Contrasting LV and NFU

[rydercowan]

Insurance renewal arrived today from NFU. Disappointed to find a 14% premium increase, so checked comparison sites. LV had best offer amongst names I’d heard of, but noted an additional £200 excess on accident and windscreen damage if recommended repairer not used. Contacted Edinburgh OPC to enquire about approved bodyshops. They said they only use one, and gave me details. Then tried to contact LV. Online chat seemed broken, so rang their call centre. Got through on the second try after a longish wait. The person I spoke to couldn’t find their recommended repairer list, so put me through to a manager. After another wait I told the manager I wanted to check if a particular repairer was on their list, and why I wanted to know. She explained that their list changed ‘all the time’, and choice of repairer would be determined at the point of any claim. She even refused point-blank to tell me if the bodyshop Edinburgh OPC use was at that immediate instant on their list. An insurance policy is simply a contractual promise to pay, and on the basis of the manager’s attitude LV seem to think it’s acceptable unilaterally to vary the terms of payment after the contract has been made, which is what their approach would amount to in this instance. Rang NFU. Call answered almost immediately. Explained I was disappointed with the 14% premium increase and had been looking at comparison sites. After a couple of minutes on hold I was offered a discount which all but totally eliminated the increase in premium quoted. Result? I’m impressed by NFU and very disappointed with LV’s service and attitude.

[ScotMac]

My premium actually came down his year by £40 roughly.

First time ever I think...

[VanB]

I had a similar experience with NFU last year putting the premium up despite no claims. Phoned them and they reversed the increase. In reality I doubt anyone else would come close to matching their price in any case £700 p.a. to cover both a 991.2 GTS and an Audi Q5 with no tracker required for either car. My wife's Q5 is more expensive to cover than the 911 - go figure!

[Paul]

My NFU renewal has just come through.....£85 odd cheaper than last year and only £20 more than the cheapest cheerfullest meerkat prep I had already done.

[ianst]

Insurance renewal arrived today from NFU. Disappointed to find a 14% premium increase, so checked comparison sites. LV had best offer amongst names I’d heard of, but noted an additional £200 excess on accident and windscreen damage if recommended repairer not used. Contacted Edinburgh OPC to enquire about approved bodyshops. They said they only use one, and gave me details. Then tried to contact LV. Online chat seemed broken, so rang their call centre. Got through on the second try after a longish wait. The person I spoke to couldn’t find their recommended repairer list, so put me through to a manager. After another wait I told the manager I wanted to check if a particular repairer was on their list, and why I wanted to know. She explained that their list changed ‘all the time’, and choice of repairer would be determined at the point of any claim. She even refused point-blank to tell me if the bodyshop Edinburgh OPC use was at that immediate instant on their list. An insurance policy is simply a contractual promise to pay, and on the basis of the manager’s attitude LV seem to think it’s acceptable unilaterally to vary the terms of payment after the contract has been made, which is what their approach would amount to in this instance. Rang NFU. Call answered almost immediately. Explained I was disappointed with the 14% premium increase and had been looking at comparison sites. After a couple of minutes on hold I was offered a discount which all but totally eliminated the increase in premium quoted. Result? I’m impressed by NFU and very disappointed with LV’s service and attitude.

tbh, you probably got through to a customer service handler who has no access to the claims system, at a company I used to work for it would not show who the recommended repairers are until halfway through registering a claim iirc.

[SAC1]

My experience is the very reverse!

NFU were very expensive over the last 3 years of quotes. They were not interested in price matching. I live in a rural hamlet too, so in theory their domain?

LV= have been brilliant over the past 3 yrs. Had a deer kick a swivelling Xenon headlight on a newish Mercedes so only wanted my Merc dealer to replace it. "Absolutely no problem sir" said LV= and promptly paid the £1,360 bill. Each year they have been hundreds of pounds cheaper than NFU on the annual premium and do price match if I've found other lower price competitors.

[Taz]

Just swapped my Macan for a new Cayenne S. I was insured with the RAC but switched to Saga and got a 10% saving. I had a query regarding NCD, spoke to a charming lady on the phone who was very helpful. Saga gets my vote.