Import insurance in 2025

[GTSBoy]

1 hour ago, CRSKmD said:

I thought it was just if “the modification effected/caused the incident”

No. See below.

1 hour ago, soviet_merlin said:

I would hope so. I worry that it also might depend on whether the person working on the claim has had a good day or not.

No. In the specific case of Enthusiast, the wording in the PDS says, explicitly, "

We will not pay any claim on a Vehicle with any Modifications not
agreed by us and not listed in the Schedule.

This includes any Modifications or the fitting of a device that
contravenes the requirements of the Australian Design Rules [ADRs]
or where allowed, the Australian Vehicle Standards Rules [AVSR]."

The 2nd paragraph needs to be read in a different tone of voice from the 1st. The two concepts are connected, but they are two different concepts. The 1st says your mods must be listed and agreed with us. The 2nd effectively says "we won't pay if any mods are not legal".

The way that it has been written in more general insurances for a long time has been that if the mod contributes to the accident then you're shit out of luck, but if the mod didn't contribute, then you'll probably get away with it. With "probably" being a very flexible term, and being an insurance company, better left untested than hoped on!

[soviet_merlin]

43 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

The 1st says your mods must be listed and agreed with us. The 2nd effectively says "we won't pay if any mods are not legal".

The way that it has been written in more general insurances for a long time has been that if the mod contributes to the accident then you're shit out of luck, but if the mod didn't contribute, then you'll probably get away with it. With "probably" being a very flexible term, and being an insurance company, better left untested than hoped on!

Yup, this is my main concern with Enthusiast. Purely based on the wording in the PDS they have zero obligation to pay me anything. I wonder how it works out in practice because I would expect that the number of actually street-legal modified cars would be rather small.

Does Shannons have a similar statement in their PDS?

[Duncan]

I don't read the 2nd paragraph the same way, I believe it is defining "modifications" from the previous paragraph, and I'd be happy to have a lawyer argue that in case of an issue.....if they have agreed to it and listed it on the schedule it is covered.

Has anyone had them attempt to deny it based on that reading?

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

I've heard people claim with Just Cars (now defunct) and have been paid out, but painful process, and with Shannons, but noone I know or heard of has claimed with Enthusiast, hence I'm a bit nervous with their policy.

Sure I'm "covered" but am I? is the real question

[silviaz]

4 hours ago, CRSKmD said:

I thought it was just if “the modification effected/caused the incident”

Yeah it should be, but I wouldn't be surprised if the insurance company tries to pull some argument out of their ass to avoid paying you out.

[silviaz]

1 hour ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

I've heard people claim with Just Cars (now defunct) and have been paid out, but painful process, and with Shannons, but noone I know or heard of has claimed with Enthusiast, hence I'm a bit nervous with their policy.

Sure I'm "covered" but am I? is the real question

You would probably do a lot better in a claims process then most people. When I called the insurance company, they were surprised I read the pds because according to them almost no one does lol.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

1 hour ago, silviaz said:

You would probably do a lot better in a claims process then most people. When I called the insurance company, they were surprised I read the pds because according to them almost no one does lol.

Probably being in IT for 2 decades, and spending my time documenting trees worth of shit and also being on the receiving end has taught me a thing or two.

[MBS206]

I'd be just as worried about the part where they say "we won't be responsible for colour matching, if the undamaged area has deteriorated from new". So basically, they just need to paint it in the factory spec colour, but give no f**ks for the age of the vehicle etc, and are happy to make it look like dogs balls.

[Milkmun]

On 13/03/2025 at 4:37 PM, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

I've heard people claim with Just Cars (now defunct) and have been paid out, but painful process, and with Shannons, but noone I know or heard of has claimed with Enthusiast, hence I'm a bit nervous with their policy.

Sure I'm "covered" but am I? is the real question

Need a test mule to suss it out. Only way we will know.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

1 hour ago, Milkmun said:

Need a test mule to suss it out. Only way we will know.

You guys are welcomed to come flog mine, just don't upset my wife and don't park her in if she needs to go out to pilates in the morning.

If you can leave the wheels behind, that would be great 😅