Muppet Insurance Companies

tri_longer · 16-05-2006, 20:05

Just spoken to Admiral to see how much it would cost extra to fit a rear ARB, replacement dump valve and a K&N panel filter.

Apparantly a rear ARB is considered high risk and they won't touch it. Fair enough!

A dump valve is high risk?!?! Can someone explain that one to me.

This however is not as funny as been asked to pay £52 a year extra for a K&N panel filter!!!

Oh and to make matters even worse, unless you were to buy a standard air filter from Skoda, an aftermarket one from Halfords is also considered a non-standard part and you would be charged extra for it.

It was however by the end of the conversation that I discovered that I wasn't talking to a normal person in the UK but one of those wonderful call centres in India. At this juncture I gave up and said I would speak to an underwriter tomorrow who actually knows what they are talking about.

gillywibble · 16-05-2006, 20:08

There's no such thing as an underwriter who knows what they're talking about.

Mr Grumpy · 16-05-2006, 20:08

I am with Direct Line and had recourse to speak with them yesterday.
They said they would accept ANY mods. as long as they are properly declared.
Mind you I have two cars and household insurance with them, and have had for several years.Is this normal??

gillywibble · 16-05-2006, 20:11

No it isn't. Very unusual. You must be a shareholder.

Mr Grumpy · 16-05-2006, 20:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by gillywibble

No it isn't. Very unusual. You must be a shareholder.

Noooooo, I didn't mean is having 2 cars and household insurance with the same company normal, I meant.......
Oh never mind, I think I know what I mean

Dr Zoidberg · 16-05-2006, 20:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by tri_longer

A dump valve is high risk?!?! Can someone explain that one to me.

Yep.
Put quite simply , many of the people who want dump valves are those who are going to drive their cars fast and crash.

It's not the valve itself that is high risk but the type of driver

gillywibble · 16-05-2006, 20:17

That's just called lazy. You couldn't be arsed to get more than one quote

Taztastic · 16-05-2006, 20:19

These are taken from archives in the West Midlands, why is it cheaper to not bother having insurance and risk getting away with it.
Those who declare mods lawfully get penalised and non insured drivers get off lightly.

Nicholas James Pike, aged 22 of Chawn Hill, Stourbridge, pleaded guilty to having no motor insurance. He was fined £150

Stephen Wayne Cox, aged 31, of Grove Road, Wollescote, pleaded guilty to having no motor insurance. He was given an absolute discharge, ordered to pay £35 costs and had six penalty points endorsed on his licence.

**VRStu** · 16-05-2006, 20:37

The rear ARB is classed as 'suspension other' by admiral and elephant.

tri_longer · 16-05-2006, 20:43

I wouldn't be as annoyed if when asked what it would cost to put wider/narrower profile tyres on.

They said i didn't even need to notify them!!! Work that one out.

I would say that having none standard tyres to the manufacturer would warrant at least another couple of hundred quid!!

Sheaf · 16-05-2006, 21:32

insurance makes no sense.... it's done on a computer and the computer doesn't understand life and logic.

Try Adrian Flux. They were the best for me by £200 and actually understand mods. I've heard they're not so clever when making a claim mind, but the prices/call centres of other places do my head in.

mattbeef · 16-05-2006, 21:36

tbh i wouldnt have even told them. I can bet that if you said that you have put a thicker ARB they wouldnt have cared.
As for telling them about stuff like panel filter/dump valve again i dont think i would have bothered they arent performance enhancing mods so i personally cant see a problem

tri_longer · 17-05-2006, 11:52

Been on to Chris Knott this morning; you'll love this bit.

If you live in Bradford, Manchester or Liverpool (there are other areas but couldn't remember them all) and you don't keep your car off-road at night, and you want a modified car, they will not look at insuring you!!!

Anyway despite this they took my details and came back in an hour or so with a quote of £629.99, & £350 excess.

This is about £80 more that Admiral and it will ocst me £45 to cancel my policy now, but at least they will insure any mods that I make to the car.

cheezemonkhai · 17-05-2006, 13:04

Try telling admiral this and watch them agree to match it for the rest of your policy.

MC Bodge · 17-05-2006, 13:14

If something doesn't enhance performance and meets the OEM spec it shouldn't affect the premium in my view. If they were to replace the part it would be a standard OEM part, obviously. Panel Filters and replacement dump valves (it already has a dump valve!) are irrelevant in my opinion.

People working in call centres have a list of prompts and questions -they need to know nothing about cars or insurance.

The database is set up for known risks, which is fairly simple, hence certain 'categories' of mods costing a certain amount, although they often seem fairly arbitrary to me. It does keep their admin costs down though which is why they do it.

Dave Smith(they often give them 'British' names to use

) in Bombay will do and say the same as Ahmed(who will be British...) in a call centre in Bolton.

I'll be asking my insurance about a rear ARB (which doesn't warrant much of a change in my view), but I need to psyche myself up first for the potential frustration. To be fair, when I informed them about the re-map and the wider tyres they were fine -as they took the large sum of money for th re-map....

MC Bodge · 17-05-2006, 13:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by tri_longer

If you live in Bradford, Manchester or Liverpool (there are other areas but couldn't remember them all) and you don't keep your car off-road at night, and you want a modified car, they will not look at insuring you!!!

How does a standard car with a re-map (and no stickers to tell the world about it) suddenly become more likely to be stolen? I've argued that sort of thing before.

cheezemonkhai · 17-05-2006, 14:03

It's a general policy, they can't check every car, but a mhwassivvvveee spoiler and phat allows generally make a car nickable.

This is 90% accurate for modified cars as far as they are concerned, so the business they turn away is less than the cost to get it more accurate. Thats just standard business economics and a good enough yard stick.

Sheaf · 17-05-2006, 20:57

to throw a spanner in the works...

http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/ne...08&ref=archive

MC Bodge · 17-05-2006, 23:03

It doesn't really prove anything. A large proportion of US cars with over 200bhp are probably pickup trucks or SUVs, which aren't actually that fast or nimble.

HodgyVRS · 19-05-2006, 09:38

This is a hypothetical question, if I was to buy a second hand VRS which had been re-mapped but wasn't told by the seller would this help in an insurance claims situation?
Also, hypothetically of course, if you had a re-map done with say REVO and also purchased an SPS unit, if you reverted the car back to the original settings would an insurance company be able to tell a re-map had been done in the first place?

MC Bodge · 20-05-2006, 09:35

Enquiring about a rear anti-roll bar it would appear that the annual insurance hike will be about the same cost as the ARB itself. I'm already paying extra so it'll have to wait until I can get a more 'modified car-friendly' policy.

The call centre worker, unsurprisingly, didn't know what I was talking about and it seems that 'Uprated Suspension' is a flat increase, whether that's an ARB or a monster truck setup. 'Lowering' and 'Self-Levelling' are seperate categories.

Is a modified car policy with Chris Knott or Adrian Flux likely to be significantly chepaerr than one of the big name insurers?

16-05-2006, 20:05	#1
tri_longer Briskodian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bradford Posts: 132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Muppet Insurance Companies Just spoken to Admiral to see how much it would cost extra to fit a rear ARB, replacement dump valve and a K&N panel filter. Apparantly a rear ARB is considered high risk and they won't touch it. Fair enough! A dump valve is high risk?!?! Can someone explain that one to me. This however is not as funny as been asked to pay £52 a year extra for a K&N panel filter!!! Oh and to make matters even worse, unless you were to buy a standard air filter from Skoda, an aftermarket one from Halfords is also considered a non-standard part and you would be charged extra for it. It was however by the end of the conversation that I discovered that I wasn't talking to a normal person in the UK but one of those wonderful call centres in India. At this juncture I gave up and said I would speak to an underwriter tomorrow who actually knows what they are talking about.

16-05-2006, 20:08	#2
gillywibble Cuthbert Dibble Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Watching Tom peeping at Lady Godiva. Posts: 7,001 Thanks: 229 Thanked 254 Times in 214 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies There's no such thing as an underwriter who knows what they're talking about. __________________ I drink, therefore I spam.

16-05-2006, 20:08	#3
Mr Grumpy I'm back... Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: On bail... Posts: 4,646 Thanks: 8 Thanked 158 Times in 94 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies I am with Direct Line and had recourse to speak with them yesterday. They said they would accept ANY mods. as long as they are properly declared. Mind you I have two cars and household insurance with them, and have had for several years.Is this normal?? __________________ S50 VRS Number Plate for sale..ffs someone must want it....

16-05-2006, 20:11	#4
gillywibble Cuthbert Dibble Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Watching Tom peeping at Lady Godiva. Posts: 7,001 Thanks: 229 Thanked 254 Times in 214 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies No it isn't. Very unusual. You must be a shareholder. __________________ I drink, therefore I spam.

16-05-2006, 20:17	#7
gillywibble Cuthbert Dibble Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Watching Tom peeping at Lady Godiva. Posts: 7,001 Thanks: 229 Thanked 254 Times in 214 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies That's just called lazy. You couldn't be arsed to get more than one quote __________________ I drink, therefore I spam.

16-05-2006, 20:19	#8
Taztastic Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: The back of beyond Posts: 280 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies These are taken from archives in the West Midlands, why is it cheaper to not bother having insurance and risk getting away with it. Those who declare mods lawfully get penalised and non insured drivers get off lightly. Nicholas James Pike, aged 22 of Chawn Hill, Stourbridge, pleaded guilty to having no motor insurance. He was fined £150 Stephen Wayne Cox, aged 31, of Grove Road, Wollescote, pleaded guilty to having no motor insurance. He was given an absolute discharge, ordered to pay £35 costs and had six penalty points endorsed on his licence.

16-05-2006, 20:37	#9
VRStu Txt Spk Police Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hampshire Posts: 20,763 Thanks: 142 Thanked 987 Times in 884 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies The rear ARB is classed as 'suspension other' by admiral and elephant. __________________ Stu Stu's Websites - http://www.fabia-vrs.com & http://www.octavia-vrs.com Stu's Car - 2008 Audi S3 - Ibis White, Black Optics Pack, Privacy Glass, Auto Bi Xenon Headlights, Rain Sensing Wipers, Bose Sound System, Ipod Prep, GSM Phone Prep, Flat Bottom Multi Function Steering Wheel, Electric Folding Mirrors, Acoustic Parking, Cruise Control, Interior Light Pack, Non Smokers Pack. SWMBO's Car - 2008 Seat LEON TDi Stylance, Black Magic, Sports Pack, Rear Parking Sensors. Something for Weekend - A Patio

16-05-2006, 20:43	#10
tri_longer Briskodian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bradford Posts: 132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies I wouldn't be as annoyed if when asked what it would cost to put wider/narrower profile tyres on. They said i didn't even need to notify them!!! Work that one out. I would say that having none standard tyres to the manufacturer would warrant at least another couple of hundred quid!!

16-05-2006, 21:32	#11
Sheaf Briskodian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: South UK Posts: 157 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies insurance makes no sense.... it's done on a computer and the computer doesn't understand life and logic. Try Adrian Flux. They were the best for me by £200 and actually understand mods. I've heard they're not so clever when making a claim mind, but the prices/call centres of other places do my head in. __________________ Parents: '02 Octavia 1.9TDi Me: '99 V Honda Accord Type-R

16-05-2006, 21:36	#12
mattbeef Briskodian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Sheffield Posts: 3,368 Thanks: 36 Thanked 116 Times in 115 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies tbh i wouldnt have even told them. I can bet that if you said that you have put a thicker ARB they wouldnt have cared. As for telling them about stuff like panel filter/dump valve again i dont think i would have bothered they arent performance enhancing mods so i personally cant see a problem

17-05-2006, 11:52	#13
tri_longer Briskodian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bradford Posts: 132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies Been on to Chris Knott this morning; you'll love this bit. If you live in Bradford, Manchester or Liverpool (there are other areas but couldn't remember them all) and you don't keep your car off-road at night, and you want a modified car, they will not look at insuring you!!! Anyway despite this they took my details and came back in an hour or so with a quote of £629.99, & £350 excess. This is about £80 more that Admiral and it will ocst me £45 to cancel my policy now, but at least they will insure any mods that I make to the car.

17-05-2006, 13:04	#14
cheezemonkhai Briskodian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 15,478 Thanks: 106 Thanked 507 Times in 470 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies Try telling admiral this and watch them agree to match it for the rest of your policy. __________________ Cars make CO2 and trees absorb CO2. By driving your car you're feeding a tree and helping the environment.

17-05-2006, 13:14	#15
MC Bodge Briskodian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: North West England Posts: 899 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies If something doesn't enhance performance and meets the OEM spec it shouldn't affect the premium in my view. If they were to replace the part it would be a standard OEM part, obviously. Panel Filters and replacement dump valves (it already has a dump valve!) are irrelevant in my opinion. People working in call centres have a list of prompts and questions -they need to know nothing about cars or insurance. The database is set up for known risks, which is fairly simple, hence certain 'categories' of mods costing a certain amount, although they often seem fairly arbitrary to me. It does keep their admin costs down though which is why they do it. Dave Smith(they often give them 'British' names to use ) in Bombay will do and say the same as Ahmed(who will be British...) in a call centre in Bolton. I'll be asking my insurance about a rear ARB (which doesn't warrant much of a change in my view), but I need to psyche myself up first for the potential frustration. To be fair, when I informed them about the re-map and the wider tyres they were fine -as they took the large sum of money for th re-map.... __________________ Mk1 Octavia vRS. The thinking man's Hot Hatch. PS. Give Cyclists Room! We're quite vulnerable. If I can slap your window, you're too close Last edited by MC Bodge; 17-05-2006 at 13:19.

17-05-2006, 14:03	#17
cheezemonkhai Briskodian Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 15,478 Thanks: 106 Thanked 507 Times in 470 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies It's a general policy, they can't check every car, but a mhwassivvvveee spoiler and phat allows generally make a car nickable. This is 90% accurate for modified cars as far as they are concerned, so the business they turn away is less than the cost to get it more accurate. Thats just standard business economics and a good enough yard stick. __________________ Cars make CO2 and trees absorb CO2. By driving your car you're feeding a tree and helping the environment.

17-05-2006, 20:57	#18
Sheaf Briskodian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: South UK Posts: 157 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies to throw a spanner in the works... http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/ne...08&ref=archive __________________ Parents: '02 Octavia 1.9TDi Me: '99 V Honda Accord Type-R

17-05-2006, 23:03	#19
MC Bodge Briskodian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: North West England Posts: 899 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies It doesn't really prove anything. A large proportion of US cars with over 200bhp are probably pickup trucks or SUVs, which aren't actually that fast or nimble. __________________ Mk1 Octavia vRS. The thinking man's Hot Hatch. PS. Give Cyclists Room! We're quite vulnerable. If I can slap your window, you're too close

19-05-2006, 09:38	#20
HodgyVRS Briskodian Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 18 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies This is a hypothetical question, if I was to buy a second hand VRS which had been re-mapped but wasn't told by the seller would this help in an insurance claims situation? Also, hypothetically of course, if you had a re-map done with say REVO and also purchased an SPS unit, if you reverted the car back to the original settings would an insurance company be able to tell a re-map had been done in the first place?

20-05-2006, 09:35	#21
MC Bodge Briskodian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: North West England Posts: 899 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Muppet Insurance Companies Enquiring about a rear anti-roll bar it would appear that the annual insurance hike will be about the same cost as the ARB itself. I'm already paying extra so it'll have to wait until I can get a more 'modified car-friendly' policy. The call centre worker, unsurprisingly, didn't know what I was talking about and it seems that 'Uprated Suspension' is a flat increase, whether that's an ARB or a monster truck setup. 'Lowering' and 'Self-Levelling' are seperate categories. Is a modified car policy with Chris Knott or Adrian Flux likely to be significantly chepaerr than one of the big name insurers? __________________ Mk1 Octavia vRS. The thinking man's Hot Hatch. PS. Give Cyclists Room! We're quite vulnerable. If I can slap your window, you're too close

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