I spotted a new TV advert last night about a car insurance company that especially caters for the older and safer driver and I thought that as I am one of them I might have a look and even get a quote.

Boy but I wished I hadn't !

The RIAS quotation website has to be the least user-friendly website that I have EVER seen as after filling in pages full of unnecessary information - some of which which I had to rake for - I came across a page that stopped me in my tracks.

Most of you will know that I had a wee shunt in my new car a few months back and trying to be honest I told the RIAS website that I had. This instantly put me in a bad light as far as any insurance quotation is concerned as nowhere on that form was I able to say that the bump had not been my fault and that the third person's insurance company had paid all of the costs. Because I had made a fault-free claim my no-caims bonus of nine years was not effected and yet I couldn't tell them that.

At this point I dumped the website and decided that they were not worth the bother !

Surprisingly, just a few seconds after I had navigated away from that site my phone rang and a nice chap with an Irish accent asked me if he could help with my online query.

I reported all that I have said in writing here and sent the guy away with a flea in his ear. ( He DID admit that the website was under reconstruction due to many others finding it difficult to negotiate ).

One to avoid I think !

HERE is the website if any of you want to go and have a look for yourselves.

At least they seem to already realise that the website is a dog !

Most of the other competing websites are trying to push how simple and easy their application systems are and yet here is on that seems to try its best to make it as complex as possible.

Never heard of RIAS and I think that they are going to sink very quickly if they do not get a new webmaster.

Ooooooooooooo............ that's cheeky Angie !

I am sure that they already know their faults and as such I would think that they will fix them PDQ if they want to compete in this dog-eat-dog car insurance business.

Personally, I have used the excellent Confused.com to find my last two insurers and they are lightning-fast with clear and unambiguous forms to fill in.

I have never used them but even Swiftcover.com boast SIXTY SECOND cover.

Yes babe, RIAS have a long way to go to match the best out there.