Many years ago I complained to my wife that any unpleasant bills, which let’s face it occur with monotonous regularity, were always for £100; now they are £500.
IMO the motor insurance industry lost control of its liability costs. In the name of "efficiency" it has contracted out claims handling to third parties. These third parties have commercial relationships with specific repairers and car hire firms and the resulting lack of competition and pigs in trough mentality has led to massively inflated repair costs, hired cars being pushed for short duration, the parts suppliers charging what they want and it all being passed on to the captive market of drivers.
I bloody HATE 'shopping around', and I also bloody hate the assumption that it is what rational people do. I have many better and more fulfilling things to do with my time. I want a settled arrangement and then not to be progressively ripped off. However, it now seems that's too much to hope for :-(
IMO the motor insurance industry lost control of its liability costs. In the name of "efficiency" it has contracted out claims handling to third parties. These third parties have commercial relationships with specific repairers and car hire firms and the resulting lack of competition and pigs in trough mentality has led to massively inflated repair costs, hired cars being pushed for short duration, the parts suppliers charging what they want and it all being passed on to the captive market of drivers.
I bloody HATE 'shopping around', and I also bloody hate the assumption that it is what rational people do. I have many better and more fulfilling things to do with my time. I want a settled arrangement and then not to be progressively ripped off. However, it now seems that's too much to hope for :-(
Annual shop around is the default now.