Alloy wheels invalidate insurance - advice needed

dacouch

arcon5 wrote: »

To turn that on its head....

the second driver having changed the wheels clearly values his motor enough to warrant spending money on keeping it looking good and could be less likely to drive like an idiot.

(Although possibly a logic that can be turned on its head again when you look at all the idiots that fit new exhausts without a silencer and drive like idiots.)

Bearing in mind the majority of Insurers whose business it is to assess risk of accident would not want to Insure a driver who had changed their wheels alloys or would want to charge extra the logic would appear to be flawed.

From experience I know which of the two drivers I would chance my arm accepting the money from and it would not be the driver with the modified vehicle.

dacouch

arcon5 wrote: »

Ops [STRIKE]nephew[/STRIKE] nephews friend does have my sympathy if the alloys was fitted before he bought the car. In such a situation i'm betting a significantly percentage of people wouldn't realise it was a modification, let alone inform the insurer.

Out of curiosity, would buying non-OEM parts also need declaring? If say, my exhaust cat.c was shot and I fitted a generic part? Or if say I replaced my water pump with a non-OEM? Or to go a little further, if my brake pads and discs wasn't OEM?

Fitting generic pattern parts in as direct equivalent replacement parts would not be classed as modifying your vehicle.

Some Insurers fit them when repairing accident damage vehicles

Johnmcl7

usignuolo wrote: »

Ultrasonic- this is the case where there was an argument with the insurers over a claim because the skoda involved came with alloys as standard but the insurers argued they should have been declared. It is on the skoda owners forum. http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/153266-insurance-company-refusing-to-pay-due-to-alloy-wheels/

The insurance company backed down on that one and paid out, I can't ever see an insurance company being successful in a case like that as it's not feasible to know what was parts of the spec were optional and which were standard as it can vary considerably even on a month by month basis depending on special offers available.

John

Johno100

usignuolo wrote: »

Well I have popped outside to have a look and my Fabia def has alloy wheels. Are they fact VTory standard or were they fitted later by one of the previous owners? I have absolutely no idea as I do not have original paperwork. I have had a look on the web and cannot tell if they are standard fit or optional extra at time of purchase.

Have you got your Service Manual? Towards the front there should be a list of codes (digit/letter/digit) these correspond with the specification of your vehicle when it left the factory.

You can find out what each code means here:-

http://vag-codes.info/vag-option-codes

spacey2012

Pretty standard stuff, insurance companies do try to dodge claims, you just have to learn how to play the game.

Ultrasonic

Johno100 wrote: »

Have you got your Service Manual? Towards the front there should be a list of codes (digit/letter/digit) these correspond with the specification of your vehicle when it left the factory.

You can find out what each code means here:-

http://vag-codes.info/vag-option-codes

That's a handy link I'll be bookmarking. But it won't entirely answer the question though, since doesn't the OP need to know whether the alloys were standard for the model that they have told their insurance company that they own? If it was a paid for extra it would be on the code list but not be standard, I'd have thought?

Iceweasel

Ultrasonic wrote: »

That's a handy link I'll be bookmarking. But it won't entirely answer the question though, since doesn't the OP need to know whether the alloys were standard for the model that they have told their insurance company that they own? If it was a paid for extra it would be on the code list but not be standard, I'd have thought?

Most manufacturers have a VIN code decoder/reader page, which states exactly the specification that the car left the factory with.

It includes the standard features and any options that were ordered by the original dealer/buyer - and the date of production.

Very, very useful. - some like LandRover and BMW can go right back to include every car they ever built.

I've included a link by way of example to the BMW one which only needs the last 7 digits of the VIN - don't worry if it appears to be in German as a translation of each item will automatically appear beside the original.

Put in this number to see how it works - F028856 - it's a car for sale at the moment.

http://www.bmwarchiv.de/vin/

And here's the Skoda one:
http://www.octinfo.com/index.php?p=vin_en

GAZ237

DaveF327 wrote: »

It's bad enough that insurance companies find every possible way to wriggle out of a claim, but to report someone to the police beggars belief! Is that how "customer service" works nowadays? :mad:

I'd put money on the insurance company just using that as a scare tactic.

Just so the person accepts they will no be getting paid out without a fuss.

smashingyour...

Iceweasel wrote: »

Most manufacturers have a VIN code decoder/reader page, which states exactly the specification that the car left the factory with.

It includes the standard features and any options that were ordered by the original dealer/buyer - and the date of production.

Very, very useful. - some like LandRover and BMW can go right back to include every car they ever built.

I've included a link by way of example to the BMW one which only needs the last 7 digits of the VIN - don't worry if it appears to be in German as a translation of each item will automatically appear beside the original.

Put in this number to see how it works - F028856 - it's a car for sale at the moment.

http://www.bmwarchiv.de/vin/

And here's the Skoda one:
http://www.octinfo.com/index.php?p=vin_en

If you know the male and model you only need the last six for any vehicle.

Do Land Rovers records go back to the 50s?

Iceweasel

smashingyour... wrote: »

If you know the male and model you only need the last six for any vehicle.

Do Land Rovers records go back to the 50s?

Some makes de-coders need the full VIN ot- hers less.

LandRover state somewhere they have info for every one they have made.

Check here:
http://topix.landrover.jlrext.com/topix/i18n/index#

You have to register - but it's free.