This situation may apply to many readers.
Some current items from the BBC.
Roof boxes are now OK but in car entertainment for the little ones ? ( no not SWMBO)
Extras fitted at the factory ? Second hand cars with unidentified non engine mods ?
Insurers warn on car alterations
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/moneybox/7861184.stm
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/moneybox/7861857.stm
Listen @ search.bbc.co.uk/search?uri=%2F&scope=all&go=toolb...x
Money Box 31/01/2009 14 mins from the begining - a four minute item.
As we probably suspected, there appears to be a wide variation on how insurers treat claims. How far should one go in preventing a claim being rejected?
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It is the job of the insurer to wriggle out of a claim by hook or by crook. Holiday insurers do it, medical insurers do it, house hold contents insures do it, in fact, any one offering insurance has only one aim, to hang on to the money of their Names.
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I understood that the Names system is only just being revived big style, having been superseded in the last 8 years or so by...I don't know what!
I have an after-market satnav system (Smartnav) which I hadn't declared. Seeing as the car may be written off this week, I'll see what happens when I mention it...or maybe I should keep schtum!
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It says anything fitted at the factory is Ok but what about items fitted by a dealer such as roof rails, window tinting or extra lights ?. Some dealers do this to create their own special version of a particular model.
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How do you know whether the makers options fitted on a secondhand car were factory originals or fitted by an agent or private owner? How does the insurance company find out?
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My car is fitted with a stack of optional extras and dealer fit accessories, I've tried three times to declare them and each time the nitwit on the other end of the phone gets confused and writes something nonsensical down.
Apparently people who work in insurance call centres have never heard of Xenon lights - "plastic light covers" (yes, really) or built-in GSM phones - "parrot" (er, no it's not..).
And somehow heated seats got turned into "seat covers". Figure that out.
I even forced one guy to read back what I'd told him, everything sounded correct, and then the policy came back and it was still wrong!
I have now given up, they keep telling me they record everything I say anyhow...
Since having this car I've made a claim (although dealt with by a third party, not my own insurer) and had no problems, so I don't worry about it anymore.
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I can remember being asked by my insurance company if my Vitesse(the old Triumph) had been fitted with twin carburettors-every one made had twin carbs..
Edited by jc2 on 02/02/2009 at 09:14
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I've never had any problems *touch wood* with insurers with respect to ECU chips, increased rear window tints, retrospectively fitted options such as in-dash sat-nav. The bodyshops I have been to do usually take several digital photos of the car too including the interior which I presume is for the purpose above. I suspect as long as the mods look original and not chavvy and tasteless then you should be OK.
The issue of mods and insurance is nothing new, I remember in the late 80s, early 90s someone fitted an extra foglight (ala Van-den-plas) where there was a blanking plate in the rear bumper of a Mk1 Metro, and when it was stolen and recovered, the insurer refused the claim.
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... the rear bumper of a Mk1 Metro...
Only car I've heard of which had the same bumper, front and rear, although the plastic ends may have been different on later models.
I had an MG Metro to which I fitted twin drving lights - came in their own replacement radiator grille.
Didn't think to tell the insurance company.
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BUMPERS...
don't forget the escorts....
I had a mk2 and mk3 escort, both had metal bumpers the mk3 with plastic ends, and both where the same, front and rear.
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