Talk insurance to a real person for the best savings

WHEN it comes to buying insurance, talking to a real person will ensure you get the best deal. Buying over the phone rather than on the internet typically saves £51, according to research.

So it’s little wonder that 68 per cent of consumers now believe they can get a better deal on the phone. But it isn’t always so easy to call an insurer. Only 36 per cent of the top 50 provide customers with a contact sales number on their home page — and of those, 80 per cent don’t make it obvious.

What’s more, just 28 per cent of insurers provide a contact number that is free of charge.

Customers are now getting wise to the fact that the best deals are to be found by making a phone call. Over the past 18 months, numbers using comparison websites to research a new policy have fallen from 80 per cent to 22 per cent.

In contrast, the number of people who phone insurance providers to source a quote has risen by 48 per cent.

Increasingly, major insurers, which may have the best policies for you, are not included on comparison websites. And many insurers hold discounts that only their telephone operators are ‘empowered’ to offer to match or beat quotes you have received.

So it makes sense to call insurers, especially if you can use a Freephone number, as you are much more likely to get a good deal than if you are simply dealing with a computer.