General Insurance Question re. Modified Car

[glyn211269]

My 17 yr old stepson has just passed his test (God help other road users!) Having seen how often my Williams spends in bits, he's bought himself a Saxo VTR instead with various modifications:

Lowered all round, usual badboy exhaust system, smoked black alloys and a mesh grill.

He seems to think that he doesn't need to declare any of this to his lucky insurance company....I'm not so sure as you always have to click that 'standard & unmodified' declaration don't you? If these mods aren't declared, won't that invalidate his insurance when he wraps it round a tree?....in about a week I reckon!

What's the score with this anyone?

[sheps]

Nail and head.

He must declare everything that is not standard. Even down to different lights.
Not only will he have no insurance if he stacks it, he will have no insurance even just driving along normally.
Paying all that money, for something that will be of no use what so ever to him.

[16v_paddy]

he also needs to be educated about the consequences of not having insurance, ie: bye bye car & bye bye driving licence

[16v_paddy]

Is your stepson the newest member to join here? http://www.williamsclio.co.uk/forum/...profile&u=3447

If it is get him talking to us lot & maybe we can steer him in the right direction so he doesn't end up being an arrogant & dangerous prick barely in control of a ton of metal on the roads

Although his 1st failure is getting a shitso VTR as his 1st car :P

[Wobba]

Mods of any kind need to be declared. These are 'material facts'. It could be in the event of an accident they would pay out anyway, but if they believe the non-disclosure of material facts is relevant to a claim they will have a very good excuse not to pay out.

[Daz.]

you play you pay.

[DaneC]

I wonder what his insurance quote will be on a modified VTR? You might be selling that and buying him a 1.2 Clio very soon... :D

On topic, it sounds like he thinks that the police won't check his insurance to see if it allows modifications if he ever gets pulled for a 'random' check (which he WILL in the VTR you described), let alone if he happens to stuff it into someone else. Stick the VTR back to standard, shouldn't cost him too much, modified Saxos are so last year anyway!

[Coops]

i believe that if the insurance companies want to they can even classify change of tyre make as a modification,if they are feeling really picky, so yes ANY mod at all from totally standard must be declared

[white16valver]

+1 to all of the above, but I think you should also get him booked onto an IAM course pretty quick...

[glyn211269]

Thanks for your thoughts guys, all just as I thought.

I've pointed this out to him and he actually seems to have taken it on board!

Surprisingly the mods only increased the premium by around £300.

Which doesn't really matter when you're upside down in a ditch!