Want an insurer who'll rip you off? Look no further... (Quinn Direct)

Member Name: k8eh

Product:	Quinn Direct
Date:	08/08/09 (203 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: If you ask for a manager you might be helped... a little

Disadvantages: extortionate unfair, poor customer service, poor correspondance

*WARNING - THIS IS A LONG REVIEW ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE, I AM NOT PROMOTING QUINN OR RECOMMENDING THEM IN ANY WAY, IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A GOOD CAR INSURANCE COMPANY, YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TIME READING MY REVIEW - IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON QUINN SEE THEIR WEBSITE, MANY THANKS*

After seeing that there had been only one review written and it was mostly positive, I felt I needed to contribute for the sake of balance. My experience hasn't been brilliant.

Now, I've probably been a bit naive when it comes to car insurance, it's all new to me. But we've all seen those television adverts boasting the brilliance of price comparison websites and plenty of friends and relatives had also recommended them telling me "you can't go wrong".

I bought my 1.2 Renault Clio in October 2008 at a bargain price and to subsidise my driving lessons because to put it nicely, my instructor was downright useless. I got a one hour lesson once every 3 weeks if I was lucky, so felt it would help if I got my own car and had friends and relatives take me out for extra practice. Good idea, no?

No, not really. Yes the extra practice helped but I would soon experience my first car insurance nightmare. I sat at my laptop with the supervision of an experienced driver who new what to roughly expect with my first quote.
I keyed in all my details and waited as the site generated the best quotes from all sorts of car insurance companies.

As I was a provisional driver and was looking to be insured under that, I had been warned to expect to pay around £1000. Ouch I thought, but thinking about the long term and the need to pass my driving test as soon as possible, I allowed for this amount.

When the quotes came on screen I was pleasantly surprised, yes most were in the region of £1000+ but I had also found one for just £800, and with my deposit of £150 it made my monthly payments only £50, which I could comfortably afford at the time as I was living rent/bills free.

Who are Quinn? I asked, Nobody I knew had heard of them, but if the price comparison website reckons they're good then what the hell! I signed up on the spot.

The first few months were fine, I paid my £50 a month and drove around in my lovely little car (supervised of course), but as my driving ability improved and my test date came nearer and nearer I was told I'd have to make my insurance company aware if I passed my test. 'No problem' I thought, I'd again been warned to expect it to rise a little, but as Quinn were so brilliant in my mind at this time, I had no worries.

So April 1st 2009 comes and I successfully pass my driving test for the first time. Woop woop. Freedom! No more supervision, just me, the clio and the road. Brilliant.

I get home and ring the Quinn helpline and tell the lady operator I want to change my policy to a full licence holder. "Ok, all done" she says "Your new premium is £1700". "What?!?!?!" I replied. "Oh don't worry" she assured me, "Your monthly payments will stay the same for the time being, but your last 3 payments will be £260".

I calmly put the phone down, now my glee had turned to horror. My circumstances had changed, I was now renting. How on earth could I afford to make these sorts of payments on such a low income with so many outgoings??

For the 2 of the 3 last payments I managed to scrape the cash together, but come the third and final I was struggling. I rang Quinn once again asking for assistance. "Oh no," I was corrected, "You have two payments left at £260."

I slammed the phone down furious, 4 payments???? I had been told of 3. I was disgusted and vowed that I'd never be a customer again and would warn all my friends and relatives to.

Going back to my 'trusty' price comparison site. I did a new quote, this time for full licence and found a quote for just £800. A whole £900 cheaper than Quinn. Armed with my findings, I rang the customer centre again, they weren't going to defeat me that easily!!!

"Hi I'd like to cancel my policy please" but of course I was given the usual rabble about cancellation fees, paying the remainded of the policy etc etc.
"I'm disgusted and would like to speak to a manager"

I explained to the manager about my whole experience, about my brilliant first quote for provisional and about how it doubled and more when I passed my test. I also told him how I'd found a quote saving me £900 elsewhere and if they couldn't match it they'd lose my custom and I wouldn't be making anymore payments.

He apologised for my experience but explained that they didn't match quotes. But since I only had 2 more payments to make and then I'd be covered until the end of October (I'm ashamed to say it) ... he managed to talk me around.

He said that if I switched my policy from Fully Comprehensive to Third Party Fire and Theft for the remainer I would need to only make 2 payments of £15 each. He also told me that if I remained a customer until October they would give me a years no claims bonus. I asked how this could possibly happen as I'd only been a full driver since April and he said because I'd been a customer of theirs since October and hadn't made a claim they would treat me no differently to full licence holders.

Eventually I agreed, after noting the date and time of the call and the managers name and promise. In the end it worked to my advantage - a years no claims will save me a further £100 when I renew (but I will be going elsewhere)

But I must say I'm disgusted with the lack of help given by the customer service, the extortionate charges and the lack of correspondance.
Though the manager was very helpful and saved me £500 in the end, I will not return as a customer and will never recommend them.

Summary: ...