Archive for March, 2010
Swiftcover’s latest innovative iPhone application ‘Stuck’ has been a big hit with users of the Apple iPhone. Using geo-location technology to allow users to post their Twitter-style stucks whenever they are in a sticky situation, whether it be stuck in traffic, stuck in a meeting or even a having a song stuck in their head, however for two Swedish users, ‘Stuck’ was there to help them when they really needed it.
Nico Vittorio and Paul Alonso were hiking in the Sarek National Park region of Sweden when they became separated. Although they were in contact and knew they were close-by, because of the heavy snow there were no landmarks, making it impossible to identify a meeting point. After recently installing the Stuck iPhone application, the pair used the ‘Near-Me’ function, which helps flag up other Stuck users nearby.
Using the application solved the two friend’s problem and helped track each others paths reuniting them without trouble.
Swiftcover’s Stuck iPhone Application can be used for the less ‘James Bond’ style situations. The app has a range of pre-set emotions that are quick to choose and upload, providing the perfect Stuck for every situation.
The iPhone application was developed by swiftcover.com’s innovation team and has already been downloaded by 10,000 iphone users worldwide since it was launched in January 2010. Swiftcover’s head of innovation, Ambarish Mitra, explains: “swiftcover.com is an innovator – we threw out the rule book and started from scratch when we created the UK’s first fully online insurer – so we wanted our first mobile phone app to embrace that same spirit of innovation and something that would be of use to everyone, not just swiftcover.com car insurance customers.
Future developments for the application include one-to-one communication, linking individual Stucks to events, so people posting would be alerted to activities such as concerts or sales taking place nearby, one-to-one communication, as well as providing users with info on local amenities, like garages or hotels, perfect for drivers who find themselves Stuck while driving.
For more information on Stuck and to download the app, visit www.swiftcover.com/stuck-iphone-app/
March 30th, 2010
Ladies, have you ever taken your precious car into the garage for an MOT or routine service, and felt like a completely inferior species? Whether it be that the mechanic assumes you do not know what you are talking about, or that you feel uncomfortable with the whole experience, it seems that you are not the only one.
A recent poll of over 4000 women in the UK has revealed that the majority of them felt that garage visits were daunting, while 31% went as far as to say they would rather visit a women only garage. Research shows that women are far more savvy in 2010 about their vehicles, and do basic servicing, like changing tyres and oil, and checking tyre pressures, by themselves. 60% of the women asked said they found car salesmen patronising, with a further 10% saying that if they were to take partner, the mechanic would generally talk to the man.
This is 2010! We are no longer in the dark ages, where women rely on gentleman to help during hardship. Come on! If you do not know how to change a tyre then you shouldn’t be driving a car, regardless of whether you are male or female, but on the flipside, women shouldn’t be made to feel inferior when taking the car in for a service.
A lot of car insurance providers now offer policies that are more favourable if you are female, while some even go as far as to only insure women drivers. While getting insurance for cars, make sure you shop around on the internet to see where is best to buy from. You may find that you get car insurance quotes cheaper here as opposed to over the phone, as a lot of insurers offer a discount for buying online.
It seems that men are causing stress across the board if recent surveys are anything to go by. A study by Swiftcover has revealed that lazy and untidy men are one of the biggest sources of irritation for Britain’s women!
It remains to be seen whether any female only garages will open in the UK, so lets sit on our laurels and see whether any of these garages take on more female staff to redress the balance and appeal to a far wider customer base.
March 24th, 2010
The freezing weather which we experienced at the start of the year has certainly taken its toll on the roads, with the number of potholes increasing by 60 per cent in the past two years. The AA reported that the amount of potholes has resulted in an increasing number of car insurance claims, and people have been left with flat tyres, damage to the wheels, steering and suspension problems.
I came across a useful website last week called fixmystreet.com where you can report potholes and other local issues; they will then forward your report to the local council, who will then look into the problem. There are a number of websites similar to this one which are useful for reporting damaged roads.
If your car has been damaged after hitting a pothole then you may be able to claim from the local highways authority. Here is a useful article about claiming for compensation: http://www.moneywise.co.uk/news-views/2010/02/09/claim-compensation-pothole-damage.
March 19th, 2010
Iggy Pop and the stooges were entered into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on Monday night. The award took place in New York, where Iggy took to the stage and accepted the honour saying:
It’s a big industry. If it makes the right decisions, it will stay an industry. Music is life, and life is not a business.
Iggy and the stooges then performed ‘I wanna be your dog’ which according to the Mail Online was an energetic performance, which was accompanied by inductor Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. Abba and Genesis were among the other groups who were also inducted into the hall of fame.
Iggy and the stooges have made a comeback this year and Iggy Pop also recently fronted swiftcover.com’s ‘Get A Life’ advertising campaign, which helped the insurer increase sales by a third in 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKCmQe9vaNI
March 18th, 2010
With the majority of Britain proven to be image conscious, it’s no surprise that the popularity for today’s hot hatches is increasing. But what car insurance customers are unaware of, is the fact that having one of these sporty cars could increase your motor insurance premiums.
In recent insurance research done by Swiftcover found that sometimes it doesn’t matter how old motorists are, or how much road experience they have, it could still mean forking out a hefty amount for car insurance on a more luxurious hatchback.
The research showed that even a 30 year old man, with over 5 years no claims bonus could end up getting a car insurance quote of over £1000 on a Volkswagen Golf GTI, whereas if he were to opt for VW’s calmer version of the Golf hatchback, he could be saving over £500 on his annual premium.
It is mainly younger drivers who are tempted for the larger engine and sportier car, but car insurance claims figures show that these vehicles are more likely to be involved in an accident, cost more to repair and also appeal more to thieves.
swiftcover.com’s figures reveal the extra cost of opting for a hot hatch.
| ‘Hot Hatch’ |
Standard model |
Extra cost for a ‘hot hatch’ |
Volkswagen Golf GTI
£1,002 |
Volkswagen Golf S
£476 |
£526 |
Honda Civic Type R
£974 |
Honda Civic Type s
£507 |
£467 |
Seat Leon Cupra
£1,031 |
Seat Leon S
£485 |
£546 |
All quotes from swiftcover.com and are for a 30 year old male business professional living in Birmingham with five years no claims bonus and a £250 voluntary excess insuring 2010 models.
So, although having a hot hatch looks great, it could end costing more in the long run.
March 14th, 2010
Buying a second hand car is often cheaper than going to a dealer, but if you don’t know what to look for then it may cost you in the long run. Here is some advice for buying a used car:
If you dont know much about cars then take along someone who does. You could ask a friend or get an independent car check from a provider such as the AA.
Get a credit check, which will tell you if a car has any outstanding finance on it, if it does you may find that you don’t actually own it.
Go for a test drive- this will give you a good feel of the car and will help you pick up any potential issues, but make sure you have adequate car insurance cover to drive it.
Check the V5 registration document and make sure the name and address match the sellers. If the car doesn’t have a V5 document then best not to buy it.
Look at the vehicle identification number; make sure it matches the number on the V5 registration document, if it doesn’t then give it a miss.
For more advice click here: http://www.youtube.com/swiftcover
March 9th, 2010
Car insurance fronting is becoming a common problem with UK motorists, especially with parents wanting a cheaper motor insurance quote, but what many drivers are unaware of, is that they are actually breaking the law in doing so.
According to swiftcover.com one in four policy holders claim to accidently putting their son or daughter as a spouse or partner, instead of a named driver. In fact car insurance fronting has almost doubled in the last two years.
What is fronting?
Fronting is where an experienced motorist adds a young or new driver as a named driver to their policy. The main driver should be the one using the car most of the time and any additional drivers should be only driving occasionally. If the young or new driver uses the car more than the main driver, it is called fronting and is illegal as false information has been given to the car insurance company.
In some cases policy holders have often added a younger driver, normally a son or daughter, to their policy under the relation of ‘spouse’ or ‘partner’ therefore saving even more money on car insurance illegally.
Swiftcover says insurance companies share information between themselves and other agencies to help spot the tell-tale signs of attempted fraud.
Robin Reames, claims director for swiftcover.com, states that car insurance companies are “cracking down” on insurance fronting, as it eventually ends up costing other motorists more money.
Furthermore, anybody caught fronting – both the younger driver and the older driving committing the fraud – will face much higher insurance premiums in the future and may even be turned down by many insurers.
March 3rd, 2010
