Car/van modifications affecting insurance

Darbon

Hi All,
Could someone please enlighten me on how this works.

I recently put some side windows on my van and was shocked when I renewed my insurance, as the premium had nearly doubled when I declared that the body type had been modified.

I am currently in the process of notifying DVLA of the change of body type from "panel van" to "window van", so it should all be registered correctly on my V5.

Now, back to insurance... when my V5 is updated to "window van" do I still have to declare to insurance provider that van has been modified? Or is it now considered all as should be?

If I AM still required to declare the van as modified, what would happen if someone who bought the van after me was unaware that the windows were in fact a modification and declared it as unmodified to the best of their knowledge? Thus being able to insure it at a far cheaper rate? Likewise, if I was to buy another van with windows, do I need to check if they were factory fitted or owner modified or order to avoid invalidating my insurance?

Any knowledge of how this works would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Dan

400ixl

It would still be modified from the manufactured state. The V5 only changes the classification used for things like speed limitations, tax groups etc.

So yes, you still have to declare the modifications. For any future owner it would depend on whether it would be reasonable for them to know. If for example it had windows and rear seats, but had not internal panels and roof lining then it would be reasonable for any future owner to know it is not as it came from the factory.

Car derived vans have always been cheaper to insure for private use than a car, so not surprised it doubled as it has been the case for decades. 

DullGreyGuy

Darbon said:

Hi All,
Could someone please enlighten me on how this works.

I recently put some side windows on my van and was shocked when I renewed my insurance, as the premium had nearly doubled when I declared that the body type had been modified.

I am currently in the process of notifying DVLA of the change of body type from "panel van" to "window van", so it should all be registered correctly on my V5.

Now, back to insurance... when my V5 is updated to "window van" do I still have to declare to insurance provider that van has been modified? Or is it now considered all as should be?

If I AM still required to declare the van as modified, what would happen if someone who bought the van after me was unaware that the windows were in fact a modification and declared it as unmodified to the best of their knowledge? Thus being able to insure it at a far cheaper rate? Likewise, if I was to buy another van with windows, do I need to check if they were factory fitted or owner modified or order to avoid invalidating my insurance?

Any knowledge of how this works would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Dan

You ultimately need to answer the question asked honestly. The common question is something like:

Has your car been modified? 

A modification is a change that's been made to your car after it was manufactured, either by you or a previous owner. It includes things like spoliers, tinted windows, alloys, roof bars and parking sensors.

However a minority are even harsher like Admiral's old question:

Modifications are any changes to the way the vehicle looks, functions or drives, including any changes relating to your profession or business. You need to tell us about all modifications, including optional extras that were fitted by the vehicle manufacturer, and failure to do so may affect the amount you are able to claim or could result in your claim being refused.

The cost to repair or replace modified parts will not be covered if you make a claim unless they are to support a disability.

So obviously you know the windows were put in post manufacture so to declare it as unmodified is going to be a deliberate non-disclosure which entitles insurer to void the policy, keep the premiums and avoid any claim. 

As to secondhand purchasers, ultimately is a judgement call on if the non-disclosure was because the customer genuinely didnt know, they were careless, reckless or deliberate. It takes a reasonable amount of questioning to understand their general knowledge of cars, why they bought this one, plus to look at the various variants of the vehicle to see if there was something similar. Some are much more obvious where you have a Renault Clio on Mercedes branded alloys it would be very hard to argue it's only careless and not reckless. 

It's a risky strategy to play because these things almost always are identified during a claim and having your policy voided means you personally will be paying the third party losses if you are at fault. Unfortunately the law doesn't allow damages for injuries to others to be included in bankruptcy. It's not the only reason why claims can be avoided but in my claims days we had customers paying off 6 figure sums because they voided their insurance and had a significant accident.