Insurance- cautionary tale about mods/roadworthyness

[tim.100]

Just over a year ago my vehicle was written off by a 20 ton lorry driver attempting a u-turn on a dual carriageway. I have won the claim. Police gave lorry driver extra driver training ("prosecution too expensive") Useless

Today I received the vehicle condition report commissioned by the insurers. It is a big list of attempts to find anything that would invalidate the insurance, e.g.

- tyre depth on each tyre & the spare.
- list of modifications (they listed the underseal and towbar!)
- steering condition
- brakes condition
- tax disc

If any of these had been deemed unroadworthy, or contrary to the terms of my policy, I wouldn't have got a penny for the car. So I can recommend to anyone to report mods to their insurer, and treat your insurer with respect...

Regards,

Tim

 

[Flyer]

Yep, we had a thread about this recently. Here's a quick screen-grab of the front page of one of our (old) reports:

 

[GrahamC230K]

Absolutley. I am proud to have my optional extra AMG wheels, "modified exhaust/manifold" and Engine Chip listed on my policy schedule.

 

[Shude]

VIN number of WDA32* flyer? What's that?

 

[GrahamC230K]

VIN number of WDA32* flyer? What's that?

A c180 Esprit!

 

[Flyer]

VIN number of WDA32* flyer? What's that?

Typical ... I pick the one report that the secretary has typed an incorrect digit on . Of course, it should be "WDB202...". She also spelt "Esprit" wrong!

I'm going to dig out the original report and see what the engineer wrote ...

Good job I let her go

 

[Steve_Perry]

...and treat your insurer with respect...

I treat them as money grabbing institutions that I could trust about as much as far as I could throw them, a bit like the government in fact. With that in mind I have declared all my mods to them as well, alloy wheel centre caps and the obligatory evo alloy pedal mod.

S.

 

[Shude]

Typical ... I pick the one report that the secretary has typed an incorrect digit on . Of course, it should be "WDB202...". She also spelt "Esprit" wrong!

FRAUD!

I was about to say "some inspection that was!" but if you say it was incorrectly typed...

 

[Flyer]

FRAUD!

I was about to say "some inspection that was!" but if you say it was incorrectly typed...

As if!

Here's part of the engineer's Work Sheet:

That clearly states "WDB202 ....". I don't know, you just can't get the staff these days ...

(Can't believe that out of the thousands of reports on file, I had to choose that one ... )

 

[Shude]

That engineer's handwriting is pretty bad though!

 

[Swiss Toni]

Just over a year ago my vehicle was written off by a 20 ton lorry driver attempting a u-turn on a dual carriageway. I have won the claim. Police gave lorry driver extra driver training ("prosecution too expensive") Useless

Today I received the vehicle condition report commissioned by the insurers. It is a big list of attempts to find anything that would invalidate the insurance, e.g.

- tyre depth on each tyre & the spare.
- list of modifications (they listed the underseal and towbar!)
- steering condition
- brakes condition
- tax disc

If any of these had been deemed unroadworthy, or contrary to the terms of my policy, I wouldn't have got a penny for the car. So I can recommend to anyone to report mods to their insurer, and treat your insurer with respect...

Regards,

Tim

What was wrong with the Tax Disc?!!

 

[GrahamC230K]

What was wrong with the Tax Disc?!!

If you have no licence to be on the road, I guess you are in trouble.

Hehe, I wonder if your home insurance could be invalidated, in the event of a fire caused by a faulty television, because you haven't got a TV license?

 

[Dieselman]

Just over a year ago my vehicle was written off by a 20 ton lorry driver attempting a u-turn on a dual carriageway. I have won the claim. Police gave lorry driver extra driver training ("prosecution too expensive") Useless

Today I received the vehicle condition report commissioned by the insurers. It is a big list of attempts to find anything that would invalidate the insurance, e.g.

- tyre depth on each tyre & the spare.
- list of modifications (they listed the underseal and towbar!)
- steering condition
- brakes condition
- tax disc

If any of these had been deemed unroadworthy, or contrary to the terms of my policy, I wouldn't have got a penny for the car. So I can recommend to anyone to report mods to their insurer, and treat your insurer with respect...

Regards,

Tim

This looks like a simple vehicle appraisal. The insurer has a right to know that your vehicle is A: roadworthy, and B: in the condition as described when the policy was in force.

It doesen't look like any kind of get-out.

 

[Laters]

When I insured my quantum the insurance broker (a specialist kit car insurer)asked has the car any modifications.
How the hell do you answer that one when its a kit car and they are all built by different people to different specs.
Got it sorted in the end but they really wanted to know about every nut and bolt.

I used to drive a modified Honda aerodeck.
I fitted a B20a twin cam all singing all dancing engine into it, modified the suspension and the brakes.
Externally it got no mods at all apart from a set of wheels. When I rang the insurance company to tell them they took all the details and sent me a schedule detailing all the modifications and it didn't affect the premium at all.

It pays to tell the truth to insurers or you will be the looser always.

 

[tim.100]

It doesen't look like any kind of get-out.

I agree completely. However for those who take a "they won't mind" approach to mods, I thought it was a useful caution.

Tim

 

[R2D2]

I was talking to my insurer this week about my proposed new shock absorbers. They want to know if the shocks or springs are changed even if I get the ride height the same. If I fit bosch/sachs or Bilstein ie. OEM parts but without the MB number they want to know BUT they wont charge any extra for change "unless performance is increased" what ever that means. Presumably Brand new shocks will enhance the performance??

 

[Iyse]

I'm sure if they found out I'd put new mats in my car, they wouldn't insure me. I hate insurance, and I know it's only the view of an unexperienced 20 year old, but they really crack down to the extent of totally unfair on people like us.

 

[Steve_Perry]

I was talking to my insurer this week about my proposed new shock absorbers. They want to know if the shocks or springs are changed even if I get the ride height the same. If I fit bosch/sachs or Bilstein ie. OEM parts but without the MB number they want to know BUT they wont charge any extra for change "unless performance is increased" what ever that means. Presumably Brand new shocks will enhance the performance??

I guess they mean "stiffer shocks" or units more damped than stock new parts equals enhanced performance, as opposed to meaning new replacing old giving enhanced performance. If the latter was the case they'd hike yer premiums every time you fitted new tyres because that would increase your car's performance. Hmm now there's an idea

S.

 

[l5foye]

I was speaking to an insurance assessor the other day. He told me that if he calls to inspect a car and immediately sees non-standard alloy wheels (ie wider than those fitted by manufacturer) or non-standard spoiler which have not been declared to the insurance company, he does not bother carrying out an inspection.

 

[Dieselman]

I was speaking to an insurance assessor the other day. He told me that if he calls to inspect a car and immediately sees non-standard alloy wheels (ie wider than those fitted by manufacturer) or non-standard spoiler which have not been declared to the insurance company, he does not bother carrying out an inspection.

Err..What does he do then? The whole point of the inspection is to ascertain the condition of the vehicle.

The vehicle may be completely standard other than the wheels or spoiler.