Another layer of complication is that the kid you speak to in the call centre will not necessarily take the same view as the loss adjuster or engineer reporting on the vehicle if it has an accident.
Often the categories used by the insurance company to classify the modifications are pretty generic and don't necessarily correspond with what you've actually done. For example my rev counter and transmission oil temperature gauge are 'interior changes'. When I fitted LEDs to the sidelights, tail lights and indicators I spent some time on the phone to someone whose first language was clearly not English explaining that the units were exactly the same as the originals but the illumination came from LEDs rather than filament bulbs. The next time I had occasion to speak to the insurers, when I fitted the overdrive unit, it was disclosed that I had 'rally lights' fitted. No I don't have rally lights, I have LED lights. Have you taken the rally lights off? No, to my knowledge my car has never had rally lights, and so on. Then there's the problem of trying to explain to someone what an overdrive unit is. I eventually settled on 'it's a thing you bolt on the back of the gearbox that gives you an extra gear'. This seems to have been recorded as 'transmission changes'.
I have also tried to get them to quote in advance for accessories that I'm thinking of fitting but haven't actually fitted yet. I've been told that they can't do this until the said items are actually on the car. So inevitably there's a period of time when the new bits are on the car but it's not insured for them.
I've not even tried to declare a re-map (because I don't have one) but I'm sure that will be fun if I do so.
Often the categories used by the insurance company to classify the modifications are pretty generic and don't necessarily correspond with what you've actually done. For example my rev counter and transmission oil temperature gauge are 'interior changes'. When I fitted LEDs to the sidelights, tail lights and indicators I spent some time on the phone to someone whose first language was clearly not English explaining that the units were exactly the same as the originals but the illumination came from LEDs rather than filament bulbs. The next time I had occasion to speak to the insurers, when I fitted the overdrive unit, it was disclosed that I had 'rally lights' fitted. No I don't have rally lights, I have LED lights. Have you taken the rally lights off? No, to my knowledge my car has never had rally lights, and so on. Then there's the problem of trying to explain to someone what an overdrive unit is. I eventually settled on 'it's a thing you bolt on the back of the gearbox that gives you an extra gear'. This seems to have been recorded as 'transmission changes'.
I have also tried to get them to quote in advance for accessories that I'm thinking of fitting but haven't actually fitted yet. I've been told that they can't do this until the said items are actually on the car. So inevitably there's a period of time when the new bits are on the car but it's not insured for them.
I've not even tried to declare a re-map (because I don't have one) but I'm sure that will be fun if I do so.
