Protected NCD and Guaranteed NCD. WTF??? (insurance experts, GTF in here)

[SC03OTT]

So it's that time of year again. I am going with Aviva this year (through Quidco btw, you're getting £70 cashback until 14th May FYI). I have come to the part about protecting and guaranteeing my NCB (I have 5 years). Now, I don't have a clue which one to pick. This is what the 'Help?' section on Aviva's website says:

Protected no claims discount (NCD) allows you to make one or more ‘at fault’ claims in a 3 year period before your discount is affected. If you have:
3 years’ NCD: you are protected from one ‘at fault’ claim in a 3 year period
4 or more years’ NCD: you are protected from up to 2 ‘at fault’ claims in a 3 year period
If any of your named drivers has had one ‘at fault’ claim in the last 2 years you can still protect your NCD, but it will only be protected against 1 at fault claim in a 3 year period.
Guaranteed no claims discount (NCD) protects your NCD for the life of your policy, which means that however many claims you have you will never lose your discount and your premium will never be increased as a result of any claims. You will need a minimum of £250 standard excess to buy this cover.

Now, I don't understand what the point in protected NCB is, if my premium will likely go up anyway (that's how I'm reading it)? Why not just offer guaranteed NCB where my NCB is protected and I won't see a rise in my premium (again, assuming I've read that correctly)?

So I'm in the position of not knowing which to chose. There is obviously a price difference between protection levels:

No protecting - £397
Protected NCB - £435
Guaranteed NCB - £456 (which I don't mind paying as I'll be getting £70 back anyway)

So yeah, experts. What does it all mean?

Many thanks all!

 

[Goodj]

Not an expert here
But nothing will guarantee a rise in premiums, ever.
Hence the 5-a-day insurance threads moaning about insurance costs.
I'm sure someone will be along who knows better about it, if not, PM skyinsurance, they seem sound and can probably answer your question.... and give you a quote!

 

[GeorgeH]

Protected normally means 2 claims within 5 years and you loose your protection, so a third claim means bye bye ncd.

Guaranteed means have as many claims as you like, your premiums will go up per claim as you'll be a bigger risk but you'll never loose your no claims years.

Does that make sence?

 

[Goodj]

not when reading the quote from the OP, no.

:S