OT:(possibly) Insurance Scam

Because:

1) You are showing that you in a group of people more likely to thrash a car on a public road. Hence you are in an increased risk group. 2) You are making your car more desirable to a baseball cap wearing tosser. Hence it's more likely to be stolen. 3) The insurers do not know how well you did the work, your braided hoses for example could pop off and you could crack the block (coolant hose) or set fire to the car (fuel hose). 4) Suspension mods can cripple handling, leading to a greater risk of an accident. Lowering suspension in particular can lead to the cars adhesion to the road becoming utter bollocks under braking. Performance pads just make that worse. Wider tyres make it worse again in the wet.

All in all they have good reasons for winding up your insurance. If you can't afford it, don't mod your car.

Quite right.

Whether the individual is a higher risk is hard to say, but if the individual falls into a category that is, makes the choice obvious. Shopping around makes a bit of a difference.

How is that diferent to if you changed old hoses to new OEM ones?

So can old and worn suspension I don't remember ever being asked when I last had new shocks fitted.

yeah but you drive those wanky italian rust carriers.

No.

As someone who clearly likes to drive hard (otherwise you wouldn't be fitting uprated brakes and the like), then you're a higher risk. That's all there is to it !

That's ok. If you don't like their policies, then just go somewhere else.

It is. Drivers like you and me, are higher risk.

Clearly that's not the case. They risk losing your business, by increasing your premium (there is ZERO brand-loyalty in the insurance world) - they wouldn't do it unless they had to !

You're a higher risk, so you pay a higher premium - that's all there is to it.

Yep.

However - they can only make that money, by offering a competitive premium - otherwise people won't use them.

Usual ratio of premiums to claims, is about 100:99 - ie, they pay out almost everything they take in. The profits are made by investing that cash, whilst it's in their posession. There isn't really any room for them to lower your premium, if you're a higher risk - it's already set as low as they can possibly afford !

Spot on.

Er, that's EXACTLY what they do !

They already do.

Each insurance company calculates their risks differently (hence the wildly differing premiums) - I suspect they don't want the competition to know their methods !

That's cos STATISTICALLY, they are.

Which is precisely why they have increased your premium !

which i'm just not

Eh ? You have no choice. If you don't buy it, then go somewhere else !

They get you from A to B, quicker. Whether they're actually power related or not, isn't relevent.

It's not shit, because it spreads the load between everyone - which is the whole point !

What the hell else would they be doing ?

Their sole reason for exisiting, is to get your premium, in order that they have capital to invest. The only way they can get your premium, is to give the best price they can ! (or give spectacularly good service or something)

So you think your "seeing many accidents" gives a better risk analysis than that which the insurance companies spend umpteen rillion pounds on ?

ROFL !

But they're not cashing in ! They're pushing you away ! This is BAD for them !

But that's a good thing, from their point of view.

If your policy is invalid, then they don't have to pay out :)

It doesn't.

I haven't declared my brake upgrades.

They also make your car more attractive to thieves (they're gonna be able to sell on the aftermarket rims, much more easily than bog standard ones).

If they really want your wheels, then they'll take them.

They can draw the line wherever they like :)

it's because it indicates you are a chav boy racer who'll be driving like a prick and hence more likely to have an accident.

next!

Shokk

It's not necesserily true. Somebody could get better brakes for emergencies rather than to drive like an idiot. My brakes (standard ones) are pretty good, but I still brake VERY gently and some people think I brake to gently. I do like having the braking power for emergencies though. In something like a Ford KA's the brakes aren't particularly good and in an emergency it would be nice to have better brakes.

That's some EGO you have there fella.

The insurers will argue that the OEM ones were designed for the purpose. Pattern parts are often OEM supplied via another route but that parts used for modding are frequently designed more for looks than function. I think they're willign to take the risk on OEM parts but modded parts which may require different fitment to OEM parts are a step too far (for them).

Try having an accident that results in a serious claim. You will find that your insurers will engage a motor engineer to check out your car, including the service history.