Insurance ... again ;)

[Stonic]

Just a little shared experience. I have timed my Bamford Rose mods with my insurance renewal but totally by luck. At least it means your broker does not have you over a barrel for the rest of the policy year.

I have multi car with Admiral covering the DB9, Porsche 993 and Nissan Pathfinder. Their renewal was crazy at £1960. So I went online for a requote and reduced the mileage on all the cars by 1 or 2k. I also removed tracker from the DB9 - its a pain in the backside but may get a non Aston one fitted. I then added all the mods.

DB9 - BR Exhaust(the works), brakes a,d suspension. The 993 has just had a new exhaust and suspension...

And the new quote is £1590.... A saving of almost £400 per year AFTER the BR mods (helps with the man maths). The process was actually really easy.

[v8woollie]

The things you have had done aren't really 'mods' as they are direct replacement parts (an exhuast is an exhaust, just some are higher quality and more efficient). Not like you have a supercharger fitted which would almost certainly have increased your premiums!

The reduced mileage probably made the biggest difference, plus Admiral always provide renewal quotes at a stupid level, then you do the annual dance and call them and they then find discounts that they can apply. Drives me by mad, so this time they lost the Aston insurance to Locktons.

[snuffy]

Anything you change that is not OE is classed as a mod. So replacing the exhaust with anything other than an AM would and I would certainly tell my insurance company.

I kicked my Admiral Multicar policy into touch a couple of months ago and saved £250 by having two separate policies with two different companies.

Plus, Admiral are staggeringly stupid when you decline to renew with them:

1) They ask you for the policy paperwork back so they an cancel it. Erm, you want me to print it out and post it back to you ? fk off.

2) They send you a form to fill in about their service and the reasons you are leaving. The first two questions are : a) What's your name b) What's your policy number. Well, you sent me the fking form, what do you think the answers are ?

As you can tell, I don't rate Admiral very highly. And they ripped me off when I changed my number plate and changed my car mid term.

[yeti]

snuffy said:

Anything you change that is not OE is classed as a mod. So replacing the exhaust with anything other than an AM would and I would certainly tell my insurance company.

I told mine (Equity Red Star via CLassicLine broker) about everything BR have done to my car. Cost increase was zero.

They said give them a call about the new 6.5 engine when that goes in though

[moveover]

As discussed here recently in another thread, it seems you can also reduce your premium by NOT parking your car in a locked garage, but leaving it out on the street with a "please nick-me" sticker attached to it.

[snuffy]

yeti said:

snuffy said:

Anything you change that is not OE is classed as a mod. So replacing the exhaust with anything other than an AM would and I would certainly tell my insurance company.

I told mine (Equity Red Star via CLassicLine broker) about everything BR have done to my car. Cost increase was zero.

I'd agree and often it does not make any difference but it's always best to tell them.

For example, my Esprit Sport 350 was insured with Classic Line and I told them about fitting dumps valves and removing the exhaust and changing the air filters and they said "fine, we're noted that down. And it makes no difference to the price".

But, on my Esprit GT3, I fitted a wing and Privilege wanted about £400 extra !! I told them to shuve it as it was a factory fitted option, it's just than mine did not have it fitted when it was sold.

It seems some insurance companies have the ability to understand things and others understand how to extort money from you.

(Note, I may have entered Insurance Rant Mode)

[George29]

snuffy said:

...and others understand how to extort money from you.

Every insurance company understands how to do that!

[AMDBSNick]

George29 said:

Every insurance company understands how to do that!

[snuffy]

George29 said:

snuffy said:

...and others understand how to extort money from you.

Every insurance company understands how to do that!

Well yes, that's true. But some do excel in it whilst others do seem a lot more fair and reasonable about it.

[Ed50]

Mildly in line with topic so do you boys ask your chosen insurer about where your car will be repaired and with what parts in the tragic event?.

I ask, as I'm currently trudging knee deep through the insurance Dog Sh*t minefield trying to reinsure our RRS and get some additional cover
for a new purchase.

Well its a joke!. Most that have come up on the Compare sites appear to attempt to dodge my "and who's repairing it and with what"question,
but one particular candidate joined in the fun and volunteered their 2 Approved Repair Specialists,neither being Land Rover Body shops, I dug
a little deeper and got the names and post codes of the said specialists,the first coming up as Fiat...."great they have a lot of 4x4 knowledge I'm
sure" and the second was a little more mysterious so I popped the old post code into Google Maps and marvelled on street view as I surveyed a
gravel yard and large shed complete with white Transit van adorned in blue viper stripes.

It didn't fill me with confidence but I suppose it might be alright if you like lucky heather or are looking to replace your laundries peg collection.

Later this afternoon the said big name insurer rang me back to secure the business,which was at least diligent,I told them my concerns and findings.
By the young mans own admissions it wasn't looking too good,we laughed and he's going to point this out to the powers at be.

It worries me that if you pays your premium come the glorious day when assistance and repair is sadly required you may get sent in your hour of need
to some where you wouldn't want to send a push bike,heaven forbid any legal or injury claim!.....in which case you might be better off ringing the Samaritans

Now I'm no Einstein but surely it should be easier and clearer than this current system but I suppose thats business and not for 'thick its' like me to question.
But to me it seems hard work to come away with any confidence at all,going back to my original question does anyone actually bother to get their
potential repairers details up front or am I worrying just to much.

Edited by Ed50 on Wednesday 6th March 18:38

Edited by Ed50 on Wednesday 6th March 18:39

[bomberh]

I used a broker who had a history of finding insurance companies who understood AM and the tracker system so wouldn't ask stupid questions and who also would only take my car to an AM approved body shop/dealer for repair.
All that filled me with confidence so I took the insurance.

[NigelStn]

You have the right to choose who will repair your vehicle.

Your right to choose who repairs your vehicle was confirmed by a directive from the Office of Fair Trading issued in 1993.

[Ed50]

NigelStn said:

You have the right to choose who will repair your vehicle.

Your right to choose who repairs your vehicle was confirmed by a directive from the Office of Fair Trading issued in 1993.

Thank you I really didn't know that Nigel,its a pity these bods on the end of the phone don't or won't
tell you that even when you enquire with a specifically directed question.

[samnagle1990]

bomberh said:

I used a broker who had a history of finding insurance companies who understood AM and the tracker system so wouldn't ask stupid questions and who also would only take my car to an AM approved body shop/dealer for repair.
All that filled me with confidence so I took the insurance.

AM approved body shop, them words filled me with confidence, until the unfortunate time someone run into the back of me!

After picking up the car a few months ago, 4 weeks later, some twit, with a manbag on his should may I add, and talking like his from the ghetto, run into the back of the Aston. I wouldn't say I was the least muscly of people and before I had a chance to rip his head off the police were there. anywho... sent off to an Aston Martin approved body shop for a simple rear bumper change, replace mesh and diffuser. 3 weeks at the body shop, it returns, with a 4 inch scratch on the rear quarter panel, the tailpipes mis aligned, only one bit of the three bits of mesh fitted correctly, a dent in the bumper around the exhaust and in the centre above the number plate and didn't sit right below the tailpipes. You had to see it to believe the state of it, how an earth it passed final inspection I really don't know. Since they have collected and returned, its ok now but not brilliant. Seems like AM approved body shop mean nothing.

and it cost me 3k to insure the damn thing

[NigelStn]

It's more likely won't as they want to get your car repaired at the lowest cost possible and most insurers have deals with different bodywork shops throughout the country

[Ed50]

NigelStn said:

It's more likely won't as they want to get your car repaired at the lowest cost possible and most insurers have deals with different bodywork shops throughout the country

Agreed and thats why i've paid a higher premium this morning with a Broker that I trust and know will use the correct route to repair.

Just have to rib them now for a cuddly hedgehog or something to accompany my peace of mind.

[v8woollie]

That is why I decided to skip all the annual bit and just go with Locktons. Fully comp insured, annual European breakdown cover, track day cover, European travel cover for 90 days per trip and I can take it to any repair facility I wish without question.

[Lunablack]

Just got a quote from Locktons

Just under double my renewal quote from my existing insurers..

[v8woollie]

Lunablack said:

Just got a quote from Locktons

Just under double my renewal quote from my existing insurers..

Wow. Take out what it would have cost me to organise separate European breakdown cover and Locktons were actually about ten pounds cheaper than Admiral.

[Lunablack]

My renewal includes European cover, and European breakdown & recovery