Anyone been charged extra by their insurance for fitting the above?

Just been charged an additional £20 premium plus £25 admin fee for using winter rims and tyres November to March. Also been told the premium will be reviewed again when I change back and they cannot guarantee the premium will be the same as when I took the insurance out but that there won't be another admin fee.

Interestingly there would be no charge for just changing the tyres.

Insurance is with RAC underwritten by ABC, which will of course be changed next year (cancellation charge if I change now). One of the 1st questions I will be asking if any potential insurer is if they charge for a winter wheel set up.

I never bothered with winters on the Yeti because I didn't stray too far from London but I am now undertaking regular trips up North.

Phone them back and demand a refund.

 

ABC should not charge extra for winter tyres, nor should any other insurance company for that matter.

 

This document from the ABI shows that ABC do not charge for winter tyres. You should not even need to inform them.

 

 

https://www.abi.org.uk/~/media/Files/Documents/Publications/Public/Migrated/Motor/ABI%20guide%20to%20winter%20tyres%20The%20motor%20insurance%20commitment.pdf

 

https://www.abi.org.uk/Insurance-and-savings/Products/Motor-insurance/Winter-tyres

 

If you don't get anywhere with your insurer, complain directly through ABI.

Edited 20 October, 201510 yr by softscoop

I'm never loyal as I find you get taken for a ride.

Phone them back and demand a refund.

 

ABC should not charge extra for winter tyres, nor should any other insurance company for that matter.

 

This document from the ABI shows that ABC do not charge for winter tyres. You should not even need to inform them.

 

 

https://www.abi.org.uk/~/media/Files/Documents/Publications/Public/Migrated/Motor/ABI%20guide%20to%20winter%20tyres%20The%20motor%20insurance%20commitment.pdf

 

https://www.abi.org.uk/Insurance-and-savings/Products/Motor-insurance/Winter-tyres

 

If you don't get anywhere with your insurer, complain directly through ABI.

As mentioned in my original post, it's not the tyres alone that have attracted the additional cost, it's the fact that I am fitting wheels and tyres.

I've never once had any insurer require extra for winter wheels and tyres for either car. I always inform them they're going on different wheels too and they're fine. Most don't even need me to tell them anymore.

I'm with LV. I did tell them and 'they made a note'. They did not make a charge.

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Code of Practice protocol here

Ring them and demand a refund

As mentioned in my original post, it's not the tyres alone that have attracted the additional cost, it's the fact that I am fitting wheels and tyres.

 

Then they are still being OTT.

Ring and tell them you are taking this up with the ABI.

I have a set of annapurnas with Nokian winter tyres which i am considering selling if anyone would like them Un marked rims less than 5k miles on tyres.

As long as the tyres and wheels conform to what Skoda recommends there should be no charge. I was initially charged a Premium when I put on cold weather tyres in 2010.

However, this was before these tyres were more prominent on the market. I haven't been charged a Premium since.

Most SENSIBLE insurance companies realise their worth; if they prevent an accident, then they don't pay out. Simples!

Read your current insurers t&c's for cold weather tyres. If it does not state any charges I'd put it in writing or email to them that you will be contacting the ABI. If it states in their t&c's they charge a Premium, ring around a few insurance companies and find out which ones don't charge, and quote those companies to them to them and ask if these companies can do it, why not them?

They are your choice surely, so long as they are speed and load rated appropriately.

When I got my Winter tyres/rims, I rang my insurance to check. I was told no charge and no need to inform with the tyres and no change to policy/ extra charge for OEM steel rims as these were lower spec than the original alloys.

When I got my Winter tyres/rims, I rang my insurance to check. I was told no charge and no need to inform with the tyres and no change to policy/ extra charge for OEM steel rims as these were lower spec than the original alloys.

Was that was swapping 17" alloys for 16" steels? Which insurance company?

I rang the ABI some years ago and they stated both tyre and rims were included in their list and I had no issues with my insurer Admiral switching from 17" to 16" rims for winter with the first Monster.

 

However I've decided with the V40 which has the same 225/50 R17 tyres as most UK Yeti's, to go for the new Michelin Cross Climate, rather than mess about swapping complete wheels.

 

 

TP

I think the point some are missing here is it is not the fitting of winter tyres the surcharge is being charged for but different alloy wheels.

 

What wheels are the winters on?

 

Anything other than genuine VAG wheels will be deemed a modification, likewise so will increasing the wheel size.

As mentioned previously, it was definitely the wheels that attracted the additional cost. In my case, the winter wheels are not Honda OEM, they are Dezent alloys in 17", whereas the car came fitted with 19". The tyre size is also different to ensure the rolling ratio remains similar (0.2% difference).

The insurer also asked how much the new wheels cost (about 25% of the originals) and if I had modified the wheels arches which of course I haven't.

There we go then. In their eyes you've chavved it up and are now a bigger risk. I stick to OEM alloys for winter wheels.

 

Its still wrong of them, but I expect that to be the reasoning.

Update on this matter.

Out of the blue and coincidentally, a day or 2 after this blew up I received a letter from my former insurer offering me a £25 M&S voucher, plus the cost of any cancellation charge, if I ditched my current insurer and changed back to them by the 31/12. Feeling ever so slightly aggrieved and with nothing to lose, I rang them.

I related the sorry tale of the winter rims/tyres issue I had with the RAC and they informed me that there would be no charge for winter rims and wheels of whatever kind as long as the tyres had been fitted to the rims professionally (a bit unnecessary in my view as not many DIYers have tyre fitting kit in their garages). I confirmed this was the case but that I would be fitting the wheels to the car. They said that wasn't an issue. They didn't even want any details of the winter set up.

I also mentioned that I had a tow bar, again no cost. They confirmed that both of these changes would be noted but no further action required.

Anyway, the upshot of all this is that I cancelled the RAC insurance, changed back to my old insurer (RSA) at a premium reduction of £20, plus I got the M&S vouchers together with the £55 cancellation charge and a refund of the unused part of the premium from the RAC.

Interestingly, the reason I changed to the RAC from RSA was because they were cheaper, so if you are thinking of changing your insurer purely because of cost and apart from that you are happy with your current insurer, it is always worth asking if they will price match (and if there are likely to be any additional but not obvious, costs).

Great result

Yes, I'm being loyal, which equates to being stupid and lazy - one day I will look and see what else is available! I seem to remember that Admiral are okay with using winter wheels/tyres but seemed to like to get told when each change is taking place, something that I don't think that I have always done!

 

Edit:- Chatting to them in Wales is one thing, but I think that somewhere else is handling calls now, unless Wales has been taken over by another country!

Edited 4 November, 201510 yr by rum4mo