Upgrading Allloy Wheels - Insurance Company?

[asonicyouth]

Hi there, i'm thinking of upgrading the alloy wheels on my 07 Leon to the 5 Spoke 2008 FR wheels. The question i have is, do i need to tell my insurance company about this as they'll no doubt want me to pay even more than i already am?

Or just don't bother and if anything happens, just say they were on the car when i bought it?

Thanks in advance!

 

[betty_swollox]

Hi there, i'm thinking of upgrading the alloy wheels on my 07 Leon to the 5 Spoke 2008 FR wheels. The question i have is, do i need to tell my insurance company about this as they'll no doubt want me to pay even more than i already am?

Or just don't bother and if anything happens, just say they were on the car when i bought it?

Thanks in advance!

Ofcourse you do mate!! Tell them that they're original manufacturers upgrade options and they won't charge you as much. Honestly mate it'll cost ten pound more or something silly like that

'It was like that when I bought it' wouldn't really work if it got stolen, they would say with the upgraded alloys it is more attractive to steal

Get it sorted mate

 

[Jedimaster65]

I informed my insurance company when I fitted the 19" Potenza alloys as fitted to the Cupra R and they didn't charge me anything extra as they were Seat OEM wheels!

 

[mikee66]

I just did the same mate, I'm with lv and cos the wheels were the same size there was no charge.

Even if it is a tenner or so it's worth it for peace of mind.

 

[ktulumike]

I put 18" aftermarket wheels on to replace 17" stock wheels. Informed insurance company who said it would only affect my premium if they were 2" larger than original wheels

 

[asonicyouth]

Cheers for the replies lads! I'm with Direct Line, and they have just quoted me an extra £198 to change my standard alloy wheels to the Seat 5 spoke 17 inch wheels! £198! Think i'll leave it, gutted

 

[betty_swollox]

Cheers for the replies lads! I'm with Direct Line, and they have just quoted me an extra £198 to change my standard alloy wheels to the Seat 5 spoke 17 inch wheels! £198! Think i'll leave it, gutted

Gutted for you mate, atleast you are being sensible about it. The least that would happen is they would turn around and say 'we will pay out for the car but not the wheels becos u didn't declare them' or 'the car looked more attractive to thieves becos it had different alloys, and u didn't declare it so its your fault '

Not worth it mate! Did u explain that they were OEM alloys?

 

[Klone]

Not worth it mate! Did u explain that they were OEM alloys?

I thought that if they were OEM alloys and therefore could possibily have come as an option extra it doesnt count as a modification?

I upgrade my alloys on my first car with directline and didnt say anything, thye just refused to pay out for them... but they are much harder on people these days

 

[Jedimaster65]

I thought that if they were OEM alloys and therefore could possibily have come as an option extra it doesnt count as a modification?

I agree.

Asonicyouth, - I would go back to insurance company and explain they are SEAT wheels and ask them to reconsider...or shop around other insurance companies first and go back armed with lower quotes.

Good luck.

 

[sportbilly]

as above, mention OEM or dealer options wheels ...

When I have enquired in the past some have not been bothered unless they are more than 2" difference.

 

[asonicyouth]

Cheers again for the replies, just phoned them up again this morning and spoke to Glenn, he said if they are manufacturers upgrade option wheels they will be no charge! Result! Andrea was a right **** on the phone yesterday, good old Glenn.

So i'm gonna go for them, although do you think it will matter that the wheels im getting are Leon 2008 wheels and i'll be putting them on my 2007 Leon? I wouldn't have thought so, but i just have to phone them back up when i put them on to say to put it on my policy.

Cheers again for all the informative replies fellas! Much appreciated

 

[betty_swollox]

Nice one mate !!!

 

[StealthInspired]

So the insurance company have come back and said "manufacturers upgrade option wheels they will be no charge"

If they are 17", 18", Black, Silver, gunmetal, they are all still factory SEAT wheels you are putting on, so these minor points are insignificant.

 

[asonicyouth]

****ers, just phoned back up to say i'll be changing the wheels next week and spoke to someone other than guy who said no charge and they've said now its a £183 to change the wheels as its a used car and the guy before had said no charge because he assumed it was a new car!

Even though i've bought the wheels now! Not sure i want to add the extra 180 onto my premium, gutted again now!

Any ideas lads??

 

[Jedimaster65]

That doesn't sound right, does it?

I would threaten to take your business else where.

What STEALTHINSPIRED said above is the same I was told by my insurance company.

 

[Klone]

you cant threaten to take your business elsewhere, as youve signed the "contract" youd have to buy your way out of it.

Ask to speak to a manager because if their an optional extra it should be ok, although technically as it wasnt from the showroom like that, it is considered a modification.

in all sense and purposes, should you right your car off with the new wheels off, they are unlikely to void your insurance, and knowing insurance companies they wouldnt even fecking notice the different wheels!

 

[asonicyouth]

That doesn't sound right, does it?

I would threaten to take your business else where.

What STEALTHINSPIRED said above is the same I was told by my insurance company.

Yeah thanks mate, think i'll phone back up later and hope to speak to someone else, and ask to speak to a manager or something as i was told no charge, so went and bought the wheels, and now when i have bought them they tell me there is a charge. So its their balls up not mine.

This guy was asking how much the wheels are costing, how much should i say. Obviously i won't say i bought them off ebay but they are basically brand new.

 

[asonicyouth]

you cant threaten to take your business elsewhere, as youve signed the "contract" youd have to buy your way out of it.

Ask to speak to a manager because if their an optional extra it should be ok, although technically as it wasnt from the showroom like that, it is considered a modification.

in all sense and purposes, should you right your car off with the new wheels off, they are unlikely to void your insurance, and knowing insurance companies they wouldnt even fecking notice the different wheels!

Thats what i was originally thinking, as i was replacing seat wheels for seat wheels but spoke to a few people on here and was told it was for the best to tell them.

Trouble now is i'd imagine they've made notes on my account about these wheels, so if i hadn't have mentioned it i could have got away with it but now i have i won't be able to

 

[Klone]

Yeah thanks mate, think i'll phone back up later and hope to speak to someone else, and ask to speak to a manager or something as i was told no charge, so went and bought the wheels, and now when i have bought them they tell me there is a charge. So its their balls up not mine.

This guy was asking how much the wheels are costing, how much should i say. Obviously i won't say i bought them off ebay but they are basically brand new.

You say its their balls up not yours, it doesnt matter im afraid. The fact is, there is zero modification rule on your policy, and they dont have to honour it... insurance companies make their own rules

The best you can hope for is a helpful member of staff that will realise your not a chav putting massive chrome spinners on, you just want different wheels.

Frankly, id tell them you paid like £100 for them. Yeah if they do insure you they will only pay out £100 for the wheels, but as their not a massively expensive risk to them.

im going to put this out there, just do it anyway

 

[asonicyouth]

You say its their balls up not yours, it doesnt matter im afraid. The fact is, there is zero modification rule on your policy, and they dont have to honour it... insurance companies make their own rules

The best you can hope for is a helpful member of staff that will realise your not a chav putting massive chrome spinners on, you just want different wheels.

Frankly, id tell them you paid like £100 for them. Yeah if they do insure you they will only pay out £100 for the wheels, but as their not a massively expensive risk to them.

im going to put this out there, just do it anyway

Thats what i'm thinking, it's not like their the Andromeda ones, there just 17 ones, same as these here http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=120761018869

So is the worst that can happen is they just don't pay out for the wheels? Because i couldn't care less if they didn't. But i guess they could void the whole insurance couldn't they

What you reckon then, should i just go for it!?