Auto insurance for Americans in the UK?

Hey all,

So far the best I've found (as they will accept my driving record from America) is Quinn Direct, which will cost me about £700 for full coverage on a $4000 car. £580 for 3rd party.

I was pretty glad to find this after some of the £1800 quotes I got at first, but are there any other insurance companies anyone has had good luck with that I should also call?

I will be driving with my American license for most of this year.

Thanks!

There are a billion threads about this (many of them recent ones) which give many personal experiences and suggestions.  My suggestion, as always, is to call an insurance broker. 

Just a heads up - Quinn Direct is under administration.

what does "under administration" mean?

Bankrupt, basically, which often leads a company going bust.
 
Wikipedia says: Administration is a procedure to protect a company from its creditors in order for it to be able to make significant operational changes or restructuring so that it could continue as a going concern, or at least in order to achieve a better outcome for creditors than via liquidation. In contrast to Chapter 11 in the US where the directors remain in control throughout that restructuring process, in the UK an Administrator is appointed who must be a licensed Insolvency Practitioner to manage the company's affairs to protect the creditors of the insolvent company and balance their respective interests. Unless the company itself is saved by this process, the company is subsequently put into liquidation to distribute the remaining funds.

but are there any other insurance companies anyone has had good luck with that I should also call?

Try Aviva.  I want to say I paid £500-£600 which was a lot less than what I had found online.  I heard about them thru this website.  I do have my husband (UKC) on the plan as well - don't know if that affects the cost.

best of luck

I'd go through an insurance broker:

http://www.biba.org.uk/ConsumerHome.aspx

I wouldn't do anything via the internet (online only), as you may not provide all the information you may need to and therefore, you may not be properly covered.

Thanks for that link mapleleafgirl72! I found a broker in Sale and I am going to start making queries now about what it is going to take for me and my partner to get covered, so one of the first things I can do when I get there is get us a car

Geez, the last thing I should have done was look up reviews of insurance companies!  Most of them including the recommended ones here all have 1 star average reviews.  I guess I'll just go with a cheap one and hope for the best - going through a broker can be frustrating, because you are not actually dealing with the company that is insuring you.  Calling Aviva today, I'll see what they quote...

 

going through a broker can be frustrating, because you are not actually dealing with the company that is insuring you. 

This has not been my experience at all.  The brokers know exactly where to go to get you the best rate for your particualar situation and are much easier to reach than someone in a big insurance group.  I have recommended my broker to a few people on UK-Y and he's been able to help all of them.  I can give you his info if you want. Just let me know and I'll send a PM.

Besides Quinn Direct I can't find any company - going through Brokers included (one call, call connection, american express) - that will accept my American driving record.  Adrian Flux would but only if I had a full UK license, and I'll be driving on my American one.  Aviva said they gave me a discount but it came out to £1400 still!   

I know Quinn is under administration, but I'm not sure what other choice I have since they are the only company that will give me a reasonable rate!  (£587)

Did you ask Aviva to accept your US driving history?  If it's good (ie NO claims at all in the last up to 10 years), they will give you a major discount refered to as a 'no claims bonus'.    (at least they did for me)

Also, it may help to use a smaller/local broker.

Yes, I was very clear that I had 13 years no claims and a letter to prove it.  I got an Aviva quote two ways, from them directly (took AN HOUR on the phone, I swear she asked me the same questions over again at least 3 times) and also through a broker, and both quotes were over £1000.  Both said I could not use my no claims from America, but that they gave me a discount of some sort anyway, or it would have been over £3000.  

I really wish my only reasonable quote wasn't from a company under administration! 

Are you driving a high performance vehicle?  Or even one with an engine larger than say 1.8?  Insurance in the UK is based on specified insurance groups which are numbered 1-20. 
My husband, for example, has a car which falls under insurance group 20.  It would cost a fortune for me to get insured on his car since I (and all of us new to the country) am considered an "unexperienced UK driver".   I researched insurance groups before purchasing my car and bought a car that fell under group 5.  This make a huge difference in the price of your policy. 

I would definitely go with Avivia.  They were the only major insurer that took into account my US driving history-- even the fact that I was never a policy-holder in america, they took into account I had over 10 years clean driving on my record there.

We ended up paying £750 for fully comprehensive with breakdown on a £6000 car ('03 Astra in 2006)

It's a 3 door 2002 Toyota Rav4 1.8 Insurance group 9E (worth £3000).  I know that's not the cheapest, but I don't even need comprehensive.

NYBrummie - like I said above. Aviva will NOT take my American driving record into account - not sure if they recently changed their policy, but I'm not paying them £1400.