FAO Everyone on Renault FREE insurance!

[connor]

Hey to all on Renault Free Insurance....

I need a favour!

Basically, I had a brand new clio with free insurance... had a lil accident in it at the beginning of this year and becoz of my alloys i had on it they are voiding the whole policy.

The reason they are doing this is coz the alloys were not supplied and fitted by the manufacturer (i.e. Renault) So ive been arguing this for the past couple of months & still am.

I have been looking away the general bit of this forum and have seen a few pplz with the same free insurance with these kinda mods fully declared and fully insured even tho they were not supplied & fitted by Renault.

What I would like is for these pplz to come forward and help me with my case by allowing me to quote their names and maybe policy numbers assuming ur policy is all legit and that (if you get me). I would be very appreciative if you do coz I cant take it anymore having a brand new car stuck on my drive that is undriveable and will cost me ALOT to repair myself so i wanna try n win this thing!!

cheers all

regards

Mark

 

[badinvincible]

TBH matey, i dont think you have a leg to stand on because of the undeclared mods, theres a thread similar along the lines of "should i tell my insurance company?" in off-topic

 

[Fred@BTM]

yeah help the poor boy out!!!!!

 

[Has]

Hmmm tricky.

i remember u sayign bout this one Fred?

There are a few peeps with the free insurance with these mods etc...

they wud be argueing cause the wheels wernt covered, can u not say that if they were nicked u wudnt mind replacing them urselvs? and that u wudnt claim them on the iinsurance, something like "my own risk"

hence why u didnt tell them about em?

 

[Fred@BTM]

remember the w**kers that are insurance comps wont pay out if you wipe your arse with your left hand!!!! theyll try anything to get out of paying!!!!!

get an independant inspection or ask for another inspection

OR ring them up and act a bit dum, ask if its possible to declare alloys on the free ins (in a way so that it sounds like you already have them), ASK THE PERSONS NAME then use that against them on your claim!!!

You say person X authorised me to fit wheels so up yours mr insurance!!!! who know might work!!!!!

Whats the phone number????

 

[White16valver]

Unless all calls are logged on your insurance record and they see that your on the fiddle...

 

[BikeMan]

If you didnt declare the wheels they have every right to void your policy.

Sorry

 

[cliopower]

it depends on what happened. We need more info - ie was the wheels to blame for your accident? was a third party involved? Have you got any quotes for repair? you have to bare in mind that there is a 400 quid excess on free insurance. whats damaged on your car to make you believe it costs so much? - pics?

 

[black kro]

Im with Reno (not FREE, but that shouldnt make any difference)

I asked about alloys and they said even if valued at zero would increase risk and therefore premium

I paid out £60 extra and had £150 added to my excess

good luck, but not hopeful...

 

[Pugboy]

Whilst to the letter of your policy you have to declare all mods, common sense would suggest that loading a policy because of non standard wheels would be more related to a theft claim rather than an accident. i.e. the car is more attractive and therefore more stealable.. However, changing the wheels is not really a performance enhancement in most cases and Id have thought the insurance co. would have a job to prove that. That non declaration is a cop out and is probably not really valid.

You should take some legal advice

Chris

good luck

 

[TheRoninV6]

Well im on renault insurance and have added cup wheels to my 172, the car was recently in a accident (not my fault) anyway when the crash damage was inspected noone said fuk all, although they did take some pictures of my wheels so maybe they may say something to me yet. Hope not anyway the accident wasnt my fault so they probably dont give a sh*t

 

[BRUN]

declare everything, i presume you will be in future, its really not worth the hassle not to.........

 

[R3OBC]

Agree with Brun.............i had to resist all mods whilst i was on my first years FREE insurance as they wouldnt let me. Last year i spent £800 on insurance with a company i could mod with, and this year i have spent £850 to stay with the same company.............when if i had been cheeky and declared the car as standard, i could have paid £600 else where. Not worth it in the end............long and painful, but worth it at a time like this. I see what you are meaning tho, i often heard of people claming to have lowered etc on free insurance, but if ever i rang up Renault Ins. i was told i had no chance. Rob

 

[BikeMan]

Yep. The slightest thing the insurers dont know about they can void your entire policy, even if its not directly related to the claim. Its all there in the small print.

Good luck, but I think Renault have the upper hand.

 

[connor]

Quote: OR ring them up and act a bit dum, ask if its possible to declare alloys on the free ins (in a way so that it sounds like you already have them), ASK THE PERSONS NAME then use that against them on your claim!!!

You say person X authorised me to fit wheels so up yours mr insurance!!!! who know might work!!!!!

Whats the phone number????

cheers for your help fred! thats a damn good idea! Coz like I said, they cannot agree to insure other pplz mods and not mine. If you wanna do it mate i would be appreciated, im a bit shy when it comes to these kinda things but if you do then 08701203121!

I think I did put in one of my letters that I had already rang them up about the alloys and it was said they are not a problem, to call their bluff, but they ignored that bit of the letter & just quoted some insurqance jargon instead. So maybe its time to speak to a proper person and get a name & reference number!!!

Quote: it depends on what happened. We need more info - ie was the wheels to blame for your accident? was a third party involved? Have you got any quotes for repair? you have to bare in mind that there is a 400 quid excess on free insurance. whats damaged on your car to make you believe it costs so much? - pics?

Right... wheels were not the cause of the accident, I had a flat on my back left and span out of control on a roundabout and hit a curb sideways (at about 25mph) and kinda rolled in mid air and bounced on the roof causing minimul damage to other areas.
No third party was involved!
I havent got many quotes for repair, Ive had one which was basically from a professional accident repairers who said he could get it back to A1 condition for around 3.5-4k (which i really cant afford lol)
& my excess was 500 on the free insurance! Anyways the damages consist of the following & pics are below
1) probably new roof (looks like windscreen A pillar is completely fine upon opening the door)
2) new passenger door inc wing mirror
3) rear driver side wing
4) both front wings (but they dont actually need to be replaced, they just have a couple of small cracks in them)
5) new rear axle

& i think thats it, but upon closer inspection it looks like the front offside suspension might be buggered... although it looks fine but that wsa the reason i was gonna get 80mm coilovers lol. anyways, drives fine and the engine is completely fine by the sounds/looks and the fact it still drives. & also all the running gear is fine. Oh yeah, somet needs to be done to the ECU as the air bag went off so the serv light remains on!

anyways heres the pics!

http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/3/web/435000-435999/435669_60_full.jpg
http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/3/web/435000-435999/435669_65_full.jpg
http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/3/web/435000-435999/435669_64_full.jpg
http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/3/web/435000-435999/435669_66_full.jpg
http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/3/web/435000-435999/435669_45_full.jpg

P.S I understand all u pplz saying that they have the upperhand etc & dont think I dont agree with you for a second here.... coz it does say in the small print that all mods are to be fitted & supplied by the manufacturer, and me having mine on there is a breach of contract! BUT... Im asking pplz with free insurance that have the mods i have and have declared them to come foward coz Im sure you will appreciate the fact that insuranace companies cant say yes to one person and not to me.

P.P.S I am gonna get proper legal advice now after their last letter in which I said I am making a formal complaint, ive already seen the citizens advice bureau a couple of times but im now seeing a motor solicitor person!

 

[cliopower]

I take it you didnt declare the colour coding either? Didnt you have the old wheels to swop back?

If they do pay out, then Its gonna be either a write off or they will offer to pay for repairs at your option because it will cost them the same. I would accept a write off personally.

You say that the wheels had not been the cause but unproperly balanced wheels could have caused it to ware down in one spot which causes a blow out. You will need to prove that the wheels were not at fault - AA/RAC/approved bodyshop report? because all your mods are more cosmetic and are really due to theft than anything else unless the tread was low etc. When you have that report, seek legal advice or use cheaper options like complaining to the dealer that set the policy up, reno uk, watchdog, trading standards.

With it being a free policy, they are very unlikly to want to pay out. The problem is, most people will have left their cars standard or put removable mods on free insurance because they know that they will only pay out kicking and screaming.

see what the pros say.

 

[steveyb]

bump

 

[BRUN]

good luck with this by the way mate

i can see what your saying and you do have a point, but i still dont think they will pay out

keep us updated

 

[edde]

Bargin if there going to fix if going to fix it for £4k I recon mine has a similar sort of crash but the car never roleld so no bodywork and the bull was £3.5k

You could allways get a £3k loan over 3yrs for ~£100 a month if the worst come to the worse

Still recon my idea about crashing a hire car into it is the best though. Your excess wil be about the saemon the hiree care and next yr you have 1yrs NCB as a you wont have claimed under your present policy.

 

[R3OBC]

those pics are painful matey really feel for ya. (if u wanna sell the colour coded rear bumper insert let me know hehe)

 

[Dave]

YOU are fooked mate. Didnt declare the mods...this is what you get. Someone should sticky this topic as a warning for all.

 

[MattT]

Connor - Im working on helping you out. So much so I quizzed my current insurer (morethan) about what exactly I am covered for. After about half an hour on the phone and me having to beat it out of them, I found out Im not covered with my 17s!!! They had to go and dust down some manual to check for sure.

I am gutted, although am thankfull I didnt have an accident (I know - sorry).
Got to find another insurer wholl cover my 17s - any suggestions anyone?

Anyway connor, Im gonna get back to Renault Insurance but I found this...
http://forum.cliosport.net/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=6&TopicID=44634&PagePosition=1http://forum.cliosport.net/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=6&TopicID=44634&PagePosition=1
This is when I was still on the free insurance and was looking at wheels. You helped me out abit too (see page 2.)

Ill let you know (pm or this thread) when I get some news.

 

[connor]

lol, I couldnt help but laugh to myself when I was reading all that thread mate! That was a month before my car arrived at the dealership and im sure i never saw myself 6months down the line with a crashed clio with voided insurance eh! and there I am asking about the voiding of the insurance and what voids it! oh the irony of it all lol.

cheers for the nice comments and i do appreciate the comments about not declaring it etc etc and i know this, and ive learnt my lesson... but i didnt not declare them coz of arrogance or laziness or what have you. i really thought I was covered coz from what I have read it just seemed they cover up to 1k of exterior mods! lol

anyways Cheers MattT for ur help mate its very very appreciated and its funny how I was speaking to u back then about insurance questions and now we are speaking again about the results from what happens from what we were talking about lol!

Quote: "Connor - Well I rang Renault Insurance first thing this morning.

I asked about what modifications to my clio would still be covered by the years free insurance.
His reply: You can have any non-performance enhancing modification upto the value of £1000. If you modify the engine in any way or go over the value of £1000, then you invalidate your insurance and will not be covered.

I then queried about whether fitting alloys would be considered performance enhancing, to which he basically repeated as long the total value didnt exceed £1000 then I would still be covered.

I asked about ICE - Id been told I had up to £500 cover for audio etc, BUT he said NO saying that the total value of modifications to the car could not exceed £1000...both exterior & interior.

So I hope that clears that up...and I guess you are covered for the colour-coding respray etc!

Cheers matie"

Man if only u had a guys name or reference for that call! that mightve been the loophole i needed!!!!

Now who wants to ring up as a random and ask what MattT asked back then and see if u get the same answer?!!? and if u do then get a name and reference number or try n record the call! lol

Quote: Does not affect the free insurance at all, Renault insurance are fine with ICE upto £1k, wheels, lowering, window tints, colour coding etc, no problems, just phone them first, People say all kinds of crap on here about how it goes against the insurance and warranty but you just got to check.

this is the exact impression i was under!

anyways they were completely fine with the colour coding and the lights... just the alloys n harnesses they didnt like and they didnt notice the lowering springs. Im gonna ring up tomorra and make another claim and if they say uve already made one which wasnt honoured im gonna ask for another inspection for a joke and if they say yes then the car is going back to standard ready for it!!!!!!

Cheers again for ur help mattT and everyone else

 

[Fred@BTM]

Im on it connor, ill ring them later

 

[connor]

cheers Fred much obliged!

Saw a solictor today for free, very nice lady indeed! said the following.

Renault can void the policy coz you didnt declare the mods if you modified the car

Renault can not void the policy by saying it was because the modifications were not renault mods or fitted by them. So im taking it all to the financial ombudsman. (which is free) im also gonna try ringing for another inspection in a short while.

Not only that but I can start fixing the car myself now and the solictor said that if they do decide to honour my claim at a later date they have to reinburse me for the repairs i have taken out! Which wasnt clear before which is why i havent started repairing yet.

 

[TwoSugars]

Quote: Originally posted by cliopower on 16 March 2004


I take it you didnt declare the colour coding either?



Hi, I didnt think you had to declare the colour coding as its a manufactures option when you buy the car isnt it?

 

[connor]

I didnt declare the colour coding, the lexus lights, the silvervision bulbs or any of the stereo, All of which were OK!

 

[connor]

bump!

No updates on this! Apart from ive ordered a few bits to start the repairs!

 

[edde]

Quote: Originally posted by connor on 25 March 2004

bump!

No updates on this! Apart from ive ordered a few bits to start the repairs!

You still not gone with my idea?

Sorry to hear Renault arnt paying up. Excellent lesson for everyone I think.

 

[connor]

about the hire car idea??

Not sure how I could do that and get away with it tho.... & just say it works & my car gets repaired I still lose my free insurance and have to start up a new policy!

 

[connor]

Oh yeah & i have started repairs myself! & also its in the hands of the financial ombudsman now as well!

 

[edde]

Quote: Originally posted by connor on 30 March 2004

about the hire car idea??

Not sure how I could do that and get away with it tho.... & just say it works & my car gets repaired I still lose my free insurance and have to start up a new policy!

Good luck repairing it. If you crash a hire car into your own car then you can cancel the claim on the free Renault policy so although you have a claim on your name it is a claim which didnt cost the insurance company anything. Which may mean cheaper insurance than if you put a full claim in and Renault fix the car.

I dont understand why you think youll need to start a new policy if the hire cars policy pays out anyway if you smash a hire car into your car its what 1k excess at worse then a new policy (I cannot understand why you need one) which may be £1.5 at absolute worse so thats a total of £2.5k much better than paying outright for your car to be repaired.

 

[Tiger]

would i need to declare ss exhaust and k+n on my williams, altho on the tesco app form i done online there wasnt a section asking u to declare anything?



thanks

 

[supasexyspeedy]

My mate has free insurance on his 206 gti, and he blew the engine up, dont ask how it had only done 700 miles, anyways the warrenty got funny on him coz he had ice in his car and they were like well its modfifed, kicked up a right fuss, finally did the car and warned if there were any other mods they wouldnt fix it next time! i mean ice, what the hell does that have to do with the engine being f**ked...

 

[dangermouse_se]

Not such a good idea, insurance companies share information to prevent fraud and they would only be required to put the car bacjk into the condition it was in immediately prior to the accident.



Quote: Originally posted by edde on 30 March 2004

Quote: Originally posted by connor on 30 March 2004

about the hire car idea??

Not sure how I could do that and get away with it tho.... & just say it works & my car gets repaired I still lose my free insurance and have to start up a new policy!

Good luck repairing it. If you crash a hire car into your own car then you can cancel the claim on the free Renault policy so although you have a claim on your name it is a claim which didnt cost the insurance company anything. Which may mean cheaper insurance than if you put a full claim in and Renault fix the car.

I dont understand why you think youll need to start a new policy if the hire cars policy pays out anyway if you smash a hire car into your car its what 1k excess at worse then a new policy (I cannot understand why you need one) which may be £1.5 at absolute worse so thats a total of £2.5k much better than paying outright for your car to be repaired.

 

[Toypop]

Just curious, how do you know a flat caused you to lose control? Surely the tyre would have been punctured when you hit the curb?

Unless of course you found a nail or something in an otherwise undamaged tyre in which case the insurance co cant blame the flat on over sized wheels causing the tyre to rub on the body work - when under extreme suspension loading like cornering hard on a roundabout....