Qantas Car Insurance

[MelbFlyer]

Hi all, was only able to find an old thread for this subject and it's been closed, so therefore I'm posting a new one.

Got a somewhat of a dilemma - looking at some car insurance quotes ready for my renewal in May -
Qantas Car Insurance - $1,412.98 which comes with 31,413 QFF points
AAMI (who I'm currently with, but haven't yet received my renewal) - $1,164.71 as a "new" customer

Would you pay the extra $250 for 31k QFF points (would cost $1k standalone if purchased via top-up points)?

Had it been a $500 difference, I'd definitely not go with Qantas Car Insurance but considering its only a $250 difference plus gaining 31k QFF points (plus the regular 1.4k QFF points I'd get from my credit card as "spend" = 32.4k QFF points), I'm actually considering it.

I've got a rewards trip coming up later in the year that I've already paid for.

I don't have any other major trips planned other than my existing booked trip, but I guess I'd just be banking up points to save up.

Am I crazy to be considering QF insurance taking into account the above?

TL;DR - Paying $250 extra for QF insurance, but with a 32k pts bonus.

 

[Forg]

I wouldn’t pay that extra for insurance in return for that many QFF points, unless I had a very specific goal I wanted to reach which it’d push me over.

 

[Easy Tiger]

Paying $250 extra for QF insurance, but with a 32k pts bonus.

this is not good value IMO. Cycle a credit card and get 70-100k points for similar money.

 

[MelbFlyer]

I wouldn’t pay that extra for insurance in return for that many QFF points, unless I had a very specific goal I wanted to reach which it’d push me over.

Yeah that's why I'm in two minds about it - one part of me is that :

It's only $250 which could get a one way international economy rewards seat to somewhere in Asia (plus, or a few domestic hops ie. Melbourne to Sydney which would be easily $150-$200 each).

The other part of me is thinking that it's $250 spent elsewhere.

this is not good value IMO. Cycle a credit card and get 70-100k points for similar money.

Having have to go through another credit check and then spend another $3k within 90 days plus any potential annual fees - this is how the majority of my points were racked up anyway, I don't think its really comparable to an extra $250.

My latest "bonus points" credit card (and current main source of QFF points) is my current one - a Qantas Premier Platinum Mastercard in which I got 80k points from spending $3k, and there was an annual fee of $225.

 

[Easy Tiger]

okey dokey mate...enjoy

 

[PERLHR]

Jeez, I bet even trying to get hold of them in the event of a claim is worse than a flight change!! . Who are the underwriters?

 

[MelbFlyer]

Jeez, I bet even trying to get hold of them in the event of a claim is worse than a flight change!! . Who are the underwriters?

Understand the irony!

The underwriters are Auto & General Insurance. They also underwrite for ING, Budget Direct and the likes too.

I also checked RACV, Allianz, ING etc and the same comprehensive policy / cover / excess etc was >$2k!

Had AAMI not been cheaper than Qantas car insurance, no question I'd go with Qantas, but to save $250, AAMI still may sway me over.

 

[airstriker]

I'm also looking into Qantas car insurance for bonus points. Currently with Vero and the premium difference is negligible. However, vero has hire car option for upto $3000 per claim while Qantas doesn't. Therefore, my questions are:

1. It says points (15k) in my case will be awarded after 60 days of when premium is paid. Therefore, has anyone cancelled Qantas car insurance after the points arriving and had their insurance premium refunded?

2. Also, if the premium is refunded, is the refund pro-rataed? So if u been with them for 60 days, then refund will be 305/365 of the original premium paid?

Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[bam71]

We have QF Car Insurance. In Feb, we got sideswiped by a truck, not our fault. The claim process was easy enough, but overall the whole process is/was inconvenient. After paying our excess, we had to take the car to a particular panel beater. The only time spot they had was a month later in March. Come March, other half takes the car in. I’ve hired a car for a week thinking I’ll just extend the hire if needed. Nope - this was the date for the car to be assessed ……. Not fixed. 3 weeks later we follow up, and finally get told we can get the car fixed on the 19th May, so three months after the accident. Our previous insurer ( RACQ I think) was, drop the car at our depot, we’ll get you a taxi home, and call you when it’s all fixed in around 7 days. Easy. We’ll be moving from QF insurance after the car gets fixed.

 

[one9]

I had a similar poor experience with AAMI. AAMI seems to offer really friendly customer service but after you have a claim with them, you learn that they use small backyard repairers that order parts from overseas which will take months. I was not at fault, and ended up cancelling my claim with AAMI (my insurer) and lodging the claim with the at fault party insurer as they used NRMA which meant I could take my car to a bigger repairer who could get the part in and fixed quickly.

 

[Forg]

^ Doesn’t NRMA also dictate who repairs the car?
If so it’s zero percent different to AAMI.
If you had a better experience with the one NRMA insisted on, that was purely luck where & when you were. It could be the other way around by the end of the year.

If you care about that stuff you need to go with an insurer that allows you choice; otherwise they’re no different.

 

[one9]

^ Doesn’t NRMA also dictate who repairs the car?
If so it’s zero percent different to AAMI.
If you had a better experience with the one NRMA insisted on, that was purely luck where & when you were. It could be the other way around by the end of the year.

If you care about that stuff you need to go with an insurer that allows you choice; otherwise they’re no different.

It was some time ago so I don't know if things have changed. After I was told to pickup my car at the backyard car repairer that Aami had sent it to and having been told it would be a couple of months to get in a new bumper, I took the car to one of repairers recommended by the car manufacturer (BMW). They said they wouldn't do a quote for Aami, as Aami never accepted their quotes. But when I said the other party's insurer was NRMA, they said they could do it through NRMA. I then ended up cancelling the claim through my insurer (AAMI) and did the claim through the at fault parties insurer (NRMA). It was then repaired within a couple of weeks. And months later the backyard repairer called me to say the new bumper was in despite me having cancelled the claim with AAMI.

Now I deal with a different insurer for our work vehicles (we have around 10 vehicles) who allows choice. I have gotten along very well with them for the few accidents we have had. And one of the repairers we deal with also commented that they won't spend one second dealing with Aami because they use backyard repairers so they have no chance to be competitive with them.

 

[JohnK]

Note most car insurers have introduced choice of repairer and the hit on the premium is quite high.

Personally I'd pay a premium to add hire car option rather than choice of repairer.