Abbey Car Insurance Review: A Detailed Guide

Abbey Car Insurance is a broker that works with a range of insurance providers to offer competitive car insurance quotes for UK drivers.

They provide a variety of coverage options, including standard car insurance, as well as optional add-ons that can enhance your protection.

This review will provide a detailed breakdown of Abbey Car Insurance, including its features, pricing, customer feedback, cancellation fees, and comparisons with other providers in the market.

Key Features of Abbey Car Insurance

Abbey Car Insurance offers comprehensive policies, including various optional add-ons to help you tailor your coverage to suit your needs.

Here’s an in-depth look at the features they provide:

1. Optional Add-on Covers
   Abbey provides a wide range of additional cover options for policyholders who want extra protection. These add-ons allow you to enhance your car insurance and cover different potential risks.
   • Motor Legal Expenses: Abbey offers up to £100,000 in legal expenses for claims that are not your fault. This includes costs for recovering uninsured losses, such as repairs, medical expenses, and loss of income caused by an accident that wasn’t your fault.
   • Keycare Cover: Abbey provides two levels of keycare coverage:
     • The first option covers up to £1,500 annually for lost or stolen keys, lock replacement, and call-out charges.
     • The second option includes all the above benefits, plus a Bluetooth LE sensor fob to attach to your keyring. This helps you track your keys using the SmartFob app on your smartphone. Note that this fob isn’t a GPS tracker and works within a limited range.
   • Breakdown Cover: Abbey offers breakdown cover for incidents like accidents, mechanical breakdowns, theft, or punctures. The cover is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year across Northern Ireland, mainland UK, and the Republic of Ireland. This provides valuable assistance if your car is immobilised while on the road.
   • Excess Protect: If you have to pay an excess on your insurance claim, Abbey’s Excess Protect option allows you to claim back up to £500. This feature can be particularly useful if you are involved in an accident or need to make a claim where you are responsible for a portion of the costs.
   • 21 Day Replacement Car Cover: If your vehicle is involved in an accident, stolen, or destroyed by fire (and not recovered), Abbey provides a replacement car for up to 21 days. This ensures you are not left without transport while waiting for repairs or a new car.
   • Protected No Claims Bonus: Abbey allows you to protect your No Claims Bonus (NCB). This means that even if you make a claim, your NCB remains intact, and your premium doesn’t increase at renewal (subject to policy conditions).
   • Gadget Insurance: Abbey also offers gadget insurance for £54 per year, covering up to £1,500 for gadgets such as smartphones (including iPhones), tablets (like iPads), smartwatches, cameras, game consoles, and laptops. This is useful for people who frequently travel with gadgets in their car and want added protection.
2. Abbey Car Insurance for Young Drivers

Abbey has specific offerings for young drivers aged between 17 and 24, making it easier for them to secure affordable car insurance.

Abbey uses a telematics device called ChilliDrive to help young drivers reduce their premiums.

• ChilliDrive: This device tracks key driving metrics such as acceleration, braking, cornering, and speeding. There are no curfews or hidden fines associated with the device, which is often a common complaint with other telematics policies.
• Discounts and Feedback: ChilliDrive provides an upfront discount off your car insurance premium based on your driving style. Additionally, it offers monthly feedback to help young drivers improve their driving habits. This can lead to further reductions in the premium over time.

3. Customer Service and Reviews

While Abbey Car Insurance provides a wide range of features and add-ons, its customer service and online reviews have been mixed.

Here is an overview of what you can expect based on customer feedback:

• Trustpilot Rating: Abbey has a relatively low Trustpilot rating of 2.4 out of 5 stars, based on only 32 reviews. However, it’s important to note that this sample size is too small to provide a fully accurate representation of their customer service across the board.
• Positive Feedback: Some customers praise Abbey for offering affordable rates, especially in specific sectors like taxi insurance. There have been positive mentions of quick and hassle-free claim processing in some instances.
• Negative Feedback:
  • Admin and Cancellation Fees: Many reviews mention complaints about Abbey’s high admin fees, which can reach up to £30 for arranging cover, making mid-term policy changes, or requesting duplicate documents. In addition, cancellation fees of £50 have been noted by customers, which is higher than the industry average.
  • Poor Customer Service: A few customers experienced delays in processing claims, difficulties in making vehicle changes, or even premature payments taken from accounts.
  • Negative Experiences: One review highlighted issues with changing vehicles under a policy, with Abbey initially charging an additional £50 fee, then later changing their minds about it. This caused frustration due to the prolonged time it took to process the refund.

Despite these complaints, Abbey still holds some customer loyalty due to its affordability and ease of use for policyholders who do not require extensive customer service intervention.

4. Pricing and How Abbey Compares to Competitors

Abbey works as a broker, meaning it finds quotes from a panel of insurers to give you the best available premium. However, this also means that Abbey doesn’t necessarily have access to every insurer in the market. Let’s explore their pricing structure:

• Monthly Payment Fees: Abbey charges an additional 17% fee if you choose to pay your premium monthly. This can quickly add up, so it’s advisable to pay your premium in full if possible to avoid this extra charge.
• Quote Comparison: Since Abbey only surveys a select panel of insurers, it’s worth using comparison sites like QuoteZone to compare Abbey’s quotes against other providers. This will give you a broader view of the market and help you find potentially better deals.

5. Cancellation and Fees

Abbey charges fees for certain policy changes, cancellations, and administration tasks. Here’s a breakdown:

• Admin Fees: Abbey charges up to £30 for arranging cover, making changes (such as updating personal information), issuing duplicate documents, or processing late payments. These fees can be avoided if you buy your policy online.
• Cancellation Fees: Abbey charges a £50 cancellation fee, which is higher than the industry average of £24 during the cooling-off period. If you cancel after the cooling-off period (14 days), Abbey calculates the premium on a scale, which could result in you owing more than the pro-rata amount based on how far into the policy you are.
• Pro-Rata Cancellation: During the first 14 days of your policy (the cooling-off period), Abbey will charge you based on the amount of cover you’ve used. After this period, they may apply a scale that results in a higher cancellation fee, meaning you might pay a larger portion of your annual premium.

6. How Abbey Compares with Competitors

When comparing Abbey Car Insurance to other UK providers, a few key points stand out:

• Cancellation Fees: Abbey’s cancellation fee of £50 is higher than the average of £24 during the cooling-off period and £55 for cancellations after that. This could be a disadvantage if you change your mind about your policy early.
• Admin Fees: The £30 admin fee is higher than the fees of many other insurers. Some companies may charge no fees for mid-term changes or cancellations, so it’s essential to consider this when deciding on Abbey.
• Affordability: Despite these fees, Abbey can still provide competitive premiums, especially for young drivers through the ChilliDrive telematics program, which helps lower premiums for safe driving. If you’re willing to pay annually or semi-annually, Abbey offers affordable options.

7. Abbey Car Insurance Contact Information

Abbey offers easy access to customer support through its contact lines. Here are the details you’ll need:

• General Enquiries: 08000 66 55 44
• Claims: 08000 28 28 70
• Glass Repairs: 08000 28 28 70

Abbey has 23 branches in Northern Ireland. The contact details and opening hours for some of the branches are listed below:

Conclusion

Abbey Car Insurance offers a wide range of coverage options and add-ons, including breakdown cover, keycare, and motor legal expenses.

It’s particularly appealing to young drivers with the ChilliDrive telematics device, which offers discounts for safe driving. However, Abbey’s customer service reviews are mixed, with many customers citing issues with cancellation fees, admin charges, and slow claim processing.

If you are looking for affordable premiums, Abbey might be a good choice, especially if you don’t mind paying in full upfront to avoid the 17% charge for monthly payments.

Nevertheless, it’s advisable to compare Abbey’s quotes with other insurers to ensure you’re getting the best deal for your needs. Additionally, it’s important to understand Abbey’s admin and cancellation fees, as they can add up if you make changes to your policy or cancel early.