Thanks for all the comments,
Seems like its a common enough practice then so !.. quoting current customers crazy renewal premiums and new customers getting the exact same cover for less than half the price !..
I think that, in what is supposed to be such a tightly regulated industry that Insurance companies should not get away with what I see as deceiving their customers into getting more money from them on renewals !..
I defiantly agree with shopping around, and to purchase the policy with the better benefits and cover ect.
My brother had insurance with Quinn’s about 2 years ago, He went with them as they were the cheapest quote he received by around €200 I think.
His wife had an accident in the snow and when the Quinn assessor came out he simply refused to accept the 3 repair quotations my brother had got from local body shops, he estimated the damage to be repairable for around €1500 less than what was quoted by the local repair guys ( I actually think 1 Repair quotes was from the main BMW dealer ). The assessor maintained that some damaged parts were perfectly repairable and did not need replaced ect. The assessor was very rude and insulting and repeatedly said to my brothers wife every time she attempted to voice her opinion " What do you know about repairing cars , just you stick to damaging them !.. I deal with this every day so I know what im talking about " He also said “ I don’t need to be talking or listening to you at all as your not the policy holder, your only a named driver on the policy and also the person that caused the damage to the vehicle" !..
In the end my brother had to accept the sum the assessor offered and had to pay slightly over €1000 himself to have the car repaired properly. I think it definatly goes to show that not all companies are the same and cover and benefits are important but the cheapest quote is not always the wisest choice as you get the service you pay for !..