Problem with CIS Insurance

[donsrno1]

A few weeks ago when I was fitting a new exhaust to my car I phoned CIS to declare the modification and to ckeck I would be OK to fit it. They said to just go ahead and fit it but to make sure I sent them a letter to notify them of it. I then fitted the exhaust and sent them a letter to say that it had been fitted.

Last week however I got a letter back from them saying that they did not insure modified cars and that I should find myself another insurer withing 14 days. I phoned them about this and they said that they could see why this had been sent and that they did insure modified cars but that I would have to phone back again and give them the letter reference etc (I didn't have the letter to hand).

Today I phoned with the letter reference etc and they have now said that this letter is correct and that I will not be able to be insured with them now.

I don't think they should be able to do this as they said before I fitted the exhaust that it would be OK to fit (I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't going to be OK) and I was also told when taking out the policy that they did insure modified cars and that most of the time there would be no increase in premium.

Has anyone else had this problem with CIS and if so what happend?

Are they allowed to do this as I was told on a number of occasions that there would not be any problem with the modification??????

Thanks.

 

[Jonaldinho]

Im insured with them and havent had any probs, They didn't put anything on for my zaust and wheels, Im finally about to declare my spoiler and suspension (ooops!) and I hope there isn't a problem. I hope they havent changed their views on mods

 

[Middo]

i was told that they had changed their underwriter so that modifed cars weren't allowed. however, when i rung them to query it they stated that i could add modifications to my policy. i therefore sent them a letter and they confirmed the modification was allowed (was a carbon bonnet about 3 weeks ago.)

 

[Friction]

Citizens advice! seriously.

PS. Their calls should be recorded, so they'll have proof of what their staff have been telling you.

They also have a duty to inform you of any changes to the policy - which they clearly haven't (if there has been a change that is!)

 

[donsrno1]

Having spoken to them again they are still saying that they will not insure it despite the fact that before I fitted the exhaust I asked them if it would be OK with my policy to do so. I now need to find another insurer within 7 days.

I'm just sick of them tbh as I keep being told different things.

 

[DAVE_RSi]

say you want a refund for the whole policy and for everything you've paid up to now as technically you weren't insured anyway and they wouldn't have paid out if you'd had a crash, see what they say to that

 

[Jonaldinho]

Im up **** creek now, Was just about to declare my Eibach pros and my Dynamique spoiler. Ive already got my zorst and wheels on with them. What happens with all the existing customers with mods?

 

[donsrno1]

I'm guessin you might be OK mate. The thing is that just out of interest to see what they said I phoned up and pretended to be a customer making a general enquiry about insurance and asked what their policy was for modifications. The guy on the phone said that they allow them but that all modifications need to come with an engineers report or whatever you call it. Even when I have been having all my problems with this exhaust etc they have not said that it would be OK with an engineers report (even though I wouldn't have that as I fitted it myself.)

I'm just pissed off because the reason I took out a policy with them was that they said they allowed modifications and unless they were majorly power increasing they would not increase the premium.

 

[M1TCH]

They are **** at the moment, sent my mum 3 cheques adding up to nearly £600 so far, for no reason what so ever. All we did was add my car to the policy as main car so I could turn 18 and get the insurance price drop for myself, so we had a 28day extension to suposed sell the other clio, but then phoned them saying we didnt want to sell that car, took mine off and the policy was then back to normly. Got 2 letters through saying they owed us funds, phoned them and actually told them but no one got back to us so they got cashed!! Added my nan to it and got another small rebate for no reason so have had over a full years free insurance with them. Retards!!!

 

[theduck]

they have changed their underwiriters, but i was told at renewal that i could still insure with them with modifications, but that they are not taking new business.

 

[clio_nut]

i started a policy about a month ago with them... got all mods insured, they sent me a letter to confirm this... to be honest they are a pack of jokes.... i am worried what will happen if i claim.

 

[Jonaldinho]

Will send my letter off hoping all is well then. Sounds like chaos at the company just now.

 

[donsrno1]

I just hope I can afford to insure my car elsewhere. The thing is that my car is currently insured under my mums name (I know I shouldn't do that but it's the only way I can afford it) but I am hoping to change that asap as I am hoping that the cost will come down slightly in the next few months. I have sent an e-mail to a family friend who is an insurance broker anyway to see what sort of quote he can give me.

 

[donsrno1]

I also meant to say that almost every company other than CIS now seem to charge you pretty much what it would cost for me to insure it under my own name even if the quote is under my mums name. Does anyone know of any companies who aren't so bad for quotes under a parents name?

As I say I should be getting my own policy by december as by then I will have had my license for a year.

 

[tomhunt85]

I don't know what they are like for insurance under your parents name(s) but Tesco are quite good for modifications and most of the time don't increase the premium.
Tom

 

[Gaz_]

I don't know what they are like for insurance under your parents name(s) but Tesco are quite good for modifications and most of the time don't increase the premium.
Tom

hmmmm, i'm with them, but when i had a punto gt, i told them i had some lowring springs they wanted £130 which i thought was abit steep

 

[KyleB]

admiral are good for young drivers with mods.

they charged me 60£ extra for alloys and lowering.

 

[theduck]

bell have to be the best around at the moment!!

 

[donsrno1]

I've just tried bell and it comes up at £1759 - for a 10 month policy. At the moment though I have had my license 10 months and turn eighteen on friday. I checked what the price would be if I had had my license a year and the price came down to £890 for 10 months. Can't believe the difference it made having an extra two months. I think I'll try and put it under my mums name for a couple of months and then I'll take out a policy in my own name.

 

[n9orme]

try this one.....chris knott insurance.

http://www.ckinsurance.co.uk/images/front1.gif

 

[DH_GTI]

i ****ing hate cis, caused me so much trouble, pisses me off even talking bout it !!! lol

 

[Jamie _Swales]

I deal with complaints about insurance everyday for my job. Take it to the FOS, you could come out with a lot of compensation for the misadvice. They cant tell you you can fit the mod then once you have done it decline it. Seriously send your case to the FOS and they will take the matter up with CIS. It will come out in your favour for sure once calls are requested by the FOS.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

 

[Da]

My whole family (me included) were with CIS several years ago, needless to say none of us are now! lol! I'm not even going to go into the problems we've had but i'm sure you get the idea!

 

[Smokey]

I just hope I can afford to insure my car elsewhere. The thing is that my car is currently insured under my mums name (I know I shouldn't do that but it's the only way I can afford it) but I am hoping to change that asap as I am hoping that the cost will come down slightly in the next few months. I have sent an e-mail to a family friend who is an insurance broker anyway to see what sort of quote he can give me.

Yet you can afford new exhausts, and other modifications??!!??

 

[Smokey]

oh and new alloys and what about the £600 you have got for a laptop??!!

 

[donsrno1]

The only modifications I made were a new exhaust and I have some alloys sitting in the garage. The exhaust cost £100 and the alloys cost £100. That means I have spent £200 on modifications whereas the difference in insurance is about £1000 between me putting it under my own name and me putting it under my mums name. So I'm not just talking b****cks - I can't afford £1700 a year insurance.

 

[donsrno1]

wtf are you talking about with the laptop???
I am getting a laptop for uni but my dad is paying for it as a birthday present and it is being payed off monthly over the next three years!!!

 

[Smokey]

The only modifications I made were a new exhaust and I have some alloys sitting in the garage. The exhaust cost £100 and the alloys cost £100. That means I have spent £200 on modifications whereas the difference in insurance is about £1000 between me putting it under my own name and me putting it under my mums name. So I'm not just talking b****cks - I can't afford £1700 a year insurance.

Buy a cheaper car end of!!

 

[Smokey]

get your dad to pay your insurance premium then........He can even spread the cost over 4, 6 or 10 months

 

[donsrno1]

Do you mean buy a cheaper car in terms of purchase cost or in terms of insurance costs?

Saying - get my dad to pay my insurance doesn't really work either mate. Firstly the only reason he is spending that much on a laptop (normally I don't get anyhwere near that spent on birthdays etc) is that it's on a good finance deal that is spread over 3 years and it is something that will help me with uni. If he were to pay the extra of my insurance premium then that would be £1000 over 12 months - a slight difference I would say.

The truth is that I really CAN NOT afford 1700 at the moment but I will be taking out a policy in my own name in december as by then the cost comes down drastically and will only be about £800 under my own name.

 

[Smokey]

Ok mate, no worries

 

[donsrno1]

CIS are a joke - officially. As I will be taking out a policy in my own name in December anyway I was only wanting insurance under my mums name for a couple more months so I spoke to them today to ask if they would still insure me if I put the car back to standard (if I refitted the standard exhaust) and they are now saying - again - that I am OK with mods.
What they are saying is that because my policy was taken out before they changed their rules I can still modify the car. Obviously I'm pleased about that but what is annoying me is that I made this very point to them about 5 times yet each time I said it they claimed it didn't matter. I'm going to be getting a letter from a senior underwriter soon to confirm all this.

Now I can finally fit the lowering springs and alloys that have been sitting in my garage for the past month or two.

Hopefully this will mean that the others on here who were worried about this will be OK for any further mods. Personally I can't wait till I am with another insurer because they such a mess of this I hate to think what they would be like if I had to make a claim.