Do you declare your mods?

I do, however I just checked my documents and at no point does it mention about them. Does this mean it is not covered or is it a matter of just a note on their systems?
 
stoofa said:
And there you see is where the confusion lies.
Just because it was fitted "At the factory" does not mean that it is standard or a mod that need not to be declared.

OK, let me give you a quick example.

Skoda Octavia vRS.
The standard lights are just projector, not HIDs.
These standard lights make up the standard specification of this vehicle - if you ordered it "at stock".
However one of the factory fit options is HIDs.
I decide I want them, they are fitted at the factory, they are an OEM part etc.
However this is still a modification to the basic Octavia vRS specification.
The value and extra expense of repairing the HIDs has not been taken into account when the insurance group/value of the car was worked out.

So although the HID option is a factory fit, OEM part, an insurance company still needs to know about them as an "extra" as they are above and beyond the base specification for that model.
Click to expand...

I'll wait for someone who knows the ins and outs of insurance (merlin? Muncher?) to come along, but that sounds like a load of tripe to me. 99% of people out there are not going to declare such factory options as modifications and the insurance companies will know this and account for it. If this was the case, we'd be seeing lots of normal people being refused payouts on the basis of undeclared modifications.
 
Burned_Alive said:
I'll wait for someone who knows the ins and outs of insurance (merlin? Muncher?) to come along, but that sounds like a load of tripe to me. 99% of people out there are not going to declare such factory options as modifications and the insurance companies will know this and account for it. If this was the case, we'd be seeing lots of normal people being refused payouts on the basis of undeclared modifications.
Click to expand...

Agreed.
 
Everything, within reason, in any instance. Obviously I'm not going to declare things like chrome oil caps or rocker covers as those are just detail parts and wouldn't change the insurance situation anyway.
 
Freefaller said:
Yes all the time to ever car I've owned. With green light who seem to be quite good at insuring modded cars.
Click to expand...



Greenlight are one of the three companies best for modded scoobs as well - the others are A-Plan and Keith Michaels. I use the latter, who charge the same no matter what mods I add, up to 400 or so bhp, as long as I declare them - so yes, everything is declared. The list is so long I have to write it down before I ask for quotes to make sure I've remembered everything. The insurance covers the mods as well, not just restore-to-stock spec. I asked (out of interest) how much modding to 500 would cost extra - £50.



M
 
Burned_Alive said:
I'll wait for someone who knows the ins and outs of insurance (merlin? Muncher?) to come along, but that sounds like a load of tripe to me. 99% of people out there are not going to declare such factory options as modifications and the insurance companies will know this and account for it. If this was the case, we'd be seeing lots of normal people being refused payouts on the basis of undeclared modifications.
Click to expand...

I don't know the ins and outs of insurance but can let you know what I know. When I bought my BMW 530d M-sport I transfered my insurance with Admiral from my T4 the BMW. On the phone the woman asked me if there were any non standard extras including factory fitted ones. So i said it had adaptive xenon lights, leather interior, Pro nav etc and her reply was that anything thats fitted even factory fitted optional extras they need to be declared. My xenon lights became rally spot lights, the leather became interior modifications and the nav was something along the lines of audio upgrades, there were other things but i cant really remember what they were. I pointed out to her that you would be hard pressed to find any 530d without most of those fitted and ,most buyers expect those items to be on the car even if they have to add them on their order. They werent interested and they were insured as extras, to top it off they then said although you have paid for them as extras they refuse to cover any of those items and if needed they would be replaced with the standard items. In reality I would guess that would never happen as the repair centre just sends them a quote and they approve it for the repair.

When my renewal came through I started looking at lots of different insurers and most of the policies are the same about optional extras(in the small print). The only one I found infact that didnt care about them was LV.com, they said as long as it came brand new with the options they didnt class them as mods.

They might want to charge you is because extras can add up to quite a large extra figure on top of the car price, my car has just under 10k of options or it could be that they make the car more desirable to theives. One things for sure I wouldn't use any company that charges me extra for them. Don't know how you get on though if I had the car a few years old as you would know whats an option or whats not, I guess thats the insureds responsibility not the insurers anyway though.
 
Hmm I haven't told my insurance company about uprated cams I had fitted, maybe I should.. seems to be lots of people who have declared everything..

Do insurance companies actually check things inside the engine if you have a crash or whatever?
 
Penance said:
Hmm I haven't told my insurance company about uprated cams I had fitted, maybe I should.. seems to be lots of people who have declared everything..

Do insurance companies actually check things inside the engine if you have a crash or whatever?
Click to expand...

Not really, but if they decide to then they may also decide not to pay out at all. Your choice.
 
All declared here. Quinn were surprisingly didn't add anything to my premium for them considering it's my first car too.

Lowered, alloys, uprated brakes and new speakers didn't do anything to my quote :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom