MK5 Golf GTI
All Things Mk5 => Mk5 General Area => Topic started by: PDT on January 06, 2011, 07:33:12 pm
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Both ourselfes and our outlet near London have been contacted recently asking if we would consider investigating cars that have been crashed/involved in criminal activity.
It looks like the police/insurers are catching up on cars with altered software, we have been requested to not only dyno test cars but to also advise on wether or not software has been altered from standard. Wether or not we will take this work on is still something we are considering, but this seems to be the first step in a crackdown of insurers/police looking at aftermarket ECU software and its effect on accidents or driving offences.
Best to start declaring those mods :wink:
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Always have and always will...
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I just don't see the point of not declaring. It's as bad as no Mot/insurance IMO.
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no pity IMO. I wouldnt feel guilty of taking up that work offer mate. if someone hits you with undeclared modfs and their insurance is void, you'd soon regret it.
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Any idea what the extra insurance costs are for a remap?
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not much. mine went up by around £50 with all my mods
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ID TELL THEM TO FUUUUUK OFF!!! the police can go buy their own rolling road, they have enough cash! and just to point out, that this post may put people off coming to your garage for mods.
I didnt declare 1 of my mods on my last car! even had a ed 30 engine put in, simply because i didnt want to spend 10k per year on insurence.
que lots of negative comments..... dont care, i know LOTS of people on here who do the same as me! youd be supprised. im only saying this now because i have an r32, anybody who knows anything about cars knows there's no point in a remap!! :signLOL:
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All to common I know many a boy race who never declared the 2ltr engine the put in there Corsa.
One thing I would say is that if you don't declare the mods and you have an accident then you get whats coming to you. I mean if it only cost £50 for declaring your mods why not do it?
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Would the person still have had a crash if they had not modified the car? I bet if I modded my car with Porsche breaks my insurance would go up but is my car not safer? And what happens to those people who have no idea there car has had mods in the past?
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not being funny but if a cars been crashed bad enough for the insurers to investigate it, is it likely that it will run on a dyno??
and i thought it was hard to tell if a car had a map on it or altered software, thought this was one of the plus points for a map?? esp for cars under warrenty
and what happens iof i brought the car second hand and they didnt tell me or no themselves the car was mapped?? - same with things like non standard filters, unless your told about them, or you change them yourself your never likely to no about them untill your next service??
tom
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ID TELL THEM TO FUUUUUK OFF!!! the police can go buy their own rolling road, they have enough cash! and just to point out, that this post may put people off coming to your garage for mods.
I didnt declare 1 of my mods on my last car! even had a ed 30 engine put in, simply because i didnt want to spend 10k per year on insurence.
que lots of negative comments..... dont care, i know LOTS of people on here who do the same as me! youd be supprised. im only saying this now because i have an r32, anybody who knows anything about cars knows there's no point in a remap!! :signLOL:
Was your previous car even insured? :P
i have on previous cars, changed exhausts and induction and not declared, on my GTI i have declared everything and will continue to.
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Checking an ECU software for alterations to improve performance is relatively easy with the right equipment, knowledge and software. Main Dealers often dont have any of these requirements.
We have made the decision of not taking part in any if their investigations as it creates a direct conflict with our line of work, but im sure that they will find specialists willing to help them in return for a decent income.
But this step does show that things may be getting a lot tougher for drivers that are not declaring mods, which is surely only a good thing, im sure many will agree and many will differ.
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ID TELL THEM TO FUUUUUK OFF!!! the police can go buy their own rolling road, they have enough cash! and just to point out, that this post may put people off coming to your garage for mods.
I didnt declare 1 of my mods on my last car! even had a ed 30 engine put in, simply because i didnt want to spend 10k per year on insurence.
que lots of negative comments..... dont care, i know LOTS of people on here who do the same as me! youd be supprised. im only saying this now because i have an r32, anybody who knows anything about cars knows there's no point in a remap!! :signLOL:
Was your previous car even insured? :P
i have on previous cars, changed exhausts and induction and not declared, on my GTI i have declared everything and will continue to.
yups, insured in my dads name as a named driver!! :laugh:
Im on my own now with the misses, no years no claims on my own was 1400,put her on the policy, its gone down to £545!! :signLOL: god knows how they work that out!
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Joe are you with Sheilas Wheels? :grin:
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Both ourselfes and our outlet near London have been contacted recently asking if we would consider investigating cars that have been crashed/involved in criminal activity.
It looks like the police/insurers are catching up on cars with altered software, we have been requested to not only dyno test cars but to also advise on wether or not software has been altered from standard. Wether or not we will take this work on is still something we are considering, but this seems to be the first step in a crackdown of insurers/police looking at aftermarket ECU software and its effect on accidents or driving offences.
Best to start declaring those mods :wink:
This has been discussed on SCN by some of the tuners already. The tuners in question decided to not bite the hands that feed them. Id hope you share the same sentiment.
I would also like to add that a popular aftermarket insurance broker who say they offer a discount for club members is taking their forums details and using it against them.
Also just so you guys also know why this is such a dangerous game is that for younger driver to declare a remap alone (and this is via the so called specialists) it will bump up their insurance by roughly 400 quid on a premium that will already be around 2 grand give or take a couple hundred.
Tuners getting involved in this will only end up damaging their own industry.
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Tuners getting involved in this will only end up damaging their own industry.
....I don't agree. The point of any ECU investigation is to ascertain/confirm if such mods are existent when they have not been declared. If tuners are seen to be helpful in this their products will be better known by insurers and potentially more readily accepted.
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not much. mine went up by around £50 with all my mods
+1. I had a £50 premium for Stage 1, which I thought was pretty good.
I bet if I modded my car with Porsche breaks brakesmy insurance would go up but is my car not safer?
It is but only if the insurer is modfriendly. Remember the hoo-haa about winter tyres? I'm not sure about the other specialist insurance companies but I remember sky insurance stated there was no premium loading for safety mods such as brakes.
And what happens to those people who have no idea there car has had mods in the past?
and what happens iof i brought the car second hand and they didnt tell me or no themselves the car was mapped?? - same with things like non standard filters, unless your told about them, or you change them yourself your never likely to no about them untill your next service??
The onus is on the buyer to check the car is unmodified. I remember hearing about a guy who had fitted an aftermarket filter to his car, sold on the car which was then bought by a girl. The girl had no ideas about mods/tuning and thought it was a standard car. It was involved in an accident and the insurers got someone to check the car over. They discovered the aftermarket air filter, told the girl it hadn't been declared and hence her policy was void. The girl then went back to the guy who said "sold as seen" (though he had given them the service history which included the invoice for the air filter).
not being funny but if a cars been crashed bad enough for the insurers to investigate it, is it likely that it will run on a dyno??
and i thought it was hard to tell if a car had a map on it or altered software, thought this was one of the plus points for a map?? esp for cars under warrenty
I know VW can spot modified ECUs but only if they deliberately look for it. Why would you want to hide the fact that the car has had a remap? Unless you intend on not declaring it to the insurers? As for the dyno, could they not take the engine out and dyno it (provided it was intact)?
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Tuners getting involved in this will only end up damaging their own industry.
....I don't agree. The point of any ECU investigation is to ascertain/confirm if such mods are existent when they have not been declared. If tuners are seen to be helpful in this their products will be better known by insurers and potentially more readily accepted.
I think thats naive thinking tbh, insurers are only after one thing, and I dont blame them because its business.
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I know that if you read the map on REVO maps they put a footer in it with the words REVO TECNIK. so with readily availble software and the correct OBD2 cable it takes seconds for anyone with a bit of nouse to see if a car has had a remap by any of the large tuning companies.
Havent modified my ED30 but i would declare mods on it (as i did with previous cars) as its my pride and joy and i want it to be legitimately insured!
Cal
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I've always declared all my mods. No point otherwise at my age :laugh:
Most of you knew how much modification I had done on the ED30 and even with the nitrous I only paid £520 fully comp with no claims protected :smiley:
I can see why the younger ones on here may be tempted to not disclose mods on their cars as insurance for them can be horrendously expensive..........however I would not condone it in the slightest as if they are involved in an accident where they have injured a third party the consequences in terms of fines, being sued and even possibly a jail sentence are unthinkable. :scared:
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I can see why the younger ones on here may be tempted to not disclose mods on their cars as insurance for them can be horrendously expensive..........however I would not condone it in the slightest as if they are involved in an accident where they have injured a third party the consequences in terms of fines, being sued and even possibly a jail sentence are unthinkable. :scared:
....Absolutely! If a third party has serious injuries or even loses their life and you are found to have an invalid insurance, you are in very very serious trouble indeed and possibly facing a custodial sentence. It's a thin line and gone are the days (as in my youth) when you could get away with all sorts.
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Declare your mods, most members know my modded ED30 met an early demise and if I hadn't declared the mods I would have been right up sh1t creek, so tell your insurance everythin, if they don't like it, find an insurance company that does :smiley:
I'm 38 and payin a fortune because of that bump but it could have been much much worse :smiley:
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ID TELL THEM TO FUUUUUK OFF!!! the police can go buy their own rolling road, they have enough cash! and just to point out, that this post may put people off coming to your garage for mods.
I didnt declare 1 of my mods on my last car! even had a ed 30 engine put in, simply because i didnt want to spend 10k per year on insurence.
que lots of negative comments..... dont care, i know LOTS of people on here who do the same as me! youd be supprised. im only saying this now because i have an r32, anybody who knows anything about cars knows there's no point in a remap!! :signLOL:
1) If the Police buy their own dyno then it will be done with OUR (including yours) tax money. (You do pay tax, right...?) Sometimes outsourcing to a third party is more cost effective. Whether there's someone willing to take up the work is an entirely separate matter.
2) As I understand it, if you do not declare modifications, then the vehicle is likely to be classed as not insured, and possibly even classed as incorrectly registered (IIRC). Furthermore, I (and others) have to pay more for our insurance because people like you do not declare (it drives everyone's premium up). I don't like paying insurance - hell, I don't even like insurance companies, or the law that requires insurance* - but this nevertheless is the way things work.
*I dislike the law that insists on insurance because it is effectively a government-sponsored cartel with a licensed monopoly. It's a good business to be in, if your customers have to purchase your service or be prosecuted. Pricing is effectively set by a handful of reinsurers - hence the cartel. They do some sums and arrive at some rather arbitrary figures which dictate what the rest of the market can charge you - and of course, none of the other reinsurers will do anything to encourage price-cutting. By keeping things complicated, no one can effectively argue against said practice. But I digress.
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Who has been asking Dave??
I don't think that you need to be a rocket scientist to have realised that forum sponsored insurance companies will be assessing the clients via their postings.
I think your average ned who ram raids Halfrauds with his Nova/Corsa wouldn't even comprehend that he'd need to inform his insurance company.
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Your insurance doesn't always go up. It depends on your situation.
My insurance went down when i had my remap done. I was with More Than and they wouldn't entertain me so i went to Adrian Flux. Even now with all my mods im paying £78 less per year than when i had the car standard. Despite my actual insurance premiums going up as i have progressed mod wise.
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ID TELL THEM TO FUUUUUK OFF!!! the police can go buy their own rolling road, they have enough cash! and just to point out, that this post may put people off coming to your garage for mods.
I didnt declare 1 of my mods on my last car! even had a ed 30 engine put in, simply because i didnt want to spend 10k per year on insurence.
que lots of negative comments..... dont care, i know LOTS of people on here who do the same as me! youd be supprised. im only saying this now because i have an r32, anybody who knows anything about cars knows there's no point in a remap!! :signLOL:
Its attitudes like this that piss me off.... If you cant afford to insure the car properly, then you cant afford the car, simple. Just because you know others that do the same, does that make it ok then? Or does that just mean you know a bunch of dicks as well as not insuring your car properly?!
I dont particularly want to pay for my insurance either, nor the road tax that comes with having a car given the state of the roads but its still paid. I dont like insurers as much as the next person with the rates they charge especially given the total lack of sense that sometimes comes with it, but thats part and parcel of running a car whether you like it or not.
Maybe im in the minority by declaring mods for my cars over the years, and ive had quite a few now, all of which pretty heavily modified with engine changes and the like, but rather that than get screwed cos someone crashes in to me and im not covered and get banged up or some huge fine that i spend the next 20yrs paying
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You'll have to ignore him Ant, Joe is above the law :wink:
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With the Revo if you have the control box you can change between the standard map and the Revo map. If your running the standard map on the road and using the Revo for track days would this still count as a mod that needs to be declared?
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With the Revo if you have the control box you can change between the standard map and the Revo map. If your running the standard map on the road and using the Revo for track days would this still count as a mod that needs to be declared?
I'd assume not as if you'd been involved in an accident and they tried to imply it was tuned you could get them to test the ECU or engine to verify and prove it wasnt running a tuned map - even if its at your own expense, altho, bit catch 22, if the ECU was removed to be checked, REVO loses its setting anyway as the power would be cut to it. Either way, i'd mention it to see what they say.
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With the Revo if you have the control box you can change between the standard map and the Revo map. If your running the standard map on the road and using the Revo for track days would this still count as a mod that needs to be declared?
Actually you are using the Revo equivalent of the standard map so your car is still non-OEM therefore modified.
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Ah, i did wonder if it was stock stock, or just a similar to stock they put together.
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Just a reminder....
Everything written on a public forum is perfectly acceptable evidence in a court of law. The forum owners are bound by law to supply information should an investigation require it, so even a hindsight edit sometimes isn't enough.
Be careful what you go bragging about.
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Y'know Mr Danza, your warning is all the more ominous with pedobear peeking underneath...
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The insurers/police would have a field day over on ukmkivs.... I know of at least 2 people running undisclosed 1.8t conversions, and countless running stage1 who I'd put money on not being declared :fighting2:
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The Bear is watching you, kids....
Rich, they'd have a field day on any forum, no matter what the car there's always a % of people (and don't forget, uk-mkivs has a lot more members than here) who are willing to risk consequence for a few quid saved.
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^^^ true! :happy2:
It does peee me off tho!
'so have you told the ins. that your running a 1.8t?'
'no.... They still think it's a 1.4!'
'but if you want a quick car you gotta pay the monies'
'nahhh it will be ok'
W. T. F!!
I sold my diesel to buy a 'quick' car and bent over and paid 1500 for insurance... Some people need a slap!!
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I'd report them for insurance fraud. Victimless crime my arse.
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An aquaitnance of mine, back in the day, had a heavly modded Corsa B. (looked pretty smart actually :ashamed: )
Anyway, he was contacted by his insurers after 'they' saw his progress thread on a corsa forum, and was told he'd be void unless he immediatly registered his modifications. Eyes are everywhere! :sad:
EDIT: Here it is :happy2:
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fphotos-ak-snc1%2Fv351%2F197%2F46%2F504086254%2Fn504086254_1449218_784.jpg&hash=8f1974a7ea331653a8d093ee1b0807d3c61b2352)
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Funnily enough the manufacturers also read these forums.
One such incident I am aware of involved them contacting said persons local dealer and telling them that his warranty was no longer valid due to his mods.
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corsa c that is, was ur mate jono gillet by any chance or sum1 who had it after him?
it was on the max power website the insurance company found out about his car iirc and demanded money from him lol
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As has been said previously i think anyone who does not declare mods is quite frankly a fcuking idiot.
Why give an insurer ammunition to not pay out :stupid: Even if your name begins with Sheikh i doubt anybody wants to be left without any money and a car.
What are you going to do if you crash the car and the insurance say "Sorry old bean, that ED30 engine you dumped in there and never told us about isn't what you were covered for!"
I can understand why youngsters might consider not insuring when the insurance starts costing more than the car itself. But if you can't afford the insurance, don't fcuking modify or buy the car in the first place!!!
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^^^^
Crikey! No wonder I get complete strangers at petrol stations and car shows approach me knowing who I am! I've even had friendly greetings from police officers I've never met. And I thought it was just because I was a famous rock star.
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Crikey! No wonder I get complete strangers at petrol stations and car shows approach me knowing who I am! I've even had friendly greetings from police officers I've never met. And I thought it was just because I was a famous rock star.
It's from your days as a porn star Robin :wink:
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^^^^
Crikey! No wonder I get complete strangers at petrol stations and car shows approach me knowing who I am! I've even had friendly greetings from police officers I've never met. And I thought it was just because I was a famous rock star.
It's from your days as a porn star Robin :wink:
.... :signLOL:
Gee, thanks, Hedge! Now everyone reading these posts thinks I used to be a porn star and it'll effect my insurance. :laugh:
[Actually, thinking about it, being a porn star could be a whole lotta fun!]
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Well I've paid for my Revo remap but haven't had it loaded yet due to having a ECU check sum error. Got in there while it was £400 not £500!! So going to be giving the insurance company a ring tonight to see how much more its going to cost! Paid £2000 for my 1st year and £1300 for this year. I'm 22 so really hoping I dont get raped for it!! :surprised:
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corsa c that is, was ur mate jono gillet by any chance or sum1 who had it after him?
it was on the max power website the insurance company found out about his car iirc and demanded money from him lol
Sure was. Went to school with him :drinking:
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It sure will..... being a porn star is well known to be the highest risk for insurers! 8)
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It sure will..... being a porn star is well known to be the highest risk for insurers! 8)
Wonder if you can claim damaged or stained seats on insurance... :scared:
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It sure will..... being a porn star is well known to be the highest risk for insurers! 8)
Wonder if you can claim damaged or stained seats on insurance... :scared:
Yes... and also headliner stains! :jumpmove:
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It sure will..... being a porn star is well known to be the highest risk for insurers! 8)
Wonder if you can claim damaged or stained seats on insurance... :scared:
Is that from when the drawstring fails? :booty: :sick:
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Funnily enough the manufacturers also read these forums.
One such incident I am aware of involved them contacting said persons local dealer and telling them that his warranty was no longer valid due to his mods.
that has happened on scn, not sure if thats the one you are also thinking off?
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Funnily enough the manufacturers also read these forums.
One such incident I am aware of involved them contacting said persons local dealer and telling them that his warranty was no longer valid due to his mods.
that has happened on scn, not sure if thats the one you are also thinking off?
No I was thinking other VAG brand but I remember the story from SCN. His car was leased which is where the problem came about as it had problems and was running Stage 2 and Seat Finance wanted the car back. :scared:
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As has been said previously i think anyone who does not declare mods is quite frankly a fcuking idiot.
Why give an insurer ammunition to not pay out :stupid: Even if your name begins with Sheikh i doubt anybody wants to be left without any money and a car.
What are you going to do if you crash the car and the insurance say "Sorry old bean, that ED30 engine you dumped in there and never told us about isn't what you were covered for!"
I can understand why youngsters might consider not insuring when the insurance starts costing more than the car itself. But if you can't afford the insurance, don't fcuking modify or buy the car in the first place!!!
Ahhh another interesting story I have to tell.
Remember that turquise Lambo SV that was clamped outside harrods? Anyhow it was involved in an accident, and obviously cost major money to fix. Now their insurance company was trying every trick to try and wriggle out of paying up for it to be repaired, and IIRC in the end they just ended up using their own money to get it fixed. Sorta makes you wonder why they didnt do that in the first place though considering all the billions they have.
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Funnily enough the manufacturers also read these forums.
One such incident I am aware of involved them contacting said persons local dealer and telling them that his warranty was no longer valid due to his mods.
that has happened on scn, not sure if thats the one you are also thinking off?
No I was thinking other VAG brand but I remember the story from SCN. His car was leased which is where the problem came about as it had problems and was running Stage 2 and Seat Finance wanted the car back. :scared:
Bad business on SEATs part imo, and all because they were unable to diagnose a blown intank pump fuse :grin:
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Well I've paid for my Revo remap but haven't had it loaded yet due to having a ECU check sum error. Got in there while it was £400 not £500!! So going to be giving the insurance company a ring tonight to see how much more its going to cost! Paid £2000 for my 1st year and £1300 for this year. I'm 22 so really hoping I dont get raped for it!! :surprised:
This is gonna go two ways.
1, the insurance co isnt mod friendly an tells you that if you get it remapped they will void your insurance.
2, its gonna cost a few hundred.
Keep us updated with how you get on though mate
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Well I've paid for my Revo remap but haven't had it loaded yet due to having a ECU check sum error. Got in there while it was £400 not £500!! So going to be giving the insurance company a ring tonight to see how much more its going to cost! Paid £2000 for my 1st year and £1300 for this year. I'm 22 so really hoping I dont get raped for it!! :surprised:
Get yourself some good lube else it's gonna hurt :signLOL:
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Get yourself some good lube else it's gonna hurt :signLOL:
:grin: :grin:
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I remember trying to insure a brand new Octavia with Elephant and having some dozy doris trying to tell me that the factory fit Xenons were considered a modification and that they would insure me with them fitted but in the event of an accident they would be replaced by standard units.
It got so frustrated trying to explain that you simply couldn't replace them with standard units that I told her to poke it up her hoop and won't use them again.
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You often get insurance companies saying factory fit options are modifications. :stupid:
I can understand higher premiums for the likes of the Factory power increases that AMG Merc's etc get and the removal of the 155mph limiter that Audi/BMW/Merc do.
But not for a set of bloody headlights :signLOL:
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Well I've paid for my Revo remap but haven't had it loaded yet due to having a ECU check sum error. Got in there while it was £400 not £500!! So going to be giving the insurance company a ring tonight to see how much more its going to cost! Paid £2000 for my 1st year and £1300 for this year. I'm 22 so really hoping I dont get raped for it!! :surprised:
This is gonna go two ways.
1, the insurance co isnt mod friendly an tells you that if you get it remapped they will void your insurance.
2, its gonna cost a few hundred.
Keep us updated with how you get on though mate
Im with Admiral so not sure what there like on engine mods, really hope its not tooo expensive or ill just have to wait to have it put on!!
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Admiral = Elephant
Be careful with them.
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Well I've paid for my Revo remap but haven't had it loaded yet due to having a ECU check sum error. Got in there while it was £400 not £500!! So going to be giving the insurance company a ring tonight to see how much more its going to cost! Paid £2000 for my 1st year and £1300 for this year. I'm 22 so really hoping I dont get raped for it!! :surprised:
Get yourself some good lube else it's gonna hurt :signLOL:
Lol!! Cheers for the advice!
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Why don't you try Adrian Flux? :happy2:
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I don't think that you need to be a rocket scientist to have realised that forum sponsored insurance companies will be assessing the clients via their postings.
The problem was the insurer canceled policy based on a single post failed to notify the client but kept taking the monthly payments which is just wrong on all counts really
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In that case the client would still be insured surely :confused:
That would make an interesting road side discussion with the fuhrer and subsequent court appearance.
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I know someone who tried to be a smartarse and run a heavily modded car on a straight policy. They found out via a forum, cancelled his policy and pretty much blacklisted him in the insurance market as a fraudster.
Nobody is legally bound to insure you, I can see blacklisting being more common soon enough.
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Why don't you try Adrian Flux? :happy2:
I would do but, Im not really in there good books, because of this...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi180.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx283%2FAsh_RS%2FWrecked%2520Clio%2FImage010.jpg&hash=e05d51079a394714bcb87254d1ad7ca93e704483)
Car was only third party but the price of the lamp post I took out on the motorway was £4000
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In that case the client would still be insured surely :confused:
That would make an interesting road side discussion with the fuhrer and subsequent court appearance.
Client found out had no policy when pulled by police. And that is still on going
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I know someone who tried to be a smartarse and run a heavily modded car on a straight policy. They found out via a forum, cancelled his policy and pretty much blacklisted him in the insurance market as a fraudster.
Nobody is legally bound to insure you, I can see blacklisting being more common soon enough.
Whilst i can understand the rationale behind that i would suggest that will only cause more of a problem. There are enough people on the roads already with no insurance or paying for insurance that is void due to undeclared mods. It wouldn't stop them driving
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Why don't you try Adrian Flux? :happy2:
I would do but, Im not really in there good books, because of this...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi180.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx283%2FAsh_RS%2FWrecked%2520Clio%2FImage010.jpg&hash=e05d51079a394714bcb87254d1ad7ca93e704483)
Car was only third party but the price of the lamp post I took out on the motorway was £4000
Surely a bit of T-Cut and Superglue would have fixed that :signLOL:
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In that case the client would still be insured surely :confused:
That would make an interesting road side discussion with the fuhrer and subsequent court appearance.
Client found out had no policy when pulled by police. And that is still on going
Will be interesting to know the outcome!
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I would do but, Im not really in there good books, because of this...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi180.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx283%2FAsh_RS%2FWrecked%2520Clio%2FImage010.jpg&hash=e05d51079a394714bcb87254d1ad7ca93e704483)
I hope you had declared the foliage mods??? :wink:
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I would do but, Im not really in there good books, because of this...
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi180.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx283%2FAsh_RS%2FWrecked%2520Clio%2FImage010.jpg&hash=e05d51079a394714bcb87254d1ad7ca93e704483)
I hope you had declared the foliage mods??? :wink:
I've never seen a "Camo" tick box on the modification list before lol
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You often get insurance companies saying factory fit options are modifications.
Any change to the car from when it came out of the factory is a modification. Even if you had a GTI with Monzas and decided to go for Pescaras - that's a modification, hence needs to be declared. Ditto for changing halogen headlamps to oem xenons. I heard about one guy getting his insurance voided because there was a sticker - a sticker on the car!
The problem was the insurer canceled policy based on a single post failed to notify the client but kept taking the monthly payments which is just wrong on all counts really
But when you take out a policy, you're meant to pay it off as a lump sum. Eg if your insurance policy for the twelve months comes to £1200, you can pay it off in one go, or you can pay it off in monthly amounts. The latter is essentially financing your premium (which is why the total amount paid would then come to more than £1200).
Imagine you took out a policy for £1200. You paid it off as a lump sum. You then fail to declare say tinted windows. Insurance company finds out five months into the policy and voids your insurance. They don't have to pay you back the remaining seven months' worth of insurance. This doesn't change when you go to monthly payments - you still have to pay off the premium.
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I know someone who tried to be a smartarse and run a heavily modded car on a straight policy. They found out via a forum, cancelled his policy and pretty much blacklisted him in the insurance market as a fraudster.
Nobody is legally bound to insure you, I can see blacklisting being more common soon enough.
Whilst i can understand the rationale behind that i would suggest that will only cause more of a problem. There are enough people on the roads already with no insurance or paying for insurance that is void due to undeclared mods. It wouldn't stop them driving
I see the wider implications, but that's not the insurance company's problem, that belongs to the law.
What would be there problem is him wiping out some city banker in his prime with a few kids and the several million pounds they'd have to pay out.. Every insurance company has the right to sue the policy holder for the money they've paid in a 3rd party claim if they deem the terms of the agreement to have been knowlingly broken.
So, insurer pays out £5m. Insurer finds out you'd been telling porkies. Insurer sues customer and wins (there's been several high profile cases recently and a precedent has been set).
= Customer's life ruined. They'll take every penny you have and will ever earn.. all for the sake of £50 to declare X, Y or Z.
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You often get insurance companies saying factory fit options are modifications.
Any change to the car from when it came out of the factory is a modification. Even if you had a GTI with Monzas and decided to go for Pescaras - that's a modification, hence needs to be declared. Ditto for changing halogen headlamps to oem xenons. I heard about one guy getting his insurance voided because there was a sticker - a sticker on the car!
Thinks like Xenons are factory fit tho, so they are fit in the factory, not once its left as its all the associated wiring etc etc to go with it. Dealer fit options you might have more of an argument, but not factory fit.
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You often get insurance companies saying factory fit options are modifications.
Any change to the car from when it came out of the factory is a modification. Even if you had a GTI with Monzas and decided to go for Pescaras - that's a modification, hence needs to be declared. Ditto for changing halogen headlamps to oem xenons. I heard about one guy getting his insurance voided because there was a sticker - a sticker on the car!
The problem was the insurer canceled policy based on a single post failed to notify the client but kept taking the monthly payments which is just wrong on all counts really
But when you take out a policy, you're meant to pay it off as a lump sum. Eg if your insurance policy for the twelve months comes to £1200, you can pay it off in one go, or you can pay it off in monthly amounts. The latter is essentially financing your premium (which is why the total amount paid would then come to more than £1200).
Imagine you took out a policy for £1200. You paid it off as a lump sum. You then fail to declare say tinted windows. Insurance company finds out five months into the policy and voids your insurance. They don't have to pay you back the remaining seven months' worth of insurance. This doesn't change when you go to monthly payments - you still have to pay off the premium.
Why should they keep taking money after they canceled the policy The broker kept taking the direct debt money several months after the policy was canceled.Client did not know they had not got insurance and was still paying for it.
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You often get insurance companies saying factory fit options are modifications.
Any change to the car from when it came out of the factory is a modification. Even if you had a GTI with Monzas and decided to go for Pescaras - that's a modification, hence needs to be declared. Ditto for changing halogen headlamps to oem xenons. I heard about one guy getting his insurance voided because there was a sticker - a sticker on the car!
But if it is placed on at the factory (i.e. car built to order) then how can they say it's not "standard"
At the end of the day they are a business and are out to make money. So they will try anything to get you to pay more. Thankfully we have places like confused.com, comparethemarket.com etc to find the cheapest deal!
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If you look at the details of your policy, just because its cancelled doesnt mean you dont owe them money.
Say they cancelled after 8 months, i think by then you'd have been expected to pay the full premium, its not split equally. You're owed pretty much nothing from the full amount after something like 4 months i think. So thats why, he just took the luxury of paying over a longer term thats all
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I know someone who tried to be a smartarse and run a heavily modded car on a straight policy. They found out via a forum, cancelled his policy and pretty much blacklisted him in the insurance market as a fraudster.
Nobody is legally bound to insure you, I can see blacklisting being more common soon enough.
Whilst i can understand the rationale behind that i would suggest that will only cause more of a problem. There are enough people on the roads already with no insurance or paying for insurance that is void due to undeclared mods. It wouldn't stop them driving
I see the wider implications, but that's not the insurance company's problem, that belongs to the law.
What would be there problem is him wiping out some city banker in his prime with a few kids and the several million pounds they'd have to pay out.. Every insurance company has the right to sue the policy holder for the money they've paid in a 3rd party claim if they deem the terms of the agreement to have been knowlingly broken.
So, insurer pays out £5m. Insurer finds out you'd been telling porkies. Insurer sues customer and wins (there's been several high profile cases recently and a precedent has been set).
= Customer's life ruined. They'll take every penny you have and will ever earn.. all for the sake of £50 to declare X, Y or Z.
Not saying i don't agree with their thinking. But i think it's a joint Law & insurance responsibility. Insurance companies are just in it to make money. I was once driven into by a bus. The terms of my policy at the time said i had to pay the excess and once any claim was settled i would be re-imbursed. So i did this. Despite the fact that i had 19 witnesess (it happened outside a Tesco), The driver admitting liability and the Bus company admitting liability the insurance co. tried to wrangle out of paying me the excess back. It took me 8 months to get my excess back, which at the time was £1000 as i had chosen a higher excess to lower the premium.
If they didnt charge such ridiculous premiums on young drivers / older cars i personally think the problem would be a lot lower. My Sister when she passed her driving test bought herself a 1.2 fiesta for £1200. Her insurance was £1800 just because she was 17.
It should be law that insurance can not be higher than the value of the car. They either insure you for less or they simply say sorry we can't insure you
But black listing people doesn't stop them paying out sh*tloads in claims. They will still have to pay out when someone who is legally insured get hits by the blacklisted driver.
It will be even worse, using your scenario, if said driver is not insured. Who do they claim it back from then?
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You often get insurance companies saying factory fit options are modifications.
Any change to the car from when it came out of the factory is a modification. Even if you had a GTI with Monzas and decided to go for Pescaras - that's a modification, hence needs to be declared. Ditto for changing halogen headlamps to oem xenons. I heard about one guy getting his insurance voided because there was a sticker - a sticker on the car!
Thinks like Xenons are factory fit tho, so they are fit in the factory, not once its left as its all the associated wiring etc etc to go with it. Dealer fit options you might have more of an argument, but not factory fit.
agreed, not sure why some people tell their insurance co their car has recaro bucket seats and subsequently allow themselves to get shafted for a modification that isnt one.
If you crash your car, all the bodyshop will do is check the parts number and replace like for like.
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You often get insurance companies saying factory fit options are modifications.
Any change to the car from when it came out of the factory is a modification. Even if you had a GTI with Monzas and decided to go for Pescaras - that's a modification, hence needs to be declared. Ditto for changing halogen headlamps to oem xenons. I heard about one guy getting his insurance voided because there was a sticker - a sticker on the car!
The problem was the insurer canceled policy based on a single post failed to notify the client but kept taking the monthly payments which is just wrong on all counts really
But when you take out a policy, you're meant to pay it off as a lump sum. Eg if your insurance policy for the twelve months comes to £1200, you can pay it off in one go, or you can pay it off in monthly amounts. The latter is essentially financing your premium (which is why the total amount paid would then come to more than £1200).
Imagine you took out a policy for £1200. You paid it off as a lump sum. You then fail to declare say tinted windows. Insurance company finds out five months into the policy and voids your insurance. They don't have to pay you back the remaining seven months' worth of insurance. This doesn't change when you go to monthly payments - you still have to pay off the premium.
Quite correct Stealth in that case the guy had chosen to pay his premium in monthly instalments, he isnt paying monthly for insurance he is paying of finance for a lump sum over a defined period, so if he voided the insurance then he still has to pay the agreed premium which he was lucky they were still taking in monthly instalments and not the remainder in a lump sum.
I would have to say that changing one set of manufacturer and model homogenated parts, for instance wheels isn't a modification as long as they meet the manufacturer specification for the car, and dealer fit parts also unless they alter the performance of the vehicle. As your then talking mudflaps roof bars etc I could understand the potential for an insurance company to consider this bearing in mind what we have recently seen with winter tyres but a sticker is ridiculous or all national trust members would be having issues! :signLOL:
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agreed, not sure why some people tell their insurance co their car has recaro bucket seats and subsequently allow themselves to get shafted for a modification that isnt one.
If you crash your car, all the bodyshop will do is check the parts number and replace like for like.
Elephant specifically ask if you have factory options. Failure to declare is entirely what this thread is about.
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agreed, not sure why some people tell their insurance co their car has recaro bucket seats and subsequently allow themselves to get shafted for a modification that isnt one.
If you crash your car, all the bodyshop will do is check the parts number and replace like for like.
Elephant specifically ask if you have factory options. Failure to declare is entirely what this thread is about.
Thats a different situation if they ask, most dont and from a legal stand point if they dont ask you then you dont have to voluntarily declare, unless you modify during a policy period. The onus is on the insuring party to request all relevant information before offering insurance. (this is from an under-writer I know who works on the Lloyds exchange. So if they dont ask for factory equipment then they wont load it into there model and it wont be a requirement of your insurance. You will obviously have to prove they were on the car but that should be easy enough form the charred remains :wink:
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Thats a different situation if they ask, most dont and from a legal stand point if they dont ask you then you dont have to voluntarily declare, unless you modify during a policy period. The onus is on the insuring party to request all relevant information before offering insurance. (this is from an under-writer I know who works on the Lloyds exchange. So if they dont ask for factory equipment then they wont load it into there model and it wont be a requirement of your insurance. You will obviously have to prove they were on the car but that should be easy enough form the charred remains :wink:
So say you have bought a modified vehicle secondhand. You ring up for insurance and they dont ask if the vehicle is modified. Using your theory you don't tell them. You then have a crash and make a claim. The insurance company then finds the car is modified......
I wonder if you would get paid out?
Me thinks not. As the saying goes - Ignorance is no defence in law.
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Not saying i don't agree with their thinking. But i think it's a joint Law & insurance responsibility. Insurance companies are just in it to make money. I was once driven into by a bus. The terms of my policy at the time said i had to pay the excess and once any claim was settled i would be re-imbursed. So i did this. Despite the fact that i had 19 witnesess (it happened outside a Tesco), The driver admitting liability and the Bus company admitting liability the insurance co. tried to wrangle out of paying me the excess back. It took me 8 months to get my excess back, which at the time was £1000 as i had chosen a higher excess to lower the premium.
If they didnt charge such ridiculous premiums on young drivers / older cars i personally think the problem would be a lot lower. My Sister when she passed her driving test bought herself a 1.2 fiesta for £1200. Her insurance was £1800 just because she was 17.
It should be law that insurance can not be higher than the value of the car. They either insure you for less or they simply say sorry we can't insure you
But black listing people doesn't stop them paying out sh*tloads in claims. They will still have to pay out when someone who is legally insured get hits by the blacklisted driver.
It will be even worse, using your scenario, if said driver is not insured. Who do they claim it back from then?
In terms of it being a joint problem, then it already is, they insurers contribute to a pot to pay out when uninsured drivers cause problems - so that £5m is spread between a lot of people, you and me included.
In terms of my scenario, the person at fault may actually be better off as they'll get the weight of the law for not being insured but they'll possibly limit or even remove the risk of being sued for the compensation??
For the other part, then it should be the Aussie system (I'm sure some others have it too) of the Rego and everyone automatically having 3rd party insurance.
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agreed, not sure why some people tell their insurance co their car has recaro bucket seats and subsequently allow themselves to get shafted for a modification that isnt one.
If you crash your car, all the bodyshop will do is check the parts number and replace like for like.
Elephant specifically ask if you have factory options. Failure to declare is entirely what this thread is about.
Thats a different situation if they ask, most dont and from a legal stand point if they dont ask you then you dont have to voluntarily declare, unless you modify during a policy period. The onus is on the insuring party to request all relevant information before offering insurance. (this is from an under-writer I know who works on the Lloyds exchange. So if they dont ask for factory equipment then they wont load it into there model and it wont be a requirement of your insurance. You will obviously have to prove they were on the car but that should be easy enough form the charred remains :wink:
in vags there is a number somewhere stored on the car which tells the dealer which options the car left the factory with.agreed, not sure why some people tell their insurance co their car has recaro bucket seats and subsequently allow themselves to get shafted for a modification that isnt one.
If you crash your car, all the bodyshop will do is check the parts number and replace like for like.
Elephant specifically ask if you have factory options. Failure to declare is entirely what this thread is about.
Well if the specifically ask then that is another matter. Are they still competitive once they have done that?
Does anyone know if the admiral/elephant group are going to stop taking on drivers under the age of 21 btw?Thats a different situation if they ask, most dont and from a legal stand point if they dont ask you then you dont have to voluntarily declare, unless you modify during a policy period. The onus is on the insuring party to request all relevant information before offering insurance. (this is from an under-writer I know who works on the Lloyds exchange. So if they dont ask for factory equipment then they wont load it into there model and it wont be a requirement of your insurance. You will obviously have to prove they were on the car but that should be easy enough form the charred remains :wink:
So say you have bought a modified vehicle secondhand. You ring up for insurance and they dont ask if the vehicle is modified. Using your theory you don't tell them. You then have a crash and make a claim. The insurance company then finds the car is modified......
I wonder if you would get paid out?
Me thinks not.
Factory options arent a modification though or are you talking about something else?
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For the other part, then it should be the Aussie system (I'm sure some others have it too) of the Rego and everyone automatically having 3rd party insurance.
I'd be happy with that system and you just pay extra to have fully comp :happy2:
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i got hit in my scooby about 7 months ago and found out the guy was not insured :fighting: :fighting: any way i was with greenlight but i am still waiting for my excess back and also as i ended my policy with them early still waiting to get my money back as i paid upfront for the cover i had. they are quick to take your cash but f ing slow to give it back to you even when its been proved it not your fault :fighting:
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Factory options arent a modification though or are you talking about something else?
I know that i was referring to the "if you aren't asked you don't have to tell". I have always told my insurers of any factory fit options and they usually say that factory fit stuff is fine.
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Thats a different situation if they ask, most dont and from a legal stand point if they dont ask you then you dont have to voluntarily declare, unless you modify during a policy period. The onus is on the insuring party to request all relevant information before offering insurance. (this is from an under-writer I know who works on the Lloyds exchange. So if they dont ask for factory equipment then they wont load it into there model and it wont be a requirement of your insurance. You will obviously have to prove they were on the car but that should be easy enough form the charred remains :wink:
So say you have bought a modified vehicle secondhand. You ring up for insurance and they dont ask if the vehicle is modified. Using your theory you don't tell them. You then have a crash and make a claim. The insurance company then finds the car is modified......
I wonder if you would get paid out?
Me thinks not. As the saying goes - Ignorance is no defence in law.
Buying a second hand car that someone has tampered with and not being aware of the modifications is a whole different kettle of fish and I wasnt talking about that, my post was simply from a discussion I have had with someone who has passed his exams in insurance law so he can under-write on the Lloyds exchange, and under UK law it is the responsibility of the insurance company in a retail environment to ask all pertinent questions to asses the risk and apply a suitable policy/premium not the responsibility of the person applying for the insurance to offer all relevant information, so as long as you accurately respond to all questions asked then your insurance will be valid.
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So your saying if i change my insurance company to insure my heavily modified vRS, they don't ask me if it's modified or not and i don't decalre the modifications i would be insured in the event of an accident???
I would be extremley surprised if that was the case. I'm pretty sure that they would hire some fancy lawyer and do me for fraud. I couldn't afford Mr loopholes £10k a day fee and i highly doubt the defence of "Now listen here ducky. I was on MK5Gti and a forum member had a discussion with someone who said it was fine" would wash :laugh:
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So your saying if i change my insurance company to insure my heavily modified vRS, they don't ask me if it's modified or not and i don't decalre the modifications i would be insured in the event of an accident???
I would be extremley surprised if that was the case. I'm pretty sure that they would hire some fancy lawyer and do me for fraud. I couldn't afford Mr loopholes £10k a day fee and i highly doubt the defence of "Now listen here ducky. I was on MK5Gti and a forum member had a discussion with someone who said it was fine" would wash :laugh:
Mr.Loophole now has is own firm, you can hire one of his "understudies" for much less, but this sorta thing isnt what they specialise in anyway lol
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Would you declare non performance enhancing mods , such as osir paddles , led lights chrome switches carbonio intake , kn filter etc etc.
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Would you declare non performance enhancing mods , such as osir paddles , led lights chrome switches carbonio intake , kn filter etc etc.
i would if i was you
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Would you declare non performance enhancing mods , such as osir paddles , led lights chrome switches carbonio intake , kn filter etc etc.
I dont see why people arent getting this yet.
Insurance companies are out to make money, they are just like any other business.
You insure a standard car. If you modify this, they will want to know. If they dont know, and you have an accident, your giving them ammo to not pay out. They sometimes dont even need to prove the said item caused the accident.
Non performance or not, its worth telling them. They normally charge an admin fee for stuff like that, so do loads in one hit and youll be fine!
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So your saying if i change my insurance company to insure my heavily modified vRS, they don't ask me if it's modified or not and i don't decalre the modifications i would be insured in the event of an accident???
I would be extremley surprised if that was the case. I'm pretty sure that they would hire some fancy lawyer and do me for fraud. I couldn't afford Mr loopholes £10k a day fee and i highly doubt the defence of "Now listen here ducky. I was on MK5Gti and a forum member had a discussion with someone who said it was fine" would wash :laugh:
I'm certainly not saying do it Carl and please dont drag me into the court case if you do! :P just my understanding of retail insurance law in the UK, if they dont ask you to supply the information then you dont have to supply it off your own back. you would of course still be bound to the terms of the insurance contract, so there is no chance of accidentally getting your modified car insured in the UK as standard legitimately. my comments were more related to the factory fit equipment if they dont ask you to supply how swanky your car is and you provide accurate information to all questions answered then you should have no issue with legality of a claim. :smiley:
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But if it is placed on at the factory (i.e. car built to order) then how can they say it's not "standard"
Any optional extras that are factory-fitted are supposed to be "standard" - ie there are no aftermarket modifications.
in vags there is a number somewhere stored on the car which tells the dealer which options the car left the factory with.
+1.
It should be law that insurance can not be higher than the value of the car. They either insure you for less or they simply say sorry we can't insure you
Although most people think about their own vehicles, it goes beyond this. The insurance isn't there just to cover your car. It's to cover the any costs that arise. Let's say you crash into a Bugatti Veyron and it's your fault. The Veyron is a write-off. Given that it was your fault, the money for a new Veyron should come out of your pocket. Except it doesn't - your insurance company pays the veyron owner's insurance the money.
So say you have bought a modified vehicle secondhand. You ring up for insurance and they dont ask if the vehicle is modified. Using your theory you don't tell them. You then have a crash and make a claim. The insurance company then finds the car is modified......I wonder if you would get paid out?
Technically, they would have to. In reality, they would all ask this question and at the very least, it would be on the paperwork as the car being "unmodified".
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It should be law that insurance can not be higher than the value of the car. They either insure you for less or they simply say sorry we can't insure you
Although most people think about their own vehicles, it goes beyond this. The insurance isn't there just to cover your car. It's to cover the any costs that arise. Let's say you crash into a Bugatti Veyron and it's your fault. The Veyron is a write-off. Given that it was your fault, the money for a new Veyron should come out of your pocket. Except it doesn't - your insurance company pays the veyron owner's insurance the money.
I understand how premiums work and what they pay for. However my point is that insurers could do more to help. For example if they charged a 17yr, old who has just passed their test, say £500 a year to insure a £1200 car i think that more of them would pay insurance. No one should have to pay a yearly premium of more than there car is worth. Thats effectively paying for 2 cars but only having one. I know you have to have insurance and i know nobody is legally bound to cover you. But they would get more business by doing something like that.
I am in know way condoning at any time not paying insurance or not declaring modifications.
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Why should a 17 year old not pay more than the value of the car?
They can easily go out and do £5m worth of damage, and if that sector/age group are more likely to do it, there is an associated cost no?
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Why should a 17 year old not pay more than the value of the car?
They can easily go out and do £5m worth of damage, and if that sector/age group are more likely to do it, there is an associated cost no?
Ok then so say for arguments sake your car that you drive now is worth £10k and your insurance co. said to you "right chap that will be £15k of the queens schilling to insure you as you might drive into a vehicle transporter loaded with 10 supercars and cause £10m of damage"
What would you do? Insure the car, Not insure the car or not drive?
I know what my answer would be and it's not drive.
The point im making is that by charging such high amounts for 17yr olds they are feeding the problem. As i said if they said "come to us. Drive a 1.2 Fiesta for a couple of years to build up some no claims, get some driving experience and we will charge you £500 a year". They would get more business and the roads would probably be a lot safer.
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I can see the point Elephant were making in asking about factory options as it affects the value of the vehicle, what I couldn't deal with was the argument on replacing with different parts.
As an example - if a base model S3 is around £30k but someone buys one with bucket seats & exclusive paint he's added £4k to the price and hence in his opinion £4k to the insured value. If Elephant rate a car based on it's minimum specification they would be out of pocket on this one but if they rated every car on the premise of having £4k of options then everyone would be paying for cover they don't need.
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I can see the point Elephant were making in asking about factory options as it affects the value of the vehicle, what I couldn't deal with was the argument on replacing with different parts.
As an example - if a base model S3 is around £30k but someone buys one with bucket seats & exclusive paint he's added £4k to the price and hence in his opinion £4k to the insured value. If Elephant rate a car based on it's minimum specification they would be out of pocket on this one but if they rated every car on the premise of having £4k of options then everyone would be paying for cover they don't need.
....But isn't this countered by the fact that each policy is individual? So, as insurers such as Greenlight do, each policy accommodates the individual car and not a generic lowest common denominator. Insured replacement like-for-like is partly why I chose them. Furthermore, more and more cars are being offered 'standard' ex-factory with a wide variety of options.
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For the other part, then it should be the Aussie system (I'm sure some others have it too) of the Rego and everyone automatically having 3rd party insurance.
I'd be happy with that system and you just pay extra to have fully comp :happy2:
this is the same in south aftica. All cars have cover. but to do this they would have to increase road tax to compensate
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So your doing some spirited driving in your modified mk5 which is declared yes.
Then you have an accident and the Police prove that you were speeding and therefore breaking the road laws contravening the road traffic act hence invalidating your insurance!
....Sorry but I don't understand that bit! Since when does insurance become invalid because you broke traffic laws? :confused:
It only becomes invalid if you didn't declare your car's modifications.
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The point im making is that by charging such high amounts for 17yr olds they are feeding the problem. As i said if they said "come to us. Drive a 1.2 Fiesta for a couple of years to build up some no claims, get some driving experience and we will charge you £500 a year". They would get more business and the roads would probably be a lot safer.
this is what the companies did in germany with the younger lads who had just passed their test. being on good money and with the availability of tax free purchasing alot of very young inexperienced drivers were cutting about in very powerful cars. hence lots crashed as you would expect.
So the insurance companies then started refusing people under 21 insurance on all cars beyond a certain power level. seemed to work.
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^^^^
As Sy is saying, basically insurers respond directly to the risks and those risks manifest themselves through actual cases/events.
So, lots of young dudes misbehaving and claiming insurance ups the costs to insure for that group of dudes. They have to make a profit and they have to cover the risks. Live in a neighbourhood known for car theft and the risk is higher therefore the premium is higher.. Simples.
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The ONLY reason people modify is to go faster
So my MFD3, Cat Vision Interior light, vRS Seat decals and Carbon wrapped interior trim help me go faster??? :evilgrin:
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So your doing some spirited driving in your modified mk5 which is declared yes.
Then you have an accident and the Police prove that you were speeding and therefore breaking the road laws contravening the road traffic act hence invalidating your insurance!
....Sorry but I don't understand that bit! Since when does insurance become invalid because you broke traffic laws? :confused:
It only becomes invalid if you didn't declare your car's modifications.
If you crash through negligent driving they can void your insurance. The MIB will lobby against the insurance co from doing so it seems going from a past case.
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but none of us gti owners drive fast the mods are just to say that we can go fast
if we feel like it :signLOL: so why worry :drinking:
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Blimey I feel like I need to declare to my insurer the fact I have a beard after reading all of this!!! :signLOL:
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I wanted to get a REVO map on my GTI a few months back. I am 24 years old and have 4 years NCD, no claims/points etc
My "mod friendly" Insurer wanted an extra £200 for under 6 months cover from me, told them I would leave it, and so I have done.
There is no argument for not declaring performance mods. Cant afford the extra money - dont do it!
Simples :happy2:
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Blimey I feel like I need to declare to my insurer the fact I have a beard after reading all of this!!! :signLOL:
Depends if you are male or female? :wink:
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its a lottery if they pay or not my opinion just hope i dont need it
my mate had three accidents in three years none his fault three write offs
lost loads of money with shortfalls on insurance he gave up driving
can you blame him .its been 7 years since he drove
yes i know hes an unlucky c..t
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The ONLY reason people modify is to go faster
So my MFD3, Cat Vision Interior light, vRS Seat decals and Carbon wrapped interior trim help me go faster??? :evilgrin:
It doesn't make you go faster but it makes the car more appealing to thief and this also increases insurance premiums.
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The ONLY reason people modify is to go faster
So my MFD3, Cat Vision Interior light, vRS Seat decals and Carbon wrapped interior trim help me go faster??? :evilgrin:
It doesn't make you go faster but it makes the car more appealing to thief and this also increases insurance premiums.
Actually they do make me go faster.
The MFD3 has TMC and automatically updates & alters the route according to traffic - therefore providing me the quickerst route A-B
The Cat-Vision interior light enables me to see the Gear Stick more easily in the Dark - therefore allowing me to find it quicker thus enabling quicker gear-changes
The vRS Seat decals add 10bhp to the power (known fact for any sticker!!)
The Carbon Wrapped interior trim makes the car lighter - It is carbon fibre after all
So there :P
Yes i am a bit mental :evilgrin:
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If you are wealthy enough you can always "Self Insure", go see a solictor stick 1 million in a bonded account (cannot be accessed, although you can still earn the interest off it) and hey presto your insured and no ins companies to pay or moan about should you mod or stay std :happy2:
I only know about this as my mate knows someone who did it, he runs 4 cars on his "self insured policy" (him/wife and 2 kids). He must save about 8k per year in ins costs and it does not cost him a penny as he still gets the interest on his money, win/win.
Nice if you have a spare million! :happy2:
For the normal folk, Mods=Declared, if not your a muppett!
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Where does it all end though.
What if my exhaust rots through and I take it to a local garage who replace it with a 3rd party one that hasn't got a VW stamp on it?
What happens when the factory fitted tyres wear out and I replace them with a different brand? Do I need to tell my insurer I have "modified" my tyres.
What if I have my seats re-trimmed in a slightly different colour?
Do I need to declare all this? Surely it is madness.
Running in a higher grade fuel could even be considered a mod as it could potentially make your car quicker.
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This is a very complicated issue for me. I have always declared my mods, I am with Greenlight who know what the different mods are and don't hammer you for them. I remember speaking to a member of their staff a while ago who said they believe that if you are willing to spend £600 on a remap, you are more likely to be the kind of person who drives quickly but knows when and were to do it and how far to push it.
Example, take some members on here. They spend thousands on their motors keeping them immaculate and untap the potential in the cars engine and chassis to make the car as good as it can be within budget. They for me are far more likely to show that car respect than a chav who thinks he knows everything who buys a standard Golf GTI, then rags the living day lights out of it. We all know those people exist and have probably never thought to think about improving the car or look for an owners club on the internet.
What I'm trying to say is that insurance companies need to stop hammering people who want to make a few changes to their car. A hell of a lot more people would declare if it wasn't so costly with most insurance companies. I'd like to see some evidence to suggest drivers of modified cars pose more of a danger.
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It is purely down to an increase in engine power which leads to an increase in premium. Hence why a Gti is more expenisve to insure than a 1.6. Insurance companies only have the cars group rating to calculate the premium together with the drivers record. Whether a modded car is more of a risk than a standard car is difficult one. I am sure they know .
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Somebody run into a friend of mine a couple of weeks back, my friend had just had winter tyres fitted..... when the insurance assesor inspected the car it was the first thing he checked and becuase he didnt declare them they are trying to worm there way out of paying out..... the other person is now saying it wasnt his fault ! :fighting:
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Declaring EVERYTHING to your insurer is a no-brainer! If this needs to be explained, then you wouldn't understand. [/end of]
Personally, for a modified car driven responsibly I strongly recommend Greenlight.
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Where does it all end though.
What if my exhaust rots through and I take it to a local garage who replace it with a 3rd party one that hasn't got a VW stamp on it?
What happens when the factory fitted tyres wear out and I replace them with a different brand? Do I need to tell my insurer I have "modified" my tyres.
What if I have my seats re-trimmed in a slightly different colour?
Do I need to declare all this? Surely it is madness.
Running in a higher grade fuel could even be considered a mod as it could potentially make your car quicker.
I wonder if I can ask my insurer for a discount as I always top up with 95 octane (As opposed to the VW recommended 98), as my engine is running less power from the lower octane stuff? :evilgrin:
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hang on do factory extras class as modifications ?
Sorry if this isnt anything to do with whats been talked about now but im only a few pages in !
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Technically, anything that wasn't factory fitted is a mod. So if your car was ordered with Halogens from the factory and you fitted OEM Xenons, that's a neddy no-no. Even dealer mods count as mods.
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so how do i find out what my car came out the factory with ?
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so how do i find out what my car came out the factory with ?
....Chassis # info given to your VW dealer or VW UK?
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Sticker in the boot (under the carpet) and in the manual both have a set of codes which dictate what the car comes with.
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Declaring EVERYTHING to your insurer is a no-brainer! If this needs to be explained, then you wouldn't understand. [/end of]
Personally, for a modified car driven responsibly I strongly recommend Greenlight.
So are we saying when tyres wear out and get replaced the insurance company needs to be informed of the "modification"?
If so I would guess 99% of people's car insurance policy's are void.
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So are we saying when tyres wear out and get replaced the insurance company needs to be informed of the "modification"?
It's not a non-standard modification unless you're using different tyre sizes. If you had an accident, they may look at the tyres and decide whether they were legal or different to what could be expected.
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Volkswagen supplied me with 88Y tyres, i'm changing to 92Y which is what should be only car... a modification? Also removed the badges from the boot... is this a mod I should declare and will it reduce my premiums as it's advertising it as a gti less...?
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Volkswagen supplied me with 88Y tyres, i'm changing to 92Y which is what should be only car... a modification? Also removed the badges from the boot... is this a mod I should declare and will it reduce my premiums as it's advertising it as a gti less...?
....I think you know already the answer to your question.
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Sticker in the boot (under the carpet) and in the manual both have a set of codes which dictate what the car comes with.
....Ah yes, I'd forgotten about that. :happy2:
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Whilst I agree with informing the insurers of mods i do sympathise with those that are younger not doing so (unleash the rants of you wont when they crash into you). Insurers are their own worst enemies, they complain about having to pay out vast sums of money and as a result they hike up premiums whilst telling us its due to uninsured drivers causing the hike. Is it not just as likely that if the premiums were more affordable that there would be less uninsured drivers on the road ? They say there are more uninsured drivers around than ever before, but cant seem to see the link that insurance premiums are not only at their highest ever level but are still increasing as roads get safer???!! (according to police road traffic accident reports).
To me they will use all and any means to increase premiums, put on snow tyres and your not safer, its obvious isnt it ? now you'll go out when you MIGHT have stayed home so now your an even higher risk than before. Fit bigger brakes and now you MIGHT drive faster so again your a higher risk.
New female drivers are statistically a lower risk than the same aged male. They aren't allowed to charge males more though, poor poor Mr insurance man. NO not poor insurer, he's pleased as punch, now he has to charge the same. Did they drop all male policies down to match their female counterparts ? did they bo**ocks, they brought the female policies up in line with the males.
If the insurers weren't so greedy, then this wouldn't be an issue and there would be very few uninsured drivers (including those who dont declare mods).
Just like the estate agents that complain about slow house sales, whilst THEY dictated the prices that led to the situation I have no sympathy.
Insurers optimise capitalism at its worst, get greedy and then complain thats its someone else's fault when they cant afford it !!
Rant over. :scared:
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Volkswagen supplied me with 88Y tyres, i'm changing to 92Y which is what should be only car... a modification? Also removed the badges from the boot... is this a mod I should declare and will it reduce my premiums as it's advertising it as a gti less...?
....I think you know already the answer to your question.
No I don't which is why I asked it...
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Volkswagen supplied me with 88Y tyres, i'm changing to 92Y which is what should be only car... a modification? Also removed the badges from the boot... is this a mod I should declare and will it reduce my premiums as it's advertising it as a gti less...?
....I think you know already the answer to your question.
No I don't which is why I asked it...
It's a legit question. Insurers will find any way they can to get out of making a pay out.
I once heard a shocking story, not sure how true it is, but apparently a MKII golf driver put a Gti badge on a non Gti.
Said driver had an accident and the insurance company refused to pay out.
Personally I think this is absolutely scandalous.
I am sure once a car is over a few years old any car is going to have some slight difference to when it left the factory.
If insurance companies are going to continue like this and wriggle out of paying for every claim thn the insurance isn't worth the paper it's printed on.
Another shocking thing they do for extra money is sell on details of accidents to injury claim companies who then harass people into making false claims which in turn pushes everyone's insurance up.