PriceWatch/Conor Pope: A PriceWatch reader writes to illustrate the substantial savings that can be made by shopping round when the comes to renew your car insurance.
The reader has no claims for last five years and no penalty points and when her policy was due for renewal recently Axa Insurance quoted her €572.95 for a fully comprehensive policy plus all the trimmings - a motor breakdown rescue service worth €49.96 was also included.
"None of the others offered that, nor did I request it," she says. She decided to shop around before renewal.
Quinn Direct quoted her €394.34 for a fully comprehensive policy with a clause stating she would have to pay the first €150 on any claim including windscreen. Hibernian quoted €454 with windscreen cover, AA quoted €423.26 including windscreen and lots of other benefits. "Armed with this knowledge I returned to Axa and lo and behold they could offer me fully comprehensive plus all trimmings (excluding the motor breakdown) for €420!"
Paul Moloney, head of corporate affairs at Axa, says the initial quote was for the company's premium product which includes motor rescue cover and cover for personal affects, as well as other add-ons. He expresses his confidence that it "will stand up as being the best product on the market". If you strip out these add-ons, he says, the price of the policy falls by approximately €100 to €472.
He describes our reader as "a very good risk" and says she is a customer Axa "would want to build a long-term relationship with", hence the company's willingness to drop its quote by another €50. He points out that while Axa is prepared to be competitive to retain good business, there is a point below which it is not worthwhile to drop a premium.
What's more . . .
RIP-OFF IS REAL ... Wallace McNaul from Ballymoney has been in touch to disagree with reports suggesting the rip-off culture in the Republic is a myth. "As a pensioner. I find it hard to grasp the differential that exists between Northern Ireland and Dublin." He says that a Cuisine de France apple square costs him 67 cent in his local Supervalu but the same item in Connolly Station, Dublin, costs in the region of €1.30, while a bag of Tayto crisps which cost 45 cent in his hometown's Spar can cost upwards of 60 cent in Dublin.
TOP TIP ... A Dublin-based reader writes to highlight the discrepancy between the cost of treatments which are meant to combat male pattern baldness here and in another European capital. He says he bought a box of 28 Propecia tablets in a pharmacy in Dublin's north inner-city in May and paid €245.56. He bought the same tablets in Paris in June for €64.51.
Value4Money Brown bread
Avoca Brown Bread
€2.80 for 900g, €3.11 per kg
Highs: This bread is very, very good: it is almost impossible to find fault with. It looks home-made and is the only bread tested which you could feasibly pass off as your own. Lying aside, it also tastes great, is wonderfully fresh and filled with mealy goodness. Despite its excellence, it's not particularly dear.
Lows: It is not sliced, which some might find to be a inconvenience. Others might view it as a plus, facilitating the serving of great big doorstop hunks. It's also not as widely available as its rivals.
Verdict: Great value, great bread.
Star rating: *****
McCambridge's Wholewheat Bread
€1.29 for 500g, €2.58 per kg
Highs: This bread manages the neat trick of tasting both pretty good and pretty wholesome, no mean feat for something which is so high in fibre, which is not generally regarded as being extremely appetising. It is the cheapest of the breads tried, utterly reliable and has the added bonus of coming in a resealable pack which should, technically, prolong its cupboard life.
Lows: It tastes ever so slightly saltier than its rivals and has a substantially rougher texture than the other pre-packaged rivals.
Verdict: Very hard to fault.
Star rating: ****
Brennan's Wholewheat Sliced Soda Bread
€1.32 for 454g, €2.90 per kg
Highs: This is widely available and pretty reliable. It tastes okay - if unmemorable - and works best with a strong flavoured topping as it verges on the bland. The sprinkles of oats and the like on top of each slice are encouragingly substantial.
Lows: This could almost be regarded as the supermodel of brown breads: slices - at least on this occasion - are thin and anemic-looking. While to say it is like eating damp cotton wool might be a little harsh, it is moister than most and can stick to the roof of your mouth.
Verdict: Mostly harmless.
Star rating: ***
Rankin Irish Sliced Stoneground Wheaten
€1.28 for 400g, €3.20 per kg
Highs: This is the lightest of the breads tried and has a very smooth texture. It has a nice balance of sugar and salt and a subtle taste, although a more cruel word might be tasteless. It comes in thick slices and the packaging promises much.
Lows: It has a tendency to crumble at the slightest provocation and the plastic wrapping shreds very easily making it somewhat more difficult to keep than you might think. It is also the most expensive of the breads tried.
Verdict: Not much to get excited about.
Star rating: ***
