How much???
How much???
Author
Discussion

JohnSW20

Original Poster:

886 posts

266 months

Monday 27th June 2005
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Hi All
I've just got the insurance renewal through so rang to pay no problem £707.70 with Direct Line. I asked them how much extra it would cost if I changed the wheels to a later type(spiders) £198.00 per year!!!!
How much did your insurance go up when you swapped to Spiders???
There is no way the wife would let me get away with that on top of the cost.
I know I should be a man and just do it but she is a nut and I'm already afraid when I go to sleep

Cheers

John

blue 4.5

1,543 posts

266 months

Monday 27th June 2005
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I'm sure someone will correct me but...I wouldn't bother declaring them. TVR now only make cars with Spiders so if they were nicked or anything happened to them, the only alternative to the insurance company would be to use spiders, and if they were knicked how would they know what you had on?

SI-PEN

1,009 posts

266 months

Monday 27th June 2005
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Actually have experianced this myself some years ago.

Wife had an H-reg Mini Cooper insured by Direct line. Some git nicked the wheels so I had to replace them with another, identical size alloy wheel, but different style. The replacements wheels were in fact hiddious but cheap second hand ones until I could afford minilites again.

However, car was later involved in an accident and the Direct line inspector viewed the car's damage before repair. He noted the wheels were different from standard and Direct Line would not commence repairs until I had paid the difference in premium due to the change from the original wheels!!

Luckily I had informed them of the stolen wheels (was going to claim but didn't) so they only charged me from that date and not from the start date of the policy.

So, don't tell them and then pay later if caught or tell them and pay now and forever!

If they have changed their policy on this and are now more agressive and you have an accident then you may as well have not bothered insuring your pride and joy at all!! I think I'd tell um, and then change insurance company next year.....A Manning do mine and are far cheaper than Direct Line, although on limited mileage!!

Good Luck!

PetrolTed

34,468 posts

332 months

Monday 27th June 2005
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We experienced the same with Privilege. I think we came to some sort of understanding eventually along the lines of them being standard factory fit as a result of a recall of the original wheels.

We've got something on file saying we've got the 18 inchers.

NJW 77

17,065 posts

267 months

Monday 27th June 2005
quotequote all
Did the same last year when insuring with DL. Called them up after taking out the insurance to tell them about the sports exhaust and the spiders. Premium went up by about £120 IIRC. I questioned if it was coz of the exhaust and was told no, it was coz spiders werent original fitment.

Got my renewal through last week, phoned up and said they had made a cock-up because the spiders ARE (now:rolleyes) standard fit. OK says the chap, thanks for that. Reduction? No sir, there was never an increase in premium for standard fit wheels

Now Im confused.

Dont bother mentioning the spiders if I was you

Julian64

14,325 posts

283 months

Monday 27th June 2005
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I think the fact you declare them makes them rather suspicious.

Bit like mobile phones where there probably aren't that many stolen but a lot are lost or broken or unfashionable so the easy thing to do for our chav population is to report them stolen and get the money for a new one.

Same is true of spiders. They aren't stolen much but they are kerb'ed a lot.

J.T.

294 posts

269 months

Monday 27th June 2005
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Had a similar experience with Norwich Union after they took over the indy brokerage (Cheam) that I had used for years. Instantly the great service and specialist knowledge is consomed by the desire to cater for the masses and save cost.

When I rang to inform them of the change from 16" std wheels to Spiders and the addition of Nitrons I was told initially that they wouldn't insure me as the mods would enable me to lower the car!! I pointed out that whilst the Cerb may sound like a diesel landrover on cold mornings, lowering it was not really going to make a difference other than to start a collection of gravel and cats eyes!

They then agreed to renew the insurance for an additional £320 so I rang a few brokers and ended up renewing for less than the original quote through Peart who noted the mods, checked with their underwriters and waved them through.

JT

tdm

63 posts

270 months

Tuesday 28th June 2005
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This post got me thinking so I checked it out with my insurance company and, surprise surprise, £ 148 extra on the insurance for spider alloys on a '97 4.2 cerb I resent being fleeced for having what are now factory standard wheels so someone please give me the name of a good insurance company (that isn't Tesco! ..... they had been OK until recently).

Rob Dance

200 posts

268 months

Tuesday 28th June 2005
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Mannings made a Bo**ocks of my quote, (allegedley a mix up with the limited mileages,made it very cheap until I actualy went to pay ) but the service was good, quote still competative, and they use a known insurer.
Dropped considerably as the N.C.B. was applied this year.

tophat

112 posts

256 months

Thursday 30th June 2005
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Can't help with the wheels issue, but did notice you're paying significantly more for your premium than mine with Egg. Maybe you need to shop around?

Plotloss

67,280 posts

299 months

Thursday 30th June 2005
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Seems very harsh.

I'm just renewing for the VXT and a map and exhaust that add 50bhp and a good globule of torque was only £50 extra...