Car written off. Can I keep my alloys?

[Morello339]

So, long story short, a couple of scummos drove down my street and wrote off a few cars. Just crashed into them all in broad day light.

Luckily police were there and saw it all. Although obviously not insured so it all falls on me.

In called my insurance company, uploaded the photos of the damage and the it went straight through as a total loss. The damage isn't bad just an old car.

We agreed a figure the next day, transferred ownership and they are collecting it tomorrow.

It isn't my car now.

However, I had alloys on it, it didnt have allows when I bought it second hand ( the car is 11 years old) I had them put on (although they are usually standard on that model, I'm assuming the garage I bought it from replaced them and maybe put them on another car).

So, as I bought them separately I just took them of and replaced them with the steels it had come with.

Since then I have started to obsess that they insurance company will ask about it.

Am I being silly? I've never had a claim or crash before so it's all new.

And it is just like me to start to think about this after I've already replaced the wheels.

[mintyt]

I work in insurance, you should have declared the alloys as a modification, your premium would have increased to cover them and your payout would take into consideration the alloys. But as they wrote the car off on photos rather than coming out to inspect I doubt the insurer will care, would you put the originals back on, however the salvage company would probably make money from the alloys My son changes his ( without telling ) me nothing happened

[ColdCottage]

I took the spare wheel from my car when it was a write off, figured not all cars have these. I'd switch back to originals if it was me.

[Ohtherewearethen]

Slightly different but I retrieved my stereo from a car when it was written off, plus any personal items, with no problem. I think I'd just take them off, I don't think the insurance company can tell you that you can't retrieve personal items from the car. It isn't being sold on so it will just get scrapped.

[NearlyGranny]

We had an older car written off after a fairly minor crash. We bought it back from the insurance company for less than what the four new tyres on it - undamaged in the crash - had just cost us. With the rest of the money, we paid a local firm to repair it and drove it happily for a few more years. We had three kids and the car had three rows of seats (Citroën CX Familiale) so we really didn't want to part with it and they were scarce as hens' teeth even then.

If you never declared the modification of the alloys, how will the insurance company even know you've swapped them? Nobody is going to turn out to look at the written off vehicle and compare it with photos taken after the crash. You're worrying about nothing, which we all do sometimes.

Good luck choosing your next vehicle!

[Elephantonascooter]

Luckily police were there and saw it all. Although obviously not insured so it all falls on me.

I'm surprised your insurance company didn't direct you to the Motor insurance bureau. They're set up for this exact reason, being hit by an uninsured driver. Unless you had a clause on your insurance that covers you for this, the MIB would have dealt with this for you without an excess.

Anyway, just put the originals back on and be done with it. They won't caee