Alloys and insurance

[langtonr]

I've recently fitted a set of RS6 alloys to my S3.

Spoke to directline before I bought them who told me that my renewal would be £718, which was just over £65 more than the renewal notice they sent me a couple of weeks before. Didn't seem to bad to me so I bought the alloys.

Just rung up to renew my policy (runs out tomorrow) only to find that for some reason the quote for £718 didn't include no claims protection (which my policy has always had on it) and when they've added that back on its gone up to £835.

How much extra have other people had to pay when they've changed their alloys?

£180 seems expensive to me.

 

[jojo]

With Directline, it's usually 10% the cost of the alloys.

 

[langtonr]

Just tried complaining to directline about them giving me misleading and incorrect information, only to find out they had also increased my excess without telling me (and on Sat told me that it hadn't changed) - turns out its OK for an insurance company to give you incorrect information, however if you give them incorrect information it invalidates your insurance.

They've offered me a £30 refund as a gesture of goodwill, or if I'm not happy with that I can take my business elsewhere (nice to see that they don't give a crap about loosing customers)

Can anyone recommend any good insurance companies that aren't going to try and shaft me for having non-standard wheels?

 

[bigshout]

www.elephant.co.uk. Remember to add your mum and any other women driver to your policy even if there not going to drive your car as it brings down the premium.

 

[Garth_S3]

Directline do take the /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/swear.gif a little when it comes to alloys.

When I had a 16v Ibiza, I had 17's on it and directline quoted me over £100 extra for them, even though I said they werre only worth about £300.

Tesco were the same and I actually ended up paying £148 EXTRA for the wheels /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[bigshout]

Direct line, Tesco and Churchill's plus many more are owned by RBS and they create the rules which these companies put in place.

 

[wizard]

There all B*&stards!!!

Even though my S3 came with RS6 18" as standard when I bought the car from new, Elephant added them to my policy as 'Modifications' costing me an extra £200 on my insurance without even telling me.
It was only when I changed to Adrian Flux and read what is classed as a modification and optional extras did I realise they were ripping me off...
Went spastic at them and they reluctantly refunded me the whole £200 back at the end of the policy. But its amazing how easily they can take you for a ride and fudge things over to make you pay more... read the smallprint!!!

 

[S3tony]

have you tried telling them that the wheels are actually cheaper than replacing the original wheels, iirc someone tried this and they didnt increase there premium.

cheers tony

 

[langtonr]

Got a quote from Adrian Flux a couple of weeks back which was the same as direcline originally quoted me. Rang them today and they said they wouldn't increase the premium because of the wheels (which makes it £200 cheeper than direcline, with a lower excess)

The only problem I've got is that they say they need proof that the car has a cat 2 immobiliser on it. The car's an import and I haven't been able to get anyone to confirm that the immobiliser is a cat 2 (tried Audi customer services and my local dealer) Anyone got any ideas how I can find out?

 

[Rob W8]

I am with Adrian Flux and they seemed to know that the alarm was good enough anyway. Think it is cat 2 as standard.