You misunderstand; that was not directed at your decision to save money. All insurance companies attract complaints. I suspect that if there was a survey of Owners Club members here taking out Owners Club insurance through these companies (a different deal than non-OC members of the forum can get), I would expect it would indicate an elevated share of the MX5 market, compared to the wider non-OC market. Naturally, then, one would expect an elevated number of complaints. Though the number of complaints is still pretty small, and mostly concern renewal quotes rather than actual service provision. Non-OC related insurers will have a reduced market share, and with less users, there will be less complaints. There is insufficient data t determine if the number of complaints per 1000 policies is significantly different between those companies, OC-related and non-OC related, that insure MX5s.
The value of an insurance scheme is also demonstrated in the case of a claim being made. I’m at a stage now where, wherever I go, quotes vary by no more than £50, completely inconsequential to me.
You’re fortunate enough to be able to disregard £50 as completely inconsequential - but many MX-5 owners aren’t. I might have disregarded £50 if it attracted an actual benefit but in my case the price difference between the renewal cost and the cover I subsequently obtained from another very well known company, who are NOT in the “club scheme”, was almost three times that amount. I have since re-checked my present policy - it also includes commuting to work, which the “club scheme” did not.
Seeing as you have mentioned it, what constitutes “Owners’ Club insurance” with respect to this club? Is there really such a thing, or is it merely in the potential purchaser’s mind? I want to make it clear that my insurance was not with Lancaster, but with one of the others offering the “club scheme”.
The first year I insured my newly purchased MX-5 I had zero no claims discount that I could use on the policy (although I have maximum NCD elsewhere) and I was not a club member and had correctly declared that. I then joined the club a few months later and after I had earned a year’s NCD was certainly not expecting a 23% rise in premium at renewal. On querying the reason for the increase by phone I was told that joining this club made no difference to the price offered.