How do you describe your job? You may think it makes no difference whether you call yourself a solicitor or a lawyer, or if you describe yourself as a landlord or a publican, but it could save on car insurance.

In fact, testing different, accurate, job descriptions on the quote forms on insurers’ websites and comparison sites can legitimately cut quoted prices by hundreds of pounds.

Jennifer Rose, of Confused.com, the comparison website, calls the process “quote massaging” and advises buyers to try it when they renew. She says: “This is the insurance industry’s best-kept secret. Most people can save anything from tens to hundreds of pounds with minimal effort.”

Ms Rose explains that many jobs fit a number of accurate descriptions. A “solicitor”, for instance, is also a “lawyer”, while a “newspaper reporter” is also a “journalist”. Testing both of these descriptions — and others, where they apply — can reveal remarkable differences in price.

At Confused.com, which compares quotes from 97 per cent of insurance providers, a 32-year-old “lawyer” based in Glasgow is quoted an average of £376.22 for cover on a Fiat Brava — £137.87 more than a “solicitor” with the same medium-risk profile. A “landlord of licensed premises” in the same category, meanwhile, also pays £376.22, against £294 for an identical “publican”.

Which?, the consumer group, is poised to investigate this pricing, which forces some customers to pay more than colleagues because they pick the more costly of two accurate descriptions. Teresa Fritz, of Which?, says: “This is madness. It is something the industry needs to address.”

Some insurers have already identified the issue. Admiral and AA Insurance are in the process of streamlining their computer systems to ensure that prices are consistent. In the meantime, customers who believe that they could have obtained a better deal under an alternative, accurate, job description can contact them — in the AA’s case, on a dedicated number: 0800 1070680.

Until all insurers have refined their pricing systems the onus is on buyers to do their homework. Insurers price differently, basing their rates on claims experience. This means that it is impossible to identify hard and fast rules. “Quote massaging is about trial and error,” Ms Rose says. As long as a description is accurate, she says, testing it is justified. For example, there is nothing dishonest in a 32-year-old S-Type Jaguar-driving chartered accountant saving £31 with Kwik-Fit by applying under the catch-all “accountant”. However, it would be unacceptable for a nonchartered accountant to apply as chartered.

Malcolm Tarling, of the Association of British Insurers, agrees that customers are entitled to test all accurate job descriptions. But he warns consumers against stretching the truth, pointing out that cover obtained by deception is invalid and that known cheats face sky-high premiums and entry on a fraud register: a steer-clear warning to all financial service providers.

Ms Rose says that one man was blacklisted after he tried 60 online quotes with one insurer in a week. “He started as a 19-year-old ex-convict with driving convictions and finally applied for cover as a 26-year-old librarian with a clean license. He is now almost uninsurable.”

These price anomalies are not restricted to job description. Richard Mason, of Moneysupermarket.com, another comparison website, says that small differences in a car’s mileage also affect the price of cover. Prices tend to change on or just below the thousand-mile marks. So a driver who enters mileage of 19,950 miles pays less than one who puts 20,000 miles — £49 less in the case of a 31-year-old shop manager.

Drivers are expected to make an honest estimate of mileage — you should not underestimate. On the other hand, rounding up to the nearest thousand miles could be a big mistake. “For young or high-risk drivers, the difference in price could be astronomical,” Mr Mason says.

Drivers in these categories can cut premiums further by putting a second named driver on their policy — someone low-risk, with a long no-claims history. There is no need for this person to ever drive the car. Confused.com found that a 23-year-old single man could save £48 on an initial £684 quote by adding his father to the policy. Although this is legal, registering a car’s principal driver as a second named driver to cut costs is not.

A final way to cut the price of your policy could be a career change. “After emergency services personnel, the best deals go to insurers and underwriters,” Ms Rose says.

CASE STUDY: AN EASY £400 SAVING

Laurence James, of Llantarnam, Gwent, drives about 25,000 miles a year for work in his five-year-old Mercedes SL. The 56-year-old solicitor, above, left his insurer of 25 years last year to shop around at Confused.com. He entered his details to find comparable cover for £400 — a saving of £300.

Switching his job description from “solicitor” to “lawyer” saved a further £100. Mr James is happy with his Admiral policy, but says that he will compare deals — and quote massage — again when he comes to renew. “People have the opportunity to make savings just by sitting at their computer. I’m delighted with the result.”