For our review, we looked at the company’s key features of its car insurance policies, what they can cover, and what getting a quote from them is like in practice.
Getting a Flow car insurance quote
Getting a quote from Flow's website is straightforward, and you can also find quotes on comparison sites like Compare The Market and Confused.com. The online process involves a few easy questions, usually taking less than 10 minutes to get a final quote.
You can then add optional extras at the end of Flow’s quote questionnaire including:
- Breakdown cover (available on a local, national or European basis).
- Protected no claims discount (NCD).
- A family package (which can offer replacement child car seats, £500 to continue your journey and covers non-manufacturer fitted in-car equipment).
The Flow car insurance quote: An inside look at our review process
Like many other car insurance companies, Flow operates a simple online self-service account. You get a quote online, sign up online and make any amendments you want online, too. You only have to call Flow when you need to make a claim.
We created a persona and ran it through Flow’s online quote retrieval process to test its efficiency. Here is what we found.
Our persona was a 55-year-old who travelled 12,000 miles yearly and had a 3-year no-claims discount. Surprisingly, Flow declined to provide a quote for this profile. However, when we only changed the birth year from 1972 to 1998, making the persona 26 years younger, Flow did offer a quote.
Even though we specifically asked Flow if they provide car insurance for people over 50, and they assured us with a "yes," the reality turned out to be quite the opposite.
So, if you value thorough research and transparency before making decisions, Flow car insurance may not be your ideal choice.
Key features of Flow car insurance
When we reviewed Flow, the following features caught our attention as part of their service.
- Extras included.
- 24/7 claims.
- No admin fees.
- Lifetime guarantee on repairs.
- Online customer support.
- Reviews and awards.
- Flexible payment schedules.
Let’s explore these key features below.
Extras included
You don’t have to double-check that motor legal expenses, windscreen cover, and guaranteed hire car are in your policy with Flow’s car insurance products. Flow includes them as standard.
24/7 claims
If and when you call to make a claim, you can do so anytime - day or night. Flow call centres are in the UK and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
No admin fees
If you choose to update your policy, the company won’t charge you any mid-term adjustment fees.
Lifetime guarantee on repairs
If you use Flow’s recommended repairer service, you’ll get a lifetime guarantee on the repairs (labour only, excludes parts).
Online customer support
The company does not have chatbots or a helpline (unless you need to make a claim). Instead, they have an extensive “Help Hub” and how-to guides, or you can ping them an email - though they don't state their expected response time. By not having a call centre, Flow keeps its premiums down.
Reviews and awards
As of December 2023, Flow is rated a high 4.6/5 stars on Trustpilot through its customer reviews and has a 5-star rating with Defaqto. It also won ‘Best Newcomer’ at the Insurance Choice Awards 2022.
On Flow Insurance’s Trustpilot page, a satisfied customer named Kai wrote, “User Friendly website. Very competitive pricing. Quick response to inquiries- got satisfactory and to the point answers within an hour. Q&A via email only but this is what I preferred as I can have clear records in black & white.”
Flexible payment schedules
With Flow, you can choose between paying for an annual or monthly policy. The annual policies demand a larger upfront payment, but you get more included, such as a guaranteed hire car or a new car replacement.
With their monthly car insurance policies, you don't get these automatically. However, you ’ll have the option to include add-ons that you need.
What does Flow's car insurance cover?
Flow includes the following as part of your insurance premium:
- Dents and damage.
- Uninsured drivers.
- Misfuelling problems.
- Vandalism.
Dents and damage
If your car or any of its accessories get damaged due to an accident or vandalism, even if it happens in your garage, Flow will cover the expenses. They will either pay for the repair work, replace the damaged parts, or pay the market value if the car is beyond repair.
Uninsured drivers
Suppose you have an accident and the other driver doesn’t have motor insurance. In that case, you just need to provide Flow Insurance with the other vehicle's driver/rider info, including the registration number, make, model, and colour of their car. If the other driver leaves the scene before you can get these details, you’ll need to contact the MIB.
If an uninsured driver hits you and you can prove it's not your fault (i.e. if you have a dashcam fitted), you won't pay excess upfront, and you can keep your NCD. However, if fault confirmation is delayed, you may initially pay your excess, which Flow will reimburse you upon confirmation.
Misfuelling problems
If you have filled your car with the incorrect fuel, Flow will pay to have your fuel tank drained and flushed. Plus, it will pay for any damage to your car’s engine. You’ll only need to pay for the excess.
At the time of writing (December 2023), Flow doesn’t stipulate how many times you can claim misfuelling problems each year.
Vandalism
Vandalism can happen to us all and totally ruin your car. Flow will pay for a vandalism claim you make, keeping your NCD intact - though you will have to pay for the excess, and you’ll need to report it to the police to get a crime reference number.
As with misfuelling issues, Flow doesn’t stipulate how many times they will pay out vandalism claims per year without affecting your NCD, which is something to be aware of before taking out a policy with them.
While these parts of the cover are great to see, it is always essential to double-check your policy documents to ensure they cover everything you want or need before purchase.
Is Flow car insurance any good?
Flow's online-only approach is quite common nowadays. Yet, the lack of a direct customer service number could be inconvenient, as some situations may require speaking to a person over the phone, especially if you are making policy changes.
Stand-out features for us were having no admin fees for amendments and allowing you to keep your NCD if you have an accident with an uninsured driver. Finally, its high Defaqto rating and Trustpilot reviews may also give you comfort and confidence.
Considerations to keep in mind involve paying extra for add-ons with monthly policies and the limited insurance choices Flow provides. As of December 2023, they only offer renters insurance in addition to car insurance policies. It would be great to see Flow offer personal accident, travel or home insurance, too - that way, it can be easier to get discounts on bundles.
Image Credit: Erik Mclean at Pexels
