car insurance.

[JonnyG]

Do you have to inform you insurer that you bought a vehicle with a tow-bar fitted? and if so, does it show up on you schedule/policy?
I am sure I informed them last year, but see no reference to it on either schedule or policy.?

 

[andre]

good afternoon, yes we had to notify our insurance company that a tow bar was fitted, and they have noted the fact on the insurance docs, best to be safe than sorry get the insurance company to note the fact that you have a tow bar fitted.
kind regards

 

[MrsSorento]

hi, a post on the forum last year advised that a tow bar is classified by most insurers as a modification to the standard factory spec. When my car insurance came up for renewal I put in the modifications that I had a tow bar and didn't really notice a jump in premiums. Like the previous reply it is better to advise the insurer than find any claims may be voided by the lack of information when taking up the policy.
regards Lisa

 

[JonnyG]

Cheers andre.
Started to panic, so just got off the phone to Admiral. Had a pleasant chat with some chippie half way around the world, and after explaining twice, no its not a rear valence! and I have no idea if it was factory fitted either,he left me on hold and came back and said Admiral do not consider it a "modification"!
I am pretty sure other policies i have had did indeed note the fact that i had a towbar fitted.....

 

[TD42]

many insurance companies do not regard tow bars as a chargable extra to the policy BUT many will use the fact that you did not inform them of a "modification" as an out if you needed to make a claim many years ago a coachline & an airspoiler lost me a claim I will not trust an insurance co as far as I can throw them this last winter many companies were refuseing to accept claims Or loading policies because winter tyres (not snow/mud tyres) had been fitted with out informing them
Iinform my insurer of everything that was not fitted to the car originaly

 

[andre]

Hi, they may say over the phone that admiral do not consider a tow bar to be a modification, cover your self and get that in writing it will save a lot of trouble if you do need to ever make a claim.
regards
andre

 

[RayS]

I'm insured through LV= and they said that if the towbar fitting was included on the original car purchase invoice, then it was not a modification, but if an after purchase fit, then it was a mod. and they needed to know. Since mine was on the invoice the question of any additional premium did not arise, and I've never had any problem since my first van in 1966 but I've always told the car insurer on each renewal.
With today's news that insurers can no longer 'discriminate' against 21 year old males v. 75 year old males or those of the female gender, it seems not unlikely that they will be looking to recover some additional funds, so I shall not be at all surprised if a whole number of things which have hitherto been accepted suddently become chargeable extras.

 

[JonnyG]

Andre.
I think i will be phoning them later to actually ask for them to but it in writing
cheers

 

[Philspadders]

i have just renewed my insurance on my Sportage due to my current insurer increasing the premiums with one helll of bump.
I have found the insurance in generall has increased , a lot.
In searchng for a better price / deal I spoke to One Call ( was current insurer), Chuchill, Direct Line and used the online comparison sites and they all regard a non factory fitted towball as a modifaction and in all cases the premiums increased.
Any modification to the vehicle that is a change from the factory specification must be notified in writing to your insurers ( who may of course then take the opportunnity to increase your premium and / or charge an administration fee to update your records).
One Call wanted to charge a "30% renewal charge" 30% of the premium., they also stated that if a cancellation was rcecieved lass than 5 days before the the renewal date a "£25 charge would be made".
Since the renewal notice landed on my door mat 6 days before the renewal i phoned them up and cancelled it anyway.

I have arranged a policy with the Caravan Club as they offered the best deal, with the lowest premium, and lowest excess.
Watch out for the excess on new policies, they seem to be getting a little high. Some i looked at wanted £300 compulsory and then a further £200 plus voluntary. There also seems to be a move towards a fixed excess on windscreens.
Im annoyed because i have 15 plus years no claims, my wife has 10 plus years, and we have no points or convictions.

 

[Steve L]

I'm afraid insurance companies are about as trust worthy as a pack of lions. Would you go camping with them!
Get everything in writing that is a change from a standard car.
Now the EU has declared men and weomen the same the first comment I heard was that it gives insurance companies the free hand to bung their premiums up regardless of any past driving good character. Where's the fair statistical calculation in that.
Simularly, my uncle aged 75 has been driving cars tractors and lorry's for united carriers since he was 17. He pays £1000 p/a for his Nissan Quashki and has now just bought a Nissan navara to tow an Ifor Williams trailer to show his 18 vintage tractors as his JCB all track can't be used on the road as it has been run on red diesel for years. The insurance company charged him £2'000 for the navara. When he asked why as he'd been driving for 58 years without as much as a parking ticket let alone a claim? The reply was he's statistically due for an accident!!!
So it doesn't pay to be a good driver, carefull driver etc etc etc!
Insurance companies get you every which way they can!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Philspadders]

£1k seems a lot fro someone at 75.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

. When he asked why as he'd been driving for 58 years without as much as a parking ticket let alone a claim? The reply was he's statistically due for an accident!!!

hi steve isnt life funny that is exactly what I was told last year on renewal 45+ years of driving without as much as a parking ticket.
2009 premium £126 fully comp, 2010 premium £195. when asked why the hike in price I was told it refelected the increased possibility that a claim was more likey due to my driving record ie was due for a accident and this from an insurer that boasts catering for the older driver with good records when I explained that with 45+ years being claim free that equaled 42 years no claims bonus I should have a free policy he just laught.
but 3months on the car was damaged in a carpark rendering it undrivable and I had to make my first claim even though it was not my fault the renewal for 2011 was £685 inc the protected bouns of 70% that is almost £2000 basic and the exess had gone up from 100 to £500 I did not renew the policy.
after serching all the sites finally insured with the LV @ £315 with £300 exess but I had to tell them everything, the towbar, used to tow caravan, roof bars, fog lights colour change (due to respray) and the fact I have diabetes.
there was no increase for these but every item is on the insurance papers as modifications after one bad experience it pays to be safe.
colin

 

[mullsy1]

Debating with an insurance company regards the reasoning for the increase in the cost of your cover always reminds me of the old adage 'some you lose,some you can't win'