There have been LOTS of questions recently about declaring modifications etc.

The simple fact is, WHATEVER it is, anything different to your car, from when it left the production line, should be declared to your insurer.

Not declaring modifications/alterations could invalidate your insurance, and leave you in £1000's in debt, alongside 6 points on your license, which a in your first two years of holding a license would be a ban.

Okay lots of people dont declare things, and its not a problem, even people who have had an accident, and its not been noticed.

However, it is a requirement to inform your insurer of any changes.

Dependant on what you change usually gives you a guidance as to it costing you more or not,

For example, manufacturer option alloy wheels should not increase this insurance, as long as they were an option on your model car when it was built. Although you may think this is OEM, its still a change. It needs to be declared.

Things like performance mods (exhausts, induction kits, any engine work or changes etc) usually cost to declare, and some insurers wont even allow you to have these mods, but its dependant on insurers.

Mods should be declared regardless, no matter what they are, you should even declare a sticker in the window.

Costs etc are dependant on your insurer, and there are plenty of threads on here recommending insurers which are ideal to use for such things.

Thanks for reading.

This should probably be stickied! It seems to be such a hot debate on this forum just now and it shouldn't be!

If you want to have a modification on your car, you have to pay for the insurance to cover this too! Don't skimp.

i've found declaring my mods actually reduced my premium

That may indeed be the case.

Anything I've added since the start of my policy has just incurred an admin fee.

People complain about expensive insurance, not being able to afford declaring, when people not declaring, or lying about details getting their premiums down, effectively making theirs invalid when these are some of the reasons for it being high anyway.

Wish people would use their brain, if someone crashed into me without insurance or invalid insurance I know I'd claim for every single thing possible to put them in stupid debt so they learn their lesson.

I've explained this to about 4 people i know, and they just think ill take the chance. i dont see the point in the risk.

yeah and its people like that who make insurance high for others.

That may indeed be the case.

Anything I've added since the start of my policy has just incurred an admin fee.

People complain about expensive insurance, not being able to afford declaring, when people not declaring, or lying about details getting their premiums down, effectively making theirs invalid when these are some of the reasons for it being high anyway.

Wish people would use their brain, if someone crashed into me without insurance or invalid insurance I know I'd claim for every single thing possible to put them in stupid debt so they learn their lesson.

And what company are you with? I'm looking for a company that is mod friendly (only the coilovers and then exterior mods).

elephant, as most specialists for modded cars couldnt do me anything good until I'm 19.

trouble is elephant only let you lower upto 50mm, so not really coilover friendly, unless you only want a small drop :)

I'm looking for a company that is mod friendly (only the coilovers and then exterior mods).

http://www.clubpolo.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=213125

£358 a month for my mods on my valver. Declaring is a pain in the arse but it can only get cheaper as you get older unless you smash etc.

Declaring is a pain in the arse

It really isn't..

Just need to find the right company. One that realises a set of coilovers on a 1.4 Polo doesn't mean you're a racing driver.

I've declared absolutely everything on my car, even ran out of space on the form.

I didn't pay a penny extra as they realise it's all cosmetic at the end of the day, even the exhaust, induction kit etc. Doesn't add any real power to the engine, therefore cosmetic.

exactly. people not being honest to insurers makes it higher for everyone else, they're making the reason they dont declare worse lol.

i do around 18,000+ a year, my policy is stated as 20,000.

i drive at weekends, late at night etc, they know this.

my car is parked on my drive, not in a garage, so my policy says this.

why lie to get it cheaper? the end of the day, you could say its in a garage, could get broken into at night outside your house, they could just say they're not paying etc.

shop around, comparison websites are useless as not specialist insurers tbh!

brentacre have been the cheapest quote for me. 730 something full comp. I dont have "performance" mods and they said they dont charge on cosmetic mods like it being lowered etc. Go compare etc were coming up with figures like 1000-1400. and its only a mk2 polo 1.3