For those with D1 throttle controllers

[Strudul]

New stereo is another one that should definitely be declared...

[docwra]

New stereo is another one that should definitely be declared...

 

For theft? I wouldnt bother claiming as the excess would be more.

For accident? Dont think the stereo is going to be considered as it doesnt affect the cars performance.

[Ekona]

Something like a stereo is a mod that 99% of insurers will still insure you for, just at a higher premium: Worst case there is that you get a reduced payout if they decide to play silly buggers.

 

For those asking why you'd want a more sensitive throttle in a Lambo, well why would you want it in the 350? Is it because the throttle response is a little dull at times, and you'd like it to be more lively? Same thing applies in a Lambo! Typical Audi throttle controls I'm afraid, it does make a massive difference. Personally I prefer it without, but each to their own.

[Ekona]

Notified my insurance broker when I fitted mine, told them what it does and doesn't do, accepted no problem.

Excellent, thank you! Can I ask which broker, and which underwriter?

[Jay84]

I wouldn't declare anything that is uprated oem stock, eg fitting standard sized set of performance d&p. If however Id increased the disc diameter and fitted bigger calipers, Id declare.

trouble with that is if you've went to the expense of uprated over stock, which can be 100's of £'s dearer then you can't claim for them if your in a accident

Hmm good point, I hadnt considered it from that angle. It has always been more about having a payout declined due to non disclosure

[Strudul]

Can only go on what i know from Admiral, who ask you to declare all mods (though the options are relatively vague, e.g. exterior decorative, interior, multimedia, supercharging etc).

 

Admiral don't cover the value of mods, so theft of the unit itself wouldn't factor into it.

 

However, if someone stole the car or caused significant damage breaking into it (which you wanted to claim for), they may say that a new stereo increased the likelihood of that happening and refuse to pay out.

 

As for an accident, they could claim the new stereo distracted you?

[Irn Bru]

Notified my insurance broker when I fitted mine, told them what it does and doesn't do, accepted no problem.

Excellent, thank you! Can I ask which broker, and which underwriter?

 

Broker is Grove & Dean and insured with AXA

[Irn Bru]

I wouldn't declare anything that is uprated oem stock, eg fitting standard sized set of performance d&p. If however Id increased the disc diameter and fitted bigger calipers, Id declare.

trouble with that is if you've went to the expense of uprated over stock, which can be 100's of £'s dearer then you can't claim for them if your in a accident

Hmm good point, I hadnt considered it from that angle. It has always been more about having a payout declined due to non disclosure

Exactly why I declare everything and in writing (and I always make sure I get a response too), just not worth the grief with a decline to payout. Also, up here if your pulled by the rozzers, they go thru your car with a fine tooth combe and ask you if your mods are declared, then go off and check their data base. And as my car is very loud I can expect to get pulled at any time. Tbh though they don't seem to mind loud cars here, but they will go through every inch of it if they do pull you

[AliveBoy]

Quite a lot of insurers have a couple of hundred quids worth of audio cover included as standard. I might be wrong, but I always presume that means oem or aftermarket.

[Irn Bru]

I thought ice thefts had died off these days with them being security coded and "cheapish" tbh. I haven't heard of breaking in and theft of an ice for years. Cars actually being stolen, that's another thing altogether.

[Aashenfox]

Tbh, in the real world if you didn't involve anyone else they're only going to have a cursory glance. If you run into a bus stop full of kids you cripple for life, they're going to start being a bit more thorough.

 

Thankfully and as you would hope (but sadly not always), when you give someone else a life changing injury, the insurance is more likely to be lenient on the car mods and pay out whatever is needed, as to void someone's policy on trivia (like a throttle controller), leaving 'the little kiddies crippled' would be a national scandal. It's the middling value accidents, shunts and the like, that they will vehemently try to get out of.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Aashenfox

[Jay84]

I thought ice thefts had died off these days with them being security coded and "cheapish" tbh. I haven't heard of breaking in and theft of an ice for years. Cars actually being stolen, that's another thing altogether.

Its the same with alloy wheel theft. Unless you have expensive decent wheels, it just doesnt happen. Which causes me great annoyance when the locking nut has been overtightened on a standard set and the mickey mouse key (usually peugeot) breaks.

[Ekona]

Thankfully and as you would hope (but sadly not always), when you give someone else a life changing injury, the insurance is more likely to be lenient on the car mods and pay out whatever is needed, as to void someone's policy on trivia (like a throttle controller), leaving 'the little kiddies crippled' would be a national scandal. It's the middling value accidents, shunts and the like, that they will vehemently try to get out of.

What? The insurer will pay out to the crippled kiddies regardless, they'll just void your policy and chase you for the cash. That's the legal standing of insurance, the insurer has to pay out no matter what to the injured third party.

 

There's an on-going case right now where an MR2 dropped it's coolant at the Ring, causing a biker to come off and hit the armco and lose his leg. The insurer doesn't cover the Ring, so they are now chasing the owner of the car for the sum they're paying out to the biker. Car owner probably did nothing wrong and it's unlikely they knew they had any issue with the coolant until it went pop, but that's life and the risk you take and why I'd never ever drive the Ring uninsured.

[Aashenfox]

"The insurer will pay out to the crippled kiddies regardless"

 

That's what I meant, hadn't had my coffee yet so phrased it poorly, whether or not they would then try to extract it from you isn't really relevant, imo. As long as the kidies get looked after, that's the clarification I wanted to make. I wouldn't want someone thinking that because they didn't declare a throttle controller their insurance would be totally invalid.

Edited March 2, 2017 by Aashenfox

[Ekona]

But that's exactly the case: Their insurance could be totally invalid.

[AliveBoy]

To end this with answers, not speculation. Taken from the financial ombudsman's website:

 

ICOB Rule 4.3.2(3) deals with advising and selling standards, and states that:

 

In assessing the customer’s demands and needs, the insurance intermediary must… explain to the customer his duty to disclose all circumstances material to the insurance and the consequences of any failure to make such a disclosure, both before the… insurance contract commences and throughout the duration of the contract; and take account of the information that the customer discloses.

ICOB Rule 4.3 goes on to stress that:

 

In relation to ICOB 4.3.2(3), an insurance intermediary should make clear to the customer what the customer needs to disclose. For example, in relation to private medical insurance, this could include any existing medical condition where relevant, or in relation to motor insurance, any modifications carried out to the vehicle.

 

An insurance contract is a "contract of utmost good faith", which means that all parties to the contract are under a strict duty to deal fully and frankly with each other. Customers must disclose all facts that are "material" (or relevant) to the risk for which they are seeking cover.

 

A "material" fact is one which would influence an underwriter when they were deciding whether to accept the risk, and the terms and conditions that should apply. If a customer fails to disclose (or misrepresents) a material fact and this induces the insurer to accept the proposed risk, the legal remedy is to "avoid" the policy. This means the insurer is entitled to treat the policy as though it never existed. Unless fraud is involved, the insurer will normally return the premium and will not pay out on any claim made under the policy.

 

If they were faced with a claim for hundreds of thousands of pounds, they'd be getting out of it any way possible.

[Flex]

Think I'm safe, my mate doesn't have one.

 

He does have several worrying fetishes though.

 

He really needs some help.

[PPod]

Think I'm safe, my mate doesn't have one.

 

He does have several worrying fetishes though.

 

He really needs some help.

 

Sounds like wee no the same mate