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View Full Version : Insurance & Modifications ££££££



torrox
17-05-2007, 10:27 AM
I've just replaced the Alloy Wheels on my A6 due to damage / flaking.

To have them renovated would have cost over £100 per wheel.
To replace them with Audi alloy wheels would have cost £275 per wheel (without tyres).
So i chose the cheaper and nicer option of x4 replica Audi wheels at £770 including tyres.

At the same time i've had the windows UV tinted as my wife is completely UV intollerent.

Due to the changes above I contacted my Car Insurance Provider.
They told me that because I had changed the wheels for non factory wheels they were now no longer insured.
They also told me that the windows and the wheels would make the car more at risk of theft and so they would be charging me an additional £28 .

The wheels wouldn't be insured and they wanted to charge me more?? More at risk....

At this point I politely made three points to them.

Firstly The car came with Alloy Wheels and although the wheels had changed they were still Alloy Wheels.

Secondly my insurance premium had already taken into account the cost to replace very expensive (See Above) Genuine Alloy wheels. And so my choosing to replace these wheels with cheaper Alloy Wheels should really mean that the insurance company had less to cover and as such should really be giving me some money back...

Thirdly the UV Tinting on the car would not make the car MORE likely to be stolen as it actually improves the security of the vehicle. It in fact would make the car LESS likely to be broken into by making the windows near on impossible to break and thus stopping any theif from gaining entry.

There was a long pause and then I was asked to wait on hold for a while.

The manager who'd then been asked for help decided that I had made three viable points and as such he would remove the additional charges. He had also said that if the wheels were stolen then as before the car would be covered to replace the wheels as they were at the time of manufacture.

I thanked them very much and asked for written confirmation.

This is typical of insurance companies just trying it on. They can't charge you for something that you've already paid for and they can't charge you for improving security. They do it because 9 out of 10 people expect it and pay it without question. :zx11:
I hope this helps others avoid unecessary additional charges, lets stick it back on them. :biglaugh: :beerchug:

RickT
18-05-2007, 11:54 PM
Good result..

If your firm and know your stuff you get away with it..

RickT

Shipz
19-05-2007, 12:49 AM
I've got a Bora and i've made a few mods..such as..

Aftermarket Alloys
Tinted Windows
Full Sound System

I've got a 1.6 Bora which comes with central locking and immobiliser.

Is my car safe from theft do you reckon, or is it worth letting the insurance co. know?

Coupe16v
19-05-2007, 01:02 AM
I think you should at least let them know. Don't give them any excuse to not pay out if ever needed!

RickT
19-05-2007, 02:40 AM
I've got a Bora and i've made a few mods..such as..

Aftermarket Alloys
Tinted Windows
Full Sound System

I've got a 1.6 Bora which comes with central locking and immobiliser.

Is my car safe from theft do you reckon, or is it worth letting the insurance co. know?


the fact is if anything happens to it.. you will just get paid out ther price for the basic price for YOUR model of your car..

if you want to take that risk no problem.. if you dont.. pay that extra..

I few years back now.. but i didnt bother to say owt and thought if it happens it happens

RicKT

gazza57
21-05-2007, 07:25 PM
I've just replaced the Alloy Wheels on my A6 due to damage / flaking.

To have them renovated would have cost over £100 per wheel.
To replace them with Audi alloy wheels would have cost £275 per wheel (without tyres).
So i chose the cheaper and nicer option of x4 replica Audi wheels at £770 including tyres.

At the same time i've had the windows UV tinted as my wife is completely UV intollerent.

Due to the changes above I contacted my Car Insurance Provider.
They told me that because I had changed the wheels for non factory wheels they were now no longer insured.
They also told me that the windows and the wheels would make the car more at risk of theft and so they would be charging me an additional £28 .

The wheels wouldn't be insured and they wanted to charge me more?? More at risk....

At this point I politely made three points to them.

Firstly The car came with Alloy Wheels and although the wheels had changed they were still Alloy Wheels.

Secondly my insurance premium had already taken into account the cost to replace very expensive (See Above) Genuine Alloy wheels. And so my choosing to replace these wheels with cheaper Alloy Wheels should really mean that the insurance company had less to cover and as such should really be giving me some money back...

Thirdly the UV Tinting on the car would not make the car MORE likely to be stolen as it actually improves the security of the vehicle. It in fact would make the car LESS likely to be broken into by making the windows near on impossible to break and thus stopping any theif from gaining entry.

There was a long pause and then I was asked to wait on hold for a while.

The manager who'd then been asked for help decided that I had made three viable points and as such he would remove the additional charges. He had also said that if the wheels were stolen then as before the car would be covered to replace the wheels as they were at the time of manufacture.

I thanked them very much and asked for written confirmation.

This is typical of insurance companies just trying it on. They can't charge you for something that you've already paid for and they can't charge you for improving security. They do it because 9 out of 10 people expect it and pay it without question. :zx11:
I hope this helps others avoid unecessary additional charges, lets stick it back on them. :biglaugh: :beerchug:
This is really interesting and shows that Insurance companies want it both ways as long as you pay both ways that is.
I had a Mk5 golf which originally had steel wheels with horrible manky plastic trims fitted at the factory, my wife wanted alloys and quite frankly so did I.
I could've bought a set of pattern alloys from somewhere like Halfords for around £450.
I decided to buy original VW alloys to keep the car to spec and that obviously as these were the wheels fitted at the factory there would be no issues with compatability as they were VW approved.
These wheels were nearly £800 but looked good, imagine then my surprise to find that the wheels were deemed 'a modification' and a further £50 was payable on my insurance premium.
But I said, these are not some unapproved wheels for which VW had no design data and for which there were no tests carried out to ascertain their suitability, they were the self same wheels which probably were fitted to the Golf immediately behind mine on the VW production line in Wolfsburg. I said I could understand the increased risk of fitting a set of pattern alloys but not a set of VW approved wheels which were £350 more!
Makes no difference, I was told, the fact that steel wheels were fitted at the factory and that alloys have been retro fitted makes the replacement value higher hence the increased premium.
So I said if the car is written off I would get a proportionally higher market value for the car because it was fitted with alloys??? errr no.
The fact I had been honest and informed them of the change they kicked my wallet in the goolies for another £50. Best policy tell them nothing if you do they'll find an excuse to rape your wallet!
Gazza57

gazza57
21-05-2007, 07:39 PM
I've got a Bora and i've made a few mods..such as..

Aftermarket Alloys
Tinted Windows
Full Sound System

I've got a 1.6 Bora which comes with central locking and immobiliser.

Is my car safe from theft do you reckon, or is it worth letting the insurance co. know?

Fully agree with Rick T on this one, your insurance company will rub their greedy little hands together and charge you more for all of your mods.
And when it comes to paying out all you'll get is the market value.
I had a SAAB 9000 Viggen 3.0 V6 CAT 1 Thatcham approved alarm and immobiliser, discount?.... diddly squat!
Heads they win...tails they win too!
You have to decide whether you want to risk your bits and pieces, tell them they'll charge you year on year for it or don't bother and bear the loss if it gets nicked, you pays yer money yer takes yer chance!
Gazza57