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Motor - shopping around with declarations

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  • 05-07-2020 1:46pm
    #1
    macplaxton
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 2,957 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Why is it such a ballache? Or why is it such a problem to insure modifications that are VERY, VERY, BASIC.

    Received my renewal through from SuperValu (AXA) for €532 TPFT on a not quite 15 yo Jazz. Last year it was £415, so time for a shop-around. I rattle through various sites to make a shortlist of insurers to phone up. I need to phone them up really, as wife has epilepsy and I needed to find out exactly what they want out of me. Now I know there's delays because of the obvious, but trying to get firmed up quotes was nigh on impossible within the deadline.

    First on my list was AIG, who were looking like €353. The car has a towbar, so I make them aware (as I know some Insurers are fickle about even a sticker on a window). "Sorry, I'll have to ask the underwriter" [Ok, how long will that be?] "I'll have an answer within 24-48h and get back to you". [WTF? ok, get back to me, but I need to know what the story is either way.] Two days pass and they haven't got in touch, so I ring them back and push them for an answer. "I had the email back. Will you be using the towbar?" [EH? OF COURSE I WILL, not much point in me having it, etc. etc. "Ok, I'll have to get back to the underwriter" [When will I know?] "24-48h" [Forget it]

    Fecking timewasters! It's not like I've got Carlos Fandango wheels or anything. I've got a bog-standard car and it has a (type-approved) towbar on it.

    Moved to next on the list (Allianz €371) and they put me on hold only to tell me that they couldn't commence cover at all unless they received an engineer's report. (Doesn't seem to be enough for the NCT man to be swinging off the thing and checking the electrics the last 3 years). Not even a ok we'll cover everything else pending receipt.

    Moved onto Aviva (€389), but their phone rang too long, they probably would have come out with similar nonsense, the clock was ticking and I was losing the will to live.

    In the end phoned up SV/AXA and confirmed that I wasn't imagining things that I had actually declared all the stuff I've already declared at the time. Came back with €445, so I just took it to put the problem to bed.

    Given all that hassle, I'll be surprised if anyone with a towbar/roofrack/roofbox actually has it declared.


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