AAMI and Edits

[Wonky]

Am thinking of having an edit done on my car (probably not mafless) so rang AAMI last night to enquire about having an edit added as a mod to my car. The person I spoke to didn't seem to have any idea what I was on about and after apparently talking to a supervisor told me no, I'd have to use Just Car.

That doesn't tally with what I have read in a lot of posts (I did a search on AAMI and edit and found quite a few related threads) in which people said they had told AAMI (and other insurers) of edits and had them added as a listed modification on their policy.

Admittedly I may have shot myself in the foot because I wanted to test the water first without giving my details so rang claiming I was thinking of changing to them and not that I was already insured with them.

I would really appreciate it if anybody insured with AAMI and having an edit as a listed mod could tell me (either here for everyone's edification or PM) how they explained it to AAMI when requesting it (also, was it by phone, email or in person) and most importantly, exactly how it is listed on your policy i.e. EXACT wording AAMI have used on your policy statement?

At the moment I am only interested in hearing specifically from people insured with AAMI thanks. Also, am not willing to risk not telling AAMI about the edit because as several people have mentioned in those other threads, particularly in the event of a big claim, the insurance companies CAN find out if they want to whether an edit has been done. Call me chicken or call me sensible depending on your point of view, but I ain't risking it! :D

Thanks

PS The AAMI rep asked if I was over 25 - I've been on rating 1 for over that many years.......... :p

[wrexed03]

Gday Wonky i ran into the same issues with AAMI as well with my super6. In my case it was the Pulley upgrade on the supercharger snout. They had no idea what it was. At the end i explained it to them and they still did not understand. So basically left it as is. Risk on my part but thats the way it goes. Just be aware most of the phone operators are not knowledgeable about vehicle mods. They may have some lists they work off in regards to mods but im sure there are items missing. Basically they must use some sort of script when they go through this stuff with the customer.

[HRT 8]

The joys of ambiguity with Insurance companies.

After replacing my written off car with the newie. (old was VX 5.7 wagon, and new VY SS) the chick at the counter says no sorry cant insure you because your under 30 and its a V8. I say, but you just payed out my old car with was a V8 also. I say please get the supervisor who delt with my payout. She comes out and says Hi Grant, yeah its no problems. And tells the chick to cover me.
Wierd isnt it.
Blanket statement for AAMI says no under 30's for V8 holdens, yet the branch manager can override that in an instant.

[Febs]

Insurance companies would have to be the most ambiguous mobs ever.

Call up Monday - get one answer.
Call up Tuesday - get a completely different answer
Call up Wednesday - get different answer again..

etc...

This goes for quotes, mods, you name it. Call back and speak to a different person, you may well get a different answer. I've had quotes vary wildly, from the same company for the same car/driver!

FWIW, I'm with JCI and they didn't care about my mafless tune because "it's just a software tune - you're not adding anything mechanical to the car."

[Tron2004]

I'm wondering, if you don't tell your insurer about the edit, how are they going to find out??

Like it don't exactly stand out like the proverbials.

[jneil]

The joys of ambiguity with Insurance companies.

After replacing my written off car with the newie. (old was VX 5.7 wagon, and new VY SS) the chick at the counter says no sorry cant insure you because your under 30 and its a V8. I say, but you just payed out my old car with was a V8 also. I say please get the supervisor who delt with my payout. She comes out and says Hi Grant, yeah its no problems. And tells the chick to cover me.
Wierd isnt it.
Blanket statement for AAMI says no under 30's for V8 holdens, yet the branch manager can override that in an instant.

Yeah! Apparently nobody under 30 is allowed to drive my SS, not even the wife. "but what if we are out and I have an accident and can't drive and the wife has to drive me to the hospital?", "that would be fine sir, she would be covered", "can I have that in writing?"....."ummm, no sir, but you WILL be covered and she would be allowed to drive it!"

RIIIGHT!!! I guess in 5 years it will not be a problem!


Insurance companies would have to be the most ambiguous mobs ever.

Call up Monday - get one answer.
Call up Tuesday - get a completely different answer
Call up Wednesday - get different answer again..

etc...

So true also. I called up before getting the new Astra just to get an idea of the insurance, got the car and organised the insurance a few days later and got a different figure! My details did not change AT ALL! And because the quote wasn't recored, it was just an enquiry, I had to pay the more expensive price.

[VX2VESS]

you guys..

what is edit. A means to tune the car. back before injection when you had to turn the dizzy. it was a tune up, edit is a tune up. before you would turn the dizzy change the timing, rejet the carby etc for a tune. now you use a keyboard...

now back before ecm pcms injection etc did everyone ring up the insurance company and say i just tuned my car up ? your confusing them and giving them another reason to screw you.

edit changes the timing and fuel its a tune up not a modification....stop ringing them up for tune ups

[Tonner]

Hey vt2VX, can you tell me whats the 6mm fuel type pipe at the base of the vy11 Throttle Body ? Is it a breather or does it need to be capped, sorry for gettin off track here but I thought you would Know for sure.
Thanks Tonner

[andrewdisco]

Personally I'm insured with AAMI and find that they really have no idea about mods. The main reason for this is their target demographic isnt people the modify their vehicles.. thats what Just Cars is for... so naturally when you start listing mods they dont understand they will steer you toward Just Cars so as to cover their bases.

I think there is a big difference here between a MAF and MAFLESS edit.... I'm not sure if a Maf edit could be described as a tune up considering your are altering the vehicles behaviour quite dramatically - read 10-15% power increase. However, post accident an insurance inspector isnt going to ever hook up your vehicle's ECU and try to compare it to the default configuration... with a MAFLESS edit however it is a visible change to the vehicles configuration.

The guy at AAMI told me i was covered for my 'intake modifications' however said it wouldnt be printed on my insurance, however he had noted it on their system. Fat lot of good that will do me, I hear you say.... and you're probably right.

The thing about insurance is you never truly know if you are covered until after an accident. Strangely enough though, the insurance company will happily accept the payment of your premiums up until this point regardless. :D

[VX2VESS]

some old cars with rejeting on 4bbl carbs etc could get a good increase. not as much as now, they run richer oem for other reasons which decreases power.

depends how rich the old carb was...

i

[VX2VESS]

Hey vt2VX, can you tell me whats the 6mm fuel type pipe at the base of the vy11 Throttle Body ? Is it a breather or does it need to be capped, sorry for gettin off track here but I thought you would Know for sure.
Thanks Tonner

i will have to have a look at one to be sure, but if not changed from earlier models. its the one at the base and runs back too the radiator ?

if so coolant line to heat the TB, should be a line in and another one out on the other side. unless yours is already disconnected from another owner or shop.

take a photo and post it, i can see what your talking about then.

[Tonner]

i will have to have a look at one to be sure, but if not changed from earlier models. its the one at the base and runs back too the radiator ?

if so coolant line to heat the TB, should be a line in and another one out on the other side. unless yours is already disconnected from another owner or shop.

take a photo and post it, i can see what your talking about then.
Hey Thanks it turnded out to be just that ,it has had a bypass done.

[Wonky]

edit changes the timing and fuel its a tune up not a modification....stop ringing them up for tune ups

That's a very loose definition. In the good ol' days a tune (without doing things like re-jetting carbies) was about optimising what power was inherent in the engine. Nowadays it is a totally different ballgame - see http://users.senet.com.au/~dtech/faq.htm (from www.ls1edit.com.au). They also mention increasing power by up to 25% on the ls1edit home page. If you were to take other routes to get that increase in power eg. exhaust and/or heads and/or cam etc most insurance companies would want to know and many would refuse to insure you.

Call me a chicken but I have a $50,000 car and a house worth many times that that my wife and daughter happen to like living in. If I was unlucky enough to hit an expensive Porsche or similar then I don't want to say bye bye to my car and house to pay for it because the insurance company refused to pay up due to a performance mod I hadn't told them about.

In a situation like that they will be looking at ways to avoid paying up and as people have said in other threads, in these days where edits are a widely recognised performance enhancement and the equipment that can check a car's computer could be paid for many times over in rejecting just one claim I ain't prepared to take that chance! (Cheep.....cheep.....cheep......)

I want to see it written on my policy statement as other mods have been on previous cars.........

[Red-Drop]

Just another FYI. Just cars did not change my premium at all when i told them about the tune.

He he with the work i've just done im now in the top category of modified vehicles. I could stick a quad turbo and a backup supercharge. Stroke/boar it out to 7.5 liters and never pay a cent more.

But if i get a set of shiniy new bling bling wheels my premium sky rockets(not that i would).

Ash

[LSX-438]

in the past with AAMI, i've just ticked the "computer chip" option for the edit, never a problem.

[VX2VESS]

in the past with AAMI, i've just ticked the "computer chip" option for the edit, never a problem.

that sounds the better option, they probably don't have an edit box yet. or understand what edit is. so that chip box would be the closest thing.

[Jozo]

i had the same problem with my intercooler. After 20 minutes of explaining what it was, she told me it wasnt a mod and therefore would not affect my policy.

[Pickles]

Had these sorts of problems with AAMI myself.Call centre staff are very polite etc,but generally have no idea about anything mechanical-if it's not on their "computer printout",then they probably won't understand what you're talking about.With that in mind,when I rang up AAMI for a talk about some modifications,I asked to speak to the motor vehicle underwriting manager,as I thought he would Know what I was talking about.I was told "We don't have a motor vehicle underwriting manager!".Eventually,after a great deal of difficulty,I was put through to a supervisor,who also did not have much mechanical knowledge,but appeared willing to want to solve the problem.She said she would take note of the mods I was talking about(brakes,diff,Exh upgrade)& refer them to an "assessor",which she did,whilst I held on.After a time she came back to me & said that there were no problems with those 3 mods.However,I have not carried them out yet,and I will get written confirmation from AAMI before I do.I have heard it said that if you can prove a modification was not the cause of the accident(or theft!),then an insurer cannot deny your claim,but as another post has said"I have a house & contents that my wife & I like living in"-I agree with that & would not want to test that in court against the financial might of an insurance co.
Cheers Pickles.

[andrewdisco]

I think it looks like if you want total peice of mind you might have to change insurers. Unless you can get AAMI to list the mods in writing on your policy....

Computer chip might be close... but when it comes time for the insurer to pay out.. sometimes close isnt good enough.

[V8Symphony]

I've got "Computer Chip" added to my AAMI policy for the edit, they were happy to do it at no extra charge, they even wanted to know how much it cost.

[pagey]

you guys..

what is edit. A means to tune the car. back before injection when you had to turn the dizzy. it was a tune up, edit is a tune up. before you would turn the dizzy change the timing, rejet the carby etc for a tune. now you use a keyboard...

BINGO!!

Do not even consider bringing the issue up with your insurer. It is not a "modification" & will "never" be picked up by an assessor (maf tune) unless you go out of your way to make them aware of it. All you are doing is giving your insurer bullets to fire at you later - you are just tuning your car to run more efficiently - You have added/modified no parts.

[Todsta]

Just checked my AAMI Insurance certificate.
Listed mods are; Mag wheels, exhaust, lowered, hard canopy, tubliner and LS1EDITPROGRAM. That's how it's written.
It's a VZ ute. Driver over 30 and living in Melbourne. Insured over the phone, anyone and everyone at AAMI tell me I can have as many mods as I want as long as they are legal.

[mavss]

....as long as they are legal.
I think this statement is key.

No legitimate insurer should turn down a mod if it's legal and meets the various regulations governing cars.

[Chris52]

I think this statement is key.

No legitimate insurer should turn down a mod if it's legal and meets the various regulations governing cars.


So is an edit deemed to be a legal modification?

Cheers

Chris.

[LSX-438]

So is an edit deemed to be a legal modification?

Cheers

Chris.

dont see why not; noise and emissions compliance might be something to think about separately however.

as for insurance companies not allowing an edit; given they can turn you away based on your sex/age, or the car brand, or the phase of the moon... i dont think legalities dictate what they must accept. the amount of times i've called, gone through all the BS upfront questions, then it gets to the car "oh we dont insure them"...

[Wonky]

Well, am a (99%) happy chappy now! :D

Have in my hot little hands the new policy statement which arrived today and now includes the term VCM Suite Edit. The 1% not happy Jan is because they have put it as an accessory and not a mod, but I have all the emails they have replied to along the way in which I explained that the edit would increase power (and economy) so am sure I have covered myself from the Disclosure point of view. Thanks Todsta for giving me what I think is the best solution i.e. specific wording relating to the edit. :)

For those who think we don't need to tell insurance companies about edits don't bother reiterating that viewpoint yet again to me please. After an accident if they want to they can check and tell a car has been edited - may not have happened yet but I don't want to be the one who finds out the hard way they have started and knowing my luck that would happen. :(

My wife and I have worked too hard for too long to lose a significant part of it due to an insurance claim being refused because the car had significantly more power than standard and I hadn't told them about it. COULD happen!

Wonky