Not declaring Modifications

996tt

Try to ignore the sensationalist journalism, ive heard of irish insurance companies taking a similar position of either not paying out or paying out and then coming after you personally for what they paid out

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/local_news/castlepoint/8628264.Souped_up_car_was_not_legally_insured/

Zubeneschamali

996tt wrote: »

Try to ignore the sensationalist journalism,

I think the most important bit in this article is this:

"After a brief hearing, at which Mrs Bissmire was neither present, nor represented"

You can't conclude much from a court case where no defence is mounted.

E39MSport

I've written to all my insurers informing them of so called modifications to my cars. They all responded to the effect that they are interested in (performance) power upgrades only. They have filed my emails.

I've got billys and eibachs on my 8er and they were fine with those for example.

challengemaster

By the sounds of it, that corsa needed to be destroyed anyway

si_guru

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

I think the most important bit in this article is this:

"After a brief hearing, at which Mrs Bissmire was neither present, nor represented"

You can't conclude much from a court case where no defence is mounted.

...err yes we can. She has scant regard for the law. She was "fronting" for the main driver too. Obviously scum.

Zubeneschamali

si_guru wrote: »

...err yes we can.

Do cosmetic mods like a pointless bonnet scoop, a set of alloys and an after-market bodykit invalidate your insurance if not declared to your insurance?

From this article, all we can say is "maybe, if you don't show up to defend yourself in court".

ToxicPaddy

I've been ringing around looking for insurance quotes as mine is up at the end of the month and when they ask about modifications, I have been specifically asked about lights, aftermarket alloys, window tints, suspension and of course engine remapping/chipping..

So it seems they are definitely looking for more than engine performance changes..

I wouldn't be surprised if they will refuse to payout if you had an undeclared air freshener.. :rolleyes:

Anything to save a few quid and not have to pay out!!

Anan1

NewsFlash - Not being honest with your insurance company may invalidate cover!!!

ToxicPaddy

Anan1 wrote: »

NewsFlash - Not being honest with your insurance company may invalidate cover!!!

I understand that, if a car is listed as a 1.3 Turbo and you claim only a standard 1.3.. then you've told a lie to your insurance company, the car is a lot more powerful than you originally stated.. so thats understandable..

But some of the rubbish and stunts insurance companies try so they don't have to payout is bloody crazy..

Henry Ford III

It's not just performance mods. that need to be disclosed.

If you fit say some fancy alloys and the car gets stolen how could you expect their value to be covered?

djimi

Some insurers will deem certain cosmetic modifications to increase the desirability of the car and make it a higher risk of theft. Or at least thats the line they fed me when I asked them some time ago...

the_syco

Passenger in the car, Charlie Morris, 26, from Lewisham, south London, was killed when he was flung from the car’s window on to the Victoria House Corner roundabout.

Flung from the window? Was he even in the car, or was he lying on the window? Flung through the window would mean no seatbelt, but I do wonder what the passenger was doing?

IIRC, isn't Diamond insurance the one that is geared towards women? So with the "named" male driver being in fac the primary driver, driving a car with modified bits... fail.

You see, I'd say the user found the insurer with a search engine. One of those, where you tick a box saying your car had no mods. It then gives the user a list of insurers. Had she rang the broker, and said that they had mods, I dare say that the Diamond option wouldn't have come up. Another insurer, maybe £50 more, may have come up. But the user didn't do this. They gave falsified info, and then when they crashed, they found out that the insurer no longer covered them, as they had modified bits.

mathepac

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

... You can't conclude much from a court case where no defence is mounted.

You can certainly conclude that the decision of the court stands, unless it gets appealed and overturned by higher court.

Zubeneschamali

mathepac wrote: »

You can certainly conclude that the decision of the court stands, unless it gets appealed and overturned by higher court.

In this particular case, yes. That doesn't say much about the general question: "Do cosmetic mods like a pointless bonnet scoop, a set of alloys and an after-market bodykit invalidate your insurance if not declared to your insurance?"

Before I'd say the answer is a definite "yes", I'd like to see a case where the insured shows up, is properly represented, and still loses.

dylbert

Quinn want to know about any modification no matter how small, I have aftermarket alloys which didn't affect my premium but coilovers increased it a bit. I think some companies will bring premiums down when better brakes and suspension etc. are fitted as they make the car safer.

Henry Ford III

dylbert wrote: »

Quinn want to know about any modification no matter how small, I have aftermarket alloys which didn't affect my premium but coilovers increased it a bit. I think some companies will bring premiums down when better brakes and suspension etc. are fitted as they make the car safer.

I doubt it.

101sean

I declared all the mods on mine last year, gave them a big long list and sat back waiting to be hit in the wallet. The guy at the AXA office looked at it and said Ok, we'll put it on file. No extra cost.

Not worth giving them an excuse not to pay.

mathepac

dylbert wrote: »

... I think some companies will bring premiums down when better brakes and suspension etc. are fitted as they make the car safer.

Do you have some basis in fact or from personal experience for your thinking?

IMHO an insurer is just as likely to conclude that such modifications will lead to the car being driven more enthusiastically / recklessly and be a higher insurance risk.

JimmyCrackCorn

As someone who has a modified car. Its a pain in the bum to declare modifications.

You need a valid NCT and an engineers report before the car can be insured. Thats if you do it properly.

Now try and get it insured for the trip to the NCT centre

There are a very large proportion of modified cars which break the terms of there insurance. I know two insurance assessors and they have some nightmarish stories of voided insurance and fatal accidents.

Due to my age its easier for me to insure modified cars and higher powered cars of which iv owned a few. For the younger age groups insurance costs are prohibitive (some pay 2k+ in insurance) and declaring modifications could see quotes of 9k. They often opt to use loopholes or being a named driver on parents policies.

The system itself is flawed no 18 year old should be insured on a high powered cars. Whoever is helping them insure them as named drivers should have more sense.

Insurance,modified and high powered cars should be linked to experience and no claims fairly.

Sensationalist newspaper articles don't help the situation either use of the word "souped up", "boy racer".... to describe a car with halfourds bits glued to it. I could describe quite a few classic cars as souped up.

Ardennes1944

101sean wrote: »

I declared all the mods on mine last year, gave them a big long list and sat back waiting to be hit in the wallet. The guy at the AXA office looked at it and said Ok, we'll put it on file. No extra cost.

Not worth giving them an excuse not to pay.

are you serious!? im with axa and have bought coilovers for my astra...did you have coilovers on yours?

101sean

It's a Land Rover Defender and has a 2" lift on the uprated suspension and numerous other mods, was surprised not to have the cost jacked up.