Insurance cancelled due to painted wheels !
Discussion
My lads girlfriend has just bought her first car with our help and then insured it. The car is a 2007 Fiesta and is totally standard apart from what was a pair of standard wheels that had been badly painted black. I fully intended to refurbish the wheels back to silver for her but due to the snow hadn't had a chance yet.
Today the chap came to fit her black box and within 30 seconds went into a rant about how the car was modified and he would have to notify her insurance. He contracts to various ins co's and doesn't work for the company she is insured with. Wife gets on to the insurance company to explain the wheels are the standard wheels as it left the factory but have been poorly painted at some point, we told them we would get the wheels refurbished back to factory silver within the week...No, you cant do that as its a modification ! Apparently refurbished wheels are a modification and not covered by her policy, even when professionally refurbished back to factory colour/finish.
We then spoke to a manager who said we had 7 days to fit another set of standard wheels and they would be happy with that. An hour later we get an email saying basically we either cancelled the policy ourselves with immediate effect or they would cancel it themselves and we would be on the system for having insurance cancelled. Another phone call ensues and absolutely no movement or interest in letting us sort the issue for her. She is only 17 and answered the questions truthfully to the best of her knowledge when taking out the policy, this just seems stupidly heavy handed for a silly thing like some rattle paint on the wheels.
I cant possibly think how some £10 rattle can is making her that much more of a risk they need to cancel the policy with immediate effect and not even let her rectify the issue !
Naturally they weren't interested in doing anything with all the admin and cancellation fee's either and then the cover for time on risk so she is well and truly shafted.
So, if you have refurbished wheels best you check with your insurer if they class them as a modification, because these clowns do and wont cover a car if they have been.
Today the chap came to fit her black box and within 30 seconds went into a rant about how the car was modified and he would have to notify her insurance. He contracts to various ins co's and doesn't work for the company she is insured with. Wife gets on to the insurance company to explain the wheels are the standard wheels as it left the factory but have been poorly painted at some point, we told them we would get the wheels refurbished back to factory silver within the week...No, you cant do that as its a modification ! Apparently refurbished wheels are a modification and not covered by her policy, even when professionally refurbished back to factory colour/finish.
We then spoke to a manager who said we had 7 days to fit another set of standard wheels and they would be happy with that. An hour later we get an email saying basically we either cancelled the policy ourselves with immediate effect or they would cancel it themselves and we would be on the system for having insurance cancelled. Another phone call ensues and absolutely no movement or interest in letting us sort the issue for her. She is only 17 and answered the questions truthfully to the best of her knowledge when taking out the policy, this just seems stupidly heavy handed for a silly thing like some rattle paint on the wheels.
I cant possibly think how some £10 rattle can is making her that much more of a risk they need to cancel the policy with immediate effect and not even let her rectify the issue !
Naturally they weren't interested in doing anything with all the admin and cancellation fee's either and then the cover for time on risk so she is well and truly shafted.
So, if you have refurbished wheels best you check with your insurer if they class them as a modification, because these clowns do and wont cover a car if they have been.
Edited by fastbikes76 on Tuesday 6th March 17:25
This kind of utter stupidity is unfortunately becoming more and more common and I hope that owners and motorists groups will get to the starting to call out some of this stuff as the BS that it clearly is. Painting wheels black (not even pink!) hardly affects the insurable risk of a car.
I have a friend who has recently been outraged because having bought a new BMW M140i with all the trimmings, BMW insurance have told her that even the (invisible) act of having paint protection applied will invalidate thier insurane terms as a "modification". It's absolutely ridiculous, and the only way to combat it is to fight, and if necessary change insurers to someone more sensible when the opportunity arises (which my friend will do next renewal).
These morons will be trying to invalidate cover for washing and polishing your own car next...
I have a friend who has recently been outraged because having bought a new BMW M140i with all the trimmings, BMW insurance have told her that even the (invisible) act of having paint protection applied will invalidate thier insurane terms as a "modification". It's absolutely ridiculous, and the only way to combat it is to fight, and if necessary change insurers to someone more sensible when the opportunity arises (which my friend will do next renewal).
These morons will be trying to invalidate cover for washing and polishing your own car next...
corozin said:
This kind of utter stupidity is unfortunately becoming more and more common and I hope that owners and motorists groups will get to the starting to call out some of this stuff as the BS that it clearly is. Painting wheels black (not even pink!) hardly affects the insurable risk of a car.
If I try really hard I can almost understand what they are saying about not liking the wheels being black, almost. What I can't fathom out is why they wont even afford us the opportunity to replace the wheels or refurbish the current ones back to stock. We cant have them refurbished as that in its own is a modification according to them. They also stated if there were ANY stickers on the car they would also cancel the policy and again not even allow you to remove sticker to conform 
fastbikes76 said:
Today the chap came to fit her black box and within 30 seconds went into a rant about how the car was modified and he would have to notify her insurance. He contracts to various ins co's and doesn't work for the company she is insured with.
Two proper jobsworths. I would put in a complaint, escalate to the FOS just to cost them money.Edited by fastbikes76 on Tuesday 6th March 17:25
KTF said:
Given most used cars would have had their wheels refurbished at some point, there must be thousands driving around with no insurance 
I did get them to confirm via chat that if I had a damaged wing and repainted it back to factory colour that would be ok and not considered and modification, however if you damage a wheel a refurbish it back to factory silver it is a modification and worthy of cancelling the policy with immediate effect. The mind absolutely boggles and we have had arguments with half the staff today trying to see sense or reason...to no avail.fastbikes76 said:
corozin said:
This kind of utter stupidity is unfortunately becoming more and more common and I hope that owners and motorists groups will get to the starting to call out some of this stuff as the BS that it clearly is. Painting wheels black (not even pink!) hardly affects the insurable risk of a car.
If I try really hard I can almost understand what they are saying about not liking the wheels being black, almost. What I can't fathom out is why they wont even afford us the opportunity to replace the wheels or refurbish the current ones back to stock. We cant have them refurbished as that in its own is a modification according to them. They also stated if there were ANY stickers on the car they would also cancel the policy and again not even allow you to remove sticker to conform What if you badly kerbed a wheel so got it re-furbished, ho the hell would they know, sounds utterly ridiculous
vikingaero said:
fastbikes76 said:
Today the chap came to fit her black box and within 30 seconds went into a rant about how the car was modified and he would have to notify her insurance. He contracts to various ins co's and doesn't work for the company she is insured with.
Two proper jobsworths. I would put in a complaint, escalate to the FOS just to cost them money.Edited by fastbikes76 on Tuesday 6th March 17:25
ks. It is clearly not a modification. I fully concur with the other suggestions, move to another insurer and complain to the FOS - assuming you went with the cheapest quote and now have to pay more you may at least get the difference, but these idiots will at least get a large fee win or lose (and I cannot see any circumstance where you would lose). Idiots like this give the industry, which I usually am on here defending, some of it's bad name. Oh, and I am assuming it is Zurich from the comment above...our other comeback is to remember this ourselves and tell others...Despite that it is the pinnacle of lunacy, you really need to make sure you cancel the insurance ASAP. Urban legend has it that a "cancelled" marker against her is really, really bad. And in absence of all other evidence, I would believe it.
You will need to go to another insurer I feel - it could take a few days to either get some identical wheels off ebay or get the existing ones painted (which they technically won't allow). But paint them anyway.
If they are much cheaper than any other insurer, you need to do the same as the above, but be quick - there is a requirement for continuous insurance, which you will probably not be picked up on for a day or two, but technically there is no grace.
You will need to go to another insurer I feel - it could take a few days to either get some identical wheels off ebay or get the existing ones painted (which they technically won't allow). But paint them anyway.
If they are much cheaper than any other insurer, you need to do the same as the above, but be quick - there is a requirement for continuous insurance, which you will probably not be picked up on for a day or two, but technically there is no grace.
fastbikes76 said:
Naturally they weren't interested in doing anything with all the admin and cancellation fee's either and then the cover for time on risk so she is well and truly shafted.
Isn't this sort of nonsense what the Insurance Ombudsman was set up to adjudicate, or is that only after a claim?Some companies are very picky about what constitutes a modification. I had a 6 disc Alpine CD player fitted to an '04 Focus, standard radio head, and had to change insurers (via the Broker) as apparently that constituted a modification - and was listed as a "modified sound system" for evermore.
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