Insurance Question

[mb3k]

This may be a silly question, but I really need to know... Installing a body kit, and such appearance mods, do you have to tell your insurance company about the modifications to your car?
If you don't tell the insurance company, and a collision occurs, will you be accused of not having insurance because the car is "not the car" that was registered?
Also, how much more insurance cost will one pay if the insurance company knows?
I keep hearing rumors that I'd be hard to get insured, and I should just not tell the insurance company of such mods.

[sw-ontarioguy]

well it all depends on whther you have collision on your car. The way insurance works, is YOUR insurance company fixes your car, then, they go after teh otehr guy to fix it. If you dont have collision on your car, then they dont fix it, simple as that. So if you DONT have collision on your car, then it doesnt matter what you do to it. If you DO have collision, then your insurance will go up about 8-15% depending on your age and what not. Insurance companys see a body as making your car faster, and you a worse driver (stupid insurance companys) So it all depends, and if your unsure, jsut call a DIFFERENT insurance company than your own and ask them, dont call your own or they mgiht try adn nail you, lol. Thats the way things work here in ontario anyway. Hope I helped you bud.

[lakersfan1]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by sw-ontarioguy:
The way insurance works, is YOUR insurance company fixes your car, then, they go after teh otehr guy to fix it.<hr></blockquote><p>That's how you do it if you like to pay high premiums. If you want to keep your accident from your insurance company so your premiums don't go up, you contact the other guy's insurance company if he was blatently at fault and see if they'll play ball without needing your own insurance company to arbitrate.<p>Then, if it's your fault, and you thin kthe damage to the other person's car is worth under how much you can afford (i.e. $600) then shell out the money out of your own pocket to get it fixed without reporting the accident.<p>I do whatever I can to avoid invloving my own insurance company and/or the police. I don't ever want to have ridiculous insurance premiums again.<p>Anyways, to the thread, I'm not sure how it is in Canada, but in the U.S., most insurance companies will cover up to about $1500 in aftermarket upgrades without getting a rider for additional coverage (i.e. pay more money). If you have a good insurance company, typically, reciepts and pictures for anything under $1500 after a problem should suffice. But if you have a non-standard insurance carrier, you'll want to have them look at it, and get it in writing that they'll cover it, because non-standard carriers will try to screw you any chance they get if they can save a buck or two.

[monstar-mx-3]

short answer no. You could have glued a cow to the hood of your car...and if you toast the coe...its still"part of your car" so your covered.

[mx3TT]

The way I always heard it as thatif your insurane company doesnt know about it, then its not covered. If you want your kit, and all the other performance uprgrades I think you have to let it be known that they are there. If not, its not their problem. If you ever heard a story of a real nice car getting totalled, hainv 20 grand put into it and only getting back $2,000? I always heard thats the way it works. I could be wrong though.

[Spydie]

depends on your policy. I tried being honest and brought my car in for an inspection and update of my coverage. They terminated my policy because my car was no longer stock and they wouldn't cover mods at all. So I switched companies to one that accepted mods so long as I could provide receipts. Funny thing...with my mods and new insurance my rate is $10 less per month than before.

[jwillistyl55]

yeh the best thing to do if u have a question is ask....the only thing that i think isnt covered is engine swaps (unless u tell em) cuz first of all a body kit dont make ur car go faster so if ur insurance is low cuz ur car aint that fast of a ride a body kit aint gonna help it along (example escorts haha) but that is my insurance that is what they told me but u have to check urs every policy is diff

[Nd4SpdSe]

Funny thing, i went to see if i could get my CarPC covered under insurance, even if i had to pay a little extra, and they said no. Cause its doesnt belong in a car, it'll be covered under the house insurance <p>[ August 16, 2003: Message edited by: Nd4SpdSe ]</p>

[don walker]

take lots of pics and keep all reciepts.

[lakersfan1]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Nd4SpdSe:
Funny thing, i went to see if i could get my CarPC covered under insurance, even if i had to pay a little extra, and they said no. Cause its doesnt belong in a car, it'll be covered under the house insurance <p>[ August 16, 2003: Message edited by: Nd4SpdSe ]<hr></blockquote><p>You need to talk to the right person, then. I noticed when I had my first stereo, the stupid broad (just the secretary) at the insurance agency just said it was covered.I guess she just assumed a 'stereo' was just a new CD player from Best Buy. Some months later when I got a chance to talk to my actual insurance agent, he freaked out when he heard I had a $5000 stereo, and his assistant said it was covered. I had to buy a policy rider for an extra $60 a month.<p>I didn't find out until a few years later when I became a licenced insurance agent that the confusion came from the threshold that an insurance company must cover by default. IT was $1500 threshold, and I guess a 60 year old woman couldn't fathom a $5000 car stereo. Anyways, that was in the US. If you're in Canada, ask, but I can't imagine underwriting laws are all that much more radical north of the boarder.