It's renewal time and I'm just wondering what you guys do when it comes to answering that question about whether your car has been modified in any way including optional extras (eg. parking sensors or air conditioning).
I spotted this today with esure and admiral and a few others and I'm concerned that if I input all the extras my Alfa has i.e. radio nav, climate control, heated seats and so on my premium will be through the roof!
Interesting question. When I first insured my G I asked the people at Admiral this as I have the RadioNav and 18" alloys added and they told me it doesn't need declaring if the manufacture adds them on when the cars built. Since then I've added DAB and have never declared any modifications.
Sure enough I'm in the same boat as you, renewal up with Elephant (aka Admiral) and their wording for the modifications incl. optional extras is very interesting.
"Has your car been modified in any way? With the tooltip of "This is a cosmetic or performance change to the car away from the manufacturer's standard specification (including optional extras)."
Like you, I also have 18" alloys, radio nav, carbon spoiler and wing mirror caps etc. but this was all done at the factory "to the best of my knowledge".
As above, if it was included at sale by the manufacturer then no problem.
Other question is when you fit uprated but basically OEM parts, for example Eibach springs on a factory lowered car (ie no extra drop), groved discs etc
I have always used the premise if it came with the car its not an extra to declare.
I recently reinsured my Cooper S mini. The list of what constitutes an extra was endless. Even things like stripes and stickers in the windows had to be declared. Don't know how much difference it would have made. Got charged £28 extra for the stainless sports exhaust though!! The strut brace and improved air intake where on it when I bought it!
I also work on the aussumption that standard = how it was sold.
Eibach springs, Bilstein B6 dampers and groved discs I would class as upgrades and would notify the insurance.
Standard replacements like plated plain discs, Bilstein b4 dampers and different bits of trim from other models I would be tempted not to say anything.
I fitted Silver mirror caps on my Lusso from a Veloce, but I didn't tell the insurance.
I can't see how it would affect the likelyhood of my car having an accident or the car being stolen. Same with the small Italian flag badge on the back.
I understand that should your 18" replacement wheels get stolen, with the car, you'll get paid for the 16s it came with. The same goes for the carbon mirror caps £50 instead of £350.
Stickers on windows "advertising" things like Alpine or Ansa etc... or bigger wheels may make your car more attractive to thieves who will smash windows to steal what they think is in your car.
Ultimately, I guess, the insurance company could say the car is not the same as that insured and nullify the cover!
My exhaust is very very obvious when the engine is running!!!
I would take that to mean that they don't need to know about optional extras.
Saying that though, I've just had a remap because the 159 was at 136bhp. So I had it changed to 170bhp. That's kind of thing they probably mean. It isn't something they are likely to check our can see at a glance so I'd be reluctant to report it.
I want to change my stereo though and once done, I'd be likely to inform them of that, if someone stole the stereo, I'd want it replaced
I think it depends how you interpret their wording. When they say
I would take that to mean that they don't need to know about optional extras.
Saying that though, I've just had a remap because the 159 was at 136bhp. So I had it changed to 170bhp. That's kind of thing they probably mean. It isn't something they are likely to check our can see at a glance so I'd be reluctant to report it.
I want to change my stereo though and once done, I'd be likely to inform them of that, if someone stole the stereo, I'd want it replaced
Declared my Bhp upgrade as if I was in an accident I thought I'd be screwed if the insurance found out as they would probably say insurance was invalidated.
Anything factory fitted should fine, as has been said.
Remap or part upgrades such as exhausts, clutches, turbos, even air filter/induction definitely declare. They frown on anything that reduces the weight also so don't remove the back seats!
i rang admiral to ask how much extra it would be to modify my exhaust if i had it done, i was really shocked when they said it was around £15 for the rest of the term (9 months).
i didnt tell them it had been done for a few weeks tho!!
The trouble comes when using comparison sites or filling in forms on the internet when it just becomes a tick list and from that there may be a "standard" list of extra costs. :thinking:
If I modify my mini further I'd be looking to talk directly to a human at a specialist form who would have a bit more knowledge of the various upgrades and potential BHP increases. :nervous:
Hopefully they would be more pragmatic than a internet tick list! :thumbu p:
My Giulietta has to remain as the garage sent it out as its a lease job.
Wheels are an interesting one, if you went out and purchased a set of 18" wheels to fit your car with 16", you would probably not need to declare if they are Alfa Romeo Wheels, but would if they were another brand. If you bought the car second hand there would be nothing to say they were optional extras.
In the case of Eibachs, I was very careful to state it was with the already lowered Ti, definitely an extra for a Lusso.
I guess where it becomes tricky is when you buy used private, and can't definitively say what's an addition and what is standard because for all the buyer knows, the car came with all those bells and whistles when it left the factory?
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