Esure car insurance modification questions

Scrapit

Not a modded car. Also not a modded car insurance firm. Start again.

AndyMc.....

neilmcl wrote: »

Side window tints are an option on most cars.

I don't know what you've been buying but most are tinted to the legal maximum allowed as standard.

neilmcl

AndyMc..... wrote: »

I don't know what you've been buying but most are tinted to the legal maximum allowed as standard.

[STRIKE]Ehh, what's that got to do with anything.[/STRIKE] I've merely pointed out that most insurers now, especially the cheapo ones, specify modifications as anything that has been specified as an optional extra on top of the standard specification at the factory, this includes optionally factory window tints, often referred to as privacy glass or sun protection glass. I made no mention of non-standard, possibly illegal, after market tints.

Edit: I think I see what you're getting out now. So if you're saying that most cars on the road today have the maximum allowable tint on their windows as standard then I'm afraid this is totally wrong. It may be the case that the windscreen cannot be touched legally, other than adding a sun shade tint at the top, but side and rear windows can still be legally tinted, else how could the manufacturers even offer this as a factory option.

neilmcl

rkc86 wrote: »

I did my search on a comparison website then clicked on the edit sections on Esure to make sure the info was entered correctly.

It was highlighted as no modifications but as I clicked on yes just to check what it was, it had all these options to fill out.

I have not purchased it yet but looking around, it looks like people have declared the additional as they do not want insurer to value the car as a basic model if they were to claim.

I've played around on which boxes I do know to tick and has brought the premium down funnily enough but obviously I want to be truth and honest when I'm applying the car insurance.

Exactly how old is the car? It may be worth looking at the current car configurator on the BMW site to get an idea of what are optional extras with the M Sport and what is standard equipment.

Also read the small print on any insurer you're looking at to see how they define modifications.

eschaton

AndyMc..... wrote: »

I can't imagine an M Sport hasn't got tinted windows. Most cars have tinted widows these days.

You would think so but the answer is no. I’ve got a 65 plate 3 series M Sport and had to get the rear window and side windows done myself.

I bought the car at 8 months old as I would have taken the option if buying new.

Car_54

neilmcl wrote: »

[STRIKE]Ehh, what's that got to do with anything.[/STRIKE] I've merely pointed out that most insurers now, especially the cheapo ones, specify modifications as anything that has been specified as an optional extra on top of the standard specification at the factory, this includes optionally factory window tints, often referred to as privacy glass or sun protection glass. I made no mention of non-standard, possibly illegal, after market tints.

Edit: I think I see what you're getting out now. So if you're saying that most cars on the road today have the maximum allowable tint on their windows as standard then I'm afraid this is totally wrong. It may be the case that the windscreen cannot be touched legally, other than adding a sun shade tint at the top, but side and rear windows can still be legally tinted, else how could the manufacturers even offer this as a factory option.

I suspect we're confusing 'normal' tinting, which must be almost universal, with drug-dealer type tinting.


I can't recall any car I've had in the past 30 years that came with plain untinted glass. The last one was probably a Cortina.

AndyMc.....

eschaton wrote: »

You would think so but the answer is no. I’ve got a 65 plate 3 series M Sport and had to get the rear window and side windows done myself.

I bought the car at 8 months old as I would have taken the option if buying new.

Are you taking privacy glass?

I'll be prepared to bet you front windows only allow 70% of light through.

AndyMc.....

neilmcl wrote: »

[STRIKE]Ehh, what's that got to do with anything.[/STRIKE] I've merely pointed out that most insurers now, especially the cheapo ones, specify modifications as anything that has been specified as an optional extra on top of the standard specification at the factory, this includes optionally factory window tints, often referred to as privacy glass or sun protection glass. I made no mention of non-standard, possibly illegal, after market tints.

Edit: I think I see what you're getting out now. So if you're saying that most cars on the road today have the maximum allowable tint on their windows as standard then I'm afraid this is totally wrong. It may be the case that the windscreen cannot be touched legally, other than adding a sun shade tint at the top, but side and rear windows can still be legally tinted, else how could the manufacturers even offer this as a factory option.

Front sides can only be tinted a maximum of 30%. Most of the cars I've tested only allow 70% of light through even when they've removed their aftermarket tints.

FlameCloud

neilmcl wrote: »

Exactly how old is the car? It may be worth looking at the current car configurator on the BMW site to get an idea of what are optional extras with the M Sport and what is standard equipment.

Also read the small print on any insurer you're looking at to see how they define modifications.

I brought a new 4 series in 2016 and at that time the pro nav and heated leather were standard fit items for the m sport- it was better equipped than the 3 series. I can’t find the earlier module brochures but I can’t imagine they changed much.

I didn’t tick any options for privacy glass and the rears are a lot darker than the front windows as well.

From what the op has posted I don’t think he has anything to declare

eschaton

AndyMc..... wrote: »

Are you taking privacy glass?

I'll be prepared to bet you front windows only allow 70% of light through.

They come with standard tinting like any car that doesn’t have privacy glass. It looked like a greenhouse from outside as standard.

But as another poster said, most cars seem to have privacy glass on the side rear windows.... I think