Sevilla Alloy Wheels on GTI with Winter Tyres, replacing 19inch Santiago

[Guzzle]

I swapped the 19s for the 18s with winter tyres today. I phoned the insurers, Admiral, to let them know I'd swapped them over and guess what. They wanted to charge me a £19.50 charge for an alteration to the policy.

I tried to explain that this change was making the car safer during winter. Computer said no.

Incredible.

Most insurance companies these days don't require you to tell them if you're on winter tyres as long as you don't run non-OEM wheels in the process, so i've stopped bothering.

If you are going to tell them though, it's better to tell them at the start of the policy that you'll be running winter tyres in the winter, otherwise you may be giving them an excuse to charge another £20 when you tell them you've changed your wheels back again. 

[Watts]

I swapped the 19s for the 18s with winter tyres today. I phoned the insurers, Admiral, to let them know I'd swapped them over and guess what. They wanted to charge me a £19.50 charge for an alteration to the policy.

I tried to explain that this change was making the car safer during winter. Computer said no.

Incredible.

This one of the main reasons I'm with Direct Line now. They don't charge a fee for changes.

[hobbes22]

I swapped the 19s for the 18s with winter tyres today. I phoned the insurers, Admiral, to let them know I'd swapped them over and guess what. They wanted to charge me a £19.50 charge for an alteration to the policy.

I tried to explain that this change was making the car safer during winter. Computer said no.

Incredible.

Most insurance companies these days don't require you to tell them if you're on winter tyres as long as you don't run non-OEM wheels in the process, so i've stopped bothering.

If you are going to tell them though, it's better to tell them at the start of the policy that you'll be running winter tyres in the winter, otherwise you may be giving them an excuse to charge another £20 when you tell them you've changed your wheels back again. 

Yep, just done this with esure. Told them I will be fitting winter wheels as soon as I pick the new car up. 44 quid including admin charge for changing car from 2016 GTI PP 230. (inc Winter Wheel change). quite happy with that.

[Eccie]

I’m not sure a car insurer should be charging additional premiums, see attached document from the abi.

https://www.abi.org.uk/globalassets/files/publications/public/motor/2017/10/abi-guide-to-winter-driving---the-motor-insurance-commitment.pdf

[mcmaddy]

As per usual in rip off Britain any excuse an insurer has to extract more money from a customer!!