Travel, Car & Home Contents Insurance Deals
Travel Insurance
You should look at using Gold/Platinum Credit Card travel insurance if you can get this as it is often cheaper to pay for the annual fee on the gold credit card than pay for the travel insurance if you are taking a long trip or taking multiple short trips in a year. They often allow up to 120 days free travel insurance per year so long as you pay for your trip by credit card.
Check out our comparison table on the offers available.
To compare travel insurance deals you can compare prices
But note this is comparison is provided by Down Under Travel Insurance so always
check with the relevant companies prior to booking
However if you are not entitled to this, here are a number of cheap online travel insurance as listed below (Let us know on the forum if you have had good or bad experience with any of these companies) :
At present One of the cheapest online providers in New Zealand.
World Nomads
Usually 2nd cheapest after Downunder Travel Insurance
Part of the Columbus Group of travel insurance companies
State Insurance
New Zealand's State Insurance Get 20% off on online quotes
Southern Cross Travel Insurance
Also offers 20% off online purchases.
Tower
Offers 30% discount on online quotes
Another good place to compare travel insurance prices is to look at Consumer Magazine, which you can view at any public library.
They found that for backpacking trips the following where the cheapest:
Asia
Columbus Direct Single Trip
Travel Insurance Web
Europe
Travel Insurance Direct
USA
Columbus
Fly Buys
Flybuys is often the cheapest for Travel Insurance to Australia.
Other notable companies include One Cover comprehensive or essentials & Good 2 go comprehensive.
But check out the policies above for some great deals.
Make sure you always have proof of purchase for anything in your baggage you may want to claim as the insurance company will always ask for this.
Call your insurance company if you are going to make any claim as you may need to call before you can get medical treatment.
Notify your insurance company of any preexisting illnesses.
Moral of the story: always check your policy before leaving home to check what it covers and to see if there are any requirements before you can submit a claim.
Car Insurance
How to get better deals on car insurance:
- Shop around. Can save you $100s if you get best deal. Amazing that people spend time trying to get few extra % interest but don't shop around for car insurance.
- Combine home, contents & car insurance. Up to 30% discount if you have them all with the same company. (State
- Always maximise no claims discount (after 1st yr often 30% up to max 66%). Some companies offer no claims protection but remember this is only if you stay with the same company!
- Consider getting immobiliser or alarm fitted as often get discount (check with your insurance company first)
- Check the value of the car. May be more than it is worth.
- Consider a higher excess (you agree to pay the first $250 instead of $100) may give you a discount.
- Older drivers (usually over 50s) can get discount of up to 20% in some situations
- Pay premium annually rather than monthly if you can get a lower quote or no surcharge
- Restrict younger drivers. If you declare no one under 25 will drive the car you may get a discount.
- Look at 3rd party, fire & theft insurance if your car isn't worth much.
A recent consumer NZ report Oct 2007 rate different insurance companies for different people.
Young man 22 wants to insure his 1996 subaru impreza found state insurance cheapest at the time at $482
Home Insurance
To get the best deals:
- Always shop around so get a quote from as many of the companies below as you can.
- Check between Combined home, contents & car insurance for discount but also remember to check to:
- Shop separately for home & contents insurance. Consumer magazine found often cheaper buy from different companies as they may offer good deal with one but poor with other
- Some companies offer no claims discount on contents
- You can get a discount if you have an approved burglar alarm installed.
- You may qualify for discount if you stay with same insurer for more than a year but always check this discount against what you can get from others
Here are some links for online quotes to make your life easier (remember they only provide a rough quote):
State Insurance 0800 80 24 24
AA Insurance Online Quotes 0800 500 219
Don't provide instant online quote but you can call them:
Tower 0800 808 808 Open 0800-2000
AMI 0800 100 200 Offers multisavers for 2 or 3 combined quotes
AMP 0800 267 467
Fintel 0800 801 801
NZI 0800 800 800