Window Tinting Voids Insurance!

[Flaps]

Act like a wanker and you'll get treated like a wanker. It's a motto that many HWP Officers share. I know since my mate is one.

Conveniently for this thread his old man has been an insurance assessor for 25 years. He has never seen or heard of an insurance claim being voided due to dark tint. He's previously worked for NRMA, AAMI, Allianz.

[Flaps]

BTW - my tint is 5%.

How is 5%? I've had 15% twice and it's no where near dark enough during the day. Not really impressed with it Being a small car I thought it would be really dark with 15% but it's not...

[The_Hawk]

How is 5%? I've had 15% twice and it's no where near dark enough during the day. Not really impressed with it Being a small car I thought it would be really dark with 15% but it's not...

I bet it's fun at night. When I first got 20% I found I had to be very aware when reversing at night, but you get used to it.

For day time applications, 5% is very useable... but night??

[insanekiwi]

I know I am in New Zealand, but the tinting material is quite similar from what I hear on the posts.

I have got my tints done at Tint a car NZ. There is what's called a 'warranty of fitness' in NZ which we need to get early.

Legal tint for NZ is max 35%, and as you know our Polos do come with some factory tints. The problem is if you get the darkest legal tint, once applied it will be darker than 35%.

I heard some stories where they failed the warrant, and had to get the tints re-done.

I wanted to avoid it so when I took the car to the shop, I asked them to measure the light transfer prior to applying. wanted midnight express but it showed 26% light transparency. Too dark.

Ended up getting Formula 1 which was slightly more expensive, but closest to 35%, which was 32% on actually measurement.

There was no alternative choice so I went for it.

Just wanted to let you guys know about my experience.

Get the shop to measure the light transparency prior to getting tints.

[REDMKVGTI]

Insurance companies will void your insurance for any illegal mods if they find out. You'll also probably find that if you do ask for a darker than legal tint the tint company will put a note on the warranty/receipt stating that the car is for show use only (ie not road legal).

It's the same with those gay blue headlights, they're illegal, but until you act like a tool you probably wont have any dramas.

I got the Bolle tint done by tint a car (solace to some) and it looks awesome.

35% is plenty dark enough at any rate, unless your some wanna be bad ass gangster of course....

[insanekiwi]

35% is plenty dark enough at any rate, unless your some wanna be bad ass gangster of course....

Or you still live at home, and need some space at night (or during the day which ever pleases you).....

[Kai]

Ask the tint company if they have had any problems with other cars an that tint?. They wouldn't sell you anything illegal now would they? Or go and ask a policeman. If they find it too dark then they would be putting a defect sticker on the car in which case the tint company would be oblidged to change it.

Course they are going to sell you illegal stuff. Its a business.

If you ask for it. They will give you it. They don't have to tell you its illegal. They do however have to tell you that its illegal if they suggest it.

[Koz]

In regards to those questions on how 5% is. Its looks hot because its so dark but at night it is ridiculously dark but ive gotton used to it.

At night if I need to use my side mirrors I have to put down the window to see the mirror. But I cope.

[REDMKVGTI]

Or you still live at home, and need some space at night (or during the day which ever pleases you).....

For me the tint on the windows is not the biggest issue with getting some "space" (presumably in the back), I hate being over 6 ft tall.... Besides, if you can;t fog up all the windows enough not to see in then your doing something wrong.

[REDMKVGTI]

In regards to those questions on how 5% is. Its looks hot because its so dark but at night it is ridiculously dark but ive gotton used to it.

At night if I need to use my side mirrors I have to put down the window to see the mirror. But I cope.

Yeh, I was in a guys car a few years ago, he had hell dark tint, which was really cool, until it got dark, and rained. Winding the windows down so you can see out when it's pouring is not a lot of fun.

[THR]

If the insurance company can prove your car was in a defective state at the time of an accident, and you knowingly contributed to this or were aware of it, then you should not be surprised if they don't honour the policy and pay your claim. That's the takeaway from the fine print in the policy document

Even if the car is defective, if the defect did not cause the incident, they cannot decline your claim. The defect must be material to the incident.

Anything how is just a conspiracy theory. If someone runs into the back of you, or you fall asleep at the wheel and crash your car, your insurance company cannot decline your claim on the basis your tint was too dark.

The fact that the tint was too dark much have actually contributed - i.e. at night time you were unable to see, etc.

(I speak from having worked at many insurance companies over the years.)

[Bubu]

Thanks for the input guys. I got the windows tinted at 20% and its great during the day. At night its a bit dark but im not complaining at all. I am happy I went with a 20% tint.

[BlackVr6ix]

Like i've said before

RELEVANT LINK

What caused the loss?
Your insurer may say that you (or a third party) "were in breach of the policy" and this is the reason they are refusing to pay the claim. The law says an insurance company can only refuse your claim on this basis if your breach of the policy actually caused the loss.

Here's an example of when this might happen :

Your insurer refuses to pay your claim after a car accident because you were "over the limit". However, your car was hit from behind by another car while you were stopped at a set of lights. The accident would have happened whether or not you were drunk or sober. Because the accident was caused by the negligence of the other driver, your insurer cannot refuse to pay because you were over the limit.