Not declaring modifications to insurance companies

Not declaring modifications to insurance companies

Author
Discussion

Neil G60

692 posts

223 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
It entirely depends on the insurer and how they 'risky' they want their book of business to be. Providers will either (in order to risk):

a) Not cover any mods at all
b) Cover them at an extorionate price (so pricing you out the market)
c) Cover them based on a % or xBHP increase overstandard

Most mainstream insureres are quite risk averse and specialist brokers like Flux, HIC etc will fall into category c.

If you're in any doubt whatsoever, call your insurer and ask. Things like ECU remaps are obviously much harder to trace and easier to 'reverse' in the event of a crash. However, minor shunts might not even necessitate a visit from an assessor but bear in mind if your car looks like it drove through the local Ripspeed counter backwards assessors will break out their fine tooth comb!

EK993

1,925 posts

250 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
Defcon5 said:
EK993 said:
You have to declare any modifications to the vehicle that have taken place after it leaves the factory.
Tyres?
That's a good question in light of some of the performance / track tyres that are available these days, and not sure on Underwriters stance on them - possible not on their radar at the moment.

Advice to OP:
It's just not worth driving round with a ? over if your policy will pay out, or if they will void it. Find a mod friendly insurer, declare all mods, get them noted in the schedule of insurance so there can be absolutely no questions if you are involved in an incident.

If you can't afford the premium with the mods declared, don't buy the car.

Chapppers

4,483 posts

190 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
Neil G60 said:
It entirely depends on the insurer and how they 'risky' they want their book of business to be. Providers will either (in order to risk):

a) Not cover any mods at all
b) Cover them at an extorionate price (so pricing you out the market)
c) Cover them based on a % or xBHP increase overstandard

Most mainstream insureres are quite risk averse and specialist brokers like Flux, HIC etc will fall into category c.

If you're in any doubt whatsoever, call your insurer and ask. Things like ECU remaps are obviously much harder to trace and easier to 'reverse' in the event of a crash. However, minor shunts might not even necessitate a visit from an assessor but bear in mind if your car looks like it drove through the local Ripspeed counter backwards assessors will break out their fine tooth comb!
^best answer. Ring greenlight, they'll sort you out.

Rude-boy

22,227 posts

232 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
Always declare any modification you are aware of.


saaby93

32,038 posts

177 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
Theres another thread on fitting (and declaring) a Halford battery (which is apparntly Varta)

Chapppers

4,483 posts

190 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
saaby93 said:
Theres another thread on fitting (and declaring) a Halford battery (which is apparntly Varta)
For. fk. Sake.

Diablos-666

Original Poster:

2,786 posts

177 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
Thanks for your input guys (and girls)

I think i'll just get the standard car. I was torn between a modified focus rs or a standard. The modified was well looked after and a grand cheaper than the standard (the standard has not been looked after as well) but i think it best just to spend that bit more and not worry about the insurance side.

Im limited on the insurance front as im 24 and only had my license about 10 months so i pay high insurance anyway, the mods just increase the premium even more!


ian_touring

585 posts

204 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
jbi said:
Defcon5 said:
Tyres?
Thats a good point... tyres are one of the biggest performance effecting changes you can make..(snip)

Shirly the cheapest tyres of no name/no grip would be the greatest risk versus high grip top end compound?

Tangent Police

3,097 posts

175 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
Shop around.

At 33, I had a quote from flux for £250 for my race spec mini.

Got it down to £84 on the intarweb. Fully Comp.

£84 and free tax. That is value for you smile

Neil G60

692 posts

223 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
Tangent Police said:
Shop around.

At 33, I had a quote from flux for £250 for my race spec mini.

Got it down to £84 on the intarweb. Fully Comp.

£84 and free tax. That is value for you smile
You must literally be hundreds of years old with 80 yrs NCD!!


saaby93

32,038 posts

177 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
ian_touring said:
Shirly the cheapest tyres of no name/no grip would be the greatest risk versus high grip top end compound?
Otherway around shirly wink
With thin skimpy tyres you soon get used to the limits of the car are not too surprised by a patch of diesel or slippery leaves

With the expensive stick to anything type tyres, you can drive like a maniac until you discover ...

Neil G60

692 posts

223 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
On the tyres thing. Make sure you've got the correct speed and load rating as that would come under the 'fine tooth comb' part. If you lost control on a road and made a claim and you've got the wrong tyres an insurer wouldn't hesitate to bring you up on that

R11ysf

1,931 posts

181 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
BoRED S2upid said:
jbi said:
out of curiosity what cosmetic changes need to be declared to insurance?

I'm talking things like... seat covers, steering wheel covers, cd player, painting the interior etc etc etc
Most are only bothered about performance enhancing mods IMO.
This is only slightly true. Depending on company they don't care up to a degree e.g. I declared exhaust, filter, cold air feed and was told unless it made +15bhp it was fine and no change of premium. I also remember reading about ( I think) a Cossie owner who was charged less when his car had 700bhp than when he had just changed wheels and a few mods - on the basis that after spending so much time and money on the car he was more likely not to want is stolen / written off.

However, if you fit 5k wheels to your fiesta this makes the car 100 time more likely to be stolen so is a major factor in the insurance premium, even though nothing changes the performance.

Basic rule of thumb, Declare EVERYTHING and you may be pleasantly surprised, if the premium changes to something you can't live with then look for a specialist company.

Neil G60

692 posts

223 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
ian_touring said:
jbi said:
Defcon5 said:
Tyres?
Thats a good point... tyres are one of the biggest performance effecting changes you can make..(snip)

Shirly the cheapest tyres of no name/no grip would be the greatest risk versus high grip top end compound?
That's subjective though whereas a fixed size, load rating, speed rating etc lends itself to rules being applied. Think of the insurer who processes thousands of claims. They won't have time to find out whether Dunlop Super Tacky Whizzbangs are 'better' than Nankang Ditchfiners smile

JB!

5,254 posts

179 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
My insurance company are ok with whatever I do provided I don't go over my 180bhp limit.

If I want more power I can just ring up and increase the limit on the policy.

KaraK

13,177 posts

208 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
Diablos-666 said:
Thanks for your input guys (and girls)

I think i'll just get the standard car. I was torn between a modified focus rs or a standard. The modified was well looked after and a grand cheaper than the standard (the standard has not been looked after as well) but i think it best just to spend that bit more and not worry about the insurance side.

Im limited on the insurance front as im 24 and only had my license about 10 months so i pay high insurance anyway, the mods just increase the premium even more!
If the insurance cost is only 500 difference and the car is a grand cheaper and in better knick why not just buy it? it will be two years before the extra insurance has matched what you would have paid for the modded car. And to be honest 24-26 can make a big difference in insurance terms and you might have found by then that the gap has decreased.

KaraK

13,177 posts

208 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
Chapppers said:
Herman Toothrot said:
Chapppers said:
I Predict: Don't do it, be gone with you satan! You're the reason ALL BAD THINGS HAPPEN

However, i'd like to know what really happens from someone who's actually experienced it.

Have you tried Greenlight though? They're usually quite good on modifications.
I read a thread once by a person with a modifed but un-declared car who wrote it off. Story basically went along the lines of "the car had un-declared modifications, they would have made £XXX difference to your premium with this in mind we will pay out £XXXX for the car minus £XXX that you should have paid us in the first place". That was that. There wasn't a 3rd party involved though.
That would probably only work for a company that insure modifications. I know a few don't (Direct Line)
Not completely true.... Direct Line will insure you with mods but only if you are over 25.

Kentish

15,169 posts

233 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
How far do you go with mod declaration?

The insurance companies state anything not as per manufacturers spec.

That could include, batteries, filters, tyres, brake fluid, screen wash, spark plugs, plug leads, stereo, light bulbs, floor mats, wheels, exhaust, clutch components, etc.

I don't declare service items or high wear items like tyres or different brand of something like a clutch but maybe I should be?


Chapppers

4,483 posts

190 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
KaraK said:
Chapppers said:
Herman Toothrot said:
Chapppers said:
I Predict: Don't do it, be gone with you satan! You're the reason ALL BAD THINGS HAPPEN

However, i'd like to know what really happens from someone who's actually experienced it.

Have you tried Greenlight though? They're usually quite good on modifications.
I read a thread once by a person with a modifed but un-declared car who wrote it off. Story basically went along the lines of "the car had un-declared modifications, they would have made £XXX difference to your premium with this in mind we will pay out £XXXX for the car minus £XXX that you should have paid us in the first place". That was that. There wasn't a 3rd party involved though.
That would probably only work for a company that insure modifications. I know a few don't (Direct Line)
Not completely true.... Direct Line will insure you with mods but only if you are over 25.
Ah that'll be why.

onomatopoeia

3,469 posts

216 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
quotequote all
kambites said:
If you had a crash, they would pay out third party but not fully comp. They would then sue you for the cost of the third party payout.

You would also be guilty of driving without insurance.

Edited by kambites on Thursday 14th January 13:08
I agree with you first sentence, but are you sure about "driving without insurance?" given that the insurer is legally prevented from refusing to pay out to thrid parties if a certificate has been issued.