Mar
26
Car and home insurance quotes
I’ve just spent an hour getting online quotes from AAMI, Allianz and RACV for our home and contents and car insurance. We’re currently with Allianz.
Here are the wildly different quotes that I received. The premiums are for monthly payments.
Car insurance
Each quote includes: rating 1, no claim bonus protection, no windscreen excess, $500 basic excess, no drivers under 30, rental car, agreed value $34,000.
- Allianz - $73.39
- RACV - $63.81
- AAMI - $51.08
Home and contents
- Allianz - $97.51 ($500,000 replacement cost, $150,000 contents)
- RACV - $123.19 ($500,000 replacement cost, $150,000 contents)
- AAMI - $59.08 (unlimited replacement cost, $150,000 contents)
Why are AAMI so cheap? Their cover looks as good as the others (I read the Product Disclosure Statements). If I can’t find a reason why I shouldn’t switch to them within the next 7 days then we’re switching.
Rob - March 26, 2007, 4:37 am
We’ve used AAMI for years now - they are heaps cheaper and I’ve heard some good things about them when a claim has been made. Like you, the PDS looked as good as the rest. As We’ve never made a claim, I can’t back that up.
BUT as we’ve never made a claim, why pay more every month? Hope for the best that nothing happens, and do the maths on the savings… 10 years good luck saves over $7000! Sounds like a long time, but we’ve being paying insurance that long already and never made a claim.
They’ve always been really helpful on the phone too, and AMY looks good on TV!!! How could you get mad with her on the phone with that smile?!
Rob.
Dad - March 26, 2007, 10:56 pm
I agree with Rob. We switched several years ago - again haven’t had to claim. Remember with RACV someone has to pay for their country clubs etc!
Dad
admin - March 26, 2007, 11:22 pm
Right, well that’s two ticks then. I’ll ask around a bit at work right now.
mum - March 27, 2007, 4:30 am
Only downside I’ve observed is that if you have an accident & the police organise a tow truck/low loader to remove the cars, you can’t just let your car go with whichever truck arrives, you have to wait for the AAMI authorised one. Can be a minor headache if the police want to clear the road, but at the friend’s accident I attended one truck just shoved the disabled car into the side street and the AAMI truck collected it from there. As far as I know there weren’t any repercussions about that. AAMI can’t really complain if the Police insist. Otherwise I’ve only heard good things.
mum - March 27, 2007, 4:33 am
ps new site looks good.
Matthew - March 27, 2007, 7:37 pm
Hey Marty,
We are with AAMI for both car and house, and can’t fault them. Heaps cheaper and have had one claim for a car accident, which was fine. Even when there was a problem with our car (that wasn’t there before the accident), it only took one or two phone calls to our claims officer to get the car back to a different repairer for those issues to be resolved).
Plus no annoying IVR either, which is a bonus in the 21st century.
Hope you are both well. And the new site looks great too. Speak to you soon.
Marty - March 28, 2007, 2:04 am
Wow. I was expecting some second or even third hand good news/horror stories - not for everyone to actually be with AAMI and only have good things to say about them.
Decision made. Thanks everyone.
I’ll switch this weekend.
Matthew - March 29, 2007, 9:13 am
Yes, it’s like the AAMI fan club here.
It does make you wonder why anyone would go anywhere else though.
Rob - March 29, 2007, 11:07 am
Dave (here at work) says he’s had grief with them after a stack. He HAD to take it to their repairer on their tow trucks or drive it himself each way. Wasn’t very happy with the work done, and it took a long time to get the car back.
BUT they are heaps cheaper and he still has a car insured with them! The savings obviously outweigh the problems.
So even those who dislike AAMI, still use them!
What made you choose Allianz previously? It couldn’t have been their ads and obviously wasn’t their prices.
Marty - March 29, 2007, 7:05 pm
We chose Allianz because at the time (probably five years ago) they were the cheapest quote that permitted monthly payments. I seem to remember that AAMI’s quote was cheapest even then but you couldn’t pay monthly.
One criteria for me is that the repairer is a Subaru-approved one. I’ll have to check their list of repairers.
sim - March 30, 2007, 10:46 pm
bek and i are with AAMI.
both our contents and both cars.
it seems everyone has fallen for the smiling brunette…
plus it sounds like her on the phone, very friendly.
SIM
Hayden - March 31, 2007, 7:56 am
Hi Marty & Jayne,
I just read your message about AAMI. It was fun to read. I had some trouble with insurance and disclosure though.
From Hayden
Rob - March 31, 2007, 1:54 pm
I’ve started a new blog - I hope it’ll last longer than my last one!
It’s a general one about what we get up to and it’s at http://bobnnix.blogspot.com
As we don’t get up to too much too often, don’t expect much action!!!
Rob
Gordon Hickley - March 9, 2008, 11:11 am
AAMI are cheap for a reason - try making a claim. Like everything in life you get what you pay for.