Friends crashed his mk3....... needs advice!!!

[joesgti]

So my best mate crashed his mk3 gti on friday, he is a uni student and had to hand all his work in on friday, so he stupidly stayed up for 2 day's in the libary in UCLAN with no sleep. handed his work in and drove home.

He got round the corner of his house (after a 20 mile drive) and fell asleep (literally 20 secs from his house), smashed into a curb and through somebodys back garden. now the car may be a write off but the insurence said they wont pay out because its 'modified' it has lowered susspension (springs) and alloy wheels, now they havnt even inspected the car, they called up and asked if it was modified and he said yes, they dont know any of the mods and havnt inspected it, he just said 'yes'. so with such small mods should they be paying out?? 

where does he stand? any advise would be great 

[Hedge]

Nowadays Joe the insurance companies will do whatever they can to avoid paying out. Sorry to say but he could well be buggered.

This is why you really need to declare any mods. He may get lucky though and might try by offering to pay the difference in premium with the mods.

[joesgti]

even though the mods are just cosmetic??

[Hedge]

Not in their eyes Joe.
Lowered = better handling and Alloys potentially means bigger/wider wheels and lower profile tyres therefore better handling.

Essentially even cosmetic mods count as they make the car more desirable to thieves.
Adding carbon wrap will bump up your excess so essentially a carbon wrapped splitter could have insurance implications if not informed.

Sorry mate just one of those things.

[bacillus]

The insurer would probably say that the rims make the car more desirable for a would be thief and hence required a higher premium.

[big al]

even though the mods are just cosmetic??

Would lowering be classed as cosmetic, as it can change the drive of a car, Why did he not declare it if he thought that they were such small modifications, as on that thinking it would not effect the premium very much.

[joesgti]

when insureing it he wasnt asked and he bought the car as it was, he hasnt done any mods himself.

[Hedge]

Even if he wasn't asked that is not really an excuse, he obviously knew as he told them. 

I think every insurance broker I have ever phoned or tried online has asked if it is a standard car or if there has been any mods. This is their get out clause. He could try "but you never asked" but I'm not convinced that will make them change their stance.

[big al]

when insureing it he wasnt asked and he bought the car as it was, he hasnt done any mods himself.

It's not for them to know, its for him to tell them.

[MAT ED30]

as above mate its a no no from the insurance as they need to know if its got mods and even if you did not know well then thats not there problem its yours for not checking

[Poppa Dom]

Joe,
Looks like he's going to have problems mate. Everything that has been said so far stresses the importance of declaring all modifications  Not what he will want to hear but his modifications are not just cosmetic.

[vRS Carl]

Best advice mate is what Ian said as any Mods not declared usually mean they won't pay out.

Get him to speak to them and say if he agrees to pay the difference in the Premium will they cover him.

He may have to fork out a bit now but even if its £500 they want it will be a lot cheaper than a new car.

[Gene Hunt]

The insurer would probably say that the rims make the car more desirable for a would be thief and hence required a higher premium.

.........thats what they told me when i was quoted for edition 30 aloys on a standard mk5 GTI.

[joesgti]

all is now fine. 

[JPC]

you swapped the springs and alloys on a bent car? haha!