Work your way through the list for cheaper insurance

1^ST CALL - 0870 6077770

1^ST QUOTE - 0181 598 8080

1^ST PREMIUM DIRECT - 0800 224455*

1^ST NATIONAL DIRECT - 0800 597 1454*

1^ST STOP - 0700 00121 121* (unable to quote imports on Saturdays)

3 PLUS DIRECT - 0800 27 33 33

123 INSURANCE - 0870 1203 123 (Privilege in disguise?)

1^ST SECURE - 0800 515307* (unable to quote imports on Saturdays)

1^ST ADVANTAGE - 0800 250 500*

17 TO 40 DIRECT - 0870 6071740

0700 2 INSURE - 0700 2 467873*

1066 - 0800 99 1066*

A QUOTE - 0800 773000

ABBEY NATIONAL - 0800 670 630

ACADEMY - 0800 7314984

AA - 0800 444 777

ADRIAN FLUX - 01553 777888

ADMIRAL - 0800 600800

ALLIANCE - 0800 500 111

ASHBOURNE - 01992 622365

AUTODIRECT - 0800 600 100

AXA - 0800 0139 292*

BENNETTS - 0990 202090

BUDGET - 0800 801 954

CHURHCHILL - 0800 200 345*

COLONNADE - 0800 678 678

COVERSURE - 0113 2326004

DEMON PREMIUM - 01635 520555

DIAL DIRECT - 0800 068 8001

DIAL 0800 - 0800 1235789

DIRECT CHOICE - 0800 0 88888

DIRECT INSURANCE - 0800 230 303

DIRECT LINE - 0113 243 2468

EAGLE STAR - 0800 333 800

ELSTREE - 0181 386 7766

EXPRESS - 0800 072 1096

GLADIATOR - 0800 90 80 80

GUARDIAN - 0800 28 28 20*

HALIFAX - 0800 200 370

HAINSWORTH WATTS - 01274 619002

HASTINGS DIRECT - 0800 00 1066

HYPERFORMANCE - 0870 608 4312

HELP - 0800 11 22 33

KWIK FIT - 0870 050 777

MIDLAND - 0800 072 2345

NORWICH UNION - 0800 888 111

ONE 2 ONE - 070000 121 121

PLATINUM - 01233 713305

PREMIUM SEARCH - 0800 10 9 8 7 6

PRIVILEGE - 0113 292 5555

RAC - 0345 121 345

ROYAL & SUN - 0800 300 220

SILVERSTONE - 0800 096 888*

SUPERCAR INSURANCE - 01604 615400

SWINTON - 0800 600 700

TOUCHLINE - 0800 207 800

TSB - 0800 731 3687

UNIVERSAL - 0870 608 2323

no points on license with full NCB

premium of £825 and £250 excess

 '91 MR2 GT Turbo T-Bar - 17" Wheels

23 years old in North Yorkshire

no points on license with full protected NCB

premium of £685 and £350 excess

"Can't fault them on anything"

"Cheapest quote by far with excellent service and cover.

No problems with modifications, no extra premium for fitting big alloys"

35 years old in rural Yorkshire

1 years NCB, 2 claims in the last 5 years neither own fault

premium of £415 with £100 excess

Bigger alloys, tyres, stainless exhaust, stereo, springs and adjustable shocks, poly bushes,

K&N air filter, removable steering wheel and an immobiliser

"they are all rip off merchants, but you need a piece of paper to satisfy Mr Plod"

No points, 3yr NCB

premium of £530

"very good (so far)"

 MR2 G-LTD (IMPORT)

27 years old & one named driver

5 years protected no claims bonus

premium of £522.00

premium of £714.15

7 years NCB, no points

With 16" Alloys, S/S Exhaust

premium of £512 with £250 Excess

2 years no claims, no points

premium of £690 with £350 excess (includes £250 voluntary) ,

includes extra legal cover, personal injury cover, green cards and £750 stereo cover

"Dead helpful - never claimed though, so I can't comment on the really important stuff"

2yrs no claims bonus and 3 points

premium of £800 with £100 excess

"I went with them 'cos they seemed to be one of the few who will insure you if you've modified your car"

Points 8 current (all speeding) + another 3 in last 5 years

Premium of £697.87 with £250 excess

Comments on service so far: Well, they beat the rest by £200!

premium of £495 with £450 excess (£250 + £200 as under 25)

£30 off because I put my dad on the policy

Car: value £2,500 approx (good condition), Thatcham Cat.1 alarm/immob

Premium: £397 fully comp

Also gave me full NCD on other car insured with them, efficient, friendly and helpful when setting up policies

Premium: £296 fully comp

With Dorset for the 3rd year running-very impressed at how easygoing they are. Beat my nearest quote by over £500!

Premium: £369 fully comp

car, no doubt a financial write off. However Dorset believed in the enthusiasts value of the car and the go ahead for the repair was given at

the end of the same phone call that reported the accident. I was able to have the car repaired to my standards and specification using genuine parts.

The only delay was because of parts delivery from Japan.

The car was back on the road in about 6 weeks which was almost a miracle when looking at the damage !!

I know of administration hick-ups and larger quotes than other companies but the test of any insurance is when you use them and having had hassle with

previous cars and insurance companies I do not mind paying for the peace of mind given that they match other quotes!"

Tales to tell eh? How about the following...

Dorset Insurance... (a.) Failed to tell me my insurance policy had expired until 8 days after the fact!

(b.)Could not provide me with a certificate of NCD entitlement within a reasonable period, so late in fact I had to get my new insurer (Bell) to phone them directly and get the information they needed before they would be forced to cancel my new policy!

They also insist upon membership of the MR2DC before they will offer you terms (their words not mine) so add £35 to each premium for the DC membership as the rest of the club I have found to be virtually worthless, not worth £35.

In addition, the 15% discount is now old hat... unless they have decided to bring it back, something I doubt. While they will match your cheapest quote, so will most brokers, whereas they used to beat it by 15% that made the DC membership worthwhile on its own. Bell were over £250 cheaper for me than the DC quote of the year before. I refuse to believe that and addition 15% for the extra years NCD would make that much difference.

Even if Bell were £250 more expensive I'd still use them for the simple fact that they are never engaged, you never seem to end up in a queue and all the people I've spoken to have been friendly, interested in your problem(s) with your policy and have been able to help immediately. Since they have what seem to be "interchangeable staff" in other words they all have access to the same information and the same authority to deal with problems, I've not spoken to the same one twice yet, but they've all had the same degree of customer service skills.

Incidentally... my only connection to Bell Direct is as a customer... so this isn't a sales pitch ;-) The only connection I would ever countenance with Dorset again would be with my size 11 steel toed boot ;-)

"I was already insured with Bennets Elite and I renewed my insurance by phone2 days prior to the expiry of the old policy (Jan 99). Two weeks later I hadn't received a new cover note, after a 30 minute queue I contacted Bennets and was assured the policy was in place and the cover note would follow shortly.

In March I received my Visa Statement and noticed there was no insurance debit. I contacted Bennets (failed to get in the queue for several hours and then waited 30 minutes in a queue) who said they had no record of my renewal, my previous phone call, etc. etc. so I had been driving for almost 2 months without insurance through little fault of my own."