https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/365230/...-insurance 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

Its all a legal? scam. We are required by law to have insurance. I have some sympathy with the insurance company (not much) as a towbar suggest towing and maybe an accident resulting from towing would be a grey area. Obviously in this case it seems the towbar was not fitted so the decision seems a bit harsh but I wonder if those that have side steps fitted would fall victim to the same insurance get out clause?

My last car had a towbar fitted by me, side steps fitted by an Indy I've got rid of it now but I guess I was uninsured - maybe I should ask for my hefty premiums back

I also fitted some aftermarket wheels and informed them as they did make the car look more attractive to me and I guess by extension thieves, ironically as they were also Land Rover wheels they thanked me for telling them and sent me a cheque for 25 quid. Geoff

Good post!

I know about the modification issue but I have to say, I would not have considered a tow bar to be a modification although having read this, of course it is.

There but for the grace of God go I. I had fitted a tow bar to a previous car. It never occurred to me to let the insurance company know.

I took the towbar off mine - is this concidered a 'modification'....... 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

The insurance questions can be very difficult to understand and answer. Some say modification to factory standard so how do you stand with all the potential expensive extras added to the vehicle when new…..these can of course include a tow bar?
I’ve always included the tow bar as a modification and also got, this included in the GAP insurance, I got it fitted to a secondhand vehicle but it wasn’t cheap as it’s a electric deployable one.
The biggest struggle is finding when they want to be told of the modifications… tow bars now seemingly appear under accessories. 2012 tdv8 Westminster arrived Jan 19 gone Dec 23

200 TDi discovery bobtail gone
RR classic v8 bobtail gone
300 tdi Discovery 3 dr gone

Good spot, shocking behaviour...

After a colleague fell foul of this I always answer as follows....

Q.... "Has the vehicle been modified in any way" Either on the phone or on a website...
A.... "As far as I am aware there are no modifications"

At least then it is recorded and you stand a fighting chance...

FYI The colleague fitted bigger wheels then lost it on a bend and totalled the car, at least there was no third party...!! Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

OK, I have just contacted Admiral and asked if I need to declare my deployable sidesteps? And yes, I do!!
Funnily enough, roof bars and racks do not! Anyway, simple enough to do and £13.00 poorer, but there it goes.

It is shocking to think that I could have had my policy voided in event of accident because I hadn't declared my deployable steps!

Edit: Ha ha ha I have checked my policy and it has been classified as "Exterior Decorative Changes". What a lot of bo**ocks!

Interesting debate.

Some years ago I checked with my insurer at the time (Esure I think) about whether they needed me to tell them if I had alternative OEM wheels fitted (specifically I stated those that were available to order with a new car but could also be fitted later). Their response was that they did not need them to be declared but that if they were fitted they might not cover the cost of replacement in the event they were damaged or the vehicle was stolen. A sensible approach I thought.

Ever since I've never declared OEM wheels/accessories if they were on an options list but maybe things have changed now.

Thanks @RRV8SC for the Admiral comment.
I have side steps on my new 50 which were fitted by the selling dealer before I collected it but I'm also insured with Admiral so I guess will need to contact them  2021 D350 Fifty Edition - Carpathian Grey
2017 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography (2021-2024) - Santorini Black
2012 4.4 TDV8 Westminster (2016-2021) - Santorini Black

Yes, it will be interesting to see if they give you the same answer as me

Well, just contacted Admiral to tell them about my side steps and they've added it to my policy and charged me £13

Apparently there is a category specifically for side steps which is what my online policy details now say.  2021 D350 Fifty Edition - Carpathian Grey
2017 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography (2021-2024) - Santorini Black
2012 4.4 TDV8 Westminster (2016-2021) - Santorini Black

what if they were factory fitted steps?

would the insurers obtain a build sheet for the car to prove this if you had an accident.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

Admiral says factory fitted options would be automatically included on their policies but not sure about other insurers.

I guess like all insurance claims, they will always try and mitigate their liability but don't think they'd be trying to find the build sheet unless someone was claiming for something as a factory fitted option. 2021 D350 Fifty Edition - Carpathian Grey
2017 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography (2021-2024) - Santorini Black
2012 4.4 TDV8 Westminster (2016-2021) - Santorini Black

stan wrote:

what if they were factory fitted steps?

would the insurers obtain a build sheet for the car to prove this if you had an accident..

I read about that too. Now I can understand if you was towing something but how the hell would a towbar cause an accident unless it fell off? But then anything can fall off a car and cause an accident. I think it's just a ploy to get even more money out of us motorists after stinging us on already overinflated insurance.

Thanks to this thread, I contacted LR Insurance as hadn't considered the sidesteps the dealer fitted prior to delivery in September as a modification. They confirmed they were and I should declare them.

The online chat person duly noted it on the policy, but then said in the event of a claim modifications aren't covered unless factory fitted. At least they didn't charge me any extra!