Best car insurance

[Shilp]

Hi All....

i am about to pick up my Aurion (08 AT-X) from the dealer in a couple of days and have been deciding which way to go in terms of getting the insurance organised. Both me and my partner are mid 30's, with a clean history. The dealer was pitching in for Allianz (maybe there is a commission hiding for him there). Had a look online and got a few quotes, they all are pretty much around the same figures (around $65-75 / month mark). guess, its choosing one devil over another!

what do you guys reckon.....Allianz, AAMI, RACV, NRMA or..........

[nahrsuhsist]

Stay away from AAMI!!

Here’s my $2 narcissistic spew.

My wife had an accident last Tuesday; Some lady smashed into the side of her in a double lane round-o-bout, just changed lanes without looking, smashed the Corollas headlight, and bent the front right quarter. Clearly the other vehicle driver was in the wrong.

Few stories short got the police report, police said my wife’s not at fault. She contacted AAMI (full comp) AAMI automatically decided to deduct $400 for the premium!! Without getting police report, without investigating WITHOUT FIGHTING FOR US!

the following day it was sent for repairs est about $500 or less, car was not assessed just repaired. I called to complain because my wife’s humble at speaking to operators, and English is her 2nd language, they said "well the operator made the decision she's in the wrong that’s why she paid the premium" who the hell are they to decide?

Icalled back again spoke to a lazy guy with a posh accent, who the same thing,

Spoke to a manager, He said it’s unusual she paid the excess and they have the report now, but call back when not busy! WTF! I went off!

Haven’t heard from them since no refund, They must think the damage is minor and will make money off my wife as her premium goes up and rating stays same, therefore rates will be the same for another 2 or so years making $ for them. There’s 100’s of cases like these everyday through AAMI according to a friend who’s a insurance lawyer.

We will never hear from them again unless I go through ombudsman, will call them tomorrow.

RAA cost more but unlike AAMI they don’t get 3 quotes and go with the cheapest there for you can choose your own repairer and the panels will not be a different tone! Heard they a nightmare for the other party involved too! which is AWESOME!

Allianz Will not insure if you have a few Mods.

Just Cars is AAMI

Not sure about the others. Trust RAA. bit more $ but your 1000% safe!

Edited February 5, 2012 by nahrsuhsist

[Shilp]

Gosh....sorry to hear about the ordeal you went there mate.....that is so un professional and unethical and absolute rip off.

Me leaning towards Allianz (the car has got no mods, as yet!). Both RACV and NRMA seem decent, but on the dearer side of scales.

any tips there.....

[VF-X]

I was with AAMI.. And there was nothing wrong at all with em. From my experience, I got evrything fixed up from the incident I had 2 years ago. Evrything was paid for and taken care of. Pretty happy with em, considering the price is the lowest when I compared it with some major insurers.

If I had to choose the others, it would be between NRMA and Allianz.

[nahrsuhsist]

my broker told me that these insurance agencies don;'t really have loyalty, so you could be with them for years and receive higher insurance than another person whether their circumstances are equal or identical. Brokers usually advice to change yearly. Allianz is the winner for 2012 but they don't accept more than 3 mods :(

[Buff Hamster]

RACV all the way for me. No problems with them. Fast service too.

[FRM05A]

Being in the smash industry, thought I input my 1 cents worth

Allianz have the best service compared to the other insurers;

NRMA are okay, service have decreased over the years;

CGU. have moved away from NRMA, have a good repair ethics.

AAMI, Just Car I would not touch as they tender their jobs and you as the insured do not have a choice of repairer

AI Insurance, worth looking into. Quite competitve and easy to work with.

GIO/AMP/Suncorp/Vero are now under the same umbrella as AAMI and Just Car. Still have a choice of repairer but for how long? we not sure.

CommInsure uses the tender quote system. Same process as AAMI

Toyota Insurance, easy to work with and have choice of repairer.

Buzz Insurance - no choice of repairer

Youi & Budget do have choice of repairer but can be a little pain when lodging a claim

Real Insurance. Under the same umbrella as AI Insurance. Okay to work with

Calliden Insurance. DId a few of their jobs, quick and easy.

Hope this helps

[arc]

I'm another vote to stay away from aami, 2 reasons firstly my mrs car got reveresed into while she was at gold coast airport picking someone up inside, someone reversed into her car left a note saying im only writting this because people are looking at me (no details) a month later they ring and say was your vechile involved in accident the guy made a claim so they knew his details but for some reason would not pass them onto her for a claim and wanted her to pay excess. Secondly same car a lady failed to give way on round about wheel was damaged scratched and other damage but apprently it wasnt part of the accident.

RACQ ive currently made a claim as some one reversed into my car at red rooster, dropped the car off at their assessment centre showed the guy all the damage, (i have a panel beating trade certificate so i know my ****) yep thats fine we'll do that pick my car up from repairer spoiler isnt painted, rear bar isnt painted and qaurter isnt painted call racq up get told to write a list with whats wrong take it back do that pick my car up today before work picked it up before work was in hurry to get work finally get home 10hrs later check car there is all yellow paint on my white boot lid start rubbing off follow this paint along boot lid to cracked tailight and the garnish is sitting out then i notice 3 screws that have been drilled behind my number plate to hold garnish down. So I'm awaiting phone call tomorrow morning to see what they are going to do about it.

[nahrsuhsist]

Exactly the same here mate!

some numb skull drove onto Tapply Hills road in Adelaide adjacent to the airport. 3 years ago. He drove out of Harbor Town and into the right lane!! (must be an Adelaide thing to drive into the right and drive slow in the right)

the front right quarter had minor scratches and my mag was stuffed!. because I pulled into the medium strip to stop a worse rear end collision.

Cut a few stories short, he apologized swap insurance, I got my car assessed and sent to repairs of AAMI's lowest 3 quotes!. Picked it up from AAMI repairer, primer still on quarter panel in wheel arch, front light not connected! grey-blue paint no blue over QP and bonnet.

They said they are flat out and cant do it till the next week. this being a Tuesday I was furious, called the ombudsman instead of AAMI. sent it to local repairer of my choice, Lord of the Dings! picked it up and was beautiful!

When with AAMI and you nominate to take it where you want, they will not look after you and if there's a fault they will not take care of the situation, it's in their terms and conditions. Worst insurer! we logged a claim with Ombudsman for my wife's Carolla, the Ombudsman wrote to us stating it will be disputed by 20th of Feb, amazing how we haven't heard from AAMI!!

One it's over we are out of AAMI.

[DJKOR]

It's interesting to see the other side of the discussion. I for one actually think AAMI is quite good. Of the few claims I have made with them, and from those couple my family members have made, they have provided excellent service.

[nahrsuhsist]

The issues we faced perhaps aren't AAMI's as a corporation. perhaps the under trained operators fault. When my wife called to make the claim the operator charged her the excess of $400 without investigating, receiving police report. It's a no brainier, RH front corner smashed in from where the other vehicle didn't indicate and veered to the left in front of her, as well as police investigation show she was not at fault.

Which as far as I'm aware is why we have insurance so our insurer can fight for us, not point the finger and say it's your fault.

It would be interesting to see whether other foreigners (my wife's South Korean) have the same issue as my wife, because they wouldn't do that to an Aussie :P we don't take sh!T :P

Just test drove the missus car since got it from the bodywork shop, the suspension is terrible a loud knocking sound, maybe the control arm and the front Q where hit has over spray all over it! She's been on hold to AAMI now for 45 minutes.

Edited February 9, 2012 by nahrsuhsist