Car Insurance declairing modifications

nadnad wrote: »

"manufacturers specifications" does include the extras. I still maintain that in my experience when an insurer (any that i have ever dealt with) asks re mods they mean afterfit as anything fitted when the car is being built in the factory is part of the "manufacturers specifications" its just a higher spec than a standard basic model. Like I said you should always clarify with your insurer but I have yet to come across one asking me to list every spec over and above the basic model of any vehicle i have owned.

If you insure yourself for a standard model with no extras then if you have a total loss tin the first year then you should expect to get it replaced with a standard vehicle with no extras. Past the first year when values are looked at then again, yours will be valued against other standard models with no extras.

You need to tell the insurer about factory fitted options. Let the insurer decide if its important or not. Its not for you to decide.

I work for Direct Line and basically, disclose everything your car has.
The things that would affect your premium or the validity of your insurance if undisclosed are mods that would affect the performance of the car... but I've got to agree with several other posters, if in doubt, tell us!
You get plenty of people that try to get away with mods... not worth it. I know from experience that we have a team who are specifically on the lookout for cars with mods, and then use the reg to check if they are insured with us... and if they haven't disclosed the mods then the insurance is cancelled immediately, end of.
Also, I can't speak for other companies but as a general rule we won't insure anyone under the age of 25 with mods.

i am at the moment having trouble with churchill, basically we had r wheels stolen last thursday they were alloy wheels but were genuine ford. now the car was taken to a garage to be inspected by an engineer the engineer is saying the wheels are not a standard fit on the vehicle(ford escort 1.8i r reg). now we brought this car in 2004 with alloys on it from sandicliffe ford. the insureres are now saying to settle the claim we have to pay 51 quid 06-07 96 quid 07-08 and 94 quid this years policy with 400 excess( 150 on documentation) now i argue that it isn't our fasult as we were not aware r car did not come standard with alloys ther are quite a few r reg's that are standard but r's isn't. i am fumming at the mo, but am waiting for them to check phone calls from when i took out the policy in 2006 i cannot say that i did say it had alloy's if i wasn't asked and if i was asked about modifications then i would have said no unless they mentioned specifically alloy wheels. i have cancelled the claim and i am ringing them tommorrow notifying them the car has been modified as we now have rusty old basic wheels on car(hubby put them on got them for a tenner ) I am not gonna bother getting any new alloys either especially at the mo as metal is fetching high prices and if they already nicked um once they'll do it again. So be warned

Quentin wrote: »

If it is not your fault your insurers weren't properly notified of the risk they were taking on, then whose fault is it?

One thing is certain - it isn't your insurers fault!

well i am sorry but as we brought the car from a ford dealer with them on then i certainly wouldn't say i was. What i am saying is the inspecter say's alloys were not standard on the car, so if we were asked if there was any modifications then of course we would have said no , but if they asked if we had alloys then i would have said yes, we have just gotta wait now for them to get the phone calls from 2006

zkw29 wrote: »

I really don't understand what you're waiting for them to check. You didn't tell them there had been modifications (because you didn't know) - how is this the insurance company's fault? They don't need to ask you about every type of modification (eg do you have alloys wheels? do you have a tow bar? does it have lowered suspension? does it.....) They just ask if there are any changes. I would say that even if they didn't ask it would have been on your documents for the past three years which you agreed were correct.

At least they're going to honour the claim at the corrected premium and excess - it could be a lot worse.

we are waiting to see what i did say on the telephone when i took the policy out as i am not convinced i didn't mention them but i can't be certain. i do remember what i rang them for as i was going to do it over net but couldn't find answer to my question. as i state we were not to know the alloys were not standard there was nothing on the dvla document and on the paperwork from ford we certainly didn't add them we only replaced 2 that were bent and if alloys are fitted in factory then they are not modifications as they are standard ford alloys and i dont see how we were supposed to know.
anyway i am not going ahead with the claim we have put rusty steel wheels on and i will get covers as if they been nicked once they will be nicked again.