Declaring modifications to insurance company

[Devonian]

We all know when you take out a policy you are asked if your car has any modifications including things such as alloy wheels.
If a person bought a used car how is he to know if it has been modified in the past. Using the wheels as an example they might have been changed by a previous owner, yet the new owner would not be aware of this.
Alloys are only one example, there could be many other mods of which the new owner is unaware, I just wondered how he would stand if an insurance company tried to wriggle out of a claim.

 

[EmilysDad]

We all know when you take out a policy you are asked if your car has any modifications including things such as alloy wheels.
If a person bought a used car how is he to know if it has been modified in the past. Using the wheels as an example they might have been changed by a previous owner, yet the new owner would not be aware of this.
Alloys are only one example, there could be many other mods of which the new owner is unaware, I just wondered how he would stand if an insurance company tried to wriggle out of a claim.

I always reply ...... 'not as far as I'm aware'

I've just had this conversation before Christmas with a free 7 day policy ..... I'd only just handed the money over. How would I know?

 

[Devonian]

Most online quotes only have a yes/no dropdown box therefore not allowing for that option

 

[EmilysDad]

Most online quotes only have a yes/no dropdown box therefore not allowing for that option

Fair point.

My insurance has usually been done over the phone though by speaking to a real person. I've not normally been that impressed via comparrison websites.

 

[Xtractorfan]

I do know of one case where the insurance company did void the insurance because the car had been modified, this was picked up by the inspecting engineer after the car was involved in an accident.
The suspension had been lowered, bigger alloys fitted and the usual sports interior, but the insurance company were more concerned about the lowered suspension and non standard wheels.

 

[television]

In reply to the OP's question the average car buyer would not have a clue about any mods, its OK for us on here as we have discussed it many times.

One could also say that the average car dealer would not know either, chipped or tuned cars could be a problem.

Back in the days of hot Mini's the examiner would pull crashed cars apart, looking for mods.

Take the wheels, a buyer see's the MB STAR in the center and it would not enter their head that they could be replica's

 

[whitenemesis]

An interesting thread and from post #26 on specifically about not knowing a mod had been made..

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1010541&page=3

 

[Blobcat]

I had to submit pictures of the front, rear, sides engine and interior of my Land Rover as part of the insurance process this year. They sent me a letter asking them to call them urgently about the modifications to my Landy, when I did they said that as I'd not declared the modified wheels there would be a £35 admin fee to add it to the policy. I spoke at them for awhile until they said they would then amend the policy at zero cost.

It's 22 years old this year who knows when the wheels were replaced, the tyres are of the correct specification for load and the vehicle and much better than the cross ply ditch finders fitted from new.

 

[exjagman]

I saw a television programme once where the guy had a rusty boot lid on his ford orion and replaced it with one from a scrappy, The insurance company refused to pay out when he had an accident because he had replaced a std boot lid with one with a spoiler and had not notified them!

 

[EmilysDad]

An interesting thread and from post #26 on specifically about not knowing a mod had been made..

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=1010541&page=3

That's everything on a Merc then, cos it all seems to be a facory option ....

 

[exjagman]

When I fitted a chrome mesh grill to my S Type to replace the original slatted one, I telephoned my insurance company just to be safe and was told that as the mesh was also an option when the car was bought that it made no difference.

 

[whitenemesis]

Every time I upgraded my S203 I informed my insurer, even though most of what I did was also offered as an option. My insurer acknowledged the fact and agreed it would make no material difference to my premium or policy but thanked me for complying with their T&Cs and informing them.

That was the pertinent fact, they had been informed. So, even if the "modification/option" doesn't affect the policy they still need to be told...

Also was told it was my responsibility to find out what was original. Ignorance was no defence.

 

[television]

Every time I upgraded my S203 I informed my insurer, even though most of what I did was also offered as an option. My insurer acknowledged the fact and agreed it would make no material difference to my premium or policy but thanked me for complying with their T&Cs and informing them.

That was the pertinent fact, they had been informed. So, even if the "modification/option" doesn't affect the policy they still need to be told...

Also was told it was my responsibility to find out what was original. Ignorance was no defence.

Did they mind when you changed the tyre pressures 1lb

 

[Blobcat]

Every time I upgraded my S203 I informed my insurer, even though most of what I did was also offered as an option. My insurer acknowledged the fact and agreed it would make no material difference to my premium or policy but thanked me for complying with their T&Cs and informing them.

That was the pertinent fact, they had been informed. So, even if the "modification/option" doesn't affect the policy they still need to be told...

Also was told it was my responsibility to find out what was original. Ignorance was no defence.

It depends a lot on if they need to update the policy there is then an admin fee which is what I was being charged initially for the wheels on my Land Rover.

I think that there will be more insurance companies asking for photos of vehicles when they insure them to check on modifications and then charge for the admin or even refuse cover in some cases

 

[Developer]

If I move away from factory build spec I always call them so they are aware.

Three reasons:

I'd be very unhappy if they had a reason not to pay out.

I work on the basis that "I didn't know" isn't good enough (just like the taxman).

It's just a phone call.

 

[whitenemesis]

It depends a lot on if they need to update the policy there is then an admin fee which is what I was being charged initially for the wheels on my Land Rover.

I think that there will be more insurance companies asking for photos of vehicles when they insure them to check on modifications and then charge for the admin or even refuse cover in some cases

Each updated policy summary (or whatever it's called) listed all my additions and I never paid an admin fee until I added the coil-overs, which did increase my premium.

As John says, it's only a phone call and one can then be certain it's covered.

 

[HERBIEMERCMAN]

The whole thing depends on the size of the claim, if it's big enough they will find somthing, may be not pay out at all, but make you an offer, it's horse trading. My grandsons and their pier group lie to the insurance to get cover, just to keep the law off their backs, we also have a growing nomber of road users without any insurance. All this can get frightening if a fatality gets involved, presumably you could loose your house. ? herbiemercman.

 

[kalvin928]

I certainly would and do... on my present car I have just about declared everything... this was mainly due to the occasion when I was in St Johns Wood and the red car'd embassy police pulled me over. The car I had was a golf mark 5 with was modded but for 40 minutes in pouring rain I had to wait outside the vehicle whilst the opened bonnet up and then they decided to ring my insurance company and went through all the mod's I had done... Thankfully all were declared and think they were peeved as the officer 'done' me for miss-spacing on the registration and told me that if I came back into London the following day with same registration they would impound the car.

 

[RobWheatley]

Ok so a car came from the factory with the 18" alloys, sports brakes, parktronic, command, electric sun blind, telephone etc etc, it had to have as I do not think for one second that they send out standard cars to the dealers and any extras ordered for the fitter to add on before you collect a car, that means it IS factory standard (for that car) and not modified at all, now that is all available information from the registration number, you have to give them that when you insure it (and they will confirm the make model with you) so they should be aware of the options that were fitted, they will have access to the DVLA database to even get the chassis number.

If they then turned round and said it wasn't insured because I didn't tell them of the higher spec's that must be fraud on their part then as they can see the information on their system.

Where will it all end, oh sorry you are not insured as you fitted a non dealer oil filter, sorry it has been serviced by an independent garage and they changed the oil from Mercedes branded to Shell.

I can understand if it has been chipped, tuned or lowered or had a different engine fitted but there must be a point where they accept it as STANDARD.

 

[whitenemesis]

The insurer will only have access to information as shown on the V5, they don't have VIN decoders. Anything that the purchaser adds as option will not be visible to the insurer. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't go through the sales brochure to check for themselves.

Basically the onus is on the person applying for the insurance to ensure they comply with the T&Cs.