Insurance premiums and modding

Danger781

Does modding the exterior or interior of your car change the cost of your insurance? Do I need to inform my insurance company of every little change I make?

I dont plan on making the car more powerful or anything. Just want it to look cooler.

Would it be worth modifying a first car?

TestTransmission

Danger781 wrote: »

Does modding the exterior or interior of your car change the cost of your insurance? Do I need to inform my insurance company of every little change I make?

I dont plan on making the car more powerful or anything. Just want it to look cooler.

Would it be worth modifying a first car?

Possibly,yes and probably not.

Whats the car?Keep the cash,get your NCB and use money saved to buy something better

ScouseMouse

If you declare the car as standard, and need to claim, they can and may, refuse to pay out, as you had undeclared modifications.

If in doubt, you should declare any changes to cover your back. That way they cannot refuse to payout in the event of a claim.

If you dont declare them, you may save money, but could find yourself uninsured just when you need it.

Danger781

TestTransmission wrote: »

Possibly,yes and probably not.

Whats the car?Keep the cash,get your NCB and use money saved to buy something better

So I'd be be best informing my insurance company when I change something just to be safe? :rolleyes:

Well my first car will be something small (I've been looking at a citroen saxo) :P

Yeah I suppose you're right I should probably save the money and get myself a proper car.

Testament1

Danger781 wrote: »

Well my first car will be something small (I've been looking at a citroen saxo) :P

Id say dont bother spending money modding a saxo. Spending money on that will only mean you'll end up waiting longer to get money together for a better car.

Atomic Pineapple

You should declare it, most companies wont load your premium for non performance enhancements anyway.

You may have to pay a slight bit more to cover them in the event of a claim but it shouldn't be much.

challengemaster

superscouse wrote: »

If you declare the car as standard, and need to claim, they can and may, refuse to pay out, as you had undeclared modifications.

If in doubt, you should declare any changes to cover your back. That way they cannot refuse to payout in the event of a claim.

If you dont declare them, you may save money, but could find yourself uninsured just when you need it.

No, they won't refuse to pay out. And he won't be uninsured either. Once you get insured, you're insured. They're obliged to pay any third party claims. What they might do, however, is seek the payments back by taking a claim against you, and certainly won't pay out compensation for own damages.

I don't know about other companies, but from what I've heard, quinn usually charge €50 for every performance modification (suspension, brakes, engine, etc etc) but any modifications that don't alter the performance of the car, don't cost to declare.

Danger781

challengemaster wrote: »

No, they won't refuse to pay out. And he won't be uninsured either. Once you get insured, you're insured. They're obliged to pay any third party claims. What they might do, however, is seek the payments back by taking a claim against you, and certainly won't pay out compensation for own damages.

I don't know about other companies, but from what I've heard, quinn usually charge €50 for every performance modification (suspension, brakes, engine, etc etc) but any modifications that don't alter the performance of the car, don't cost to declare.

So say I put a body kit on a car, it doesn't need to be declared?

Atomic Pineapple

Danger781 wrote: »

So say I put a body kit on a car, it doesn't need to be declared?

it does!

Danger781

draffodx wrote: »

it does!

Well I dont plan on putting a body kit on my first car, cause it'll be a piece of crap. Lol.

I may change bits 'n' pieces in the car just to make it look a bit better.

challengemaster

Danger781 wrote: »

So say I put a body kit on a car, it doesn't need to be declared?

You still need to inform them, otherwise they'll come after you for what they paid out in the event of a claim. If it costs nothing to declare, even better.

My point was, your insurance is NOT invalidated because you haven't declared mods, they may just take legal proceedings against you afterwards to regain what they paid out.

Graham_B18C

challengemaster wrote: »

No, they won't refuse to pay out. And he won't be uninsured either. Once you get insured, you're insured. They're obliged to pay any third party claims. What they might do, however, is seek the payments back by taking a claim against you, and certainly won't pay out compensation for own damages.

So in essence you're not covered.

I don't know about other companies, but from what I've heard, quinn usually charge €50 for every performance modification (suspension, brakes, engine, etc etc) but any modifications that don't alter the performance of the car, don't cost to declare.

It cost me 100 quid to declare my exhaust. Think it varys form pary to part

Danger781

Grahamo999 wrote: »

It cost me 100 quid to declare my exhaust. Think it varys form pary to part

Just for the exhaust? Wow :eek: Meh well I'm gonna work on a NCB before modding my car. Save a bit of money I guess.

Graham_B18C

Well its from the cat back, I have it declared as a full system because I didn't have the option, when the time comes for me to get an upgraded header, I mightn't have to pay anything extra

But 100 aint that bad, I remember a thread on Boards once Grahambo made, he was 26 with an Evo V, he got upgraded coilovers or something like that and they wanted something crazy like 500 quid extra!