Diamonds are a girl's best friend! (Diamond Car Insurance)

Member Name: nicola21

Product:	Diamond Car Insurance
Date:	25/03/01 (1284 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beat the insurance giants with one call!

Disadvantages: none

Whether you agree with Diamond's statement, that women are better and safer drivers than men, or not, you're still bound to get the best deal for car insurance if you've just started driving. As years and wisdom are not on my side yet, I cannot say for a fact, but I should imagine that as you go into your thirties and forties, car insurance premiums will go down for you anyway because of experience, age and no claims bonuses, so then, most insurance companies will be able to give you acceptable and competetive quotes anyway.

However, if you are new to driving or in your 20's and only driving for a few years, insurance can be a costly problem. Some places do not insure people under the age of 21, or even 25. Most places charge the earth to insure you as you are in a higher risk category. This is where Diamond excel in providing insurance at a much lower cost than anyone else.

When I started driving my own car at 19, I did the mandatory phoning through every insurance company in the Yellow Pages. Time after time I was being quoted in excess of £1000 which is totally unacceptable. I spent that much on the car itself! I soon realised that it was going to be more expensive for me anyway as this was my first year driving, but there had to be something cheaper than £850 out there.

Then I came across a little known company called Diamond, (I had stuck to ringing trusty big-name insurance companies until then), gave them a ring, and the staff there seemed ten times more friendly than any other company I had spoken to that day. They quoted me about £550 for 12 months fully comprehensive which was the best deal by far. Still expensive, but considering I was a first-time personally-insured driver, this was great!

Some of my male friends were paying well over £1000 in the same situation. Most of my female friends had their insurance through their parents insurance, so I had nothing else to compare to. So the next day, I was
insured by Diamond. I was allowed to have three other named drivers insured for my car as well, all included in my premium, which is extremely handy, and not that many other companies do this for new drivers.

Whenever I had a query during the year, the helpline was answered within a minute or so. There were no long, expensive calls with impatient waiting. The staff were helpful and did exactly what you asked of them immediately. Marvellous!

Unfortunately, the following year, I could not afford to pay the lump sum at any amount, although the renewal quote was excellent. Instead I opted for an interest free monthly payment schedule with CGU/Norwich Union which was more expensive but at least I could pay monthly with no interest. (They are a bad company! - see my opinion on them.) Had I been able to pay the lump sum, I would have gone through Diamond again. I will do so when my insurance is up for renewal later this year.
Diamond do have a monthly payment schedule as well, but the interest is high, like with the majority of companies.

So, advice for anyone out there wanting much cheaper car insurance, (and actually getting cheaper insurance), I highly recommend Diamond. It's a bit more well known know than a few years ago, but the company are doing very well, and they are very reliable in my opinion. You can get a free, no obligation quote on their internet site, but there's also a free-phone number to call if you prefer to speak with them. Many other bigger insurance companies quote extortionate premiums, basically because they think you are high risk, and they do not want to insure you. Diamond, on the other hand do. They actually want your business and care for the welfare of their customers.

An excellent company for younger females who are about to be ripped off by the insurance giants. I know the television adverts are a bit tacky, but at least they practice what they preach. You can be pretty much guaranteed th
at if you phone Diamond first in your quest for the right car insurance premium, you won't find another quote to beat them.

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