A Plan insurance oddities

[edc]

For some time now I have had a Boxster insured via A Plan with Markerstudy. It's had a couple of renewals through the Bletchley office. I was happy so then about a year later transferred my home and buildings insurance through them and ran like this for another year or two.

This summer my home insurance was due. I got a quote from A Plan, felt it was a little high and got a lower price directly with the underwriter Legal & General. I went back to A Plan to query but they couldn't get to the same price by some considerable %age margin yet still tried to convince me to buy a policy from them with that same underwriter. Of course, I went my own way on that one.

More recently this month. I bought a moped and one of my friends locally has one too, same age as me, similar area, same experience etc and paid sub 150. Imagine my surprise when I was quoted 350 which came down to about 230. Off to Confused.com and 111, job done.

Same month, I decide to buy another car and put my details into their website over a weekend thinking it would generate an actual quote rather than a call back. I get called by my local office who can't seem to deal with it as it's a 'specialist' car so gets referred to Bletchley where the Boxster policy was arranged. I get bounced to Thatcham only to be told no quote and no mirrored no claims for any underwriter as the Boxster policy is a 'leisure' policy and the new additional car I am getting is neither 2 seats or convertible. I thought boring, albeit, AMG 4 door saloon would be easier.

I try a few other insurer's and try it on a classic policy but being 2005 its too new.

I then ring Sky who not only will mirror the no claims but will place the policy with the same insurer that the Boxster is with that was arranged through A Plan in the first place!!! What is that all about.

At this rate despite trying my hardest to give A Plan my business as the first number I call I won't have any business with them.

I bet I'm not entered in that ask for a quote and enter the August competition thing now lol

[IanG1]

Similar experience for me, I had a Westfield insured through A Plan which I sold and transferred the policy onto my Boxster. Renewal has come due and fell through the floor at the cost to what I was expecting. I did some hunting around and found cover for £100 cheaper but gave A Plan the chance to come up with something close to what I had been quoted. After much chopping and changing the best they could do was still £40 dearer for the same cover so needless to say I jumped ship despite best intentions to stay loyal.

[tcornet]

Similar this year also Ed. I had my renewal from them it was higher than the previous year despite having more NCB years. They said it was competitive. So I called for a new quote from their Farnborough office. That was at least £100 cheaper. After some arguing Bletchley matched the Farnborough quote with my existing insurance company.

I wasn't impressed and only reasons why I stayed is that I ran out of time and couldn't find an online quote much cheaper with the revised premium.

I guess lesson here is the usual Buyer Beware to check and check again.

[edc]

How can that be right Tony? One office getting a better price than another. It defeats the purpose of using a broker in the first place, what a waste of time.

Also, the Bletchley office, now Thatcham, were supposed to be offering the most comprehensive cover and best priced premiums for Porsche/Boxsters. How can another branch in the same network which supposedly doesn't have access to the best pricing for these cars beat your initial quote by what must be at least 30% in your case!!!

For that reason above alone I don't think I would even bother ringing A Plan next time. I can understand people getting quotations from different insurers directly and even with different brokers but what a crock of shyate if you have to ring multiple branches of the same office. I take it A Plan is not one company, one system, one best price any more if it ever was. I did trust A Plan enough to make just one call, 'review' the market and provide me with the best price, but most of that has been eroded away to nothing now.

When I was having my arm twisted to buy the almost the same L&G house contents but though A Plan at a higher price, I was being given the spiel on service, advice etc. It's a shame that is a hollow promise. Who in their right mind pushes the same cover but through them as a broker even if it costs the customer more? I'm inclined to believe this is akin to the PPI type of mis-selling.

[cts1975]

I was also disappointed with A-Plan quote and general customer service. I went through a comparison website and then called a couple of the cheapest companies directly and managed to get the price down a little.

[tcornet]

How can that be right Tony? One office getting a better price than another. It defeats the purpose of using a broker in the first place, what a waste of time.

Also, the Bletchley office, now Thatcham, were supposed to be offering the most comprehensive cover and best priced premiums for Porsche/Boxsters. How can another branch in the same network which supposedly doesn't have access to the best pricing for these cars beat your initial quote by what must be at least 30% in your case!!!

For that reason above alone I don't think I would even bother ringing A Plan next time. I can understand people getting quotations from different insurers directly and even with different brokers but what a crock of shyate if you have to ring multiple branches of the same office. I take it A Plan is not one company, one system, one best price any more if it ever was. I did trust A Plan enough to make just one call, 'review' the market and provide me with the best price, but most of that has been eroded away to nothing now.

When I was having my arm twisted to buy the almost the same L&G house contents but though A Plan at a higher price, I was being given the spiel on service, advice etc. It's a shame that is a hollow promise. Who in their right mind pushes the same cover but through them as a broker even if it costs the customer more? I'm inclined to believe this is akin to the PPI type of mis-selling.

Ed,

I'm no expert but I believe it's down to how hard they work with the underwriters. Clearly one branch wanted the business more than they other.

We've got household and other car policies with them, but we now double check before accepting any renewals.

[Carlie Howden]

Really sorry you have had the experiences mentioned above.

A-Plan has always been recommended because of our customer service, we know we cannot always be the cheapest but should always endeavour to give our best rate for the correct product.

A-Plan Thatcham has worked very hard with our insurers to offer specialist schemes ( Products and Rates ) for our forum and club partners.

Please feel free to contact me directly on 01635 874646 to discuss any of the questions brought up on this thread in more detail.

Regards

Matthew Minchin.

[Boxob]

Really sorry you have had the experiences mentioned above.

A-Plan has always been recommended because of our customer service, we know we cannot always be the cheapest but should always endeavour to give our best rate for the correct product.

A-Plan Thatcham has worked very hard with our insurers to offer specialist schemes ( Products and Rates ) for our forum and club partners.

Please feel free to contact me directly on 01635 874646 to discuss any of the questions brought up on this thread in more detail.

Regards

Matthew Minchin.

Actually it would be more helpful (and transparent) to me (and others) as an APlan customer if you provided a detailed response here, please.

[edc]

Really sorry you have had the experiences mentioned above.

A-Plan has always been recommended because of our customer service, we know we cannot always be the cheapest but should always endeavour to give our best rate for the correct product.

A-Plan Thatcham has worked very hard with our insurers to offer specialist schemes ( Products and Rates ) for our forum and club partners.

Please feel free to contact me directly on 01635 874646 to discuss any of the questions brought up on this thread in more detail.

Regards

Matthew Minchin.

To be honest there's not much more for me to add. From a selfish point of view, talking to another A Plan person isn't going to change the result for me, save me any money or get me a better product. All my concerns were raised to the employee and branch at the time, apart from the seeming need to play one branch off against another to get a good price.

For the moped quotation the price is the price, albeit yours was over 2 times more than one I got myself.

For the additional car to be insured, I don't want to cover old ground again. You couldn't place the business. I made contact with 3 different branches. The business is now with Markerstudy, who you deal with and say you have a good deal/relationship with, but clearly Sky have a better one. It is just hugely ironic that the Boxster policy is with Markerstudy via A Plan, but I can't get a C55 on there, yet can with Sky.