Malvern driver says black box schemes are 'unfair' - The Malvern Observer

Malvern driver says black box schemes are 'unfair'

Malvern Editorial 23rd Apr, 2018 Updated: 25th Apr, 2018   0

A DISGRUNTLED Malvern motorist has hit out at the need for new drivers to rely on black box schemes to reduce their annual insurance premiums.

Chris Stone’s outcry comes after insurance comparison website Quote Goat found nearly two-thirds of young drivers across the West Midlands were unhappy with the system.

The research comes after reports insurance premiums are set to rocket this year with experts predicting young drivers will be hit the hardest.

The 21-year-old first started driving lessons in 2015 and after five attempts he passed his test in January this year.




Although excited to have gained his driving licence, Mr Stone was shocked to discover he was quoted £1,700 for his annual insurance premium.

Through a black box scheme he was able to reduce this to £970.


However, Mr Stone was forced to pay monthly because he was unable to commit to the one-off fee in full.

“Like all young drivers I was extremely excited to have passed but felt quickly disgruntled when I learnt the cost of my insurance,” he said.

“I live in a countryside location where my car is always parked on a private drive, however, the annual premium was still quoted at a painful £1,700.

“The only way I was able to reduce this fee was by using the black box scheme, enabling me to save £730.

“I’m in no way surprised to hear over half of young drivers feel it’s unfair we have to rely on the black box schemes to make insurance more affordable.

“If it didn’t reduce my costs by such a staggering amount, I would not have signed up to it as conditions such as the time of day or night I am allowed to drive are extremely restrictive.”

Despite the negative opinions surrounding black boxes, there is still an evident reliance on the scheme with 30 per cent of respondents across the West Midlands choosing to use it.

Michael Foote, founder and managing director of Quote Goat, said: “Car insurance has become increasingly expensive for young drivers in recent years, with many having to rely on schemes like black box to lower their annual premiums.

“Despite a massive 77 per cent of participants in the UK utilising the scheme, not even a third of young drivers felt it to be fair or beneficial – implying the majority have compromised with the schemes restrictions to receive a more affordable insurance cost.”

For further information about the research visit www.quotegoat.com.

What do you think of black box schemes? Are they ‘unfair’? Email your thoughts to [email protected].

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