Bugger - Crashed the GTI on sunday!

[xjay1337]

but your mods are only cosmetic and you don't deserve to have your claim made void! Good luck buddy!

I don't think that's for you to decide!

Technically you should declare ANY modifications (even OEM upgrades for example if you have a standard Mk5 GTI and you have all the colour coding done and fit ED30 front splitter and ED30 rear bumper and the ED30 alloys then you HAVE to declare these).

It's then up to your insurer/broker/underwriter to decide what needs to be "declared" and what would be covered as normal.

ED30s are a much higher theft risk than a regular GTI so a car modified in my example would be more desirable to thieves to damage/steal.

If anyone listens to one pice of advice it's this - EVERY modification should be openly declared to your insurance company otherwise at worst your insurance may be CANCELLED. Then try getting insurance after you've had a policy voided mid-term...

 If they then decide you do not need to pay extra then that's happy days. Otherwise accept the increase in premiums or remove your modifications.

[afctom]

but your mods are only cosmetic and you don't deserve to have your claim made void! Good luck buddy!

I don't think that's for you to decide!

Technically you should declare ANY modifications (even OEM upgrades for example if you have a standard Mk5 GTI and you have all the colour coding done and fit ED30 front splitter and ED30 rear bumper and the ED30 alloys then you HAVE to declare these).

It's then up to your insurer/broker/underwriter to decide what needs to be "declared" and what would be covered as normal.

ED30s are a much higher theft risk than a regular GTI so a car modified in my example would be more desirable to thieves to damage/steal.

If anyone listens to one pice of advice it's this - EVERY modification should be openly declared to your insurance company otherwise at worst your insurance may be CANCELLED. Then try getting insurance after you've had a policy voided mid-term...

 If they then decide you do not need to pay extra then that's happy days. Otherwise accept the increase in premiums or remove your modifications.

Especially when most of the time your insurance company won't increase your premium for cosmetic mods, just one admin fee charge which in my case is £19.50 with Admiral. They even recommend I declare 4 or 5 mods at the same time so I don't have to pay several admin fees. I did however have to just pay £90 in increased premium for retrofitting Xenons and Rear LED lights to my MK6, but having undeclared mods isn't something I wanted to risk! Things like leather seats, rear view camera, bumper, side skirts, spoiler etc etc all come under cosmetic/interior mods and therefore don't add to my premium.

OP sorry to hear about your accident and hope all is well though!

[Greenman]

f*ck me you lot are all very well behaved on here aren't you.

I can afford to declare the mods, but it's hard to declare them when i only had them fitted 4 hours before i crashed the car, on a sunday, where their lines are closed at 2pm! - plus insurance companies are scum, just like bankers and the likes, so i try to pay them as little as possible.

I had the previous mods declared on my policy, like wheels, exhaust etc.

I have to admit to not declaring many mods i changed on my previous cars, as my mantra has always been 'don't crash' and there won't be a problem.

When you have been driving for 17+ years and never had a crash, you seem to think you never will, and i like taking risks, if i didn't, i wouldn't be self employed earning over £70k a year!

I shall be ringing them for an update today.

[Greenman]

When I was 23 I was paying 675 a year on my GTI, that was an agreed value policy with like for like mod replacement, I had a power limit of 275 on the policy and everything declared from the air ride to the decat pipe to the little air lift sticker on the back window. that was 4 years no claims and 1 accident in 5 years (on the 5th year).

when I was 22 that it was £950 with all of the same modifications. - 3 years ncb / 1 accident

If I couldn't have afforded the insurance I would not have modified my car.
 My friend is 19 and has a Scirocco and is not allowed a remap by his insurance company so guess what he isn't getting a remap.

Do you want a gold sticker or something mate?

Next you will be telling us you never break the speed limit!

[Greenman]

I have the following upgraded on my GTI:

MFD2 > RNS 510 with Kuftatec bluetooth
Standard front and rear GTI valances > Ed 30 front and rear valances
Mk6 OEM rear parking sensors added
OEM xenons added
Ed30 Pescaras all around

I haven't declared any of them because they were all OEM upgrades largely. Should I have?

Will be doing a Stage 1 map later this year when I find an insurer that supports mods at a reasonable price.

I'd say 99% of people changing these few bits wouldn't declare. Not because they're trying to be sly and not pay the extra premium but out of innocence. Put up a poll and find out 

Anyway, hope they don't mess you around. Had you increased the car to 400bhp and not declared I'd hope your car was a write off and you got nothing from it but your mods are only cosmetic and you don't deserve to have your claim made void! Good luck buddy!

Cheers dude.

[ephemeross]

I like to take risks too, but I still declare everything.
It's so easy to make a list of mods in a text file and then paste them in online/read them out over the phone.

Much like Jay, I've told my insurance about stickers and my white led interior bulbs, as well as "important" stuff like coilovers etc. It's simply not worth the risk of losing out on a claim.
It's better to pay that bit extra to declare everything, since if you do need to claim and you've not declared mods it's going to cost you a hell of a lot more because you won't actually be insured!

There's plenty of brokers who will treat you sensibly and not take the piss with their prices, especially if you're as old as you're making yourself out to be!

[r5gtt]

I think Adrian flux don't add any extra for cosmetic mods and filters.
Only if the cars been mapped.

Can't remember as it's been a while.

[Greenman]

So an update, and it's good news.

Spoke to my insurer and they have accepted the claim, and have told the repair company to continue with repairs.

As the only modified part that is damaged was the wheels which i had declared, they say they have no issue at all with continuing with the repair and indeed repairing the modified wheel at the rear that is badly damaged, there will be no up in premium but i plan to declare the other mods after repair which i'm sure will put the premiums up a little bit.

Luckily i have protected no claims so that is all fine too.

They are even colour coding the rear bumper back to how i had it before.

Just shows you don't have to be quite as paranoid as some make out.  I know numerous people that have had moderately modified cars that have all had incidents and have never had issues claiming.  Maybe if my wheels were not declared it might of been more of an issue, who know's.

I would of course recommend people declaring their mods though, as i'm sure if i was unlucky enough to damage an undeclared mod i might of been in trouble.

Greenman - for ever living on the edge...;)

 

[ArildStavrum]

Glad it's worked out! Just make sure you check the car over with a fine tooth comb prior to accepting it back from the repair centre!!

[Greenman]

Glad it's worked out! Just make sure you check the car over with a fine tooth comb prior to accepting it back from the repair centre!!

I will thanks mate.

I want to make sure they have checked all the suspension as i only got it fitted hours before crashing the car and am slightly suspect to that mod causing the car to oversteer.

Do you know if that would be a standard thing for them to check at a repair centre?

[r5gtt]

Lucky so n so and don't do it again   especially flaunting the non declaration of mods on a forum 

[Greenman]

Lucky so n so and don't do it again   especially flaunting the non declaration of mods on a forum 

Well it is pretty obvious there are modifications to the car that the insurer now know about, so i had nothing to hide.

I'm still not declaring my magic tree air freshener though, will cost far too much on the premiums...;)

[r5gtt]

Lucky so n so and don't do it again   especially flaunting the non declaration of mods on a forum 

Well it is pretty obvious there are modifications to the car that the insurer now know about, so i had nothing to hide.

I'm still not declaring my magic tree air freshener though, will cost far too much on the premiums...;)

Magic tree  I'm chucking mine it the bin 

[Pesky jones]

I declared my map and they took the right piss with it. But I am still glad that you have come out ok, as I agree with your dislike of.insurance companies and bankers . This is my first car, and I passed last march. Im 24 now, 23 at the time and live in a reasonable area - 2100 it was for the year. Theyve now charged me an.extra 150 for the remaining four months of the year for my map. Im hoping if I look around once ive got my no claims then il pay a lot less. Befor people say, I know I probably could of got cheaper.but my eagerness and naiety got the better of me. Anyway, pleased to hear it's gunna be OK

[AJP]

All's well that ends well.

As much as opinion on the insurance thing can be heated, and I personally would always advocate playing it safe and declaring every mod, I'm sure I'm not alone in being pleased for a fellow vw enthusiast when things could have easily gone pear shaped.

Out of interest, who is your insurer?