Good 10 month policy but high excess (Elephant.co.uk)

Member Name: cs11462

Product:	Elephant.co.uk
Date:	08/09/09 (127 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheapest for young drivers, Good customer service

Disadvantages: High Excess, works out more exspensive for direct debit

I have been driving for 3 years now but because of my age 24, my gender (Male) and my circumstances of not being rich (living in a not so good area), i find it very hard to find decent priced insurance. Ok, so i dont help myself wth having a 2 litre car.

I unfortunately had an accident that was my fault within 3 months of passing my test, but fortunatly started a job that i was given use of a company car with. This was great un until leaving the job a year later.

All the other insurers were coming up with quotes for no less than £2000 for the year fully comp, and most wouldnt insure me at all. Elephant quoted at £1200 but because i paid over direct debit 10 monthly installments this came to a total of around £1500, this was because of the credit interest and i also lost an intro bonus. I did however pay up til 4 months then paid the bulk of what was left, this way i got my intro bonus taken off the balance and the credit payments were around £70 , so i ended up paying £1270 for 10 months. Yes, 10 months, see below.

Yes Elephant are good for young drivers or drivers with no NCB (no claims bonus) as they give you the option of a standard 12 month policy or a 10 month acellerator policy which works out a little more expensive but it gives you a years no claims after 10 months. Please not, some insurers can be funny about this but most are ok as your policy actually just says 1 years no claims on your cert at the end of the term. They would have also let me use my company car 1 year NCB but for the fact that i had had an accident within 3 years, but if you have named driver exp its well worth asking about.

They offer free windscreen cover as standard and extras available are courtesy car, breakdown, legal cover. I dont know exact price but i got them to half the price after saying no until the very end when i took them out for "peace of mind".

Although they were the cheapest for young drivers they also had a mega excess, £750 voluntery (to get the price down) and £150 compulsory for under 25's. The compulsory vanishes after 25.

In my second year i got a cheaper quote from Admiral but because they are the same company they matched it and i stayed with Elephant, they said it was easier for their systems to stay as elephant which suited me. Admiral also had a lower £500 excess which they also matched.

I have been lucky enough to never have to use them to find out what their customer service is like but when finalising my details over the phone it was a pleasent experience.

All in all, young drivers dont have much choice but with the 10 month policy its well worth putting a phone call in to Elephant and just see what they offer.

Summary: Worth a look at for younger drivers