Auto-renewal trap could cost 5.8m motorists up to £1.2bn a year

As peak insurance renewal season approaches – research reveals that 18% of drivers allow their car insurance to auto-renew without checking other quotes.

Gocompare.com’s Car Insurance Auto-Renewal Survey reveals that 5.8 million motorists a year fall into the auto-renewal trap by simply allowing their car insurance to automatically renew without checking other quotes first.

September is traditionally one of the busiest months for car insurance renewals due to the high volume of new car sales. However, the new survey shows that many drivers are likely to fall in the auto-renewal trap.  Worryingly, 18% say they allowed their car insurer to automatically roll-over their policy for another year at their last renewal – without checking whether they were being offered a good deal. 

When asked why they allowed their car insurance to renew automatically 39% thought that because their provider was the cheapest last year, they would be good value this time around too.  Other reasons for sticking with the same provider included loyalty (24%), a good experience with a past claim (11%) while 5% said that they weren’t confident enough to switch, finding car insurance too confusing.

The survey also questioned drivers about the renewal information they receive from providers, revealing that many drivers find renewal letters tricky to understand and lacking key information: 

37% said that insurance renewal packs should be easier to understand;

47% want insurers to make it clearer how much their renewal has increased by compared with last year;

39% don’t know exactly how much they paid for their insurance last year;

Only 50% check last year’s premium to see how it has changed;

Just over a third (34%) check their renewal documents for any changes to the cover provided;

28% of those surveyed said that they felt under pressure to renew with their existing provider;

24% said that insurance companies use underhand tactics to get you to renew with them.

When specifically told that their policy will be automatically renewed but some elements of cover are changing 14% ignore it and assume nothing very important will have changed.

Matt Oliver, from Gocompare.com Car Insurance, commented: “New registration plates are issued in March and September, making them the busiest months for car insurance quotes and renewals.  The car insurance market is fiercely competitive and insurers often offer better deals to new customers than for those renewing existing policies. 

“So, our advice is simple – even if your current insurer offered the best deal last year, you shouldn’t automatically assume that they will when your policy comes up for renewal.  Use your renewal letter as a prompt to take action.  Look at your renewal notice as soon as it arrives.  Compare the price and cover against last year’s documents, consider any changes you might need to make to the cover and take a look at similar policies on a comparison site to see if you can make any savings.       

“It only takes about five minutes to compare over 120 car insurance brands on Gocompare.com and 51% of customers using our site could save up to £208 – making that five minutes time well spent.  A couple of hundred quid saved on your insurance goes a long way towards paying for other motoring costs, for example car tax, servicing and fuel.”

Matt Oliver concluded: “If you decide to switch, don’t forget to notify your current provider.  Most policies automatically renew, unless you tell the insurer otherwise within the 14 day cooling off period.  Miss the cut-off date and you could face hefty cancellation charges.”