Undeclared 'Modifications' - car insurance

Dave101t

if you add a spoiler, and the engine explodes, you may not be covered because you didnt report the mod.
thats an extreme example but what part of all modifications must be declared dont you understand?

mikey72

Dave101t wrote: »

if you add a spoiler, and the engine explodes, you may not be covered because you didnt report the mod.
thats an extreme example but what part of all modifications must be declared dont you understand?

You appear not to have understood the op's question. No one is disagreeing if you add the spoiler, the point is if you buy the standard car from the showroom, where is the line drawn between optional extras, and true modifications that are not supplied with the car.

Eric_Pisch

bryanb wrote: »

I would argue that to modify something is to change the original. It seems that your paint and wheels were original and unchanged, provided they were fitted at manufacture (the wheels that is)

Options on a car list that come from the factory or are dealer fit at the time of sale are not modifications, they are optional extras.

My wife had an MX5 which we had the body kit spoiler and front fogs fitted to. When it got broken into they tried the old modification nonsense but backed down when we showed them the receipt. Some insurance company's tried to load the premium as well but all backed down when given the receipt.

If every option was classed as a modification then every BMW and Audi driver would be in real problems as there are 100,000s of combinations of colour and options.

Eric_Pisch

Astaroth wrote: »

Yes, if the individual insurer specifies a modification as something that isnt included in the base model of cause you are supposed to delare it!

My previous car had 33% of the value made up optional extras, you dont think I should pay anything more for the additional value they are insuring?

value of the car has very little bearing on the premium, they all seam to set a nominal value of not over 40k below that it makes little difference. I got a new car mid policy a few years back, both where grp 18 the outgoing car was worth 12k the new one 33k, i gave them all the details and the premium was exactly the same.

olly300

mikey72 wrote: »

.
We looked at a few cars for the scrappage. All of them came with a non metallic option. So if I took the one they happened to have, (in metallic silver), I have to declare it now?
If you go out and fit alloy wheels to your car yourself, yes, that's a modification, but not if it's part of the car when you buy it from the manufacturer.

Unfortunately you do.

Some insurers specifically state that manufacturers optional extras are modifications.

Previously having a modified car, I actually read the small print of a few insurers terms and conditions to check that:
1. What modifications they expected to be declared
2. What their definition of a "modification" was
3. If I had an accident and needed a payout, they would pay extra for the modifications. (I think it's elephant who won't on certain modifications.)

If the OP tries to take their complaint to the FOS the insurance company will point out the relevant section of their T&C which defines what they mean by "modifications" and so their complaint won't get anywhere.

olly300

Eric_Pisch wrote: »

If every option was classed as a modification then every BMW and Audi driver would be in real problems as there are 100,000s of combinations of colour and options.

Some insurers only recognise some optional extras as modifications. Others they ignore.

Oscar_The_Grouch

Astaroth wrote: »

Been reading the Direct Line scripts again??

Sorry; don't understand the reference. The only Direct Line script I know of is Stephen Fry shouting "Look out! Sausage!" at Paul Merton.

The_Maestro

Quentin wrote: »

But your "minor" breaches did result in a loss - they rated your car wrongly and undercharged you (as well as permitting you a lower excess which would have been a further loss to them had the breaches not come to light).

Sorry but I don't see how they have incurred a loss unless the optional extras increased the insurance risk in respect of the particular accident. I'm not asking for them to pay-out for the extras as part of the settlement figure after all.

Also I bet if I bought the same car as a replacement with standard wheels and then asked them to reduce the excess back they wouldn't do it.

olly300

The_Maestro wrote: »

Sorry but I don't see how they have incurred a loss unless the optional extras increased the insurance risk in respect of the particular accident. I'm not asking for them to pay-out for the extras as part of the settlement figure after all.

Also I bet if I bought the same car as a replacement with standard wheels and then asked them to reduce the excess back they wouldn't do it.

It's not about this particular accident it's about all possible accidents that could have happened to cause them to pay out.

All this particular accident did was notify the insurers that the OP hadn't insured their car correctly and complied with their terms and conditions about notifying them about what this insurer defines as modifications.

Quentin

The_Maestro wrote: »

Sorry but I don't see how they have incurred a loss unless the optional extras increased the insurance risk in respect of the particular accident. I'm not asking for them to pay-out for the extras as part of the settlement figure after all.

Also I bet if I bought the same car as a replacement with standard wheels and then asked them to reduce the excess back they wouldn't do it.

They have incurred a loss (or rather they had, until they found out about your undeclared modifications!)

(They lost the extra premium which you should have paid to them when taking out the policy).

And you would lose that bet - alloy wheels do affect premiums! (Do some online virtual quotes and you will see)