Insurance Rip Off (UK Only)

[hexica]

Dear Mini2.com guys,

I'm taking delivery if a mini cooper s tomorrow morning & i cant wait! But after a call to my insurers I'm now in a really bad mood.

My premium went up (obviously! 1.4 clio to a cooper s!) but what really annoyed me is that because the Chili pack was added to the car my premium DOUBLED.

£1000 of extra's results in a x2 or your premium.

Aparently this is to cover the costs if you crash it & because it makes the car more desirable to steal.

The cooper s comes with 16" alloys anyway!!

Bloody stupid. I hate insurance companies.

[McprS]

Thats Boll@x

Try Elephant.com or Direct Line or Tesco.com or Sainsbury.com all on line.

[KenL]

Hello & welcome. Sorry your first post is not a happy one.

If I were you I'd get on the phone and shop around for a better deal.

What company are you with? Insurance has been discussed on MINI2 before.

I'm with directline who've always been cheap.

[freedee]

I used the mini owners club (Lancaster Insurance) and they halfed any other quote I had. You have to join the mini owners club but it doesn't cost much and I saved £300 give it a try.

[sxhinkle]

What Insurance company are you with?

I have just renewed with Elephant.co.uk and noticed the schedule states - car must be of standard manufacturers spec. Does this mean manufacturers options are ok or the car must be in base spec (both have alloys anyway)?

I've got £3k of extras!

I think I should check my cover.

Steve

[KenL]

Quote:

Originally posted by sxhinkle
What Insurance company are you with?

I have just renewed with Elephant.co.uk and noticed the schedule states - car must be of standard manufacturers spec. Does this mean manufacturers options are ok or the car must be in base spec (both have alloys anyway)?

I've got £3k of extras!

I think I should check my cover.

Steve

Did you tell them what spec you have? If not you'd be best to.

[Martin L]

Welcome to MINI2

Sorry to here that. Change insurance companies!
If they are factory fitted extras it should NOT effect your premium as they are not considered "modifications".

Also watch your access charge. I thought I had only £100 access but had to pay £350 as the MCS comes with a compulsory £250 access with my insurers

[Tone]

There's only one suggestion I can make: between now and renewal date do a lot of homework, get some good quotes (like I did), then when the time comes around to renew you'll be ready. Wait until a coupla months beforehand, otherwise the rates change.

Incidentally, speaking as one who WAS in the business (claims side) I saw no reason to bring up the Chili pack. After all, IMO it's not strictly a modification ie. it doesn't affect the performance, merely enhances looks.

But, hey pal, ENJOY, it's a fabulous car!!

[KenL]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tone

Incidentally, speaking as one who WAS in the business (claims side) I saw no reason to bring up the Chili pack. After all, IMO it's not strictly a modification ie. it doesn't affect the performance, merely enhances looks.

But is it not the case that if your car was stolen never to return for example they would only replace it with a "standard" car costing £14500

Directline asked me exactly the spec of my car and I had to tell them all the options I'd specified. I don't think it affect the premium by much in the end.

[GTT 280]

I exposed the fact I had the chilli pack to elephant.co.uk and it increased my insurance by £250 ish.

It addressed modifications such as:

Interior changes
Exterior changes
Alloy wheels (optional extra)
Spoiler
Rally/Spot lights
Suspension other (not lowered)
Body COloured bumpers

and the list goes on.

****e aint it !!!!

[Hat]

All insurace is a rip off. Period

[Tonyt3]

Most insurers list the Chilli as a seperate model. If you tell them its a MCS and don't mention the extra's that you have put on, then if its nicked then don't expect them to cover the replacement of anything but a standard book price MCS (£14,950 or whatever).

Most people pay around £18k for their MCS after extras, so why shouldn't this extra value be covered by the insurers higher premium. Its not a rip off, its a fact of life. If you are not happy with your insurance quote, get another. Directline ask you for every extra that you add to the car, so that they can adjust the quote accordingly. If you add 25% to the cost of your car, expect the quote to reflect this. Never drive an underinsured car, if you lose it you will expect full payout. If you spend money on 17inch S type alloys, you do it for one main reason, to make the car more attractive (don't give me any >carp< about performance, because its not true) If it looks more attractive, then yes, it is more attractive to thieves too. Because they could sell them on!

Telling the insurance company about my extras pushed my premium up from £460 to £490. My wifes MCS has more extras on it, and pushed hers up to about £510. Not a bad price to pay for peace of mind, knowing that it is FULLY covered. Insurance is not a tax on fun. Its the cost of replacing stuff when it all goes wrong. If you don't declare your optional extras, if they do payout for full loss I would be surprised. They have all sorts of clauses and small print, and will usually do all they can to avoid paying out. I would say that this applies EVEN MORE to specialist insurers and small insurers. If you finance the car you also have to ensure that the car is fully insurered. Tell the insurance company about any modification from standard BEFORE you carry out the mod. You can invalidate your insurance by simply fitting anything to your car that does not come as standard from the factory.

[sxhinkle]

Guys,

FYI

I just contacted Elephant.co.uk to confirm my cover.

My schedule clause states - car is of standard manufacturers spec.
Elephant class manufacturers options as mods and hence mine with chilli etc are modifications.
Thats £125 more for these manufacturers options!

Barstewards

[Tonyt3]

Quote:

Originally posted by sxhinkle
Guys,

FYI

I just contacted Elephant.co.uk to confirm my cover.

My schedule clause states - car is of standard manufacturers spec.
Elephant class manufacturers options as mods and hence mine with chilli etc are modifications.
Thats £125 more for these manufacturers options!

Barstewards

Elephant SHOULD have asked you to list all 'optional modifications' before taking your money!! Most 'options' don't make much difference when taken into account indevidually, but the chilli pack adds Aircon, 17inch wheel, xenons, half leather etc, thats an awfull lot of cost on top to replace.

[Adriann001]

I insure mine for what I bought it for. I told them it cost me so much and they have insured the car for the same ammount. I am with MINI insurance one of the cheepest the most expensive quote I got was for £2500 that said I am 23.