Informing the insurance company or not an article in the Gardian Newspaper

[Kind of Blue]

Article in the Gardian Newspaper concerning Vehicle insurance.

Naivety cost me my Transit van and motorbike insurance​

Naivety cost me my Transit van and motorbike insurance

I have been driving for 38 years, I have never had an accident, but I can no longer get insurance

www.theguardian.com

​

 

[Hilly64]

Interesting, a few years ago my T5 was written off by a car being chased by the police, proper Police Interceptor stuff

anyway I got paid out plus kept the van but the loss adjuster said to me be careful if you intend to do any form of conversion as he had just visited a fully burnt VW van that he declined on the basis it had a fitted cooker, sink, windows etc and was insured as a panel van. I made sure I informed them I had installed windows, any excuse not to pay out and they will hammer it I am sure

Not sure the article is completely accurate as almost makes out he just slept in it the van the odd weekend then the suggestion is it was converted.

got me thinking would using a standard kombi with an Ovano be deemed a mod, surely not? no more or less a mod than say van racking?

what would the Forum members deem as a relevant insurance notifiable mod, in theory anything that deviates from standard out of the factory I guess?

starter for 10:
non-standard wheels?
sound deadening and insulation?
awning rails?

be interesting to hear views and even good or bad experiences

 

[manfrotto]

I checked with my insurance after installing a towbar - and that was OK with them.

 

[Sasquatch]

Good thing mines all fully declared and itemised.

 

[Kind of Blue]

Interesting, a few years ago my T5 was written off by a car being chased by the police, proper Police Interceptor stuff

anyway I got paid out plus kept the van but the loss adjuster said to me be careful if you intend to do any form of conversion as he had just visited a fully burnt VW van that he declined on the basis it had a fitted cooker, sink, windows etc and was insured as a panel van. I made sure I informed them I had installed windows, any excuse not to pay out and they will hammer it I am sure

Not sure the article is completely accurate as almost makes out he just slept in it the van the odd weekend then the suggestion is it was converted.

got me thinking would using a standard kombi with an Ovano be deemed a mod, surely not? no more or less a mod than say van racking?

what would the Forum members deem as a relevant insurance notifiable mod, in theory anything that deviates from standard out of the factory I guess?

starter for 10:
non-standard wheels?
sound deadening and insulation?
awning rails?

be interesting to hear views and even good or bad experiences

They are are a sensible set of questions. I think hat in my day people may have only informed insurance companies on mayor performance improvements and probably not even then. I had noticed much later on on 4x4 forum that some people declared practical ever minor this and that while again many did not. It seemed reasonable to inform of performance hikes because of a supposed increase risk but some declarations just seemed silly. Suggestions where made that for people like this guy and there where one or two others that insurance companies would take his lead and start insisting that every one did the same or insurer’s would extract their pound of flesh and so it seams. I have also spoken with insurance brokers years ago that we just happened to know many years ago, who told me that much of that sort of thing was initially handled by very young no nothing juniors, who only need challenging for matters to be escalated and rubbed out by their manages, so so not be concerned. Of course something major, well discus with us first and it will save you £. Time moves on and it seem things have moved on and indeed they may look for every excuse. How depressing. Does one need to inform them if I failed to fart or wash today one wonders.

 

[Bav]

Declare everything and let the insurer decide what's relevant and what isn't. Its the only approach that doesn’t risk having your insurance voided for non-declaration.

 

[Bav]

...they may look for every excuse.

If you've entered into a contract on the basis of informing them of any mods and then you fail to declare all mods, its hardly an excuse.

 

[Kind of Blue]

If you've entered into a contract on the basis of informing them of any mods and then you fail to declare all mods, its hardly an excuse.

So changing a tyre brand? A tyre size? A different winter set of wheels?

 

[Hilly64]

so what would be the opinion on fitting an Ovano out of interest?

I did ask Direct Line about wheels and they said they didnt have a problem but only upto a max of 2" above factory issue so in my case 19", moved insurers since then so guess each will have own rules

Did I read somewhere that Martin Lewis or someone was predicting a reduction in premiums going forward?

 

[Bav]

Tyre brand/size all fine provided they're legal, load rated, and fit for purpose (i.e. they don't infringe C&U regs). Personally, I'd be informing my insurer if changing to aftermarket wheels that were more expensive or more desirable than those fitted as standard.

 

[Bav]

so what would be the opinion on fitting an Ovano out of interest?

I did ask Direct Line about wheels and they said they didnt have a problem but only upto a max of 2" above factory issue so in my case 19", moved insurers since then so guess each will have own rules

Did I read somewhere that Martin Lewis or someone was predicting a reduction in premiums going forward?

Yes, potentially each insurer will have their own rules - hence always declare and then they can never claim they weren't aware.

 

[Sasquatch]

So changing a tyre brand? A tyre size? A different winter set of wheels?

Tyre brand, no, so long as it is OE size and ratings.

Tyre size, yes.

Winter tyres no (ABI has stopped insirers charging for winter tyres) provided they are of OE size and ratings, but if the rims upon which the are mounted are different then those wheels themselves require a declaration.

 

[Kind of Blue]

Ok Thank you guys for replying in detail.

 

[Ricardo T]

All the insurers I’ve contacted for quotes have asked about van racking in my pv, seems a standard question now when it never used to be.

 

[Shaun Witts]

It’s not just the extras that need to be accurately declared, but also where it is kept - at least for motorcycles!
After much pestering for clarification, I was informed that if I stated that my motorcycle was kept in a garage, or on the drive and it was then stolen from the street outside my house, then it wouldn’t be covered. I challenged this as I park on the street to wash my bikes (& van) and leave them a while to dry and it was grudgingly admitted that maybe the insurance would only be voided if they were left on the street (outside my house) overnight, but even so. I further clarified that if I had to park on the street (due to works on my drive for example) I would have to phone them to make a change to my policy to maintain cover - with an inevitable charge! It would be cheaper to leave them parked on the street outside my sons house in another town!
Another thing is to use any security features that are declared to the insurance. If you state that you use a lock through the steering wheel and it gets stolen when that lock was not fitted, then you could be in trouble. Of course, you could lie, but if someone has CCTV, or you have already given a statement to the police admitting no lock was fitted then that won’t go well.

 

[whodat]

Parking is an issue where I live.
The insurers usually want 'a postcode' where the vehicle is usually kept overnight but there are probably about 20 postcodes that I park at. Some insurers just go somewhere along the lines of 'computer says no' - so they lose out as I'm not a claimer.
My present insurer - got them to write me an email saying that for a majority of the year the van is parked within 300 metres of my home address. The person on the phone thought I was being picky when insisting that they write something down and send it to me but did see my point when I mentioned about insurers wheedling out of claims for little or no reason - and I did say it jokingly and politely but did insist.
(maybe I should have specified 'as the crow flies')
Strangely enough, I can park in a different postcode and still be closer to my home than somewhere else in my postcode - so it isn't an exact science.

 

[Paynewright]

I’ve declared all my mods on the van.

When fitting extra stuff in the van eg going from PV to Kombi with drilling the floor, seat brackets etc do the insurers ever ask for installer information / certification / receipts etc? I know gas / elec is different.

Toying with the idea of going full caravelle seating in ours (for the bed arrangement) and DIYing it.

 

[Dellmassive]

I’ve declared all my mods on the van.

When fitting extra stuff in the van eg going from PV to Kombi with drilling the floor, seat brackets etc do the insurers ever ask for installer information / certification / receipts etc? I know gas / elec is different.

Toying with the idea of going full caravelle seating in ours (for the bed arrangement) and DIYing it.

Not for the insurance with us.

But the dvla did want to see installer paperwork for the change of seat from 3 panel and to 5 kombi.

The previous guy had a garage fit it all. So we just sent pics and copy's of the invoice for fitting.. all good and V5 changed.

 

[Sasquatch]

The article is interesting. The feller suggests he'd merely thrown some camping gear in the back, yet the reply from the Guardian states it was a partial camper conversion with solar, heater and kitchen.

If he can't even be open and honest in a letter to a newspaper then lord only knows what he told his insurers. I hate to say it but it seems he did it to himself with his one.

 

[Paynewright]

Not for the insurance with us.

But the dvla did want to see installer paperwork for the change of seat from 3 panel and to 5 kombi.

The previous guy had a garage fit it all. So we just sent pics and copy's of the invoice for fitting.. all good and V5 changed.

I should be OK on that front - it was a 9 seat window van so number of seats reducing!