Insurance - who??

[Chesterfield]

So, Im now discovering the joys of sorting insurance on the car. I remember having this issue with the fezza and finding an insurer who knows what they are talking about.
Tell me Im not the only one who has run into the question "Has the car been modified from factory standard"?

At this point I usually get into a big debate about whether a ticked option box on my car order constitutes a modification, afterall if I were buying this car second hand three years from now, how the hell would I know what options were ticked and which weren't, and what those options cost.

So - for all you folk that have these cars insured already, and have clearly ticked options boxes, who have you insured your car with and how painful was the experience?

So far Ive tried Direct Line and Ive lost the will to live already. I have a current car with E-sure, and Ive had Admiral policies before, but I am starting to get the feeling that Im barking up the wrong tree here and I should be going back to my specialist type of insurer like First Point again.

[doodlebug]

Aviva. But will need a tracker.

[SuprSi]

Privilege was cheap my first year, but mine's an old car so would probably be more on yours.

Now I'm with Admiral and have all modifications listed which didn't add much. Options boxes shouldn't count as modifications.

[wildbore]

Liverpool Victoria. No problem with any spec - so long as it came from the factory like that. £510 p.a.

[Mav8]

Keith Michaels
Mav8

[Lewy]

Same predicament as you... Went down the first point route, but you will require a tracker.

Lewy

[Graeme4130]

I have always used Admiral, and they've always accepted that options ticked aren't modifications, but do have an effect on the price of the car
To date, they've always been reasonable well priced on their multi car policies - Not perhaps the very cheapest out there, but reasonable hassle free

[relax max]

Same here. Went with admiral multicar which was significantly cheaper than any stand alone quote. They did not require a tracker. As far as options, i don't believe it is a modif. Mine was 18mth old and lhd which didn't help

[doodlebug]

You must declare factory options to Admiral, and that's my objection. Aviva don't care as long as it is factory fitted but require a tracker on cars over 75k. I can see this becoming the norm.

[relax max]

Interesting. They didn't ask me for any options but just the current value of the car. Frankly am a bit surprised never had to detail options.

[doodlebug]

It's included in modifications, you have to read their description. There's a whole list of stuff to tick, it includes stuff like optional wheels. If you phone them they will ask.

[HF25]

Interesting to see the different opinions on what should or shouldn't be declared.... I'm taking delivery of RS6 early March, and been making insurance enquiries.

I have always understood the question about modifications is around aftermarket upgrades, not factory fitted options.

My view is factory fitted options are catered for in the total value you give for the vehicle and is not a modification, it is OEM kit. I don't declare I've optioned wheel upgrades, or pearlescent paint, where would you stop....

Has anyone had any issues making a claim after not specifying individual options on a vehicle?

And also, how would this be catered for in the 2nd hand market when a buyer may not know what is an option and not basic spec....

I am currently with Admiral, who have quoted to change vehicle fairly competitively (without asking or declaring any options fitted), but their sister company Elephant are better (around £400) for the year. This would mean a £50 cancellation fee from admiral which I'm currently debating with them as it's essentially the same company!!!

Would be interesting to hear from someone who works in the insurance industry their views on options / modifications....

Cheers..

[doodlebug]

Look at the Admiral policy. It's clear! Factory or aftermarket matters not you have to declare. And this isn't about vehicle value it's about calculating risk. If you have uprated suspension, brakes etc etc you will be seen as higher risk. If you have more bling it will be seen as a bigger theft risk.

Not sure I'd want to take a punt on being uninsured. Just declare and cough up the few extra quid. Or use someone who views factory fitted as part of the original delivered vehicle.

[HF25]

Not quite how my Admiral policy reads..... Essentially unless they have agreed to cover a particular option then they will only replace to manufacturers standard spec in the the event of a claim (endorsement 11: standard parts replacement).. It doesn't state you MUST declare all options, only that if they haven't agreed to cover it as part of the insurance then they will only replace to the standard spec.

If you have had ECU upgrades or similar that effects power or performance of vehicle then yes I agree this is entirely different and may invalidate policy if not declared.

It may mean if you claim and it involves damaged wheels etc they may only be replaced with standard wheels not the ones you have optioned, but certainly wouldn't mean you are driving uninsured, and would require quite a switched on assessor.

Again, I fail to see how they could enforce this on a 2nd hand vehicle, as the buyer of that vehicle will only know what they have on their vehicle, especially 3 or 4 years down the line, it would not be reasonable to expect a buyer to know exactly what was or wasn't standard spec on the original vehicle.

As many of my options are internal, or unlikely to be damaged in a bump, I'd rather not pay £200 - £300 extra every year in the highly unlikely event this happens. I view insurance as something of a calculated risk, I look to reduce it to the minimum cost, whilst ensuring that in the rare event of the big bump I'm covered properly, which I am entirely confident that I am. Small dinks and scrapes I repair at my own cost, with the money I've saved from reducing my policy year on year.

Would be interesting to hear from anyone who has experienced any issues, as everyone I know and have spoken to would not routinely declare factory options, and have not been asked (including by Admiral)....

Interesting though and has made me more aware of this than I was, Cheers

[Graeme4130]

As a slightly different angle : if the insurer did kick up a stink and only paid to std spec, would Audi's gap insurance just cover the rest ?