MONEY COMMENT
Making The Most Of Motor Insurance

By Cliff D'Arcy
July 31, 2003

A few years ago, my wife's car was broken into while we were at a wedding service. At the time, it was parked on a long, deserted country road in one of Surrey's most quaint and peaceful villages. Unfortunately, because we were running late (in fact, we were pursuing the bridal car up the road!), we'd left the front panel of her car stereo in the storage compartment. Having worked in insurance for many years, I'm incredibly security conscious, so this was probably for the first time ever that we'd left anything of value on display in a parked car.

As the road wasn't overlooked at all, any opportunist thieves driving past would have had plenty of time to inspect every parked car, knowing we were all in the church. Alas, they spotted my wife's stereo, smashed a window, and made off with their swag.

Although my wife was quite upset, I was somewhat relieved, as the thieves hadn't ransacked the rest of her car. Obscured from view in the boot were our weekend bags, containing my wife's handbag and purse, her very valuable camera, and other items. Phew! Anyway, I called the police and insurance company on my wife's mobile phone before tidying up the car.

I was really impressed with the response from Surrey Police, which sent two officers to interview us during the wedding reception at my friend's farm (they even agreed to pose for a wedding picture!). I didn't expect a police visit at all, since the Met (the Metropolitan Police in London) would never send an officer unless someone was hurt.

Later that afternoon, Direct Line sent a glazier to replace the window and clean up the broken glass while we were partying - I wasn't going to let a petty theft spoil my fun! Finally, the ever-efficient Direct Line sent someone to replace our radio while we were on holiday in Cornwall (the good news was we ended up a superior model with a CD player!).

So, it's only when you genuinely need your insurance company that you find out how good its service really is: business gurus call this a 'moment of truth'. The efficient handling of her claim is one reason why my wife sticks with Direct Line year after year. Another reason is that Direct Line's renewal quote has been hard to beat.

Nevertheless, I test my wife's emotional ties to Direct Line every year by trying to find a better quote. Last year, after trying dozens of websites and search engines, I presented her with a quote for... £5 less! Of course, she went straight ahead and renewed with Direct Line: why take a change with a new insurer when she can stay with Direct Line for a fiver more? Oh well, here's to shopping around again next year!

Get motor insurance quotes at these sites (here's our guide to choosing the right policy): The Motley Fool | Norwich Union (a Fool partner) | The AA (a leading broker) | Insuresupermarket | Insurancewide | FIND (a directory listing dozens of other financial sites).

More: Used Car Prices Collapse | Keeping Down The Cost Of Motoring | Car-Buying Guide.