will have to have taped the conversation if they try to rely on what you told them at a later date.

[Dom]

Quote:

Originally posted by ricardo
They must have changed their attitude: a few years ago (pre-Zurich merger), Eagle Star was renowned for it's fussiness where modifications were concerned. Their proposal forms used to list "stripes and decals" as modifications which they would not accept!! Make sure you've got something in writing accepting your mods. However, if you did the business over the phone and there's no proposal form to refer back to, then the insurer will have to have taped the conversation if they try to rely on what you told them at a later date.

It's all in writing... they didn't think too much of me wanting to lower the car though, £240 for that!

Dom

[Mini Cruiser]

Have u tryed bmw's insurance? i found them the cheapest.

Im 18, MINI-ONE salt, i was paying 950 quid fully comp with my b/f and dad as name drivers. That when the car was standard.

The good thing with them is they insure all mod's 2.

There number is 08452468888

and try adding ur mum or dad as a name driver, it brought my insurance down, adding name drivers.