Hi all, just got a new car and cheapest comprehensive car insurance policies I could find are 1) Bingle $1501 or 2) Youi $1608 per year.
All features/coverage and excess is same. I know with Bingle you mostly have to do everything online vs Youi have some human support.
But is it worth $107 extra? What is your experience dealing with these companies or view on it?
Thanks
Most insurance companies are rated low.
But isn't our collective quest to find one that isn't? I was lured to Bingle by low premiums and Suncorp underwriting but went elsewhere based on the negative vibe
I've made a claim with Bingle in the past, no issues.
@TheFreaK: If you had known they had largely negative customer reviews would you still have chosen them? Or you did know but were happy to proceed?
@sumyungguy: As Jimbo pointed out, third party online reviews for insurance providers especially are flawed due to self-selection bias with people more likely to go out of their way to leave a negative review if they've had a negative experience but not vice versa.
What should be important is the coverage and value you're getting.
@TheFreaK: I'm still interested in your answer to my question or are you preferring not to share it? BTW, I believe the majority of people aren't malignant trolls so their motivation for posting reviews is to help other consumers.
@sumyungguy: I knew and was happy to proceed?
I'd love to know who your insurer is given they'll have equally poor reviews so I can turn the question on you.
@TheFreaK: I'm not hating on you for choosing Bingle, just flagging to those who are considering their options that they appear to be not well-regarded. Bingle does get 5-star reviews too. If you want a free hit, I'm with Aust Post/QBE and Qantas; similarly negative reviews but much smaller sample size (910 vs 54 vs 51 reviews).
@sumyungguy: That's very interesting that you went with options that appear to be not well-regarded.
Did you know Qantas averaged 1.6 / 5 or that AusPost averaged 2.1 / 5 before you took out insurance with these providers?
It's not hard to critique when it comes to negative reviews due to self-selection bias, it ultimately devalues third-party review platforms as a whole.
I’m more worried about the super low fee ones and their practice of refusing insurance post a claim.
They’re all going to have complaints but this behaviour is the one that can sting you the most.
Every insurance company will have low ratings.
Why?
Simple. People think that having "insurance" means they're covered for every eventuality, be it travel, car, life etc. So when they get denied a claim and it can be a lot of money, they get really really angry and how do you voice that anger? reviewing them.
Then the other side of the coin is the majority which have a successful claim experience that don't go and post about it.
It's the same with restaurants. A restaurant will have 100 happy diners a night but one person who has a negative experience will post about it.
You're better off reviewing the PDS and any exclusions of the policy rather than listening to those that didn't and got caught out.
Reviews will be skewed to people who had issues, especially that site.
I've been with Bingle for 7 years. Have three cars insured with them currently.
Have made 3 or 4 claims over the years.
Never had one problem.
Any tips with Bingle?
Do they charge a loyalty tax if you renew with them, so you commence a new policy, or is the price fairly similar?
Don’t seem to jack the premiums (in my case), even when I had a claim. As car gets older, if anything premiums have been coming down. Always shop around each year though
All insurers have bad ratings.
I've used Bingle for a few years. It's mainly online and call centres are offshore, but otherwise is fine. I had a claim in that I later withdrew (minor damage, nobody else involved) and the process was ok. My own lack of doing anything with it was the main cause of the timeframe. In the end traded the car in and got my excess back.
Just got a new car
Whats the car? and what state are you in?
Is it "new new" or "new for you"?
It is brand new, worth about $50k
Go with someone more reputable than Bingle I would suggest. I don't have any experience with them, but I wouldn't insure my brand new car with them.
I've had experience with AAMI and RACV, both were good and easy.
If you've had no experience with them what makes you think your suggestion holds any value?
You recommend AAMI and they're virtually the same company, which speaks for itself.
@TheFreaK: Its like comparing Coles Brand Bread with Tip Top. Most likely they are made by the same company, but are different in quality and experience.
Bingle sounds cheap and it is probably cheaper, for a reason. Where as AAMI promote themselves a premium brand, so you would experience a bit more of a premium service.
Thats just my two cents, especially when we are talking about a car at $50k. If it was a $10k Mazda 3, sure, go Bingle.
@geekcohen: If you're willing to pay extra $$$ just to hear someone's voice when you're lodging a claim that's your prerogative, but to me, it doesn't make a difference when the coverage is virtually identical and it'll end up at the same repair shop either way.
Also, I just got quotes from Bingle & AAMI for my car and AAMI was slightly cheaper, does this mean Bingle is the premium brand of the two?
If you're willing to pay extra $$$ just to hear someone's voice when you're lodging a claim that's your prerogative, but to me, it doesn't make a difference when the coverage is virtually identical and it'll end up at the same repair shop either way.
Could be someones voice, repairer network, website experience, claim lodging, dealing with other parties if you are not at fault. I am not going to go around and compare everyone.
Also, I just got quotes from Bingle & AAMI for my car and AAMI was slightly cheaper, does this mean Bingle is the premium brand of the two?
Not necessarily no. Interesting how the quoting works from brand to brand even though they could be under the same umbrella.
AAMI actually came out much cheaper than most when I quoted up my new car earlier in the year.
I did the exact same quote from about 7 insurance companies, and some were asking for double the AAMI premium, for equivalent cover.
I checked Bingle, AusPost, AAMI, Qantas, GIO, NRMA, YOUI.
AAMI seemed by far the best value, for my car and location.
Bingle and AAMI are the same behind the scenes - no different at all
what state are you in?
Rather nervous by the sound of it
Do you plan on making a claim?
I never did, even increased my excess because of that! Then skippy decided to commit suicide one morning and made my ute undrivable, without it for 3 months and a big run around with RACV.
I didn't have an "at fault" hire car. But I do now! Changed my insurance policy because of the accident. I've learnt to be safe than sorry, so better to go with someone and have the right insurance for these moments.
Do you plan on parking in Coles' carpark?
yeah, they are my local SM
I made 1 (not at fault) claim in past 14 years. and no, unless I have to
I was with Youi for a few years and was pretty happy with them. I had one claim during that period and they dealt with it quickly and without drama.
I mostly dealt with them online, but I did spend some time on the phone and that went great except for the long phone queue.
No experience with Bingle at all.
Welcome to OzBargain
New Car Insurance - Bingle or Youi
neither
ok, who are you with?
AAMI
Isn't AAMI and bingle both from Suncorp?
@Baseba: Same underwriter doesn't necessarily mean same premium, they're all targeting different customer types
I used to be with NRMA for my two family SUVs…. then I moved over to Shannons as they were cheaper.
On the other hand, insurance for my Holden Ute (business registered) became too expensive with NRMA. Shannons won't touch it cause of the business aspect. AAMI ended up being the next best thing.
Bingle. They are a subsidiary of Suncorp. Online lodgement of claim but they have an aussie phone line you can contact after
The call centre is overseas, The Philippines I believe.
They do have a local call centre in australia, albeit very small. If you call at 9am(or whenever the call line opens) you'll be connected to them first. I've done it in the past. But as soon as their handful local staff are busy, you'll be redirected to overseas call centre
Of all overseas call center's Philippines would be the best though. They're all college graduates.
Last I shopped around (and like for like ) Youi was the dearest.
Reward the better company with good overall reviews. Regret tastes very ordinary.
What car,what accessories,what drivers using it,what extras do you want on the policy.
This post still reminds me of cat food.
I thought Youi would be the most expensive but to my surprise, they are ~$600 cheaper vs next quote and $100 more expensive vs Bingle.
Price is about 25% of the motivation with insurance.
Your Youi policy doesn't have some wacky kilometres per annum restriction?
up to 15k / year
Last time I had to call for a quote, they tried to get me to switch everything over to them which is how they can offer a discount
They wouldnt even quote me just for car insurance, waste of time. Dodged a bullet anyway as there have been some prettty out of the ordinary horror stories
I was with Hollard through Australia Seniors and had my claim paid within 10 days after the accident (write off).
Message received, neg voters don't care to see this any more.
Not sure about you but my RAC insurance was 30% cheaper than the next cheapest.
Youi includes roadside assist, Bingle it's an optional extra (at least it was when I looked last).
Yes I saw that, Youi gives 2 free calls per year. But my car comes with 5 years of free Road side, So it is not a motivator for me. I was more thinking about experience in case of claim.
Youi includes roadside assist,
So does AAMI
Without even taking inflation into account, that's 15-16 grand (the cheapest per OP) for 10 years to insure a 50 grand vehicle. And if you own a house and private health insurance, that's tens of thousands of dollars more to insurance companies. And they still want to push Australia towards the cut-throat system of the US. We're indeed in the wrong business.
Seniors Insurance isn’t bad but you need to be over 50 and you can’t have anyone under 25 driving the car.
I just had a policy with them and I am 30. Anyone can have a policy with them.
Yeah, i think they should say "Idea for over 50"but they sell to everyone
Go for whichever accepts agreed value for at least $5K more of the market value.
Thanks, Because mine is new car, both have new for new cover for first 2 years
Most certainly neither! Just because they are the chrapest doesnt make them the best choice. Do you personally know someone that has had to make a claim with them? Neither has a good reputation.
I was with Bingle for years (and 2nd car is still with them, at least until renewal), has always been the cheapest for me until this year.
Youi came in ~$200 cheaper, and includes roadside assist and hire car that Bingle didn't. I think the excess is ~$50 higher.
Have had no experience claiming with Youi.
Had 1 claim with Bingle, all online and no hassles (and it ended up being a bit of a mess around as it had to go back to a previous repairer under a different insurer).
Hello, I'm in WA, and I bought a secondhand car just over 2 years ago. I insured it for the price $13 000, with Youi. 6 weeks later I was rear-ended. Got onto Youi asap, who.did the running around of the person who hit me with their insurance company l, finding a repairer close by and had a hire car which was similar to mine as soon as I could drop off my car at the repairers. At the time, we were in Covid lockdown again, and it ended up taking 4 weeks for my car to be repaired.
I had zero issues with Youi in regards to the repairs, it was a huge backlog at the repairers. It's my second car with Youi and happy with their service.
My experience with Youi was super annoying, so a no from me for Youi . However I been insuring (comprehensive) with Bingle for a few years now after a guy at work had two very good experiences with Bingle.
I’ve never had to make a claim through bingle, but have been a customer a few times. The thing I like about them is that they are entirely online, so even things like cancelling a policy are super simple.
Is OP comparing like for like?
Same Excess? Same restrictions on drivers? Windscreen cover? New for old? Hire car cover? Lifts to and from repairers?
Worth reading the T's and C's to be sure that both policies are identical before choosing the cheapest
Had a great experience with Bingle.
Had two not-at-fault claims within 3 years, and they were a great price the whole duration. Only switched out when i had multiple policy discount with anither provider making the % discounts worth it. Feel free to ask more questions, can look up the details. Yes I read their PDS.
Never been with Youi, have heard mixed things.
Edit:
Old cheap car. New fancy car you may want to to go elsewhere, always just take time to read the PDS & inclusions. And get a dash cam, rear and forward.
From my experience
Bingle if you are over 25 and no one else driving your car. Should have similar systems as parents company Suncorp.
Youi if you want to answer a million questions over the phone to get a quote and when you leave they refuse to remove your credit card details from their database where after 5 years they suddenly refund a few dollars of overpayment to your credit card and also refuse to actually put anything in writing with only phoning up as the only way of communication and don't let you email them
fuk youi and their antique system to get and modify a policy
This is accurate
Neither, AAMI is always the cheapest for me and their claims process is simple as
I used Bingle for my family's cars for several years. My son was involved in an accident (other driver at fault) and they handled the claim well. But, when I tried to find out if my policy covered me for renting a car I was unable to get any response from them. I now use Budget Direct, for the past few years, and recommend them. I haven't used Youi.
This was posted on Ozb some time ago, I just saved it. I don't remember who posted it:
IAG own both CGU and NRMA which is the largest insurer of Australians. They also own SWANN, Mutual Community General Insurance, SGIO, SGIC, WFI -Wesfarmers Insurance, Lumley, 70% of Insurance Manufacturers of Australia (RACV) and Coles Insurance.
SUNCORP own SUNCORP, GIO, VERO, AAMI, Shannon’s, APIA, Promina (formerly Royal & Sun Alliance), Just Car, Insure My Ride, Terri Scheer, Bingle, CIL, Asteron & Tyndall and are the 2nd largest insurer of Australians.
QBE (formed by BurnsPhilp as North Qld Ins Co Ltd, QI, Q = Qld B= Bankers & Traders, E= Equitable Probate & General Insurance) own Australian Eagle, Trade Indemnity Australia, Mercantile Mutual, bits of HIH, Elders and Cuna Mutual in Australia. QBE is the largest Australian insurer in Australia however 69% of their business is overseas business.YOUi is owned by a South African insurer called Outsurance.
Budget Direct is owned by a South African Insurer called Auto & General. Auto & General Insurance also have Dawes which is owned by Calliden which specialises in the prestige end of the market and won't even write the business that Auto & General will write so there is no true comparison of insurers, only comparison of brands.
Real, Woolworths and Al Insurance are all owned by South African Insurer called Hollard.
Ever seen that stupid meerkat on TV claiming to compare the market? That meerkat is South African as he only compares products from Hollard and Auto & General.
Progressive is owned by an American insurer believed to be the largest motor insurer in Chicago.
All of this is called brand separation. When one company has 15 brands like Suncorp do, they get your money whichever way you turn.
Now lets look at the other comparison website “iselect”, they claim to provide choice. However they compare 9 brands underwritten by the same insurer. Now that's great! Whilst a duopoly in the Australian market can never happen, questionable marketing practices that lure people in under false pretences such as i-select and compare.the.market are well and truly out there.
Whilst you all moan about Woolworths and Coles holding such a large market share of the grocery game, have a think about who insures your assets?
Next time you want a fair comparison, on the best product for your circumstances use an independent broker and get real some advice, but then again most brokers get commissions or kickbacks from insurers, so tread carefully. Nothing beats making the phone calls yourself and doing your own research and find the policy and deal that is right for you.
Finding the policy and deal that is right for does not mean simply insuring with whoever gives you the cheapest premium.
I've posted a similar (shorter) summary in the past. Helps to rationalise online quoting as underwriters seem to be consistent across all brands with rules around traffic history, underage drivers, etc, etc. I posted a version in this thread but got negged for it straight up - seems some members can't just look away.
In my experience Bingle is best value for cheaper cars (sub-$15K-ish). E.g. doing a comparison right now on a ~$75,000 car Bingle was $400 more than Budget Direct. ($1600 vs $1200).
Both insurers are terrible choices (budget Direct are as well).
Terrible cover and awful claims handling.
You'll discover this when you have to make a claim.
Ive predominantly been with AAMI over the years due to price alone. No dramas with claims.
Just wanted to vent my annoyance at YOUI in never just giving me a simple webpage quote! Always have to speak to someone and quote has never been a good price.
There is no one to speak to with Bingle so avoid them, i.e. no phone number, everything through email but they don't aways respond. I'm with youi and it's been fine.
Been with Bingle for ~4ish years now. Premiums almost doubled when I moved from Adelaide to Melbourne but I shopped around and it appears that was the same for every other companies so ended up still being cheaper.
I splurged for windscreen protection and so far it's been the only thing I've claimed. Both times, 0 issues and screen replaced within a week. 0 complaints from me.
For some insight, claims that are just for windscreen repair are "zero touch" for them - so they get processed with basically no human intervention. Which is probably why it was a pleasant experience!
Eh, suits me then
I've never had to make a claim, but I switched from Bingle to COTA a few years ago, Allianz underwritten and roadside assist included. (They're a senior insurer, but their vehicle insurance is open to everyone)
Yikes
Couple recent quotes for you guys (comprehensive @ 20k ish value)
Coles $1820
RACT $960
NRMA $1460
AAMI $1350
I'd be wary of Bingle