Wednesday, March 23, 2011

After teen is quoted £24k to insure his old Volvo, second young driver told to stump up £32,000 to cover his Corsa


When Daniel Grey was told it would cost £24,000 to insure his 12-year-old Volvo, he assumed it was the highest quote in the country.

But stunned teenager Jake Redshaw's dream of driving has now also stalled, after he was quoted more than £32,000 to cover his second-hand hatchback. Both quotes came from the AA.

Jake, 17, bought a six-year-old Vauxhall Corsa for £3,000 after he passed his test earlier this month.

Stunned: Jake Redshaw, 17, said he expected online insurance quotes to reach a couple of thousand pounds. Instead he received a headline figure of £32,819 from the AA

Stunned: Jake Redshaw, 17, said he expected online insurance quotes to reach a couple of thousand pounds. Instead he received a headline figure of £32,819 from the AA

The student, from Salford, Greater Manchester, said he expected online insurance quotes to reach a couple of thousand pounds. Instead he received a headline figure of £32,819 from the AA.

Jake's cheapest fully-comprehensive quote was almost £6,000, twice the car's value. The second most expensive quote was £21,000.

Jake is studying IT and works part-time in a warehouse at Salford-based telecoms distributor Nimans. He lives with his parents in Eccles, Greater Manchester.

He said: 'I thought passing my test would be the hardest part about getting my own wheels.

'It's not as if I was trying to insure a high-powered sports car. I was gobsmacked.'

Ripped off: 18-year-old Daniel Grey was quoted a whopping £24,000 to insure his 11-year-old Volvo S40

Ripped off: 18-year-old Daniel Grey was quoted a whopping £24,000 to insure his 11-year-old Volvo S40

His mother Carol, 45, added: 'We all know that young lads are considered the greatest risk on the roads, but over £30,000 for insurance is a complete joke. They are being priced off the road.'

The £32,819 premium was quoted on behalf of the AA on the car comparison website Confused.com.

An AA spokesman apologised for the quote, adding: 'The quote he received is clearly ridiculous and this should not have happened. For that I apologise.'

'Ridiculous': The AA, who were behind both the quotes, have apologised to Daniel and Jake

'Ridiculous': The AA, who were behind both the quotes, have apologised to Daniel and Jake

Jake is part of a growing number of young men who are being 'priced off the road' by high premiums.

Today it also emerged that 18-year-old Daniel Grey was quoted £24,000 for his 1999 Volvo S40 - also by the AA.

Daniel, who has a Pass Plus certificate and takes advanced driving lessons, said: ‘It’s enough for a deposit on a nice house.’

The teenager, from near Southport, had sought cover for the 1.6-litre saloon from AA Insurance.

He added: ‘Car insurance is already far too expensive but this takes the mick.

‘A 12-year-old Volvo is hardly the car of a boy racer. It’s too heavy to just whizz around. It’s enough effort getting the thing to move.’

A spokesman for AA Insurance said it is a broker with more than 20 companies on its panel.

He said some insurers ‘quoted very high premiums which don’t necessarily reflect the risk’ where ‘they don’t really want the business’.

The AA has told insurers not to issue a quote if it is ‘outrageous’.

The spokesman added: ‘While most of the companies on our panel now wouldn’t quote in the event of such a high premium, one or two have yet to comply with this policy. The quote he received is clearly ridiculous and this should not have happened.’

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