Help needed identifying my OWN car...

barryd09 · 06-01-2012 12:33AM #1

Right folks,

Having an issue with my car insurance.
Today I rang around looking to get quotes on my car,policy is up on Jan 22nd.

The car is a 2003 Lancer Cedia, 1.8l 4WD.

I got it back in September and I amended my policy at the time to insure the lancer instead of my previous car,naturally enough.
I was asked what it was at the time and told them it was a 2003 Lancer Cedia, 1.8l 4WD,sound,no problem and they got an extra €240 ontop of the premium I paid in january of that year.

On my insurance renewal notice it states the following details

Vehicle Model: Lancer GTI 16v H/B

This isnt my car.

Because this is the spec list I have found for my car is this:
http://specs.cars-directory.net/mitsubishi/lancer_cedia_wagon/1.8_Exceed_11997.html

and my log book has the following details for the make/model:
lancer CS 5W 4WD

Which is odd because it turns out this car isnt on the "insurance companies database", all of them,well the ones i rang today anyhow - i presume they all work off the same system?
I was told my car HAS to be a Lancer GTI 16v H/B because no other lancers are on the database for 2003.

I was also told that they were considering it a 2L because it wasnt on their database...Really?? Has anyone had this type of crap before? Can that even be allowed?

My car is far from a boy racer car & im far from a boy racer & having a brother that has owned several lancer evoloutions before,this,my car, is far from an evoloution or any other type of performance car.

Its actually like talking to a brick wall trying to explain that the car ISNT what they have on their system,its a different model.
Do insurance companies add cars to the database by any chance?
I have the proof of the spec from the link i posted above along with the log book for the car,is this not proof enough?

any ideas?

thanks lads & lasses!

GL scrappy · 06-01-2012 05:39PM

I've had similar problems with a couple of cars, couldn't get a quote on my mazda because it's not on their system, got a callback the following day to say they couldn't insure it because it's a high performance car, so they went from not knowing what it was to knowing it's a performance car in one day, luckily that car was old enough for a classic policy so I got to tell my original insurers to feck off.

More recently, bought a subaru vivio gxr, insured it over the phone with 123.ie, giving them all the details. When I got the certificate, they had it down as a vivio gli, phoned them to explain that they had the wrong model and I was told that it was the closest they had on their system, I asked them in the event of a claim, would I be insured even though they had the wrong details and they told me I would be.

So all I can recommend is that you phone your insurance co., ask them to confirm that you're insurance is still valid although they have the wrong details, get it in writing if you can.

dr.fuzzenstein · 06-01-2012 07:03PM

Since your car isn't a Focus or Corolla, you have confused the sh*t out of the poor insurance people, since they've never heard of any other cars.
My GF has an MX5, which came up twice online, once as body type "coupe" and once as "cabriolet".
And every person that has an even remote interest in cars will know, the MX5 ONLY comes as a convertible two seater, there is no other body style.
Unless they are taking once-off custom builds into account.
The insurance companies lists of models (at least in this country) are drawn up by six year old children with the help of monkeys.

johnos1984 · 06-01-2012 07:06PM

I got six different quotes from a broker before when insuring my Passat.

Each one was for the same model, power and spec level and there was a substantial difference in the quoted price.

He said six option popped up and he priced it for each one out of interest.

It has happened a couple of times when I've gone to insure cares that they will come up with a few of the same models

unkel · 06-01-2012 07:19PM

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Since your car isn't a Focus or Corolla, you have confused the sh*t out of the poor insurance people, since they've never heard of any other cars.

That's a bit of a simplistic view. The insurance companies system can't cater for all the cars that were ever sold anywhere else in the world.

GL scrappy wrote: »

bought a subaru vivio gxr, insured it over the phone with 123.ie, giving them all the details. When I got the certificate, they had it down as a vivio gli, phoned them to explain that they had the wrong model and I was told that it was the closest they had on their system, I asked them in the event of a claim, would I be insured even though they had the wrong details and they told me I would be.

I can understand your frustration, but I wouldn't feel confident that you are covered in the event of a claim. Unless you have it in writing that your car is covered with them acknowledging the car is the type you say it is.

Too late for you now, but in future I would check before buying if they have the correct model, if not I wouldn't buy the car.

dr.fuzzenstein · 06-01-2012 07:31PM

unkel wrote: »

That's a bit of a simplistic view. The insurance companies system can't cater for all the cars that were ever sold anywhere else in the world.

They couldn't even cater for an MX5, No Nonsense online quote refused me on the grounds that it was a "performance car":rolleyes:, and some other crowd didn't know which body style to pick (there's only one).
True, Lancias are not common here, but they are not exactly an Indonesian one-off car built as a special order for some millionaire in 1923.
Things have improved, but in the 90's it was dire, I had a VW Transporter, no insurance company would touch it.
In the UK many people will use very old cars as daily drivers, here it's impossible to insure anything over 20 years old, unless it's classic insurance and then you need a main car in your name and your mileage is restricted.
So far I found insurances here to be extremely hostile towards anything that isn't a 5 year old Euro or Jap box.

barryd09 · 06-01-2012 09:28PM

So i it possible with the correct documentation that they'll add a car to their 'system'? Because as it is and going on what you've said here, ive paid my premium but wouldnt be insured?

Is this a case for the ombudsman?
I dont want it to be a dragged out proccess but i DO want to be covered.

My insurance is up on the 22nd of jan and i cant go without a car!

but43r · 06-01-2012 10:13PM

barryd09 wrote: »

So i it possible with the correct documentation that they'll add a car to their 'system'? Because as it is and going on what you've said here, ive paid my premium but wouldnt be insured?

Is this a case for the ombudsman?
I dont want it to be a dragged out proccess but i DO want to be covered.

My insurance is up on the 22nd of jan and i cant go without a car!

Ask them if you are covered.
Insurance company is most likely working off a 3rd party database and can't simply add cars to it. Instead they pick the closest car to your car that they can find on that database.
Ring them up - tell them that the car is not the same one as stated on your policy and then ask them if you are covered. As others are saying - try to get the confirmation in writing.

rolion · 06-01-2012 10:13PM

I had a simillar issue:insured my car,but in their system didn't show as with automatic gearbox.Asked the staff to make a separate paper and sign, saying i insure an automatic model.

When i did the claim,they tried to give me price for manual gearbox,then told them that it was an automatic,to check the additional records,found it,been compensated for auto,with a higher price.

Always get what you want,need,drive over to them by phone AND ask to send back,confirmed in paper !!!

Chris_Heilong · 06-01-2012 10:51PM

OP are you sure its a domestic model, it could well be a JDM imported one(are the number plates square for example instead of normal Irish rectangle shape?) and that is why its not on their systems, I had this trouble with my JDM Civic, most places woulnt look at it as they coulnt find it on their systems and one or two wanted to put it down as an R type:eek: which like yours if far from the truth, I eventually got insurance with SX insurance broker and they had my model up on their system.

My fear was that if the insurance company put it down as a 5 door 1.4l and came to look at it in the event of an accident and saw a 5 door 1.5l they would not honor the policy.

Help needed identifying my OWN car...

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