Insuring Cars With Dealer Fit Optional Extras

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Now this is an interesting one to consider. If you have a car which has dealer fit optional extras, your insurance may be invalid, so that would be anything like a reflective rear panel, headlight protectors, gear knob, a roof rack or even a dealer fit sunroof!

 

I have a Peugeot 307 with the Peugeot SP kit on it. I was reading the small print on an insurance policy and they referred to cars being standard with no modifications. When I said to the insurance company mine had this kit on, they asked if it was fitted from factory. If you are not the first owner of the car, it is technical hard to tell, so they suggested I asked Peugeot. Peugeot said the SP kit was a dealer fit option and no car left the factory with it on and there were no records retained of what was fitted to what car. When I told the insurance company, they said it was classed as a modification and wanted to put an extra £150 on my premium!

 

Discuss!

[jeremy 70]

Interesting you should mention this. I have always notified my insurers of towbars fitted and I will be towing livestock, as my first discovery had it fitted at the dealership and the second from the factory. My wifes car had one fitted by a towbar specialist that we organised as it was about £600 less than getting the dealer to do it! So far it has never increased our premiums, and I have peace of mind knowing they cannot wriggle out of a claim.

[damien 22 1 Cars]

i always classed the dealer options like the SP kit as factory standard, may have to think twice now.....

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

Whilst I'd agree things like an SP kit is an obvious deceleration as it is a chosen styling change, just like alloy wheels - I do think you've perhaps thought a bit too deep with the headlight protectors.

 

Where would you stop? Dealer stickers and tax disc holders could be classed as visual upgrades? Air fresheners? I had best remove my non OEM mint imperials from my coin tray.

[Andy_C 50]

Usually it's things which enhance performance which should attract a loading. Cosmetic additions can too (such as making a standard Sierra look like a Cossie) but dealer or factory fitted options which are either should make no difference.

 

Too much box ticking by insurers and not enough common sense sometimes.

[Andy_C 50]

Neither not either - iPhone silliness...

[MiniGibbo 142]

In your situation, personally wouldn't of bothered.

 

 

[BERTMAN 40 1 Cars]

I wouldn't have told them. If it's O.E why bother? Even if they did view the car the inspector probably wouldn't notice

[AlexRS2782 136 1 Cars]

I just got my quote through Greenlight for my 205 and mentioned that the bodykit on mine was a genuine Pug dealer fit kit and they were fine with it with no premium loading

 

Maybe the classic side of things is different to the newer cars with optional extras?

Edited October 6, 2012 by AlexRS2782

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

The biggest worry is that if you are not honest and, god forbid, you have a serious accident, then insurance companies try and weasel their way out of any claim.

 

Whilst I'd agree things like an SP kit is an obvious deceleration as it is a chosen styling change, just like alloy wheels - I do think you've perhaps thought a bit too deep with the headlight protectors.

 

Where would you stop? Dealer stickers and tax disc holders could be classed as visual upgrades? Air fresheners? I had best remove my non OEM mint imperials from my coin tray.

Exactly my point and yes it was a deliberately extreme example to highlight it.

[GLPoomobile 958]

The biggest worry is that if you are not honest and, god forbid, you have a serious accident, then insurance companies try and weasel their way out of any claim.

 

This is of course always a risk, and it's where there needs to be a little bit of common sense and give-or-take on both parties. What I mean is, if you were obliged to declare literally everything down to the smallest detail, this becomes both time consuming on the phone and an administrative overhead for both the customer and the insurer. And then consider the recent comments about Adrian Flux "losing" some customer's mod lists and it makes you wonder how much they really care about some of these details.

 

I dunno about everyone else, but when it comes to doing renewal quotes, I've often found it hard to remember all the changes I've made to my car, and that's with something that not been changed that much compared to many of the cars on here! I've often wondered what the quoting and administration process must be like for all these highly modified cars. Do they just agree a summary list of changes - engine is turbo charged and producing x power etc - or do you have to send them full lists of every mod and component fitted, like the shopping lists you see stuck down the doors of many Jap boy racers? That must extend to several pages of A4 for many cars!

 

I've only had one experience of making a claim, when I wrote off my Saab. The "engineer" who came out to inspect it only spent 2 minutes looking at, and didn't even look underneath to check the actual damage, so he certainly wouldn't have known if it had been modified. I could have had a totally different engine in it for all he knew! How many people have actually had an experience of having their car carefully inspected to determine if it meets the list of detailed changes? Or worse still, had a claim cancelled because an undeclared modification was discovered? I'm just curious - and I'm not suggesting for one moment that we should all stop declaring modifications - because we all accept that insurers will do anything to avoid paying a claim, but I suspect the reality is not quite like that. I know they like to pay as little as possible, but I'm not convinced that they actively try and exploit the finer details as much as people think they do. For one, I don't think any insurers are either organised or efficient enough, or have the time and resources, to investigate every claim. We know that from the amount of bogus rear ender whiplash claims that have become the norm!

 

EDIT: I should just make it clear that I am not endorsing NOT declaring modifications and do fully understand that all modifications/changes should be disclosed. This is simply a theoretical discussion

Edited October 7, 2012 by GLPoomobile

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

The other thing is, if buying a car with 'x' mods on how does the new owner know the original spec, yes some can find out but some have no idea or really care about the car

[madspikes 41 1 Cars]

You could be quite extreme when it came to what you call a modification, for example: Where would you stand by fitting Uni-part brake pads or Mintex 1144s and not Peugeot spec pads? If you were getting anal about this, wouldn't not fitting genuine factory parts be classed as a modification?

 

Just a thought, not that I think like this...

 

Mad.

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

Do high quality tyres count as a modification?

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

Budget ones should double your policy, Had someone crash into the car infront of me the other night at low speed

[ablister 31]

my wiper blades are bosch and not genuine peugeot...

[richsmells 2]

When i've filled out the online insurance comparison forms, they often ask if the car has any modifications or extras such as (in the case of a mini) "the chilli pack". I'm not sure what the chilli pack is, but I guess it has some bearing on the quote.

[muddatrucker 125]

I had undeclared aftermarket wheels on my Xsara when it was written off, the Insurance company didn't care - infact they couldn't source a new wheel so told me to pick a new set of 4 (which in turn wrote off the car).

[impne 2]

I had this problem with my Honda Accord

 

All parts were asked for by the first owner but some were fitted on production line and others when the car was delivered to the dealer before the first owner picked the car up.

 

It has full bodykit ( there was choice of two ), handling pack with optional upgraded springs and shocks, also the car came std with 16" alloys but you could choose 17 or 18 - huge options list.

 

I bet most owners of accords wouldn't have a clue buying second hand if it was std or had options on it and wouldn't even think of asking or telling insurance company.

 

My dad has 307 with kit and has never told insurance company as he just looks at it as a car, he doesn't care about mods

 

Company I'm with this year didn't care but last year classed them as mods.

 

Many years ago (showing my age now) I bought a Nova sport which was basically base model which Irmscher added bits to (stickers), as I knew this I told my insurance company then couldn't afford to insure it, oops

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Many years ago (showing my age now) I bought a Nova sport which was basically base model which Irmscher added bits to (stickers), as I knew this I told my insurance company then couldn't afford to insure it, oops

Now there is a bit of a difference between a Base Model and a Nova Sport, with the Irmscher bits being twin 40's, airbox and exhaust as well as the stickers!

[feb 47]

It sounds like an excuse from some insurances to earn more!

 

Seriously though, if an insurance were to deny a payout due to e.g. headlight protectors or an aftermarket grill, they will have to prove in a court that this particular mod caused the accident.

Edited October 8, 2012 by feb

[skyinsurance 2]

Insurers system do not pick up most optional extras so they need to be declared, if they effect your premium then you're with the wrong insurers.

 

Ollie

Sky Insurance

 

http://www.skyinsurance.co.uk/car-club-insurance.html

[Carbs4me 45]

Out of Curiosity, is there any modifications that will bring the insurance down? like uprated breaks?

 

my 205 is insured as standard but it has the kit on it which i was told was dealer fitted, and also holds the reflective strip (all the 205 the same as mine are exactly the same setup large boot spolier sideskirts and beefer valances)

 

Saying this and my insurers been adrain flux i can safey bet they wouldnt payout for the damages causes (touch wood) if i where to ever have a crash. Im looking at new insurers for next year as my insurance is up at the end of November, however i wont be insuring my car with anyone until my Mi16 is up and running and im wondering weather to sack the kit off!

 

But the evil side of me says buy the 205Gti thats down the road for £150!!! and keep them both!!

[AlexRS2782 136 1 Cars]

Out of Curiosity, is there any modifications that will bring the insurance down? like uprated breaks?

 

my 205 is insured as standard but it has the kit on it which i was told was dealer fitted, and also holds the reflective strip (all the 205 the same as mine are exactly the same setup large boot spolier sideskirts and beefer valances)

 

Saying this and my insurers been adrain flux i can safey bet they wouldnt payout for the damages causes (touch wood) if i where to ever have a crash. Im looking at new insurers for next year as my insurance is up at the end of November, however i wont be insuring my car with anyone until my Mi16 is up and running and im wondering weather to sack the kit off!

 

But the evil side of me says buy the 205Gti thats down the road for £150!!! and keep them both!!

Sounds like the same dealer kit as mine My car's exactly the same, bar the rear spoiler, and Greenlight have just quoted me a bit over £250 fully comp on mine (32y/o loads of ncb, ltd mileage, etc) and that's with the kit fitted So i wouldn't say you'd need to lose the kit just yet - although for £150 it would be rude not to buy the other GTI just for the hell of it - hehe

Edited October 9, 2012 by AlexRS2782

[skyinsurance 2]

Out of Curiosity, is there any modifications that will bring the insurance down? like uprated breaks?

 

 

 

Some insurers will offer better rates for modified cars over standard cars but there is no particular modification I can think of which would lower the price.

 

If we get an engine swapped car, we look for upgraded brakes as a matter of course.