Insurance companies = idiots?

Clarkey · 22 Oct 2012 at 18:53

Seems like insurance companies have never heard if anti roll bars before?

I call up Admiral to declare the addition of my Eibach ARB kit, I tell him a few times they are anti roll bars and he ends up coming back with a price hike of over £100. I think this is ridiculous and phone around some other specialist insurers, without fail, they all had some level of difficulty comprehending my declaration of upgraded anti roll bars. These are supposed mod friendly companies such as Adrian Flux.

None of them gave me a competitive quote anyway so I went back to Admiral, haggled a bit and took their offer. Between her and the bloke I spoke to first time, I must have told them anti roll bars a good ten times. Updated policy comes online and the new mod is 'Roll cage/Roll bars'. Damnit, this is nothing to do with my suspension modification!

Those of you who have done ARB mods before, how did you manage to get it through to your insurer that the mod is in the suspension and has nothing to do with rollover protection??

Skilid · 22 Oct 2012 at 18:57

Don't most comparison sites have a selection called 'suspension changes'?

Dabbles · 22 Oct 2012 at 18:58

Might they know it as a sway bar, or stabiliser bar?

Third Opinion · 22 Oct 2012 at 18:59

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I must admit, if the insurer was being so much of a pain I might drop it with them and not say a word. I don't know how noticeable it would be on a car after its got some road grit on it.

Obviously a roll cage etc stands out a mile, you would probably have to be in one hell of a prang for an engineer notice a different anti roll bar. Still you just cant risk it nowadays I suppose.

Dr Who · 22 Oct 2012 at 19:04

I told mine Uprated suspension ARB's was £25 increase and £75 admin fee :-/

Matt82 · 22 Oct 2012 at 19:16

Dabbles said:
Might they know it as a sway bar, or stabiliser bar?

Possibly if they got their info off clowns on American forums? In my experience there is a category of other suspension changes

Liquidfox · 22 Oct 2012 at 19:17

Tried Greenlight? Try speaking to Neil if you can, he's into his modified cars so will be able to pass on exactly what you mean. He might even be able to let you know how to describe it to other companies

DGBVIPER · 22 Oct 2012 at 19:38

Thats a shame, I am also with Admiral and added a boat load of mods including coilovers and electronic boost controller, non standard alloys all at once and was charged £30

Equally the guy did not understand what a boost controller was or did so I explained as best I could without being technical and he came back with "Performance mod <5%" To which I replied sometimes, if I turn it up otherwise the car is no different but gave in trying to explain, waste of time and breath and went with whatever he put in

Conanius · 22 Oct 2012 at 23:49

Try Chris Knott. I had all mods declared on my s2000, including these. Didn't pay a single penny extra for any of the mods as they didn't increase the bhp...

I also spent about 10 minutes chatting with the guy about the improvements, what make they were etc. I had a full policy document update with everything (make, model and description of part) included.

Fantastic, and much better than the faf I used to have with event trying to get a quote off Adrian flux.

Sky insurance were equally as good, as were Noel Dazely

Clarkey · 23 Oct 2012 at 00:14

Liquidfox said:
Tried Greenlight? Try speaking to Neil if you can, he's into his modified cars so will be able to pass on exactly what you mean. He might even be able to let you know how to describe it to other companies

Yep, they refused as soon as I told them it was an E36. Said they would connect me to Flux, then hung up.

Conanius said:
Try Chris Knott. I had all mods declared on my s2000, including these. Didn't pay a single penny extra for any of the mods as they didn't increase the bhp...

I also spent about 10 minutes chatting with the guy about the improvements, what make they were etc. I had a full policy document update with everything (make, model and description of part) included.

Fantastic, and much better than the faf I used to have with event trying to get a quote off Adrian flux.

Sky insurance were equally as good, as were Noel Dazely

Worth a go I suppose. I have used Sky before, but when I rang them at renewal time for the BMW they quoted me something daft like £2600.

I'll ring back Admiral tomorrow and try to get somewhere with them, hopefully get some of my money back. I'd have thought declaring a roll cage would be somewhat more expensive than a couple of ARBs.

Matt82 · 23 Oct 2012 at 00:15

I have read policy terms that have said you are obliged to declare mods to keep cover valid but the mods do not alter the valuation of the car. So if you had to claim from your own insurer you would only be entitled to the normal market value

rare · 23 Oct 2012 at 01:22

The whole market is one giant scam!

Stormster · 23 Oct 2012 at 02:03

Brentacre are another good one, I've been with Chris Knott, Sky, Brentacre mainly over a number of years, Brentacre and Sky are clue'd up, especially Brentacre. Only a small place but all the staff know their cars so they may do you a good quote.

They often let you add mods with no policy increase and will agree a "power limit" with you allowing you to add engine mods with no cost too.

Worth a punt

telewebby · 23 Oct 2012 at 08:36

My previous bora had eibach anti roll bars on it. just called up HIC and said ive fitted some eibach anti roll bars. £25 admin charge but no increase in price

alex

rodenal · 23 Oct 2012 at 08:46

Definitely give admiral a call back - if I tick the "general suspension" or however it's worded box I get an increase of about £15 on my annual policy - even the remap doesn't add £100 nevermind some slightly thicker arb's

Philz0r · 23 Oct 2012 at 09:00

I told admiral, well bell. "the car has been lowered, on after maket springs and shox, adjustable camber arms and toe arms and uprated arbs.

My insurance says suspension other and lowered more than 5mm

I mentioned my intercooler and his head almost exploded, ended up for the intercooler something like engine mod other.

grimm · 23 Oct 2012 at 10:01

70 or 80 quid of that will be the admin charge probably lol.

Clarkey · 23 Oct 2012 at 10:26

Wow, I phoned up and tried to explain the situation and get it changed to the correct thing. She went on hold, came back and made some accusation of deception and demanded a letter saying I don't have a roll cage. Spoke to the manager there who is apparently looking into the classification and will call back. Getting weary of this runaround, any more BS when he calls back and I'll be cancelling.

Gaygle · 23 Oct 2012 at 10:52

Clarkey said:
Wow, I phoned up and tried to explain the situation and get it changed to the correct thing. She went on hold, came back and made some accusation of deception and demanded a letter saying I don't have a roll cage. Spoke to the manager there who is apparently looking into the classification and will call back. Getting weary of this runaround, any more BS when he calls back and I'll be cancelling.

LOL.

Jesus, this reminds me of when you run a random online quote on your car to see how much a modification would increase your insurance premium and Admiral take the liberty of automatically adding it to your existing premium and charge it to the card you used to pay the premium! If you notice this on your card statement (which many people won't) and ask for the money back, they then demand a that you go to a garage and ask them to write a letter confirming you haven't got whatever mod you typed into the quote before giving it back!

Car insurance is just one giant, legalised scam and insurance companies will never get any sympathy off me. Don't even get me started on their hilarious "admin charges".

Philz0r · 23 Oct 2012 at 11:00

Been with bell 7 years now, Going to swap with sky or adrian flux, i dont care if theyre abit more expencive.
Admiral is becomming a massive joke...