Inform insurance/dvla of slight car colour change?

[Dwh8611]

I have plastidipped my metallic black car to a matte black colour. Do I need to inform insurance or dvla as it’s still a black car?
Thanks for any info.

[Riley Blue]

No need as it's still black.

[LankyFreak]

Dwh8611 said:

I have plastidipped my metallic black car to a matte black colour. Do I need to inform insurance or dvla as it’s still a black car?
Thanks for any info.

Tell your insurance, the matte black could make it more desirable to steal (that's what they'd try to claim anyway)

[DodgyGeezer]

Always tell the aholes insurance company, then they've got less excuse not to pay out

[bencollins4]

DodgyGeezer said:

Always tell the aholes insurance company, then they've got less excuse not to pay out

Total aholes - how dare they know what they are insuring?! It's a modification, you need to tell them as it is a material fact.

[SturdyHSV]

bencollins4 said:

DodgyGeezer said:

Always tell the aholes insurance company, then they've got less excuse not to pay out

Total aholes - how dare they know what they are insuring?! It's a modification, you need to tell them as it is a material fact.

Indeed, and it may well be that statistically those who modify their cars have a different risk profile than those who leave them standard.

Although given the inevitable amount of people who don't tell their insurance company of modifications, I wonder if actually declaring modifications could lower the premium in certain situations

[dibblecorse]

You may find your insurance company refuses cover, many dislike plastidipping and wrapping.

[Riley Blue]

dibblecorse said:

You may find your insurance company refuses cover, many dislike plastidipping and wrapping.

You live and learn...

[kambites]

As above you don't need to tell the DVLA because they will just record the car as "black". Insurers, however, will probably class it as a modification and will need to be told. I suspect most will just charge you a "handling fee" for changing the information on their computers, but some might try to hike the actual premium based on it.

Realistically, I suspect the odds of having any issues if you don't tell the insurance company are very small unless you try to claim for the cost of the wrap in the case of a total loss!

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 6th April 18:08

[Dwh8611]

Thanks for all responses.
I did the right thing and told my insurance and it cost me an extra £59! Grrrrr lol and actually an extra third of my insurance cost because I am old and my car is old
Basically down as a modified car now bit steep I thought but it is what it is.
(Maybe a heads up for people to check before diving in for a plastidip/wrap or respray)

[MikeM6]

Sensible choice, I suspect that insurance companies don't like wrapping or similar as any repairs needed would then also need to be wrapped again, increasing their costs. I had heard they many don't like PPF for that reason.

[kambites]

MikeM6 said:

Sensible choice, I suspect that insurance companies don't like wrapping or similar as any repairs needed would then also need to be wrapped again, increasing their costs. I had heard they many don't like PPF for that reason.

In my experience their stance on PPF is that they don't care if it's there, but they wont pay to replace it if the car needs repairs.

[Johnnytheboy]

I told my insurance company I had PPF, which cost me ~£1,000.

Motorcyclist drove into me and ins co paid out for new PPF as well as the repairs.

Cost negligible amount too.