Auto and Car Insurance

Is it worth paying extra ?

Hunting around for car insurance, and could just go with the cheapest on a money comparison list - but is that the best option ? For a bit (to a lot!) more some insurers include benefits such as courtesy car & free legal service etc. But is it worth paying the extra for something I might not use ? I notice Direct Line are refusing to be part of these lists because they say they are not accurate comparisons as cheapest price is not necessarily the best deal. Now I know why it's called confused.com! Can anyone help me ?

Public Comments

1. I wouldn't pay for the legal service, it's highly unlikely that you would ever need it and if you did all you need to to is visit your local CAB for advice. I think the courtesy car is a good idea, I have this on my direct line policy as I would be lost without a car - I live in a village with no bus service - so I think the extra I pay is worth it and it's not much anyway, about £20 a year from what I remember
2. whichever you go for read the small print. If it's really cheap could be it's not much good
3. comparison sites are just middle men, they have to make money. i know it will take longer but do go direct. the benefits are a good thing to have but it depends on what you need. ie if your car gets smashed up, will you still need to get to work when it is being repaired? But overall do shop around.
4. I would say this soley depends on how much you use your car - i do more than 25,000 miles a year - I find it beneficial to take the added extras because there is a higher likelihood of something happening. If your car use is mimimal, you are best to go for the cheaper ones. The benefit of using sites like Confused is that you can look at the policies individually and see if they are going to cater for your needs. The last time I renewed mine, I got my quote from the website, called them up and asked for courtesy car and a lower excess, and they gave me an updated quote - when I compared this to the other results from the search, it was still in the top 5 - If you don't ask, you don't get! The trick is to take your time and investigate each company.
5. Dont use Hastings Direct, they are awful, I know I used to be with them.
6. The best idea is to use confused.com - because you can still deselect/select the options you want when you get the prices. Theyre not middle men as suggested above, but they will give you a clear reflection of your prices with different companies. As for not taking the legal option - who do you think will pay your solicitor bills if you have a bump? Don't be daft and make sure you take the legal option. Direct Line by the way, are grossly expensive, hence why they wont use comparison websites... And I work for Direct Line!!