Home insurance now

I've come to the conclusion I'm not a haggler. I've just rung up to cancel the renewal on our existing home insurance. I've found a better deal elsewhere so I wanted to change company.

The present company works on the modern idea of retaining your card details then automatically charging for the renewal unless you cancel first. This is what I wanted to do. Personally I'd prefer to be expected to positively pay for something rather than having to make the effort to cancel a payment.

So I phone up, explain the situation & say that I want to cancel. Her reaction is to suggest she could have another look & see if they could match or even beat the other company. I wasn't interested.

As far as I'm concerned they should have asked for the lower price in the first place, not now. If they are prepared to cover me at the lower price, then they should have been prepared to  cover me at that price in the first place without me having to chase around to find out other offers. If I hadn't done that, they would have undoubtedly have charged me the higher price. I'm just not prepared to haggle. As far as I'm concerned the first price they ask for is what I take as their fair price for the level of cover I want. I'm not prepared to pay that, end of story.

The importance of getting home insurance was emphasised by hearing that friends had had their second home in Spain burgled. They are at present in the midst of haggling with their insurance company for compensation & dealing with workmen to get the house repaired. They're beginning to wish the burglars had just left a demand for £500, which they would have paid willingly in order not to have all the hassle involved in sorting things out now.

At least this time it is their second home. A few years ago they had their primary home burgled which left them with a far greater sense of invasion into their private space & the loss of things with far more emotional attachment, which are difficult, if not impossible, to replace, no matter how much money an insurance company pays up. That was far more traumatic for them.