Motor insurance

I have a general query - although it stems from a personal experience, I think it might be worth discussing in a generic context - regarding motor vehicle insurance policies.

When providing spare parts for clients' cars, it has become "acceptable" (at least to the insurance companies) to only provide new, original factory parts if the car in question is less than five years old. If a car is older than five years, the insurance company will only provide second hand original parts or, even worse, "imitation" parts - or as they so nicely call them, "non-original" parts.

These are basically parts of a far inferior quality when compared to the original factory parts - both aesthetically as well as in build quality. I can possibly come to understand why, after a number of years, they will only replace parts using second hand original parts as the damaged parts are probably no longer in "as new" condition.

However, I cannot for the life of me comprehend the reasoning behind imitation parts. I have recently been through this with my insurance company - I will not mention any names unless you ask, as I told you I think this issue deserves a more generic approach - and, when I complained about the imitation parts (my argument being that the parts on my car may have been old, but they were original parts) I was told that "the parts were original in 1998 or 1999"!

Presumably, after a number of years, perfectly good original factory parts somehow spontaneously mutate into inferior quality imitation parts without warning.

I'm not sure if all insurance companies have adopted this policy but I have spoken to other people insured with other companies and they've all had the same experience.

I hope the above is of interest to you and look forward to a reply (if possible) telling me if I'm justified in my opinion. (Ian Buhagiar)

While thanking Mr Buhagiar for his valid contribution, browsers including consumers, suppliers and insurance companies are invited to participate in a meaningful discussion on the issue.

If, as consumers, we can get our act together whereby we do not accept "imitation parts - or as they so nicely call them, non-original parts", suppliers and insurance companies will have no other option but to respect our expectations. Unfortunately in this specific context, as consumers, we haven't got our act together yet. I hope that one day we will.