The hard sell
The brokers might ask 'What have you budgeted?' but they're really asking 'What can we get away with charging you?' They also ask 'What other quotes have you had?' Don’t answer these questions.

Paying in monthly installments
If you pay in monthly installments, instead of up front in one go, you are often charged extortionate interest, up to 30% p.a. The broker will keep a hefty slice of this.

Incompetence
Sadly, many (but far from all) insurance consultants suffer from this. The problem is that it’s a job that requires meticulousness, or they may pass insufficient details to the insurer. That information could have made your premium cheaper or, worse, the lack of it might make you officially uninsured! Sadly, it’s the customer who has the 'duty of disclosure', so make sure you tell the broker everything that you think an insurer might possibly want to know, & get them to write it on their quote & proposal forms, so there is written evidence. Information that is relevant to some insurers includes whether you’re a homeowner (which can decrease your premium) or whether you’ve had a non-motoring criminal conviction (which can increase your premium, but at least you’ll be properly insured). Some insurers even need to know if you’ve painted Go Faster Stripes on your car, as they've found you’re statistically more likely to have an accident!

Motor legal expenses cover
Legal cover typically costs us £15 to £40, but it costs the insurer or broker £2 or less. Don’t let them get away with this hefty mark-up. When you've got a basic quote & finished your usual negotiations, say that you’ll take the policy if they throw in free legal cover. It’s worth a go!

Loyalty doesn't pay
When it comes to renewal, if the premium charged by the insurer has gone down (usually because the cost of insuring that person, or people in general, has dropped that year), the broker will often write to the customer saying 'Good news! The premium has remained the same', & they’ll keep the difference themselves. The more dastardly ones will even increase the premium. Brokers can be a useful tool, particularly if your circumstances are complicated, but you can avoid all this hassle & cut out the middleman by comparing online. Visit a site such as confused.com to compare quotes instantly.