Hi guys,

I'm hoping to have my full licence, finally, by the start of summer, and would quite like to be able to actually drive once I get it, rather than just enjoying the fact that the piece of plastic with my mugshot is now pink.

As a 20 y.o. lad, insurance companies are gonna use any excuse under the sun to increase my premium, but I was just wondering if anyone had used the black box thing where they monitor your driving, and what your thoughts were? I'm happy to drive over-cautiously for a year for the sake of a lower premium, but I don't like the idea that they can track where I go.

Worth it?

Cheers.

I'm 20 and just pulled out my insurance. £695 with elephant. Give it a shot, black box made mine more expensive.

you'll regret it.

more than likely 'fines' for driving out of hours and driving a little fast for their liking will make up any difference in price.

they do more than just track you they look for patterns and act to increase your premium, one of my mates got a call off his insurer wanting more money because he parked outside his girlfriend's house a couple of nights a week.

Edited 15 March, 201313 yr by polo45

Woooow, seriously?! Right, I'll steer clear.

CollieLaa, how did you manage it that cheap?

As far as I'm aware, making sure your car has 5 doors rather than 3 helps to keep it down, and small engine size. What else would help?

Woooow, seriously?! Right, I'll steer clear.

CollieLaa, how did you manage it that cheap?

As far as I'm aware, making sure your car has 5 doors rather than 3 helps to keep it down, and small engine size. What else would help?

Named drivers mate, I have my girlfriends mam and my dad on and it's brought it down just over £1000.

I've got a black box with the co-op and have driven out from 11pm-3am and didn't effect it also drive in the flow of traffic (usually above the speed limit) and have gotten a £200 refund only downside is you can't modify your car!!!!!

Woooow, seriously?! Right, I'll steer clear.

CollieLaa, how did you manage it that cheap?

As far as I'm aware, making sure your car has 5 doors rather than 3 helps to keep it down, and small engine size. What else would help?

Named drivers mate, I have my girlfriends mam and my dad on and it's brought it down just over £1000.

also make sure you get quotes on all the engines and models as insurers don't work in any logical way as you could pay more for a base spec 1.0 than a mid range 1.4.

avoid 3rd party only insurance as it usually ends up being the most expensive and offers no cover if you're car gets stolen or goes on fire.

try every combination, parking on the road or a driveway might be cheaper than a garage and it might sound odd but try getting quotes with small modifications like alloy wheels.

price comparison sites are good but use a few to make sure you get the best quote, also once you've got a good quote try one of the cash back website as you can sometimes get some money back.

So are the comparison websites better than ringing up a company directly? I heard somewhere to avoid them cos they take a cut?

So are the comparison websites better than ringing up a company directly? I heard somewhere to avoid them cos they take a cut?

Use company direct mate, seriously try elephant and say you'll park the car on the street, it's cheaper.

i got quotes through www.tiger.co.uk

they specialise in young drivers but give you quotes from the big companies.. I'm 20 with a 1.4 TDI 6n2 and went with admiral. I haven't got any NCB because the car was my dads before he gave it to me... and i got it for a smidge over £1100.

I find comparison websites are the best. If you use confused.com the company that is cheapest (I bet Admiral, Bell etc) will phone you then you can talk with them on ways to lower it. don't feel bad about changing info I always say "The options on the site where a little unclear but this is my info how does this change my premium)

I'm 21 and pay £1300 on 9n3 GTI hope that helps. (1year ncb and 3 named drivers)

Not worth it. I'd never have one of those things in my car. They can monitor everything you are doing and where you go, even how quickly you accelerate, brake and corner and some of them i think even have a curfew so you cant drive after 11 at night, which sucks if you work late shifts, as you can drive to work but have to walk home .

So are the comparison websites better than ringing up a company directly? I heard somewhere to avoid them cos they take a cut?

not necessarily but price comparison sites give you the ability to get masses of quotes without going on every insurers/brokers website or ringing them saving you a lot of time, insurers pay for every customer they provide.

tbh car insurance is a very competitive market especially when price comparison sites are involved.

i've found that in the last 4 years the cheapest quotes for me came from comparison sites and going direct was the same price or more expensive.

It stuns me youngsters think this is even comprehensible. When millions died for our freedom, the public would've turned the country over if they realised this sort of thing was even being considered. It seems the more the goalposts are moved, the more goalies are prepared to work. Seriously, pull your pants up and refuse to be shafted..?!

Have a fucking word, people. And no I'm not drunk, i'm at work, I'm just shocked it's got to this. Anyone who accepts it supports it. Shame on them IMO.

For a heads up Admiral by Bell = Box, but Admiral, Elaphant, and Diamond etc. = No box. It's also cheaper atm to go fully comp and put the voluntary excess up to £1000. Also the best site I used was confused.com. Doing a quote as a 20yo 6 month license holder, I got a quote for a MK2f Polo for £870.

The cheap quotes are out there, could never imagine having a blackbox especially if it has a curfew. You might think 'oh no I can live with not driving after 11 or putting my foot down once in a while' but you definitely will want to or need to. The sort of driving they expect from you is the same sort of driving you do in lessons or tests which let's face it, about 1% of drivers actually do. Driving with the flow of traffic in my opinion is much safer.

If i had a black box my insurance would be cancelled within a week