Declaring Mods for Insurance

[TheCake]

Since so many people seem to have a problem as what is/isn't classed as a mod I thought it best we start a little topic which can be stickied *hopefully*.

Ok, its very simple so here goes. Ask yourself this question:

Did my car leave the factory exactly as it is now?

Yes - The car is standard
No - The car is modified

Got it? Good.

Here's a few examples since people might get confused.

1. I reversed into a wall and broke my rear rlights, I'm going to get smoked ones, is this a mod?
A. Yes. Smoked lights are not standard fit.

2. Someone scuffed my bump strip and I've had to get some new ones. I want them colourcoded, is this a mod?
A. Yes if you car didn't originally come with them.

3. I want to do some track days and get a roll cage, is this a mod?
A. Yes it is...

Etc Etc.

One final thing to remember. If you can't afford the insurance premium increase (where applicable - some insuers don't charge much/at all) then you can't really afford the modification.

Don't become a statistic, get in trouble with the Police, get your policy cancelled etc etc. Its not worth it.

 

[MarkM]

I have quite a bit modified on my car and find the whole insurance process a nightmare.

I originally went through direct line who were perplexed by what a cable throttle was as it didnt appear on there list. If it wasnt referenced on there system they didnt know what to do.

I tried greenlight who were much more flexible and basically list the mods as you describe them then ask how much this increases the power. However this is also flawed. I could say I strapped a turbo onto my 182 and only have increased my output by 30bhp. I have in fact got a high boost conversion that really gave me an increase of 100bhp. They are hardly going to RR it after it has been written off.

I think even if all mods are declared you could still be left without valid insurance just because someone on the other end of the phone didnt fully understand what you meant or there system did not cover in detail the mod you have.

 

[TheCake]

Valid comment Mark. The point in question here is that you have actually told them what has been done - which at the end of the day is better than not declaring it at all.

I had a huge list of parts for my Cup when I insured that, so I understand where you're coming from. Power output is always going to be 'one of those things' e.g. mines bigger than yours.

At the end of the day calls to insurance companies are recorded and there seems little point in lying, afterall a claim may be because the car was stolen, not written off. If I'd get a 220bhp Clio which I'd spent a small fortune on, I'd want every single part of it insured and I'd bloody well want it back/the money to replace it.

 

[Fred@BTM]

all calls are recorded now, so as long as you tell them everything they can't argue, e-mail everything to them also

i know of one case where the poicy was cancelled because the car had non factory original tyres! not joking

 

[Andyman]

i know of one case where the poicy was cancelled because the car had non factory original tyres! not joking

Do you know what insurance company that is??

Best avoided like the plague if you get a company that petty.

I know of someone who had mods on which were not covered and he still managed to get a settlement - all depends who your with etc

 

[John D]

i know of one case where the poicy was cancelled because the car had non factory original tyres! not joking

^^Thats a piss take!

And leads on to my question to TheCake - what about consumable items like air filters and brake pads? (agree with what you have said so far)

I have an ITG Panel and I'm wondering if its really worth declaring. It is at the moment - but I feel it's been lumped in with full blown induction kits; which are obviously much more of a change from standard.

 

[Tom]

i declare everything. even tyres.

 

[Reyes]

actually some insurance companys class different things as a modification. My insurance company dont give a shite about if you have alloys over 16"s.. strange

 

[Lee]

all calls are recorded now, so as long as you tell them everything they can't argue, e-mail everything to them also

i know of one case where the poicy was cancelled because the car had non factory original tyres! not joking

Fitting a tyre of a lower rating can give them cause to do that.

 

[Fred@BTM]

speed rating and size were correct, just the make was different

the car was a Audi TT 225 convertible, and if i remember the insurance company was Zurich

 

[DrR]

yozzasport put a new exhaust clamp on my car, do i need to declare that?

 

[Deeg]

Excellent Thread.

 

[TheCake]

Thanks Deeg. I've posted it to highlight the ongoing list of stupid questions "should I declare my turbo" etc, as well as the stupid comments people post, like "I'll just swap it over if I crash" etc.

Hoping someone will make this a sticky.

 

[Tom]

Put it in the right forum first si!

 

[Michael172]

yozzasport put a new exhaust clamp on my car, do i need to declare that?

probably lol.


lol thanks fred

EVEN A f**king CD PLAYER IS CLASSED AS A MODIFICATION

Im only young and theyll put my premium up if i declare it. Ive had it in for over a year now. all it does is play music.

 

[Fred@BTM]

and as i said, be cautious with what you post insurance companies and the police do read car forums!

 

[Michael172]

Thanks Deeg. I've posted it to highlight the ongoing list of stupid questions "should I declare my turbo" etc, as well as the stupid comments people post, like "I'll just swap it over if I crash" etc.

Hoping someone will make this a sticky.

yeah i installed a 3L MIVEC turbo into my clio if i crash ill just swap it back again.....

 

[Ang]

Put it in the right forum first si!

I'd say it needs to be in this forum and the Insurance forum tbh

 

[Tom]

Sadly it can only go in one!

(and its the insurance one)

 

[Dash]

Global Announcement

 

[Gaz_]

i declare everything. even tyres.

PMSL!

 

[Tom]

I do!

 

[Steve]

If you don't declare, you ain't covered!

 

[dick]

i just dont bother insuring my car, saves all the hastle.

 

[Gaz_]

I do!

PMSL seriously!!!! Where does it stop, do you use renault screen wash (if you dont it might smear ), elf oil, renault brake fluid..............


FPMSL!

 

[dick]

if you get your pads/ discs from a motor factors rather than renault patr section do you have to declare them even tho ther not a upgrade as such.

 

[Gaz_]

do you f**k!! They are made to o.e spec.

 

[NB 02 HOT]

how do you go about explaining some of this stuff to insurance companies though as the people on the end of the phone often seem to have no clue what does/doesnt put your insuracne policy up.

i.e. putting seat covers over a stained seat is near enough the same as colour coding the dash inserts. both in effect just have a 'cover' over teh factory part. yet i bet nobody would declare a seat cover and the insurance company would probably just laugh at you if you did..

The same example with a steering wheel cover. I could buy a cover that completely changes the look of the wheel (say a leather cover), yet if i was to have that leather stitched around it it would become a 'mod' that needed to be declared?

Theres also the fact of how do you declare a 'mod' if you are unaware how the car came out the factory. If i brought a car with silver dash inserts i wouldnt declare them as a mod because i would have no prior knowledge of wether they were standard or not. This applies to the insurance company aswell because they wouldnt know if the silver inserts were there before or after you brought the car.

 

[Fred@BTM]

you should even declare your cliosport.net sticker and your magic tree (could obstruct your view)

LOL

 

[Gaz_]

Exactly. A clio 182 can come in a few guises. A standard 182 with silver alloys no front bumper spoiler, small boot spoiler...... Then it can come with either the cup spoiler pack..... Front bumper spoiler and bigger boot spoiler, and suspension pack (anthricite alloys different suspension) These are all how they LEFT the factory depending on how they were specced. Now 99% of people wouldn't have a scoob!

 

[Ben.]

interesting point!! say you bought a car that had been lowered slightly, and you knew f**k all about cars and didnt realise it had been lowered, and was invloved in a crash!!

would it sill be voided..how could they prove?

 

[edde]

interesting point!! say you bought a car that had been lowered slightly, and you knew f**k all about cars and didnt realise it had been lowered, and was invloved in a crash!!

would it sill be voided..how could they prove?

Depends how obvious it was.

 

[Ad]

Have the agree with Si. Some things arent quite black and white. But the majority are.

For me insurance is all about being sensible. How does it effect peformance and how would it affect a repair etc

so: silver vision bulbs... nope, clear indicators.. nope. neither here nor there...

lowering/wheels/colour coding etc. yes.

Its just not rocket science. Likewise you pays your money you gets the quality of insurer. The likes of UK insurance take a sensible approace to things. The smaller underwriters nit pick.

 

[lasbazrre]

I told my insurance company about my remap! " is it a super chip ? " , it's all computer genarated price's , so my 10bhp ( not RR yet ) NA remap is being put in the same class a 50bhp super chip for a turbo lump!!!!! the extra cost did make my eye's water!!!!!

leon

 

[Clio-Privilege]

crap!, tesco got the model of my car wrong they have it down as a 1.4 alize when its in fact a privilage so the renewal price they quoted me is wrong its going to be slightly higher, also if i get some new alloys 172 ones im after my excess will rise from £200 to £350 and my premium would go up by about £100 too
im on 4 years ncb

 

[dick]

I told my insurance company about my remap! " is it a super chip ? " , it's all computer genarated price's , so my 10bhp ( not RR yet ) NA remap is being put in the same class a 50bhp super chip for a turbo lump!!!!! the extra cost did make my eye's water!!!!!

leon

i wouldnbt have bothered, not like theyre gonna check a remap is it now.

 

[MCG]

Where I work, we don't class things that need to be changed regularly over the course of the cars life as mods, eg air filter, tyres, brake discs, brake pads, even if they are different to standard. Any insurance company who classes those things as mods are stupid. In insurance, a modification is something that either increases the cars desirability to thieves or increases BHP or torque. None of those things are in those two categories. If an insurance company cancels a policy because they have different tyres but are the correct profile, they can get fined for that.

Things insurance companies class as mods are induction kits, ECU remaps, turbo's, alloy wheels, spoilers, exhausts, decats, bodkykits and so on...