Modified car insurance

[speedking31]

Car being modified so current insurer will no longer offer cover.

Thought I'd try a comparison site. Put in all the details including the fact that the car will be modified. Comparison site comes up with loads of options.

Current insurance is £350. Cheapest 'quote' is £120. Further investigation shows that they don't cover modified cars

All of the top ten quotes do not cover modified cars Got fed up then. What's the point? Went to a broker and got the insurance that I need. What a frustrating experience! Buyer beware.

Hoping that this review will make things more transparent.

Edited by speedking31 on Wednesday 16th July 13:02

[JordanAtFlux]

Declaring modifications when you're on a computer is always more difficult than explaining them to a human over the phone, I'd always be cautious doing it online as you need to make sure you've got the right cover in place.

We cover all modifications like for like, if I can help then by all means DM me.

Jordan

[speedking31]

Unfortunately your online quote was 2x what I ended up paying so I took it no further.

[Riley Blue]

Pick up the phone and speak to a human being! When I fitted a brake servo to my Riley I phoned my insurer and was told that as it was a safety modification there would be no increase in the premium.

[PanzerCommander]

Riley Blue said:

Pick up the phone and speak to a human being! When I fitted a brake servo to my Riley I phoned my insurer and was told that as it was a safety modification there would be no increase in the premium.

What he said, the only real way is to use the phone. I find comparison websites are only useful for run of the mill bog standard cars.

[speedking31]

Exactly what I ended up doing. But it felt like going back in time. Individual phone calls to each company that might offer relevant cover. Navigating long phone filtering systems. Repeating the same details time after time. Only to be told that they don't like my postcode or whatever.

Just thought that with several years practice the comparison sites might have upped their game. Sadly not.

[PanzerCommander]

speedking31 said:

Exactly what I ended up doing. But it felt like going back in time. Individual phone calls to each company that might offer relevant cover. Navigating long phone filtering systems. Repeating the same details time after time. Only to be told that they don't like my postcode or whatever.

Just thought that with several years practice the comparison sites might have upped their game. Sadly not.

Nah they cater for the majority (where the money is) rather than the minority (sensible from a business point of view). Also specialist insurers tend not to be on the comparison websites either.

[aka_kerrly]

You own a modified car and you wasted time with a comparison site .....

Humans & brokers are what you need, specifically brokers who understand modified cars eg Flux & Brentacre and not ones who have policies where for example each modification has a loading eg I saw one policy where it's £50 for an air filter and £75 for a remap.

[speedking31]

PanzerCommander said:

Nah they cater for the majority (where the money is) rather than the minority (sensible from a business point of view). Also specialist insurers tend not to be on the comparison websites either.

The point is that they allowed me to say that I had a modified car, hence me labouring under the illusion that the quotes provided would be relevant. If the front end had said "Is your car modified?", "Yes", "Sorry, we won't quote." then there wouldn't have been an issue.

[Afromonk]

JordanAtFlux said:

Declaring modifications when you're on a computer is always more difficult than explaining them to a human over the phone, I'd always be cautious doing it online as you need to make sure you've got the right cover in place.

We cover all modifications like for like, if I can help then by all means DM me.

Jordan

Trying to send you message but pistonheads messaging is broken (again ), could I please have your email?