Robocop

Just phoned N.U. to inform that my STI has PPP, 18" alloys (PFF7s) and has been lowered by using the Prodrive Spring Kit.

The thing was, I was expecting them to say "No mods, no cover, you're policy is now cancelled" etc etc.

I went into detail of what the PPP consisted of and they weren’t worried about it and didn’t load my premium as it was an option extra!

They also didn’t mind about the PFF7s as they also were an option extra but they did add £48.10 for the springs.

I was quiet surprised to say the least, as I had lined up a quote elsewhere but they would have been £120 more than my existing cover.

I’ve asked for the mods changes to be shown in black and white, so I’m awaiting receipt of this.

FYI £699 for the following:
STI MY04 54 plate
39 year old driver + 34 year old partner
PPP
PFF7
PHP
Garaged
10000 miles per year
SP30 6pts in August 2000
Passed IAM test

S300BY J

Hiya, l tried Norwich Union but as l`m not an existing customer they wouldnt quote. I`ve got a 2003 Type Uk Wrx Sti with PPP, and trying to explain all that has been hell as no one seems to understand.

Can you list me the basics l should be telling them regarding the PPP, l`ve just said the BHP is up too 302 BHP as stated from Pro Drive...




well l love the car, but trying to insure it is impossible

Robocop

Hi S300BY J

First off I got a quote from their (N.U.) website as they list a 2004 WRX STI Type UK (Prodr).
I then phoned them up and spoke to a chap in a different continent and asked him if Prodr meant Prodrive Performance Pack? Unsurprisingly he said yes, but he sounded unsure. I noted the date and time as all calls are recorded.

I then called back at night (August 2004) and spoke to a really helpful English lady and took the policy out then and there.The certificate arrived with WRX STI Type UK Prodrove (not a spelling mistake on my behalf).

I’ve just recently had a set of PFF7 alloys fitted along with the Prodrive Spring Kit. My other half is an underwriter, so I’m well aware of what happens in cases of non disclosure of modifications etc so I called them up today expecting to be told “No way” or a new figure with a load of zeros on the end.

I said that I had PPP fitted, optional 18” alloy wheels worth £1600 and the Prodrive Spring Kit.

I carefully explained in detail that the PPP is an option extra supplied and fitted by a Subaru main dealer as well as the wheels and springs. I informed him that this is all still covered by their (I.M) warranty and if he were to walk into a UK Subaru dealer (only a few thousand miles away for him ) that he would be able to order one as it’s shown in the brochure. I said it consisted of a replacement ECU and an exhaust system. He started to run through a list of mods, asking if I had them fitted. First one he asked about was did it have a different “chip”? I had already mentioned ECU and said it was the same.

Asked explaining this, he then shocked me by saying that as it was an optional extra there would be no extra charge for the PPP and the same for the PFF7s. However, it would cost an additional £48.10 for the springs!! I questioned this, saying that the car is now 40-45 bhp more than standard. Still all ok he said. I asked him to check and he went way for a few minutes and confirmed what he had already said was correct.

Again I noted the date, time, his name and ext number as the 20 minutes I was on the phone was all recorded, with me going into great detail etc.

The paperwork is being sent out and I’ll check to see that everything is on there.

anc-sti

I've had this conversation with NU, the (Prodr) doesn't mean the PPP, they quoted me on exactly the same spec car and were very cheap. I said are you sure that you understand exactly what a Prodrive performance Pack is. He said I'll check, anyway to cut a long story short after speaking to the underwriter, NU said the will not cover PPP because it takes the cars BHP to 300. I'd tread carefully, if the insurance need a get out if the worst happened they will use it.

Technically the ECU is modified(reflashed) and therefore in the eyes of a insurance it is chipped, ie when you get a superchip you keep your original ECU but it is reflashed. Same with TEK. Chipped really is a term used to describe the way it used to be done(a chip was added to the ECU to modify it) this is rarely done nowadays reflashes are the norm. The result however is the same.

Robocop

Hi anc-sti

I guess I didn't explain it too well in my post, but what I meant to have written was that I said "Yes, the chip has been modified, but "chip" was another word/phrase for ECU.
I was completely open and honest with the mods because as I mentioned earlier re non disclosure, I didn't want to think I was covered when in reality I wasn't.

I hope that's come across a bit clearer

anc-sti

Recon if you've got them to list PPP or Prodrive Peformance Pack your OK, I couldn't get them to acknowledge this as they say it wasn't on their system. So we listed everything Exhaust, Cats, ECU/chip and fuel pump. Which was OK still(should have stopped there whilst I was winning). As I said, earlier I got them to check it. The Underwriter asked what the output of the car was, to which I told them, they got back saying they would not insure the PPP.

The (Prodr) that unsurers have on their databases usually refers to the special edition prodrive car they brought out a few years ago, which had a 265ish bhp not the current optional pack with 300bhp.

All underwriters know what PPP is they've just got to look, its the people answering the phones that haven't got a clue. I've found most of these online type cheap insurers aren't happy about unsuring PPP'ed cars.

Personally I like to make sure its correct and understood by both sides, perhaps I'm being over careful. I just worry if the worst happened and you had a serious accident resulting in major personal injury claims the insurance company haven't got a get out clause. Leaving you up **** creek without a paddle.

Thats with me 32, 9yrs no claims, no points, low mileage and good Postcode.

Perhaps the fact you're older than the sun makes a difference.

Bartop

I had no problem with them when I added PPP to my WRX, went through what the modifications were with him ie chip / exhaust and increase in BHP and they quoted me an extra £60 which I was v.happy with.

anc-sti

Thats fine your a existing customer and probably got it done before recent developments, I think most of the 'cheaper' companies have had a change of heart with regards new quotes and PPP recently. Liverpool Victoria, Admiral(elephant and Bell), NU are not quoting on PPP'ed cars or customers wishing to add PPP. I checked this with underwriters in each case, as the phone operators are after a sale and couldn't really care less if you default.

Bartop

Must have changed very recently then as took out the policy with them before xmas on a new MY05 WRX and rang them up 2 weeks ago to get PPP added..

Bummer...

anc-sti

Suppose it might be different for the WRX they could still be fine with that, its the PPP on the Sti I've found they won't quote on. I even went to the trouble of emailing the details from the Subaru website to show it was a genuine Subaru Approved option. Just got sorry Sir, we do not insure PPP'ed cars.

Which quite frankly is bonkers, because the % of Sti's which have been PPP'ed is quite high.

Mr Scoob

In my opinion the answer you get from insurers depends on who you happen to speak to in their call centres. Very few of them seem to know one end of a car from another let alone what PPP is! If it is not on their PC screen they are completely lost.

S300BY J

So far all of you have experienced the same as me, and its true we need to make sure the person on the other end of the phone understands the PPP. So far l`ve had high and low quotes, but the PPP is a grey area.

I`ve managed to get a quote today from `insurance 4U` which is advertised in Japanese Perfomance Mag, the lady l spoke to happened to know what l was talking about as `one of the guys in the office has PPP`, the quote was reasonable and l asked for it to be sent out, l did say l would not take the policy out unless PPP was in writing.

I`ve spent the last 3 evenings trying nearly every company including ones that do performance cars and even they wouldnt entertain PPP
I was insured with Subaru Insured last year, but just got annoyed with them at their lack of customer service, e.g policy sent out 6 months late.

I`ll let you know how l get on with insurance 4U, as we need to at least have options of companys to get quotes from.

thanks for your input on this...

Davecar

Always found NU very accomodating. Change of permitted drivers that would cost a token £20 or so with other companys was free with them, which is nice.

Robocop

Since my original post on the 19th, I had not received my confirmation of changes from N.U.

Because of this and of the continuing doubt in my mind that I was actually covered, despite being told that I was on two separate occasions, I decided to call N.U. this afternoon to find out once and for all if I was covered for above modifications.

I didn't even bother to phone the suggested number, as I knew I would end up speaking to someone who pleasant that they may be, didn't really have a clue about PPP etc.

Instead I called N.U. switchboard and briefly explained that I'd like to speak to someone regarding my policy and pleaded not to be put through to someone out of the country. The lady took me number and said the Customer Services Manager would call me back. Let me point out I wasn't complaining.

Ten minutes later I received a call from a helpful lady called Lindsey (spelling?). I explained all of the above and said I was not 100% certain that even after declaring everything, that I was indeed covered totally.

I knew I was onto a winner as she'd actually heard of PPP I told her everything that was on the car and then waited as she put me on hold to speak to the underwriters. She then told me that I was covered 100%, that she would be sending a letter detailing my mods and that there would be no more additional increase over what I'd already been informed of.

However, I should have had a loading of 20% on my premium but they would not sting me for the rest, but that my renewal would go up next year (to £780 on my workings).

I said that there is huge interest in the Subaru community regarding cover on PPP issue and she said that whilst they would not quote on new business, they would on existing as long as the customer had experience driving an insurance group rating of 16+. She did lose me a bit on this one as I was still chuffed that I had the cover I required.

My final question was that in a worst case scenario and the wheels or the whole car was stolen, would I have the PPP, PFF7s and PHP replaced or would it be a "standard" STI? Yes, FULLY COVERED was the reply.

So for me anyway Norwich Union

ps Got back home tonight to see a letter from N.U. stating Manfr alloys, lowered suspension and computer chip.

I'll let you know what's in the latest policy when I receive it.

Jiggerypokery

I spoke to someone who was (I assume) not in the country, and they said that PPP was listed as one of the modifications they could not cover. This was for a new policy.

It's very strange the way people react when you mention mods like the PPP, they either say they have heard of it, no problem, or they act like you've told them you have a telephone-communicable disease.

Robocop

I received a letter from N.U. today stating "I can confirm that we are aware that you have a Prodrive kit fitted to your 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Type UK. We are also aware that you have also changed the alloys and lowered the suspension further".

anc-sti

Nice one mate. Stick with them. Good value and happy about your PPP, you don't get that very often.

Trumble

I have been with them for 4 years, 3 with scoob and just starting the 4th with 996. They were consistently lowest with the scoobs I've had - however I was never so lucky to get that kind of discount !

they loaded me 10% for WR Sport BB, and another 10% for Sti8 gold alloys.

When I enquired about springs - yes you guessed it - another 10%.

In the end I was up at 900 quid - 370 xs.

Fecking madness - given I now have a 996 and that came in at 720 !

T.

Matt Classic

Do a quote for a WR1 and its cheaper than an STI8 with PPP............work that out !? (And I work for them !)

Robocop

I know. I did a quote for the WR1.
If you tried to explain the WR1 is an STI PPP with more power and some other extras, they'd never understand.

Robocop

BTW, I've only been a Norwich Union customer since I bought the car in Sept 2004.