Confused.com launches new social media campaign

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:49:56 GMT

Confused.com is challenging the British public to show everyone what they can do in 5 seconds, coinciding with the launch of Confused.com QuickQuote.

This latest social media campaign forms part of Confused.com's ongoing marketing strategy for QuickQuote, a new text message service which can return a motor car insurance quote in seconds. The campaign reinforces the importance of having a car insurance policy and how this can be achieved in seconds by using QuickQuote.

For the '5 Second Challenge' Confused.com is asking people to upload videos of themselves to YouTube and show us what talent they can perform in just 5 seconds, with the winner receiving a prize of £500. The social media campaign demonstrates the concept of time and what can be achieved in 5 seconds, a creative twist on the fact that the new ground breaking Confused.com QuickQuote service allows customers to get a car insurance quote in seconds.

The social media competition started at 9am, Wednesday 16 May and finishes 9am, Wednesday 23 May and will be supported through the use of YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. To enter the competition, the British public simply have to upload their 5 second talent videos to YouTube by 9am, Wednesday 23 May 2012 and either email the URL to 5secondchallenge@confused.com or tweet @Confused.com with their URL and the hashtag #5secondchallenge to be entered. Some examples of talent at Confused.com can be found at http://bit.ly/confusedtalent

The videos will then be entered into Confused.com’s YouTube slam, which will be found at http://bit.ly/5secondchallenge from 12pm Wednesday 23 May.

The Confused.com YouTube slam will begin at 12pm, Wednesday 23 May and will finish 12pm, Monday 28 May 2012.

Sharon Flaherty, head of content at Confused.com, commented: "We are encouraging people to vote for their favourite video in our 5 second challenge on YouTube slam. To see the video of their choice rise up through the leader board, viewers simply need to vote for their favourites. We are hoping to find out what else the British public can do. By simply entering, someone could win £500 just by performing for 5 seconds. Who knows, fame could come early for someone."

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About Confused.com:
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. Over the years, the range of specialised insurance comparisons has increased to include learner driver car insurance, buy to let home insurance and mortgage life insurance. Financial services products are also available including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance.

Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides an objective and unbiased comparison service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more. Confused.com’s service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators. Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

Confused.com revolutionises car insurance by launching QuickQuote mobile service

Fri, 04 May 2012 15:02:31 GMT

Confused.com the leading price comparison site is revolutionising the car-insurance price-comparison quote process by launching a new mobile phone service called QuickQuote.

This simple mobile quote service is available for UK based customers and cannot be found on any other price comparison site. Customers of Confused.com can get a motor car insurance quote and save money just by simply having a mobile phone.

Confused.com have worked with Process Flows a well-established SMS vendor to create the first mobile phone service that changes the way a car insurance quote can be returned. It’s the quickest way of getting a cheap quote when the renewal is due, or if people are just interested to see how much it would cost them to get insured on their dream car.

QuickQuote is an innovative way of allowing customers to get quick and easy car insurance quotes through their mobile phone. To use this simple service, the customer must have used Confused.com before. They simply text the number plate to 66800 and Confused.com will text back with the cheapest quote in seconds. Customers can get a quote for any car just by simply texting 66800 and it only costs £1 per text.

Once the quote is received via their mobile phone, the customer can also access it via their Confused.com account and will be shown the range of car insurance quotes which are available through Confused.com. Currently 130 insurers are available on their panel, offering the biggest car insurance comparison service in the UK.

The advantage of QuickQuote is that the customer's details can be reused on subsequent occasions, saving customers the time and effort required to re-enter this information every single time they are looking to retrieve a quote on a vehicle.

Jeanette Fennell, Product Manager at business solution provider, ProcessFlows, developer behind the SMS technology driving the QuickQuote service said: "ProcessFlows was recommended to Confused.com. Our SMS technology is designed to meet the needs of large organisations who want to leverage the popularity of text to market and engage with an extensive audience in real-time. Confused.com continues to lead with innovative ideas that make shopping for car insurance quicker. I am sure this latest campaign will be very popular with consumers. Our technical director is already reviewing his car insurance after texting to QuickQuote."

Mike Hoban, Marketing Director at Confused.com continues: "Confused.com revolutionised the search for car insurance 10 years ago through the launch of Confused.com. To follow on this success QuickQuote has been created to provide a quick and easy car insurance process which we have developed with Process Flows to help customers find cheaper car insurance and save them money. Conducting a car insurance quote can be a laborious task for motorists when it comes to buying or renewing their insurance. However with QuickQuote this will all change.

"With QuickQuote drivers can shop around and get the best quotes and hopefully save a hefty packet on the cost of car insurance in the process. For new car hunters it allows them to find out the kind of car insurance premiums that they could expect on a particular type of vehicle at any place or time; even on the vehicle forecourt, helping to make the big decision a little bit easier."

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About Confused.com:
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include more specialised insurances such as learner driver car insurance, womens car insurance, home insurance products such as buy to let home insurance and life insurance offerings such as mortgage life insurance.

Confused.com reveals that first-time drivers prefer smaller cars

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:46:47 GMT

Confused.com has announced that, according to its recent survey, first-time buyers are becoming more savvy to the cost of cars; looking at the full cost of motoring rather than just the cost of buying a car.

Cars are one of the biggest expenses that people make in their life time, with 76% of respondents to the Confused.com survey stating this. However, people are having to compromise on the cars they drive. Big engines and car modifications no longer the new driver's prerogative, due to the cost of insurance and overall rising cost of motoring.

According to Confused.com's research, motor car insurance is viewed as a 'huge expense' by 66% of people. This is because the cost of an average comprehensive policy is £1,869 for women aged 17-20 compared with £3,635 for men.

Confused.com's research showed almost 70% of people chose their first car with an engine size of 1.3 litres or less, with 15% of under 24s citing insurance cost as the main reason for choosing a care with a smaller engine.

To keep costs down, new drivers are opting for the Ford Fiesta, which was voted the most popular first car, followed by the Mini One, in the poll of 2,000 drivers (selected from a list of 52 different makes and models).

For a 17-year-old male to insure a Ford Fiesta Encore 1.3 litre engine, the insurance premium would cost on average £5,372.96. This compares with the cost for a first-time buyer purchasing a Volkswagen Golf GTI 2 litre engine, which would cost £12,144.75 for insurance cover. This is more than double the cost of insurance for a Ford Fiesta, the first-time buyers' car of choice.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com, said: "Car insurance is a huge purchase for young drivers. However, our research tells us that these drivers are adapting to pressures and opting for smaller, cheaper cars, in order to minimise their insurance premiums.

"Buying your first car is a really exciting purchase. For the first-time buyer, cost is an important factor with 50% saying that price affects their purchase, and 35% of first-time buyers paying £500 or less for their first car."

To help young drivers, Confused.com advises them to first decide how much they can afford to pay for their first car; not just the sum to buy the car itself but also the running costs - insurance, MOT, vehicle excise duty, petrol, repairs and servicing. Confused.com encourages first-time car buyers to shop around on a price comparison site and add an experienced named driver onto their insurance.

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About Confused.com:
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK's biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include specialised insurances such as buy to let home insurance, learner driver car insurance, women's car insurance, and mortgage life insurance breakdown cover, as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance.

Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides an objective and unbiased comparison service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more. Confused.com's service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators.

Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

Confused.com launches Vote Match tool

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:54:40 GMT

Confused.com has partnered up with Unlock Democracy, the people behind Vote Match, to help the public make those difficult voting decisions.

The London Mayoral Election will be taking place on 3 May 2012 and Confused.com, the leading car insurance price comparison site, has made it easier to work out who to vote for through the Vote match tool: www.confused.com/london-mayor.

Vote Match is a free online application that was launched in 2010 and has been voted the Online Innovation of 2011. The application asks people questions regarding their opinions, interests, and certain life choices. The application then collates all the answers that are given and matches them to an election candidate which seems to most suit their opinions. In this case the candidates for the London Mayoralty Election.

Confused.com is providing people with an impartial, online destination that concerned Brits can visit to make up their minds on voting issues using an unbiased, award-winning interactive application.

Peter Facey, Director of Unlock Democracy, said: "Unlock Democracy are delighted that Confused.com is sponsoring Vote Match as our two brands seem like the perfect match.

"We recognise that often it is not obvious to people which political candidate best represents their views. Vote Match is a fun and easy way for people to compare the candidates and their policies on the issues that matter most to them.

"Unlock Democracy hope Vote Match will help the majority of London’s 6 million electorate for whom the main decision in this election is not who to vote for, but whether to vote at all. Thanks to our partnership, voters need not be confused come polling day."

Mike Hoban, Marketing Director at Confused.com, said: "We are delighted to be working with Vote Match to make it easier for people to decide who they want to support in this important election. The new tool makes it easier for people to match their own opinions with that of the candidates. A more informed electorate can only benefit us all."

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About Confused.com:
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include specialised insurances such as empty house insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, van insurance, motorbike insurance, breakdown cover and energy, as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance quotes.

Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more. Confused.com’s service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators.

Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index reveals women feeling the pinch

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:40:07 GMT

The latest Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index has revealed that, after several years of soaring price increases, car insurance prices have fallen. However, car insurance prices are still 61% higher than they were at the end of 2006.

Car insurance prices for women have fallen 3% year-on-year but in some UK regions women are experiencing hikes as high as 9.7%, showing a murky picture across the UK.

For men, the price of comprehensive car insurance has dropped by 1.8% year on year bringing an average policy to £869 at the end of March 2012.This compares with women who were paying £751 in the same period.

However, the Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price index also shows that some women have seen more significant rises than men in the 12 month period. These changes are taking place in Leeds and Sheffield, Inner London, Manchester & Merseyside as well as the West Midlands and mostly amongst the 21-30 age group.

In the Leeds/Sheffield area, the Confused.com/Towers Watson car insurance price index shows that the cost of a comprehensive policy for women aged 21-25 increased by 3.4% YoY in Q1 2012, totalling £1,437. This compares with a 2% rise for men of the same age and postcode who in Q1 2012 paid £2,199 for a comprehensive policy.

Women aged 21-25 living in Inner London also took a hit in premiums, experiencing car insurance price rises of 3.9% YoY in Q1 2012, whereas 21-25 year old males living in the same postcode saw a lesser 3.4 per cent hike.

In the Manchester/ Merseyside region, women aged 21-25 were grappling with price hikes of 4.7% as the price of a comprehensive policy rose to £1,820. By contrast, their male counterparts saw a 3.6% rise.

Interestingly, and also in the Manchester/ Merseyside area, those women aged 66-70 were hit with a huge 9.7% rise in their insurance premium, compared with a 5.7% rise for men.

Despite being hit with regional hikes, women are still paying less than men for car insurance because the cost of claims is less for women compared to that of men. The Confused.com/Towers Watson car insurance price index shows that for the first quarter of 2012, female drivers aged 17-20 were paying £1,766 LESS than men of the same age. The average cost of a fully comprehensive car insurance policy in the first quarter of 2012 for a female aged 17-20 is £1,869 compared with males of the same age who pay £3,635.

As well as some women in some regions feeling the effects of car insurance price rises, increases above the rate of inflation (3.4%)* were seen in Oldham, Uxbridge, Bradford and East London. With a price increase of 7.1%, Oldham replaces Bradford as the postcode with the fastest rising prices over the last 12 months.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com said: "Overall we've seen insurance prices come down marginally but, some women are seeing significant increases in their premium. The European Union gender equality law bans the use of gender as a factor in calculating the cost of an insurance policy and comes into effect on 21 December 2012. As a result, we expect women everywhere to see hikes to their car insurance costs."

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About Confused.com
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month and tries to provide users with the cheapest car insurance. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include specialised insurance such as second home insurance, holiday home insurance and provides a wide range of life insurance quotes.

Elephant.co.uk reveals research on problematic parallel parking

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:31:33 GMT

elephant.co.uk has discovered just how problematic parallel parking is for British motorists. It might seem like a simple, everyday activity, but new research suggests parking is a real headache for many motorists in the UK.

New research by car insurance specialist, elephant.co.uk has revealed one in five (21%) motorists can rarely or never parallel park with three-fifths (58%) giving up and driving off because they haven't been able to manoeuvre their car into a space. More than one in ten (13%) motorists also admit they avoid parallel parking altogether.

Parallel parking was introduced to the driving test in the early 1990s, but according to the study, it's younger drivers that have the hardest time parallel parking, despite being the most likely to have been taught in their driving lessons (77%). Almost a third (29%) of drivers aged between 18 and 24 can rarely or never parallel park and are the most likely to avoid parallel parking altogether (16%).

The over 45s are the least likely to have been taught how to parallel park when they learnt to drive, however less than a fifth (18%) say they can rarely or never parallel park. The over 45s are also one of the least likely age groups to avoid parallel parking altogether (12%).

elephant.co.uk surveyed 2,000 motorists and found the average motorist will spend 4 minutes attempting to park their car into a space before giving up. Some motorists, however, spend much longer. One in seven (14%) will spend between 5 and 15 minutes and 1% said they will even spend more than 30 minutes attempting to park their car.

In fact, the research revealed parking is such a struggle for some people they resort to getting someone else to park for them. A quarter of motorists (25%) have got someone else to park their car with 59% asking their spouse or partner, 37% another friend or relative and 4% even asking a stranger.

elephant.co.uk managing director, Brian Martin said: "It doesn't matter if you're a new driver or if you've been doing it for years, parking can be tricky and parallel parking in particular does seem to be a challenge for many drivers.

"It seems the pressure of someone waiting for you makes the task of parking that much harder. Three fifths (59%) of motorists told us they find it more difficult to park if another motorist is stopped waiting for them to manoeuvre into a space and I can’t help but agree!"

A third of drivers (34%) also said they would like to be taught how to parallel park now given the opportunity with more 18 to 24 year olds, than any other age group, wishing they could be taught again; 40% compared to 34% overall.

To help those motorists who struggle to parallel park and give everyone else a parking refresher, elephant.co.uk has joined forces with Fifth Gear's Tim Shaw and stunt driver and double British Autotest Champion, Alastair Moffat to share with motorists the key to parking with ease every time.

People can visit www.elephant.co.uk/parking to watch the short film and discover a sure fire way to parallel park every time, no matter what vehicle they're driving.

About elephant.co.uk:
elephant.co.uk was launched in August 2000 and has over 485,000 customers. elephant.co.uk is a trading name of EUI Limited and is part of the Admiral Group plc.

elephant.co.uk specialises in providing online car insurance on the Internet. elephant.co.uk targets 17-35 year-olds living in cities, who traditionally pay higher premiums for car insurance elephant.co.uk is proud to support Tusk throughout 2011.

elephant.co.uk writes its motor insurance business to a consortium of insurers, these being: Admiral Insurance Company Ltd, Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited and Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) plc.

Confused.com Reveal competition giving thousands of Nectar points away

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:54:28 GMT

Confused.com, the expert price-comparison site, is to extend its 1,000 Nectar points promotion to include home, pet, bike, van and life insurance as well as continuing to offer the promotion on car insurance.

This promotion will run from 1st April until 30th June and follows on from Confused.com and Nectar's first partnership unveiling in December.

Confused.com will continue to give customers 1,000 Nectar points for every car insurance product they buy through the website, but the 1,000 points giveaway will also be extended to every home, pet, bike and van insurance product.

Customers who buy any life insurance product through Confused.com will receive 3,000 Nectar points, giving a little helping hand in these difficult times.

All Nectar points will be awarded within the first 90 days of purchase*. The Nectar points will go straight onto the customer's card, so they can boost their Nectar balance by simply buying insurance. The Confused.com promotion not only gives customers competitive rates on all insurance needs, but gives customers something back for their purchase.

The Nectar promotion will be supported by a TV advertisement and radio advert, running from the 1st April.

The television advert will be shown on ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, S4C, Sky Multimedia and many more in prime time slots. The radio advert can be heard on Absolute, Kiss, Real Radio, Heart, Talk Sport Magic and many other stations.

Will Shuckburgh, Nectar Client Services Director commented: "Our savvy collectors have loved getting points for saving money with Confused.com. Extending this to even more products, at a time when we are tightening our purses, will be really well received."

Mike Hoban, Marketing Director at Confused.com, said: "After our initial launch with Nectar in December, we decided that we wanted to expand this promotion further by offering our customers the chance to get thousands of Nectar points by purchasing motor, home, life, bike and van insurance products, making it even easier for customers to get more for their money at Confused.com.

"As a company we understand how hard things are for many people and this promotion with Nectar is once again demonstrating Confused.com is the people's choice for comparison sites and a company that cares for its customers."

The Confused.com advert will be aired on 1st April. The new advert can be viewed at www.confused.com/cara from1st April 2012.

Notes to Editors:
*For a customer to receive their Nectar points within the 90 day period they must submit their claim form before 60 days of purchasing the policy

About Confused.com:
Confused.com is one of the UK's biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include home insurance, car insurance for 17 year olds and business car insurance as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance.

Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

Peacocks, puppies and pests behind unusual insurance claims

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:06:25 GMT

Admiral has released details of its most bizarre claims from the last two years revealing our furry and feathered friends are often the culprits.

The car insurance specialist revealed that for one unfortunate motorist, their pride and joy was destroyed by a nest of mice who took a liking to its stylish leather interior. Another motorist collided with a bollard after their front passenger pulled up the handbrake mistaking it for the puppy which had jumped down from their lap, and another drove into a telephone pole while trying to swat a fly inside their vehicle.

Peculiarly, peacocks seem to be particularly troublesome for many motorists and four out of the twelve most unusual animal claims involved the feathered poseurs attacking vehicles. These include a car clawed by a peacock after seeing its reflection in the paintwork and another damaged by a group of peacocks which had escaped from a neighbour's garden.

Dave Halliday, Admiral managing director, said: "We asked our claims handlers to tell us about any unusual claims they had dealt with that really stood out for them and found that animals featured in the most memorable ones.

"Although amusing to read about now, any incident is distressing for those involved and our handlers are trained to be understanding and professional. However, it goes to show car insurance is not always as dull as you may think."

Other unusual claims include a car damaged at a village fete when a miniature pony broke loose and climbed over the bonnet, a driver distracted by a camel and an elephant tethered at the side of the road who collided with a bollard and a man who leaned over to stroke his dog when driving and crashed his car.

Another motorist caused a multi-car shunt after being startled by a spider dangling from the rear view mirror and a car was damaged by rats which entered the engine compartment and chewed through internal parts. Dave Halliday continued: "From territorial peacocks, creepy crawlies and cute puppies, it seems it’s not just other road users motorists should be aware of. These unusual incidents illustrate how important it is to remain focused on the road ahead at all times and not to get distracted by animals whether they’re inside or outside your vehicle.

"Whilst it's more difficult to protect your car exterior from a frantic peacock, if you are transporting pets, make sure they are safely secured so as not to cause any distraction."

About Admiral:
Admiral, (a trading name of EUI Ltd) launched in 1993, and is part of Admiral Group plc. It was set up to target those motorists who traditionally pay higher than average premiums, including those under-35, living in cities or driving hot hatches. It now offers its unique Admiral MultiCar policy for households with two or more cars.

Admiral writes its motor insurance business to a consortium of insurers, these being Admiral Insurance Company Ltd, Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited and Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) plc.

The Admiral Group employs over 4,500 people in the UK and has more than 2.8 million customers in the UK.

Confused.com reveals life insurance as the newest way to say I love you

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:17:38 GMT

New findings from Confused.com have revealed that taking out life insurance or breakdown cover for a partner is deemed romantic by some couples. Bucking traditional gender stereotypes, it's the men who most want to be protected with a gift of breakdown cover but many couple have not had 'the chat' and are unaware of where important financial documents are kept in their household.

Confused.com asked people in a relationship to tell them how they would feel if their partner took out a life insurance policy to protect them or purchased breakdown cover on their behalf.

More than half (53%) of people in a relationship tell us it would be 'thoughtful' if their partner took out life insurance to protect them: 56% of women versus 50% of men call life insurance a 'thoughtful' gift. 8% of people go as far as to call it 'romantic' if their partner takes out life insurance in their favour while 9% of men who drive compared to 6% of women think that breakdown cover for their car is a 'romantic' gift. 75% of women and 60% of men think breakdown cover is a 'thoughtful' gift.

Not everyone agrees, as 10% of people feel that life insurance is 'morbid', but a further 8% say it would be 'well-overdue' and that their partner should have got around to getting life insurance sooner. Couples tend to be independent when it comes to finances with 47% of men and 39% of women admitting they don’t know where their partner keeps their financial documents and only half of people in relationships saying that their partner knows where they keep details of their own finances.

Matt Lloyd from Confused.com’s Life Insurance team said: "It's heartening that couples realise life insurance is there to protect your loved ones and that making provision in case you die is actually a very caring thing to do.

"Having private finances is up to individuals and keeping your information safe is important but it is advisable to have 'that chat' with your loved ones so that they know which bank or provider to call if the worst happens."

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Notes to Editors:
The poll of 2,000 people in a relationship in the UK was carried out by OnePoll on behalf of Confused.com during March 2012. The breakdown cover question was answered by 1,479 of the respondents who were drivers.

About Confused.com:
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include home insurance, mini car insurance and student car insurance as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance.

Confused.com reveals the extent of poor driving habits in the UK

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:18:14 GMT

Confused.com has revealed shocking research showing the extent of driver habits on UK roads, with a range of behaviours admitted.

Apparently some drivers across the UK are getting in the driving seat wearing nothing more than pyjamas and with their feet clad in just their slippers or even barefoot. Applying make-up is another part of the morning routine which some women leave until they are actually driving the car: 1 in 10 women put make-up on and drive at the same time and 15% of men have had a shave while driving.

Car insurance experts at Confused.com are warning drivers to wake up to the potential danger of inappropriate footwear and dangerous driving habits, and advising drivers to keep a pair of sensible 'driving shoes' in the car for safety.

Wearing high heels behind the wheel is not uncommon with 40% of women admitting this and 46% of us admit to eating and driving at the same time. 47% of men and 18% of women are checking out other drivers to see if they are attractive as they motor along and 49% of men pick their noses and drive at the same time, which apart from being disgusting means their hands are not on the wheel. Similarly, almost half of us (49%) regularly change the music while we are driving.

18-24 year-old men (40%) and 25-34 year old women (47%) are the most likely to wear flip flops to drive but the main slipper wearers are the 25-34 year-old men (14%) and 18-24 year-old women (21%). Over 55s are least likely to wear slippers or flip flops to drive and women driving in high heels peaks at 25-34 years old with half of women in this age group admitting to driving in heels.

Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com, Gareth Kloet commented: "It's not against the law to drive in your pyjamas or pick your nose at traffic lights but any behaviour that could cause you to drive without due care and attention should be avoided. Wearing inappropriate footwear could cause the driver to lose control of the car and so we'd recommend keeping a pair of suitable shoes in the car to avoid any crashes. Look at your feet; if you are wearing shoes which you would not wear for a driving test then you probably shouldn’t wear them to drive either."

Julie Townsend, Deputy Chief Executive at Brake, the road safety charity, also voiced her concerns: "It's deeply worrying that many drivers have such little regard for their own and others' safety that they will apply make-up, shave and eat at the wheel, or wear unsuitable footwear. Driving is a responsibility that needs to be taken seriously and given your full attention. We all live hectic lives and people often feel cocooned in their vehicles, but we need to bear in mind that a lapse of concentration at the wheel can lead to needless tragedies."

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About Confused.com:
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include specialised car insurance such as BMW car insurance, Mini car insurance and car insurance for 17 year olds. Confused.com also compare financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance quotes.

Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service. Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

Admiral has revealed that the first year of driving poses risk for new licence holders

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:22:09 GMT

Admiral has revealed that motorists driving within the first year after passing their driving test are considerably more likely to obtain a conviction or make a claim than when learning, according to new research.

Car insurance specialist Admiral looked at data from 1 million car insurance quotes and found that drivers in the first year of driving on a full licence are more than one and a half times as likely as those on provisional licences to have a conviction, and are a staggering three times as likely to make a claim.

Dave Halliday, Admiral acting managing director, said: "These statistics make worrying reading. It’s exciting to be out on the open road on your own once you've passed your test, however, new drivers mustn’t forget they’re inexperienced and although they now have a full licence, it certainly doesn’t make them expert drivers.

"When learning, you’re under supervision, so have your mistakes pointed out to you, but the ability to drive independently means confidence can soar, particularly with peer pressure when a new driver is carrying passengers. New drivers also need to remember that if they build up six or more penalty points within two years of passing their test, their licence is taken off them and they go back to being a learner."

The research also showed there's a difference between men and women when it comes to provisional compared to full licences as well.

Women within their first year of driving with a full licence are 1.9 times more likely than women on a provisional licence to have a conviction, and equivalent men are 1.3 times more likely. However, it’s important to note that men with a full licence are 2.8 times more likely than women to have a conviction in their first year.

For claims, women within their first year of driving with a full licence are 4.5 times more likely as those on a provisional licence to make a claim, and men are 2.2 times more likely. However, women with a full licence are twice as likely as equivalent men to make a claim.

Dave continued: "It's not a surprise to see that men are more likely than women to have a conviction in their first year of driving on a full licence. It may be a surprise to some people that women are more likely to make a claim, however, although men claim less, their claims are more likely to cost more and be more serious."

Admiral writes its motor insurance business to a consortium of insurers, these being Admiral Insurance Company Ltd, Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited and Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) plc.

The Admiral Group employs over 4,500 people in the UK and has more than 2.8 million customers in the UK.

Confused.com launches new partnership with Quotemehappy.com

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:28:04 GMT

Confused.com has launched a new partnership with Quotemehappy to offer insurance to careful drivers. Quotemehappy.com is an insurer that is specifically set up for careful drivers who want reliable, low-cost policies.

Confused.com's comparison service makes it easy for customers to compare car insurance and with the new relationship with Quotemehappy.com, customers have even more choice.

Quotemehappy.com offers a comprehensive policy to careful drivers. The insurance brand keeps its costs as low as possible by operating online and premiums are also kept down as Quotemehappy.com is very clear about who it will and won't insure. For example, it will not insure new drivers, those with older or more expensive cars or drivers who have had more than one at-fault claim in the last four years.

Marco Distefano, Managing Director of Quotemehappy.com, said: "Quotemehappy was created to give careful drivers a fair pricing and personal service when getting car insurance.

"At Quotemehappy.com we have negotiated some fantastic premiums with our specialist panel of insurers and see Confused.com as the ideal partner to ensure that this brand continues to reach the maximum number of potential customers as possible, whilst further enhancing Confused.com's commitment to provide a specialist quote for every client, from every background with any specific needs."

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com, continued: "At Confused.com we want to offer our customers the right cover at the right price by offering genuine value for money, a quality product and competitive prices for careful drivers. Adding Quotemehappy.com to the ever increasing number of insurers that we compare prices for is a great result."

About Confused.com:
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include buildings insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, and specialist insurances such as over 60’s car insurance. Confused.com also compares financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance policies.

Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service. Confused.com’s service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators.

Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

Confused.com reveals £203m worth of car damage caused by misleading Sat Navs

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:04:29 GMT

New research from Confused.com has revealed that Sat Navs have caused over £203m worth of damage to drivers on UK roads, through accidents caused by misleading directions. With the Department for Transport holding its first ever Sat Nav Summit in March, the issue of misleading Sat Navs has become an ever-increasing problem across the nation.

A staggering 83% of British drivers have admitted to being misled by their Sat Navs, resulting in over half the country (52%) screaming at their devices. 68% of the drivers end up with longer journeys and clock up unnecessary miles while 45% of British drivers have confessed to feeling angry and frustrated while behind the wheel, which in turn has led to 31% of British motorists red faced, spending between £100 - £500 on Sat Nav related car damage.

Whilst it's mainly men who blame their car damage on their Sat Nav, women are more likely to admit that it leads them astray. Women also get more frustrated than men, with 57% of female drivers freely admitting that they scream at their Sat Navs, a shocking 12% higher than male drivers.

On a national scale, drivers in the East Midlands fared the worst with their Sat Nav relationship, with 57% shouting at their Sat Navs and 50% feeling frustrated behind the wheel. Northern Ireland has proved the most docile with only 31% getting angry at misleading Sat Nav directions. 80% of Scots claimed to be given misleading directions constantly by their Sat Navs leading to over half (51%) of Scottish drivers screaming at their devices. The research did however pinpoint the Welsh town of Aberystwyth as the worst for Sat Nav anger management with an alarming 75% admitting to regularly losing their temper.

With the amount of Sat Nav accidents occurring across the country, and the pending Sat Nav legislation, Confused.com is calling for British motorists to register their Sat Nav blackspots from around the UK on Confused.com.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com, said: "As car insurance costs continue to rise, it’s never been more important to keep your motoring costs as low as possible. Our research has shown that the Sat Nav is not always the blessing it was once hailed to be and increasingly, motorists appear to be sighting the device as a source of frustration and danger. We hope that our Sat Nav blackspot map will not only help reduce risk, but we also hope that frustrated drivers get back behind the wheel a little happier."

About Confused.com:
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK's biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month, trying to provide consumers the cheapest car insurance. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include buildings insurance, travel insurance, as well as specialist insurances such as landlord insurance and 4x4 insurance. Financial services products are also available, including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance policies.

Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

Confused.com reveals young male drivers pay almost double for insurance compared to women

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:44:31 GMT

Confused.com/Towers Watson have revealed that the cost of car insurance for young men continues to go through the roof, with 17-20 year olds paying almost double what women drivers of the same age are paying.

Male drivers in the 17-20 year old age group are suffering as female drivers pay £1,771 less than the men UK-wide: it currently costs an average of £1,959 for women aged 17-20 to insure a car compared to £3,730 for men. These are the findings of the Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index (Q4 2011), which is based on more than 4 million quotes.

Young people are feeling the impact most, with car insurance for young drivers seeing huge rises from the previous year. Regionally the picture is even more surprising: young men passing their driving tests in inner London can expect to be quoted an average of £5,523 to insure their car if they are aged 20yrs or younger which is more than 48% higher than the average for this group and 5.7% more than they paid in Q4 of 2010 meaning taking the time hunting around for the cheapest car insurance even more worthwhile. Their counterparts in Manchester and Merseyside fare even worse, with average costs of £5,724 facing them to insure their cars when they throw away the 'L' plates, a shocking rise of 10.6% year-on-year (Q4 2011 compared to Q4 2010). A 17-20 year old female in inner London can expect to pay £3,261 on average: a rise of 4.4% year-on-year, and they are paying an average of £3,307 in Manchester/Merseyside - a 9.9% rise year-on year. A high cost, but this is still more than £2,000 less than men of the same age.

When a driver adds another person to their comprehensive policy, average costs come down, so a 17-20 year old man pays £3,907 (UK average) as the only driver, but when they add on another driver the costs fall to an average of £3,345, a saving of more than £500. For 17-20 year-old women the UK average is £2,046 if they are the only driver and this falls to £1,819 for 17-20 year olds with another driver on their policy.

Comprehensive car insurance for women across all ages and regions fell marginally in quarter 4 of 2011 (-1.3%), but prices continued to rise for men, although by just 1% in quarter 4. Year-on-year, it was 61-65 year old men who saw the biggest jump in costs, with a 7.4% increase, bringing the average premium for men of that age group to £504. For women drivers it was the 26-30 year olds who saw the steepest jump in prices with 7.2% hikes, giving an average of £789.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance for Confused.com commented: "From December, EU legislation will mean that insurers can't use gender as a factor in setting prices. The differences highlighted in our report show that there is still a huge disparity between what men and women are being charged for their car insurance. Insurers clearly still have a long way to go to comply with the new legislation. It’s more important than ever to shop around and we're committed to making it easier for people to save money on their car insurance."

-ENDS-

About Confused.com:
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include buildings insurance, travel insurance, specialist insurance such as landlord insurance and mortgage life insurance, as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, and mortgages.

Confused.com reveals the cars topping the speeding charts

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:46:44 GMT

Confused.com has revealed which cars are most likely to be driven by those who have committed driving offences.

Based on the car insurance experts' own data, Confused.com identified the Land Rover Discovery HSE V6 TD and the Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE TD6 as the cars that are most likely to have been involved in exceeding the statutory speed limit on a public road.

Meanwhile, the drivers who've been caught on their phone or hand-held device, when their eyes should have been on the road, are more likely to be driving a Ford Galaxy Zetec, a BMW XSI Sport or a Volkswagen Polo e 60.

Most likely to have been caught driving without insurance are the drivers of the Vauxhall Astra Edition 16V Coupe. Meanwhile, Audi A3 drivers (S3 FSI t Quattro) are the top traffic light jumpers.

Government estimates put the number of British people driving without insurance at 1.4m, and have identified this as one factor in the rising costs of car insurance.

One car in particular topped the charts with 26% of Land Rover Discovery HSE V6 TD owners having exceeded the statutory speed limit on a public road. BMW 320 DM Sport and the Mini Cooper TD also featured with 20% and 19% of owners respectively being found to have broken the speed limit.

Using a mobile device is still a problem on Britain’s roads, despite fines and points being issued if caught, with Ford Galaxy Zetec TDi drivers being the main culprits at 1.94% closely followed by the BMW XS I Sport with 1.77% of drivers being caught.

With regards to other driving offences, Confused.com found that drivers of the Vauxhall Zafira Design DTi were most likely to drive their vehicle with defective tyres, while Citroen Saxo VTR drivers were most likely to drive or attempt to drive whilst over the current alcohol limit.

Gareth Kloet, head of car insurance at Confused.com says: "The rules of the road are designed to help shape our driving habits and to maximise road safety. Our research has nevertheless shown that driving legally is clearly a challenge to a significant proportion of drivers.

"Keeping on the right side of the law will obviously help to not only minimise the cost of your insurance but also help keep you on the road and keep the roads safe."

-Ends-

About Confused.com:
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK's biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include home insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, life insurance, van insurance, motorbike insurance, breakdown cover and energy, as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance.

Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service finding users great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more. Confused.com’s service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators. Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

Admiral MultiCar reveals Britain as a nation of complications

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:54:35 GMT

Admiral MultiCar has revealed that Britain is a complicated place to live according to new research. It shows that over half the population believe their lives are too complicated, with money, work-life balance and family issues causing the complication.

The car insurance specialist found that 52% of people think their lives are too complicated. More women than men believe this, with 57% of them claiming their lives are too complicated compared with 45% of men. Briton's lives would appear to become less complicated as they get older as 70% of 16 - 24 year olds say their lives are too complicated compared with just 37% of the over 55s.

Regionally, those living in the North East find life most complicated, with just over three out of five people living there claiming this. Next are the Welsh on 58% and Londoners on 57%. Interestingly, across the Pennines from the North East in the North West, only 45% claim their lives are complicated, the lowest of any region.

Examining the reasons for the complication, over a third of respondents (36%) said managing money, a quarter (25%) cited managing work/life balance and just under a quarter (24%) said family life is the biggest contributor.

Dave Halliday, Admiral acting managing director, said: "It appears that people are struggling to cope with the challenges modern life throws at them and are finding it all too complicated. Unsurprisingly, managing money is at the top of the list as with a seemingly endless list of outgoings, it can be tricky to keep on top of everything, particularly when trying to balance work and family life at the same time."

When asked how their lives could be made less complicated, a third of people (33%) said earning more money would help, while around one in seven (14%) mentioned retiring would be the best option, with a similar amount (12%) saying upping sticks and jetting away on a long holiday would really help. Other responses were agreeing with everything their partner said (5%) or even getting a divorce (2%).

Over a fifth of people (22%) admitted they are to blame for their own complications, while a fifth (20%) blame the Government, and a similar number (17%) blame their partner.

A quarter of people (25%) cope with their complicated lives by simply sticking their heads in the sand and ignoring their phone. 9% avoid chores and worryingly 5% ignore statements and financial demands. However, over 40% don't actually employ any strategies at all to make their life less complicated.

Admiral MultiCar has teamed up with comedian and presenter Sue Perkins to create some light-hearted video guides on how to make life less complicated. In the videos Sue shows how to get the kids ready for school in record time, how to keep on top of your household finances, how to speak the language of a teenager and how to make sure to buy the perfect present for a partner. The videos by can be viewed at www.admiral.com/alifelesscomplicated.

Notes to Editors:
The research was carried out online by Opinion Matters amongst a panel of 1,173 UK adult respondents.

Admiral writes its motor insurance business to a consortium of insurers, these being Admiral Insurance Company Ltd, Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited and Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) plc.

The Admiral Group employs over 4,500 people in the UK and has more than 2.8 million customers in the UK.

Confused.com and Nectar unveil Swap day in London with Keith Chegwin

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:47:15 GMT

Confused.com is celebrating its Nectar Points promotion by bringing back the spirit of nostalgic TV show 'Swap Shop' to central London for one day only.

New research carried out by Confused.com, amongst 2,000 people in the UK, shows that saving money is one of the biggest motivators for swappers, with 31% of people saying that they preferred to swap to save money, whilst 36% admitted to swapping 'to get something I actually wanted rather than something I would never use'.

With 17% getting more satisfaction from swapping than shopping and 48% of people having already swapped an unwanted possession online, it’s clear that swapping is on the up.

Confused.com 'Swap Store', which will take place at London's Victoria Station from 1-3pm on January 25th, is part of the give-away which sees 1,000 Nectar points given to every customer who buys a car insurance policy through Confused.com between now and the end of March 2012.

Swap Shop presenter, Keith Chegwin, will be compering the swap, said: "It's great to see that swapping is back in fashion, and I'm really looking forward to running Confused.com's Swap Store. Saving money is one benefit of swapping things you no longer need and it can be really entertaining too."

Mike Hoban, Chief Marketing Officer at car insurance comparison expert Confused.com added: "The popularity of swapping unwanted gifts has encouraged us to have some fun this January by arranging our very own 'Swap Store'. Those old enough to remember the children’s TV show 'Multi-coloured Swap Shop' will not be disappointed."

About Confused.com:
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include home insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, van insurance, motorbike insurance, breakdown cover and life insurance.

Specialist comparison also includes business car insurance, temporary car cover and students car insurance.

About Nectar:
Nectar, the United Kingdom's leading coalition loyalty programme, is owned by Aimia, a global leader in loyalty management. Over 18.5 million collectors earn Nectar points when shopping for groceries, doing DIY, booking a holiday, paying household bills, buying petrol and even getting their car serviced. Collectors also earn Nectar points when they shop exclusively online via Nectar eShops at over 500 leading retailers online. Since Nectar’s launch in 2002, over £1.5 billion of rewards have been redeemed by its collectors. Rewards include money off shopping, travel and general merchandise.

Confused.com reveals regional Britain hit by insurance price rises higher than inflation

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:04:15 GMT

Confused.com has revealed that car insurance prices have risen at a higher rate than inflation in many regions over the last twelve months. The cost of comprehensive cover rose by 4.9% over all in 2011, with third party, fire and theft (TPFT) premiums increasing in cost by 10.2% year-on-year.

The Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index is based on more than 4 million quotes. The new report, which looks at car insurance price changes throughout 2011, reveals:

- Comprehensive premiums have risen by an average of £39 and TPFT premiums by £107 in the last 12 months.
Bradford, Oldham and Manchester have experienced the highest increase overall (17.1% in Bradford), although encouragingly some prices have come down, most notably in Falkirk in Scotland.
- The average cost of a comprehensive policy at the end of 2011 stands at £844, with the average TPFT policy costing £1162.
- Prices vary significantly with age: 17-20 year olds were paying a whopping average of £2,590 at year end, while those aged 66 and over typically pay a more modest £451 per year.

The last quarter of 2011 showed a gentle increase compared with the hikes experienced in previous quarters; there was less than 0.05% change in the average premium for the last quarter of 2011. The average cost of a comprehensive policy rose marginally from £843 to £844 in quarter four.

Drivers of some vehicles in insurance groups 3, 8, 9 and 10 have suffered a rise of more than 7%. The premiums for 4-door estates have increased by more than 13% in 12 months. To find out your car insurance group visit Confused.com.

Gareth Kloet, head of car insurance for Confused.com commented: "This time last year drivers were paying an eye watering £804 average premium for comprehensive cover which has continued to rise to a massive £844 over the past 12 months.

"In 2012 we can expect to see new factors affecting car insurance prices such as the introduction of the EU legislation on gender due at the end of this year meaning that insurance cannot be priced according to gender. We will also see new technologies affecting car insurance prices such as black box technology which allows insurers to offer discounts to drivers who can prove that they are careful behind the wheel."

More than 4 million quotes are used in the construction of each quarter's insurance price index, making it the most comprehensive insurance index in the UK. Unless otherwise stated all prices referred to are for comprehensive cover.

-ENDS-

About the Index:
The index is compiled using anonymous data from all enquiries submitted on Confused.com. In line with the draft Office of Fair Trading (OFT) commitments on the use of competitor price data, the prices used for calculating the index are based on an average of the best five quotes received on Confused.com.

About Confused.com:
Confused.com was the UK's first price comparison site for car insurance. Confused.com is one of the UK's biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include home insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, van insurance, motorbike insurance, breakdown cover and energy, as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance. Specialist car cover also includes budget car insurance and temporary car insurance.

Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service.

Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

Admiral reveals car crime creating a nervy nation

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:44:38 GMT

Britain’s motorists are living in fear of having their car stolen or broken into according to a new poll, even though car crime numbers have fallen over the years.

Car insurance specialist Admiral commissioned YouGov to survey 2,500 drivers as part of the annual Admiral Survey of British Motorists, and found almost three quarters (74%) worry about their car being stolen or broken into. Drivers in the East Midlands, and Yorkshire are most concerned with 80% in those regions worrying about their car being stolen or broken into, whilst motorists in Scotland have the most relaxed stance with 63% worrying about it.

However, it appears this anxiety about car crime is unfounded as Admiral's own claims statistics show that the number of cars being stolen or broken into has dropped dramatically over the past decade. In fact, in 2011 0.16% of motorists insured by Admiral had their car stolen compared to 0.54% in 2001. Car break ins show a similar pattern, as ten years ago 0.61% of motorists insured by Admiral had their car broken into compared to 0.16% in 2011.

Dave Halliday, Admiral managing director, said: "Our statistics show that car crime has been falling for several years now, so maybe worrying about it is undue. This anxiety could be linked to a general sense of unease about the state of the country and the economy in particular; our cars are after all, one of the most valuable things we own."

Dave continued: "Modern cars have excellent security features with manufacturers making them more and more difficult to steal, which must have some impact on the number stolen or broken into. However, motorists should always make sure their car isn't an easy target for thieves by parking it in a well-lit area, not leaving items on show, and making sure their keys are kept in a safe and secure place should someone gain access to their home."

Even though car crime is decreasing, Admiral thought it would be interesting to see which types of vehicle are the most likely to be targeted by criminals*. It looked at statistics from the last year and found the Nissan Sunny, BMW X6 and Audi RS6 were the three cars most likely to be stolen. The Nissan Figaro is the car most likely to be broken into followed by the Citroen C8 and BMW 730.

Notes to Editors:
*Based on Admiral Group claims 2010/2011, only includes makes and models where Admiral has at least 500 instances to prevent figures skewing.

More information on this and the rest of Admiral's Annual Survey of British Motorists can be found at www.admiral.com/surveyofmotorists.

Admiral writes its motor insurance business to a consortium of insurers, these being Admiral Insurance Company Ltd, Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited and Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) plc.

The Admiral Group employs over 4,500 people in the UK and has more than 2.8 million customers in the UK.

Confused.com launches new points promotion with Nectar

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:49:56 GMT

Confused.com has announced it will unveil a new promotion with Nectar, the UK's largest loyalty programme. Customers will receive 1,000 Nectar points for every car insurance policy they buy through Confused.com. The promotion is running from 12 December 2011 until 31 March 2012.

Confused.com's Nectar Points promotion will be supported by a 30 second TV advert and radio advert running from 23 December. The adverts will feature animated logo Cara singing 'YMCA', with some unique wording added to highlight the Nectar promotion.

Will Shuckburgh, Nectar Client Development Director, commented: "We're thrilled to be building on an already successful partnership with Confused.com. This is another fantastic way for our card holders to collect more Nectar points whilst getting a great deal on car insurance. It's great to be working with a leader such as Confused.com, as we know this is something our savvy Collectors will take advantage of and continue to get excited about."

Mike Hoban, Marketing Director at Confused.com, said: "Confused.com was the first site to offer price comparison for car insurance, so saving people time and money is at the very heart of our business.The promotion with Nectar offers our customers an added reward when they choose to buy cheaper car insurance with Confused.com."

The Confused.com advert will be aired from 23 December. Find the latest Confused.com games, videos and more from the Cara Confused page.

About Nectar:
Nectar, the United Kingdom's leading coalition loyalty programme, is owned by Aimia, a global leader in loyalty management. Over 18.5 million collectors earn Nectar points when shopping for groceries, doing DIY, booking a holiday, paying household bills, buying petrol and even getting their car serviced. Collectors also earn Nectar points when they shop exclusively online via Nectar eShops at over 500 leading retailers online. Since Nectar's launch in 2002, over £1.5 billion of rewards have been redeemed by its collectors. Rewards include money off shopping, travel and general merchandise.

About Confused.com:
Confused.com is one of the UK's biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include vehicle insurance, breakdown cover and energy, and financial services products.

Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.

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