Insurance

[Wolfhound]

Is a pain in the ass. Phoned up just now because I wanted to clarify what counts as a modification and what doesn't.

I got put on to a woman called Sarah. I asked Sarah whether it would count as modifying my car if I were to change all the filters on my car. She asked what I meant and i said to change the fuel filter, oil filter and air filter, would it count as a modification. She told me she didn't know that cars had so many filters and told me she was going to ask her boss.

Get this, when she get's back she tells me her boss said that i'm not allowed to change the filters on my car as this would increase performance, and therefore count as a modification. :glare:

Also, she told me if i were to cancell my policy today i would be returned £1,061 of my £1,800 policy. In effect I would have paid £739 for three months and four days worth of cover.

 

[Napster]

who are you with if dont mind me asking?
now....the only performance modification they can charge you for is an "induction kit / performance air filter"....of which you said "air filter" to her! if its a replacement as part of a service, as in, exact replica....then no!! surely not!!!

the fuel filter / oil filter is part of a "service" to prolong engine life and have it running smoothly!!

 

[joesouthgate]

yer i really would't worry about telling ur insurance company you have basicly serviced the car!

 

[Arnold]

would like to know what company that's with! Only being refunded that much sounds a bit naughty.

 

[Wolfhound]

I am with Churchill. I phoned them up a couple more times just to make sure that it's not just one person that thinks that. And apparently it is.

The second time I phoned up I was told by Steve that replacing all the filters and the seats would be absolutely fine as long as everything was to a standard that would pass an MOT.

Third time I phoned up Amy told me that I was allowed to replace the filters as long as they are not performance filters. And I am allowed to replace my seats so long as it doesn't affect the value of the car, it doesn't change the number of seats and the seats are fitted by a proffesional.

I made sure to have Amy put a note on my policy saying that she has told me I am allowed to change the seats. She also told me that I need to phone up to tell them once I have actually replaced the seats.

 

[Rob..]

hhm, did you have to pay a deposit at the start of your policy?
may explain why you would'nt get as much in return...

 

[Wolfhound]

I paid the £1,800 up front for a years cover. Hopefully it's sorted now. I just hope that when I do put my new seats in that they're not gonna turn around and tell me they wont insure me with those seats

 

[superls]

if u dont mind me asking why were u informing them that you were replacing the filters, which as stated above are maintanance items

 

[Wolfhound]

Well, the idea was just to get a specific idea of what counts as a modification, so I started by asking a few examples of things that I thought couldn't possibly count as modifications before working my way up through the more grey areas.

Turns out that the people maning the phones are just as in the dark about it as everyone else...

 

[Robb]

Churchill are crap like Napster says its only a modification if its like a whole kit so say if you took the air box out and put a cone filter on, they would prob consider that a mod, but if its just a replacement service part then theres no problem.

 

[Alienfish360]

the refund amounts will be in the policy, and would have been in the terms before you agreed to them.

I paid £950 out on a policy, and I'm cancelling it 3 months later and receiving just under £200.

 

[Craig]

That refund policy is pretty standard for an insurance company TBH - once they have your money, they don't want to give it back + it discourages you going to cheaper insurers during your policy.

I've found Churchill to be pretty carp - they seem to hate young drivers and refused to insure me on my T5at 22!

Craig

 

[Wolfhound]

Yeah, I think that if I cancelled on the 16th though they'd give me the same price for a refund, I asked them a few days after the original date I bought the policy if that makes sense.

I may try Quinn Direct. They give extortionate quotes online, but apparently if you phone them up and haggle you can get quite a good deal.

 

[Napster]

i said in previous post and so have others.......they are "service" related mods, not performance!
otherwise after every service from every car garage in the uk, they would have to ring your insurance company and tell them lol!!!!


good luck getting other quotes and good move telling that lady to write her views on the seat question!!! (Y)