Insurance is bizarre

[MB-BTurbo]

I am with quote me happy and have been running through some quotes for updating my policy to include mods. Here are the premiums they quote.

Rear spoiler, front and rear lower spoiler, uprated badge, tinted windows, all = £0 increase.

Uprated windscreen wipers (whatever they are) = £5.25 increase...Why???

0-10% remap = uninsurable

Uprated intercooler and uprated exhaust system for performance = £10.55

Surely the intercooler and exhaust system would produce more than 10% increase so why such inconsistent premiums?

the frustrating thing is that from year to year premiums change dramatically, so if I got what quote me happy consider 'cheap' mods next year it may be much more expensive when the renewal is higher and I look elsewhere.

 

[Spinal]

I reckon the windscreen wipers are those horrid chrome/pink things that hellfrauds sell...

Someone must buy them if they keep stocking them; so someone must want them... and I have an odd feeling that fitting those horrid wipers makes them more "nickable"...

So you pay a premium as your wipers would most likely be stolen if you fit pink chrome ones

Exahaust can be stolen, hence the increased premium... as to why it's cheaper than a remap... no idea... maybe because stainless steel exhausts are routinely fitted when the OEM ones rot. So statistically, the likelihood of those being in an accident doesn't change too much; while those who fiddle with the ECU are more likely to speed? (purely conjectures )

M.

 

[MB-BTurbo]

Nice attempt. The wipers still dont make sense, who in their right mind would put in a claim for windscreen wipers? I cant imagine there has ever been a case for this.

The £10.55 was for the combination of performance enhancing exhaust (e.g. no cats) and uprated intercooler, and at this price is of no significance.

My last insurer charged me a £200 for factory upgraded alloys, rear valance and uprated brakes on my Impreza yet £730 for wanting to put tiny Prodrive stickers on the boot above the Impreza badge...no logic. The only thing I can think of is that it included all stickers so applies to those wanting to garnish their cars in full WRC spec graphics.

 

[Mr. B]

My last insurer charged me a £200 for factory upgraded alloys, rear valance and uprated brakes on my Impreza yet £730 for wanting to put tiny Prodrive stickers on the boot above the Impreza badge...no logic. The only thing I can think of is that it included all stickers so applies to those wanting to garnish their cars in full WRC spec graphics.

More appealing to car thieves perhaps.

 

[MB-BTurbo]

But not proportionate to the other mods. An actual GB270 Prodrive which is a far far more desirable car than a standard WRX would only be £200 more to insure with the Prodive stickers and uprated intercooler, interior, (very expensive) alloys spoilers x4, 40bhp remap.

There is a lot that doesnt add up where insurance is concerned.

 

[juux]

Usual BS from an industry I hate with a passion. I thought we might be getting some transparency with the recently announced Competition Commission investigation, but it's only focussing on the claim/payout aspect.

Car insurance should be transparent and logical, allowing us consumers to compare like-for-like between suppliers and not having to try and game the system to get a fair price.

Insurance should be made up of calculable elements such as age, sex, home location, car type, milage, occupation - i.e. the same things that underwriters use anyway, but presented in an EU-standard method (like car/home/appliance efficiency) so we can be sure that we're not being ripped off.

Quite how a decat and intercooler swap (not an inconsiderable modification) can add £10 to one premium yet a sticker add over £700 to another is unfathomable.

 

[SJX]

modified peugeot 106 1 off project | eBay

Heres the pink wipers now!..... how do you think the new owner of this might list the modifications to 'Sheilas Wheels' and tot up the extra premium hike due. Or maybe they will do as 90 percent of other folks do - ignore this minor detail as they see it and dont declare anything !

Tow bars, roof racks and alloy wheel swaps (within reason) from standard have to generally be recorded with insurer, normally they dont increase the premium, haven't for me anyway.

But you can indeed see where this is all going - no fault claim, resulting in reduced or nil payout because 'you didnt tell them you had fitted a tow bar' !

Steve

 

[MB-BTurbo]

You're kidding me? You are driving around uninsured if you fit a roof bar for your holiday?

 

[SJX]

Checked this out on the web, I know it was factual for my business insured ford connect small van about 2 years ago, as I was indeed asked the specific question requiring the make of rack to be noted.

It seems that rightly the Ombudsman has stepped in and sorted the insurers out a little, to what degree I am unsure, but now things have to be 'considerable changes' from the manufacturers spec. This makes it 'clear as mud' where the line is drawn, what is needed to be so informed and what is not. Plenty of debate about it, but no facts - so err on the side of caution and phone your insurers just to be sure.

Bit of interesting reading/banter here if you have nothing better to do on a rainy day.

void car insurance in The AnswerBank: Insurance

Steve

 

[Deleted member 65149]

A good friend of mine will be retiring from his job as a drama teacher at the beginning of September. He's 60. This week he had a quote through to reinsure his Porsche Boxster at a reasonable price. he decided to phone and tell them that he was soon to retire in the hope of getting a reduced quote - instead they increased it by over £100! So driving back and forth to school everyday and leaving his car in a school carpark is a greater risk than leaving it his garage except when the sun's shining?!!?

 

[Beetnik]

uprated badge

 

[MB-BTurbo]

Yeh I put B65 AMG Black edition on it as the car is black, innit. Looks wickid, you'd never know it werent.