Alloy wheels invalidate insurance - advice needed

Ultrasonic

usignuolo wrote: »

Need to check back with nephew but he thinks it that in fact it came with the alloy wheels already fitted when he bought it which is why he did not declare them.

He thinks? He must know if he bought and added alloy wheels to the car or not! If not the DVLA should probably take his licence away...

Don't know yet if they were factory standard or fitted by previous owner (or if there was a previous owner as I think there was.)

I am not a lawyer, but I suspect that if it can be reasonably shown that he was not aware that the car was not the standard spec that it left the factory in then he may have a case.

I just bought a second hand Skoda, quite new. Has it got alloy wheels, haven't a clue?

Why don't you pop outside and have a look.... Or are you saying you don't know what alloy wheels are? Your nephew definitely will. Alloy wheels look like this, as opposed to steel wheels that are usually covered with hub caps, and look like this. If you can easily see the brake discs and pads through the wheels then you have alloy wheels.

Iceweasel

ILW wrote: »

Read policies in the future. The clause about any modifications must be declared is pretty clear.

He probably failed ti disclose other matters as well.

I have to agree - I have young relatives who are not at all interested in reading any small print. One changed the wheel and tyre size to something quite different from standard, and when I asked what his Insurance company said about it - he looked at me as though I was speaking Greek.

I'm seen as the boring old fuddy-duddy who thinks about the rules.

Not a clever move at all to change anything with out informing your insurance company - preferably beforehand.

For the young man's sake, I hope there were no third party injuries involved.

As soon as someone says 'Hot-Hatch' I am usually on the alert for flouting rules.

Much more info is needed regarding the exact wording of the policy, before any advice could be given.

Best he visits the CAB and seeks professional help.

dacouch

usignuolo wrote: »

Need to check back with nephew but he thinks it that in fact it came with the alloy wheels already fitted when he bought it which is why he did not declare them. Don't know yet if they were factory standard or fitted by previous owner (or if there was a previous owner as I think there was.) He does not want the alloy wheels replaced in any case just the car repaired. I can see alloy wheels might increase chance of theft but do they also increase chance of accident?

I just bought a second hand Skoda, quite new. Has it got alloy wheels, haven't a clue?

Insurers generally do not like accepting business from people who modify their cars. This is due to an increased theft risk but predominantly due to them viewing the type of person who modifies their car as not the type of customer they want. They view these type of people as more likely to drive fast / aggressively and as a result have more accidents.

There is also the view that a car manufacturer designs a car with the standard equipment and it's safety tested on the standard issue. If modifications are made they may not be done correctly eg suspension lowered / increased engine power but braking system not changed to account for this.

A Hot Hatch and modifications along with a young driver is not popular with the majority of Insurers

If you can find the answers to the questions posed earlier along with the name of the Insurer (I suspect an Admiral group company) we may be able to provide specific answers as to how he may be able to fight the Insurer.

What are the circumstances of the accident eg lost control on a bend, were any other drivers involved and was anyone injured?

rs65

If he has already told insurers that he fitted the wheels after buying the car/policy, I would suggest he doesn't change his story to say they came with the car.

Mobeer

usignuolo wrote: »

What course of action do you suggest next for him?

Buy a bus pass

spacey2012

Plenty of case Law states that insurance is only cancelled once written notice has been served giving seven days notice.
What he must not do is give up the certificate of insurance he holds and not let anyone have the original or trust them with it.
If it was in force on the day of the RTC and the insurance company can not produce a signed cancellation notice 7 days prior to the date, he was insured for purposes of the Road traffic act and that is that.
Any letters or offers of fixed penalties from the police get ignored and wait for a court summons.
Produce the certificate to the court.

On the other matter, the threat to call the police sounds like a put him off move.
Make a formal complaint immediately in Writing with a stamp and obtain certificate of postage.
Then await deadlock, 8 weeks I think it is and ramp it up to the PRA, the new FSA, I think or whatever they are calling themselves this week.
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/pra/Pages/about/default.aspx

usignuolo

Sorry I am only getting the story third hand and I gathered from what my nephew said originally that the original wheels had been replaced by alloys and I assumed his friend had done this. Spoke again to nephew earlier and he said he was not sure who added them, might have been a previous owner. Am checking back what exactly happened.

I asked about my Skoda's wheels, as in looking for examples of similar cases to nephew's friend, I found one of a young woman who had bumped her modest skoda on a wall and had insurance claim refused in similar circumstances. It turned out her alloy wheels were fitted as factory standard on that model. She appealed to FOS and won her case as it was determined she had made claim in all honesty not knowing that alloy wheels must be declared even if, it seems, they are fitted as standard.

My OH recently bought a Peugeot Partner second hand. We know previous owner had fitted ac and an upgraded stereo system, but when I phoned to add it to our policy, I was not asked to declare or disclose if PP had any non standard accessories fitted which might affect insurance. Just make model age etc.

I still do not see how having alloy wheels makes you a dangerous driver, there must be other things they take into account.

Not really surprised that the government (OFT) is investigating car insurance market on the grounds the market is dysfunctional....

BlueC

spacey2012 has summed this up nicely i think

Iceweasel

Of course alloy wheels don't make make anyone into a dangerous driver, and I don't feel you need to mention them if they are the standard fitment from the factory on your particular model.

However it's all about perceived image and statistics when it comes to insurance.

Much the same as when a store security officer sees someone with tattoos or wearing a hoody.

Good be the most gentle, honest guy in the world, but ....

Of course it's prejudice - but it's backed up by experience and probability.

Young man - hot-hatch (your words) alloy wheels - accident.

Standard scenario I'm afraid.

Legally spacey 2012 is correct, so all this about reporting to the police is bluff.

dacouch

usignuolo wrote: »

I still do not see how having alloy wheels makes you a dangerous driver, there must be other things they take into account.

If two young drivers identical in every way asked you to pay any claims they make for accidents (Not theft) in return for them each giving you £2200. In return (Assuming you were very rich) you agree to pay out unlimited amounts.

However one of the drivers hot hatch was exactly as it left the car manufacturer but the other driver had spent hundreds of pounds on changing the original wheels to alloy wheels.

Which young driver would you accept the £2200 from in return for your guarantee of paying unlimited amounts for any fault accidents they have?