Insurance Problem on my new C63

[Palmball]

Right, I've sorted the collection date on my new C63 which is now confirmed as Monday 26th (as long as the cloud disappears and I can fly there!!). As I got my registration number today, I called up my insurance company, Privilege, to give them the details on the new C63.

That's when today started to go very wrong! :mad0260:

When asked if my car had any modifications or optional extra's, I stupidly mentioned that yes, my car had the Performance Pack fitted. When asked what it was, I said it was a 30bhp increase, uprated brakes and a nice alcantara steering wheel. I made it clear all of this was factory fitted and not modified from factory spec however I still expected an increase in premium compared to my old C63 (of which the insurance was still running).

But it wasn't as simple as that.

The stupid cow I was speaking to on the phone spoke to an even more stupid **** in their underwriting department and they have refused to insure the car on the basis that the car is not standard and has an extra 30bhp. :confused2

No matter what I said to try and convince them that the car was not modified from standard and that it was just another factory variation of the car (that they probably didn't yet have on their system), they were having none of it. As far as they were concerned, it was modified from standard and they were not going to insure it. :mad0259:

I have been with them for 10 years and they were just not interested and instead just said they would cancel my policy and refund me. They also kindly told me that it was up to them whether they wanted to insure me and in this case, they didn't want to. :mad0260:

So, now I've got to find another company to insure the car which is going to cost me in excess of £200 extra as Privilege were significantly cheaper than anyone else. I think what I've learnt is that I won't be mentioning anything about any options as in effect, the car is 100% standard from the factory.

I would appreciate anyone else's feedback on this to confirm whether Privilege were in fact being reasonable in their decision and whether my car should in fact be classed as standard from the factory with no modifications (there is no option to insure a Performance Pack variation on the C63 with any insurance company however my car is unmodified from factory spec)?

Note to Maff - as you're the only other person who I know that is having a C63 PP+, I particularly wouldn't mind your view on this!

 

[N7OGP]

Can you not try again with Privilege, but do it on-line with no dumb human.

 

[APM]

Can you not try again with Privilege, but do it on-line with no dumb human.

They have refused to insure the vehicle and any other company will ask if youv'e been refused insurance,and even if they don't ask they all have a clause stating that if youv'e been refused then if you don't declare it a policy is void.

 

[A210AMG]

Have you had any other quotes for the same car from other insurance companies?

It may not be 'just' them if. Granted your annoyed but check with some others first.

Try online, if no good also ring specialist such as Adrian Flux.

Bottom line if you get it insured for an additional £200 its not much really? for a 60K car with the peformance it has??

 

[mbenz76]

My E350 has a shed load of options but all are factory fitted.

However my insurers (Direct Line) class them as modifications as they are not standard spec on the base model!

It didn't increase the premium for me as they aren't performance related and they base the premium more on the overall value than the list of options, but I spent a long time getting them to list them all on their system properly as they want to match them to a pre-defined list of modifications, and trying to explan Night View Plus confused the woman I was speaking to no end.

Had I not told them about them, even though they are factory fitted, I would apparently be driving a car with modifications I had not told the insurers of and therefore they could/would void my cover if I had an accident in it!

Insurers are not out to help you - they are there solely to make money.

 

[martin_a]

Common problem with a non-specialist insurer i'm afraid. I know a few people who have had problems with Subarus fitted witht he optional Prodrive Performance Pack. Indeed, one chap actually got a ticket from the cops for a non standard exhaust because it said 'Prodrive' on it. Factory option or no!

Best shop around but a £200 rise is hardly a fortune given the price you are paying for the car and as stated, the performance increase on what is, a tarmac ripping car.

m.

 

[crockers]

I would use a Broker - I called my broker about my plans to remap my car - he called the company and as he knew the guy there they discussed it and agreed that if its done professionally there will be no increase. The personal touch..

If you want his number PM me..

But yours is a specialist car so perhaps a specialist broker like Adrian Flux should be your first call

 

[Maff]

Note to Maff - as you're the only other person who I know that is having a C63 PP+, I particularly wouldn't mind your view on this!

Oh dear, that is a real pain. Always amuses me that the customer knows more than the company you want to buy from, if we all acted like that no one would succeed in business.

Anyway, I have a multi car policy with Hiscox, its not cheap (well, in some ways I suppose it is if you look at it per car, £6.2k per year for all my cars (including C63 AMG PP+) with my wife to drive, and me and her fully comp to drive any other car we don't own up to £215k value, and anyone over 30 to drive any of my cars fully comp too)

As such hiscox are very good, you just tell them the car and its done, no messing about.

I expected problems when I bough the CLK DTM as its not listed as a model, not even with the DVLA or on the log book, (log book just says 'Mercedes'!) and they insured it with no questions at all.

You could try A-Plan who will certainly be able to quote you, and may surprise you on price too.

Hope this helps. Matt

 

[Colin_b]

They have refused to insure the vehicle and any other company will ask if youv'e been refused insurance,and even if they don't ask they all have a clause stating that if youv'e been refused then if you don't declare it a policy is void.

They have refused to insure the car, not the person. In fact, not refused, merely declined to quote.

Due, I suspect to an out of date database.

The OP should now get alternative quotes, and not worry about having been 'refused insurance'

 

[NewMB]

Another company which is quite good with "modifications" are Admiral. A simple 20% in extra power only resulted in £20 for me.....

 

[fuzzer]

Mercedes insurance? If its factory fitted .. they don't care

 

[bpsorrel]

Another thumbs up for Admiral! When I had my Hirsch trial on my Saab, they only wanted £20 increase if I kept it. Their Multicar policy is very competitve.

 

[Palmball]

Sorted - and it's apparent Admiral really are the way forward.

It's ended up costing me £850 for me and my girlfriend (although I'm practically in my grave at 31, she is just 25!) with a protected NCB (needs to be if she's driving it!).

ALSO....their site allowed me to declare the Performance Pack (well, I put this as 'uprated brakes' and 'engine chip up to 10%').

So, all sorted and everything declared so I can rest easy it's all above board!

Here's the best bit - although the insurance is the best part of £290 more than I paid with Privilege, Admiral don't require a Tracker. So that's saved me about £250 that it would cost to fit a tracker and then £150ish annual subscription! Oh, and my excess is £400 less with Admiral.

Overall, I actually feel a bit better off now after being very annoyed a few hours ago when I got off the phone to Privilege!

 

[Supacool1]

Oh, and my excess is £400 less with Admiral.
QUOTE]

Dang?!?! What was it before?!?!? Well done getting it all sorted by the way!

 

[scumbag]

I seems to have missed something. The car is not modified. it is factory built.

why is there any issue?

 

[Palmball]

I seems to have missed something. The car is not modified. it is factory built.

why is there any issue?

My point exactly - and this is what I was trying to explain to Privilege!! Very frustrating.

In effect, as the car has more power it should be classed as a different model in it's own right but in reality, I guess this would mean MB would need to put it through all sorts of approved tests for what will be a very low amount of sales.

Anyway, all is good now that I have managed to sort it with Admiral AND correctly inform them that it has 'up to 10% more power' than a standard C63!

 

[mbenz76]

Direct Line told me when I asked why they wanted to know about factory fitted (and therefore standard IMO) options, they said anything that deviates from base spec of the model is classed as a modification, even if the factory did it!

 

[turbopower]

Hi Andy glad you managed to get your insurance sorted. I just wanted to say that on a car like a C63 AMG I would personally get a tracker fitted.

 

[proser]

Direct Line told me when I asked why they wanted to know about factory fitted (and therefore standard IMO) options, they said anything that deviates from base spec of the model is classed as a modification, even if the factory did it!

but if you buy a used vehicle privately, how are you going to know what was an option and what was std spec on the car at time of it being new

 

[219]

Many of these insurers would do well to remember that Mercedes-Benz manufacture bespoke motor cars and that it is a near impossibility to find two cars of identical specification , such is the range of options available to 'personalise' each car that rolls off the production line . With Mercedes-Benz , at least , there is no such thing as 'standard specification' .

I can well remember reading some years ago , in an issue of 'In Aller Welt' ( Mercedes in-house magazine 'for the friends of the Three-Pointed-Star' and the predecessor of 'Mercedes-Benz Classic' ) that at the end of production of the W114/W115 series , with just shy of two million units produced , the greatest number of identical cars produced was ...................EIGHT ! Such was the number of possible permutations of colours , options and accessories that could be specified .