Picking up a scooby on Friday - which will be my third car and I need to free up NCB to use on it. So this afternoon I spoke to Admiral about a multi-car policy to use on my existing cars, which are a totally standard Nissan Primera, and a BMW 330D.

BMW, of course, have an options list a mile long, and since I didn't buy the car new, I have no idea what features on it were standard as opposed to optional. I do know that the car hasn't been modified in any way since it left the factory - but it did leave the factory with 18" alloys, leather seats, sat nav and so on, which a bum-basic model wouldn't have.

The guy I spoke to at Admiral was adamant that he wanted to know about "modifications or optional extras", and went on to list things like alloy wheels, spoilers, bull-bars and the like as examples - suggesting that anything not declared wouldn't be covered.

I wouldn't regard my car as "modified" in any way. It left the factory as a well-specified example, and the declared value reflects that. But it sounded as though unless I go back to the original supplying dealer and find out exactly which of the dozens of boxes were ticked when the car was ordered, I have no way of knowing what "optional extras" my car actually has.

Naturally I'm not prepared to be fobbed off with a low-rent model with cloth seats and a tape player in the event of an accident. My present insurer was quite happy to be told that the car hadn't been altered in any way since it left the factory, which is absolutely true.

Can anyone who understands the industry please clear up what's meant by a "modification" or "optional extra" - and do I really have to go out and find whether electric mirrors or cruise control were "standard"?

 

optional extras are fitted before first delivery to the customer of a new car, after delivery they are a mod

or at least thats what i was told by elephant

 

That's what I'd assume too - though I think what he was after was a list of any differences between my car and the "manufacturer's standard specification", whatever that is.

Given the length of the options list I doubt that two absolutely identical 3-series BMWs have ever left the factory, and I also doubt very much that every insurance policy covering one lists options like an the auto-dimming rear view mirror, parking sensors or heated seats.

Maybe it's just their way of telling me to b*gger off and take my business elsewhere?

 

yeah mate sounds it tbh

 

And i would if you're able to.

I was messed around for every year of my 3 year stint with them - fecking nightmare they were.Always making mistakes,they even cancelled my policy for me halfway through - this turned out to be a 'clerical error' and they couldn't understand why i was getting so irate about it.It's okay for them to make mistakes but god help you if you make one.

They charged me £45 for changing my exhaust on my old RX-8 and even charged me £30 for moving house which was literally a 10 min walk away !!

 

Keep away from Admiral, charged me £50 extra for a non standard backbox and then told me I was only covered for the cost of the original

Also £15 for changing to a private plate. Certainly won't be going back with them.

 

I wouldn't touch them for any sort of performance or modified car, but for my totally standard Primera they came in cheapest.

Given the grief I had trying to get a straight answer about whether leather seats were regarded as part of the "manufacturer's standard specification" on a 3-series, I didn't even bother asking them about a modified classic STI...