Shop around for everything every year?

[conned tractor]

I like quidco - I've had about 500 back over the past 2 years. The last payment was about 83 quid which isn't much, but it's better sitting in my account than theirs

I'm finding lately that they are not as good as they have been. The vodafoney £70 cashback for a 12 month contract hasn't tracked and upon trying to raise a ticket - it said that I couldn't raise a ticket on that particular transaction until sometime around march 2010. Also, voda buggered up the connection initially so I had to phone them to sort it out, so i'm not holding my breath on getting it. I think this is possibly underhand tactics by voda. Will wait and see.

But generally yes they have been pretty good.

One of the best was home insurance (b&c) at around £13/month, with something like £90 cashback. So, bringing it down to around £60 for a years cover. Although I'm finding it exceedingly hard to find deals like these any more.

[BoredBloke]

Have been using these for years without problems - so far recieved cahsback of around £900 by car insurance/home insurance/energy supplier switching. However recently had edf and vodafone not track at £50 and £70 respectively. Bit peeved about it.

I like quidco - I've had about 500 back over the past 2 years. The last payment was about 83 quid which isn't much, but it's better sitting in my account than theirs

[Sysman]

So is this now a standard feature of rip-off Britain: the Loyal Customer Tax?

(And meanwhile the credit card companies slag us off for being "rate tarts".)

The banks have been doing it for a long time too. They'll promote a nice high interest deposit account for a while and then quietly demote it to something ordinary over a few years.

For car insurance I have found a local broker to be best. Be nice to the girls who work there when you see them in local shops or the pub, for they are the ones who will do the searching for you when renewal comes up

[conned tractor]

yes do it every year - also use Quidco www.quidco.co.uk which then pass on the reffereal fees back to you (minus the first £5 every year for the pleasure of using them). The payback can range frmo a few pence on % based schemes to £50-£80 each for switching insurances and energy suppliers.

Have been using these for years without problems - so far recieved cahsback of around £900 by car insurance/home insurance/energy supplier switching. However recently had edf and vodafone not track at £50 and £70 respectively. Bit peeved about it.

[NetwkSupport]

My RAC membership just took £200.

If I were a new customer I'd get the same deal for £120.

If you want loyalty, get a dog.

My AA recovery renewal after 1st year was 60% less than when i signed up!

[jimjamuk]

yes do it every year - also use Quidco www.quidco.co.uk which then pass on the reffereal fees back to you (minus the first £5 every year for the pleasure of using them). The payback can range frmo a few pence on % based schemes to £50-£80 each for switching insurances and energy suppliers.

[Churchill]

My RAC membership just took £200.

If I were a new customer I'd get the same deal for £120.

If you want loyalty, get a dog.

Remember to feed the f**ker though, we're not that loyal!

[Platypus]

I shop around every year for car insurance

Every year direct line is determined to make that wasted time by sending me a renewal quote lower than anything I've managed to find

Same here: every "we guarantee to beat your renewal quote" always costs more than DL charges me. If they offer to undercut by a tenner to meet the guarantee, I can't be arsed.

EDIT: but I did save a load on leccie recently, by switching. Eon were most surprised that I could beat their unbeatable offer.

[Spacecadet]

I shop around every year for car insurance

Every year direct line is determined to make that wasted time by sending me a renewal quote lower than anything I've managed to find

[DimPrawn]

My RAC membership just took £200.

If I were a new customer I'd get the same deal for £120.

If you want loyalty, get a dog.

[RichardCranium]

I think everyone knows to use uSwitch each year or so to keep the gas & leccie bills down.

I think many people also shop around for car insurance every year and often get a surprise at saving a few tenners by switching rather than renewing (I use a particular broker who, when I give them the results of my shopping around, knock off another few quid.)

I have been using ETA for car recovery but I hadn't noticed I've not had any correspondence from them for a few years. It turns out they've not been actioning the change of address letters & phone calls.

Anyway, I just saw they took nearly £200 by direct debit last month

So I went to their web site, saw a "build you own package" and if I were a new customer, it would cost £108.

(I just got off the 'phone having had a rant - I'm getting a £40 refund.)

So I'm switching to someone else next year on principle.

It seems it's necessary to shop around for everything every year.

Does anyone else here remember back in the 70s and 80s when the telly rental company would write to you and say "You've been renting that telly for ten years, you can stop paying the 50p a month and just keep the telly."?


So is this now a standard feature of rip-off Britain: the Loyal Customer Tax?

(And meanwhile the credit card companies slag us off for being "rate tarts".)