Finance Choices
Direct Line Car Insurance
Direct Line are one of the most recognised household insurance brand in the UK and now provides a range of financial products including life, home, pet, travel, critical illness and car insurance together with breakdown services, car sales (through its ?jamjarCars? site), loans, mortgages and savings.
Direct Line offer a car insurance quote provided you are resident in the UK and the vehicle is kept in England, Scotland, Wales or Isle of Man. All car drivers must be between 17 and 79 years old at the beginning of the insurance policy, hold a full UK driving licence and be permanently resident in the UK. The car must be owned and registered by the insurance policyholder at their address.
The company will offer both comprehensive car insurance, third party, fire and theft, and third party only cover to suit your purposes, all of which are available on-line with a 10% discount for buying online. Fully comprehensive car insurance cover is compulsory on vehicles with a value greater than £5,000.
Business use is included as standard. The policyholder and the policyholder?s spouse/partner (if named on the insurance policy) can also use the car in connection with their business provided that their or their employer?s business is not connected in any way with the following: the entertainment and fashion industry, professional sports, foreign service or diplomatic personnel, scrap or salvage merchants, general dealers or market traders, mini-cab drivers or controllers. Use in connection with the Motor Trade is specifically excluded.
The total number of fault accidents or insurance claims (including theft) for each car driver must not exceed 2 in the last 3 years and the total number of convictions, fixed penalties or disqualifications must not exceed 2 in the last 5 years.
Up to 2 additional named car drivers can be added to the policy providing they are also between 17 and 79 years at the beginning of the insurance policy.
Car no claims discount can be carried forward from your previous insurance company provided you ceased that policy within the last 2 years. Once 4 years no claims discount has been accumulated, you can protect it for a small additional insurance premium; this means you can have 1 claim in any year (or up to 2 claims in any 3 year period) and you won't lose your hard earned discount. The maximum discount is 65% after 5 years (70% if you're over 50)
Car insurance claims are dealt with by telephone. A 24 hour claims helpline provides advice and links to their nationwide network or car repairers. All work carried out by Network Repairers is fully guaranteed for three years using only manufacturer approved car parts. Legal Protection* is available as an optional extra which will assist if you have an accident that's not your fault, by working on your behalf to recover things not covered by your car insurance policy; for example, excess, personal injury and loss of earnings.
Car sharing to and from work etc. is written into the insurance policy and the receipt of contributions in respect of the carriage of passengers for social or similar purposes, as part of a car sharing arrangement, will not be regarded as the carriage of passengers for hire or reward. Also, the use of a car for hiring provided that the vehicle is not constructed or adapted to carry more than eight passengers, excluding the driver, the passengers are not being carried in the course of a business of carrying passengers, and the total contributions received for the journey do not involve an element of profit.
Unless you extend the car insurance policy to include foreign use, cover is restricted to only the minimum required by law in the E.U. member countries and in certain other countries, and there is no cover for loss or damage to your car. The cover you have applies only to the territorial limits specified in the insurance policy under definitions. To ensure you are fully protected you should apply for Foreign Use as outlined.
Summary
Direct Line are a major UK car insurance company, and members of the Which? Webtrader code of practice. They offer online UK motor insurance quotes using an easy to complete online form. The site is easy to navigate and written in plain English.
Get a quote now
Direct Line offer a car insurance quote provided you are resident in the UK and the vehicle is kept in England, Scotland, Wales or Isle of Man. All car drivers must be between 17 and 79 years old at the beginning of the insurance policy, hold a full UK driving licence and be permanently resident in the UK. The car must be owned and registered by the insurance policyholder at their address.
The company will offer both comprehensive car insurance, third party, fire and theft, and third party only cover to suit your purposes, all of which are available on-line with a 10% discount for buying online. Fully comprehensive car insurance cover is compulsory on vehicles with a value greater than £5,000.
Business use is included as standard. The policyholder and the policyholder?s spouse/partner (if named on the insurance policy) can also use the car in connection with their business provided that their or their employer?s business is not connected in any way with the following: the entertainment and fashion industry, professional sports, foreign service or diplomatic personnel, scrap or salvage merchants, general dealers or market traders, mini-cab drivers or controllers. Use in connection with the Motor Trade is specifically excluded.
The total number of fault accidents or insurance claims (including theft) for each car driver must not exceed 2 in the last 3 years and the total number of convictions, fixed penalties or disqualifications must not exceed 2 in the last 5 years.
Up to 2 additional named car drivers can be added to the policy providing they are also between 17 and 79 years at the beginning of the insurance policy.
Car no claims discount can be carried forward from your previous insurance company provided you ceased that policy within the last 2 years. Once 4 years no claims discount has been accumulated, you can protect it for a small additional insurance premium; this means you can have 1 claim in any year (or up to 2 claims in any 3 year period) and you won't lose your hard earned discount. The maximum discount is 65% after 5 years (70% if you're over 50)
Car insurance claims are dealt with by telephone. A 24 hour claims helpline provides advice and links to their nationwide network or car repairers. All work carried out by Network Repairers is fully guaranteed for three years using only manufacturer approved car parts. Legal Protection* is available as an optional extra which will assist if you have an accident that's not your fault, by working on your behalf to recover things not covered by your car insurance policy; for example, excess, personal injury and loss of earnings.
Car sharing to and from work etc. is written into the insurance policy and the receipt of contributions in respect of the carriage of passengers for social or similar purposes, as part of a car sharing arrangement, will not be regarded as the carriage of passengers for hire or reward. Also, the use of a car for hiring provided that the vehicle is not constructed or adapted to carry more than eight passengers, excluding the driver, the passengers are not being carried in the course of a business of carrying passengers, and the total contributions received for the journey do not involve an element of profit.
Unless you extend the car insurance policy to include foreign use, cover is restricted to only the minimum required by law in the E.U. member countries and in certain other countries, and there is no cover for loss or damage to your car. The cover you have applies only to the territorial limits specified in the insurance policy under definitions. To ensure you are fully protected you should apply for Foreign Use as outlined.
Summary
Direct Line are a major UK car insurance company, and members of the Which? Webtrader code of practice. They offer online UK motor insurance quotes using an easy to complete online form. The site is easy to navigate and written in plain English.
Get a quote now
posted by Barbara Gordon at 12:44 PM
Direct Line Car Insurance
5 Comments:
I've renewed my policy with Direct Line now for 4 years but each year I've seen the margin between the most competitive quotes reduce. Last year they were £30 more expensive than another quote but I couldn't be bothered with all the hassle of changing for £30! My newly qualified 18 yr old son, got his cheapest quote with Direct Line but then found a policy £200 cheaper with First Alternative. Despite the prospect of a £1,900 policy (yes £1,900 for car insurance!!) they were unwilling to match First Alts. quote. When making a claim on my FC policy 3 years ago, I had one hell of a job getting a courtesy car out of them despite not being able to get to work without one. I did eventually get one but only after much maligning of their phone operators!!
I was hospitalised after a serious car accident. Direct Line were very sympathetic and sent an engineer to view the car within a few days. They phoned me with an offer for the car which was a total loss. I only had to sign a form to say accepted the offer; there was no other paperwork.
I received a cheque for the agreed amount within a couple of days. Excellent service.
I have renewed my car insurance for the third time now with Direct Line after having the first year free (this came with the purchase of the car), the second year at £330 and the third at £318, all fully comp. I am under twenty-five.
This figure has included no claims protection, which was good because I hit a deer with my car and it caused two thousand pounds worth of damage, which Direct Line sorted out without any hassle at all. My six years of no claims remains in tact.
The customer service is spot on - I never have to wait long on the phone and they are always polite and ready to help, which is something which in this day in age I very much appreciate. My calls have been dealt with in the briefest of time, including when I have had to make a claim. The car was picked up and delivered back to me, so no hassles there either.
The only down side is that no courtesy car is provided; although during the month when I did not have the car I just used the bus (this was a bit agro though, as the routes in Wiltshire leave a lot to be desired!)
Anyway, if you are on a budget and especially if you are under 25, try giving them a call. Each time when I have renewed they have come in lower than Asda, Tesco, Endsleigh and Norwich Union (sometimes they need prompting, so tell them what you've been offered elsewhere and they are likely to undercut).
Direct Line Car Insurance are a really good company, I also get discounts off of my home, breakdown and travel insurance which is a bonus. Really pleased with the service and attitude, it makes me feel like a valued customer.
I recently had a accident which involved me going to park in a car parking space but stopped before entering the space due to having to re-align my car. When I stopped, some young lad ran into the back of me. I took photo's showing clearly the incident, I got the driver to declare it was his fault by writing down what happened and he signed and dated it. I also called Direct Line to ensure I got all the relevant details I needed - they told me I had. Come to the claim, Direct Line told me that the other party was claiming it was my fault and they could not prove otherwise as written documentation etc. is not sufficient and without an independant witness, I could not prove otherwise and had to settle for 50% claim. This was discusting, giving the fact I actually rang them at the time and they did not mention I needed an independant witness at all. And, they had the cheek to increase my car insurance due to a claim despite having NCD protection. I will NOT be renewing with them again.
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