If you have fully comp and the glass is covered
and you get a 5 mm wide "chip" in the windscreen
do you HAVE to accept a repair from the insurace company or can you insist on a new screen?
how much will such a repaired chip devalue a bog standard car at 3 years old ?
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I'd have thought that the insurance company would take the advice of the windscreen specialist, if he says it can't be repaired then its a new screen...
From my experience of the repair I doubt if any prospective buyer would notice unless it was pointed out so I doubt it would affect the value...
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I had a windscreen chip repaired. I would not be able to find it now if you asked me to point it out and you would never find it.
Most insurers will include such a repair within your policy. For a replacement windscreen you'll have to pay a substantial excess. You'll need to read your policy to see what it would cost you.
John
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A proper windscreen repair should not show up as being repaired unless its right in your drivers eyeline in which case i might complain for a new screen
dont know if you would get one though as windscreen repairing scams seem to have focused insurers minds this last few years to the point that the excess is excessive
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Funny this should come up... I had Autoglass out to repair a 9mm chip in the Mondeo's front screen this morning. I noticed it when i was cleaning the car last week, and was spurred into action by a TV advert last night. I swallowed the line about chips weakening the glass, and as the only road leading up to my street is akin to an off-road track I though I'd better do something about it.
10 minute job, completely free as I have fully comp insurance, and although it's still visible I feel more comfortable that it won't spread now. The lad arrived in a 10-plate Fiesta van with all the kit he needed.
I had a 'screen replaced a few years ago after paying a £60 excess - there was no damage to the glass but the silicone around the outside had dried out and was letting in water. No problems with getting it changed.
Last edited by: Dave_TD {P} on Tue 8 Mar 11 at 20:16
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I have twice gone to Autoglass to get chips repaired.
The first time, I took it in on the day the stone hit the windscreen. The chap at Autoglass looked at it and told me it was too badly damaged to be repaired, and I would need a new windscreen - which, under my insurance policy, would cost £50 or so instead of being free like a repair. He added that there was no hurry, and I actually didn't get it done until a couple of years later. From this I conclude that Autoglass wouldn't do a repair if a new windscreen was actually what was needed.
Second time, it was a week or two after the chip happened that I got the car to Autoglass. They repaired it. The mark is right in the line of vision, and not difficult to see, but it is pretty small and has never bothered me.
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Having my screen replaced tomorrow. A star turned into a crack a yard wide. £70 excess to pay. A repair will normally be free.
Let's put it this way, if some people wanted to make sure of a new screen and were prepared to pay the excess, they'd make sure it wasn't repairable.
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>> Having my screen replaced tomorrow. A star turned into a crack a yard wide. £70
>> excess to pay. A repair will normally be free.
Noticed on my insurance renewal from Churchill last month, didn't take them up by the way, that they have now introduced an excess, can't remember whether it was £10 or £15, for windscreen repairs. Can't see it being long before others follow, after all windscreen replacement didn't carry an excess when it first came in......
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>> Noticed on my insurance renewal from Churchill last month, didn't take them up by the
>> way, that they have now introduced an excess, can't remember whether it was £10 or
>> £15, for windscreen repairs.
Direct Line & Tesco are under the same umbrella as Churchill, so I expect it's £10, just like DL & Tesco's excess for a windscreen repair.
>> Can't see it being long before others follow.
Quite a few already do. When I had my windscreen repaired, the bloke said that a some insurers charge a £20 excess.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 9 Mar 11 at 01:24
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My recent Saga renewal has a £75 screen excess. I grumbled and then thought the last time I had a screen replaced was close to 20yrs ago.
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I had Autoglass repair a chip with 3mm crack a few weeks ago. It cost £15 under my policy.
The repair is right in line of sight but invisible in ordinary circumstances.
If I know where to look a very faint circle can be seen before I wipe the condensation away - humid air seems to detect the difference even though the human eye cannot.
The process worked exactly like in the ad, except that the repairer wasn't called Gavin.
Last edited by: Cliff Pope on Wed 9 Mar 11 at 08:38
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>> The process worked exactly like in the ad, except that the repairer wasn't called Gavin.
>>
Did you hammily peer into your wallet under the "mistaken assumption" that you had to pay, and then get a ridiculous overacted grin more suitable for the birth of a new Messiah when you discovered no cash was necessary?
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>> new Messiah when you discovered no cash was necessary?
>>
But he had to pay £15!
I had a windscreen replaced last month, a few days after receiving my renewal notice. My excess then was £75. The renewal has a revised excess of £100. If the crack had happened this week, it would have cost me the new higher excess.
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Warm windscreen, tiny chip in centre, screenwashers at -9°C did for the screen in SWMBO Picasso at Christmas - it cracked right across the middle. On the other hand, my Xantia has had a substantial bulls eye in the passenger side (it's just under the MOT limit) for about 18months which hasn't spread. It's too big to repair and the screen is pretty scratched, so I am working on the assumption that I'll get it replaced when it does crack. Just hasn't happened yet... Modern screens seem to be made of chocolate or something, and chip / crack really easily.
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"Modern screens seem to be made of chocolate or something, and chip / crack really easily. "
or it could be the state of the roads.
John
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I noticed a tiny chip in my wife's car windscreen the other week. It's in the driver's line of vision but you have too look closely to see it. Called the windscreen repair people out to it as I didn't want it to end up cracking, stitch in time and all that. When the chap looked at it he said that it wasn't a crack, it had been previously repaired and a small piece of resin had come out and couldn't be repaired. The only solution would be a new screen.
It really isn't noticeable but the question is, would it fail an MOT?
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My old Focus had a similar chip in its screen for the full 6 years I owned it. Like you, CC, I took it down to RAC windscreens as it was then and they told me it had previously been repaired.
The chip was just at the edge of the wipers sweep, and the car passed 6 MOTs without it even being mentioned.
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If you have a new windscreen, find a company that will fit either a genuine screen or one made to the same specification by the same manufacturer. In the case of the latter the only difference will be that it will have none of the car manufacturer's identification marks. Pattern parts are likely to be inferior, as I found out.
Autoglass claim to fit reputable screens. www.autoglass.co.uk/Windscreen-replacement.191.0.html
Last edited by: L'escargot on Wed 9 Mar 11 at 14:00
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>> If you have a new windscreen, find a company that will fit either a genuine
>> screen or one made to the same specification by the same manufacturer. In the case
Most insurance companies will now insist you use their approved supplier.
You can certainly go and choose your own if you are paying or if a third party is paying, but if you are claiming on your comprehensive policy, don't expect your insurance company necessarily to agree to your demands.
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>> Most insurance companies will now insist you use their approved supplier.
My insurer, Co-operative Insurance, makes no such demands for any type of accident damage repair. It's just one more reason for considering how the insurer operates rather than just the premium. There's no way I would allow my car to be taken away on a trailer (in the event of major damage) to be repaired at goodness knows where. I want it to be repaired close to my home so that I can keep an eye on the progress of the repair.
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Most insurance companies except the excellent CIS try to bully policy holders to use their approved repairers because they dictate their terms of business on said repairers, i.e screw them down on price. You are under no obligation whatsoever to play their games. Your car, you payed the premium, you say who mends it. The end.
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>> down on price. You are under no obligation whatsoever to play their games. Your car,
>> you payed the premium, you say who mends it. The end.
>>
If you are claiming on your own policy (i.e. not from a third party), you are sadly mistaken in your belief (unless you have a policy such as with CIS with t&c such as those L'es says he has).
Last edited by: John H on Wed 9 Mar 11 at 17:13
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'If you are claiming on your own policy (i.e. not from a third party), you are sadly mistaken in your belief (unless you have a policy such as with CIS with t&c such as those L'es says he has).'
I beleive you are wrong.
No motor policy of which I am aware has a condition forcing you to use the Insurers' approved repairers. They may want you to and it may be convenient for you as you don't need to get multiple quotes and wait for the insurer to approve the repairs and they may well offer you a courtesy car as an incentive but you don't have to use them. You are perfectly within your rights to use the repairer of your choice.
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>> I beleive you are wrong.
>>
>> No motor policy of which I am aware has a condition forcing you to use
>> the Insurers' approved repairers. They may want you to and it may be convenient for
>> you as you don't need to get multiple quotes and wait for the insurer to
>> approve the repairs and they may well offer you a courtesy car as an incentive
>> but you don't have to use them. You are perfectly within your rights to use
>> the repairer of your choice.
>>
As I said, read your t&c.
First Alternative:
"If you decide not to use our recommended repairer then an additional excess of £200 will be applied. This excess will be in addition to any other excesses shown on your policy schedule.
Please note that if you choose to use your own repairer:
* You will not receive a courtesy car unless this is agreed directly between you and your repairer
* An excess of £200 will be applied in addition to any other excesses shown on your schedule
* The repairs, unlike those carried out by one of our recommended repairers, will not be guaranteed for 5 years - unless your own repairer offers this
* The repairer, unlike our recommended repairers, is not contractually obliged to provide a specific level of service to you
* We will not be able to assist you with any aftercare issues"
Swiftcover:
"If the repair to your car is not carried out by our recommended repairer we may only pay the amount our recommended repairer would have charged.
No limit on cost if you use our approved windscreen repairer. If you do not use our approved windscreen repairer there is a limit of £100 for a replacement and £50 for a repair."
Retail Motor Industry Federation
"The RMI’s Bodyshop division has been alerted to a growing number of cases where bodyshops are “losing” business as consumers are effectively forced to use an alternative repairer. Insurance companies insist that the claimant use an approved repairer or, pay an additional fee on top of their excess.
because of the additional fee being applied by insurers, consumers feel that, financially, they are pressured into using the insurers approved repairer.
Investigation carried out thus far lead us to believe that, whilst not illegal as the terms are detailed in a policyholders policy documents and doesn't remove the consumers rights to use their own choice of repairer, it does penalise consumers financially if they choose to use an “unapproved repairer”". "
I rest my case.
Last edited by: John H on Wed 9 Mar 11 at 20:55
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>> I rest my case.
But what about Co-operative Insurance? Where's the proof in their website?
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>>>"If you decide not to use our recommended repairer then an additional excess of £200 will be applied. This excess will be in addition to any other excesses shown on your policy schedule. Please note that if you choose to use your own repairer:
* You will not receive a courtesy car unless this is agreed directly between you and your repairer * An excess of £200 will be applied in addition to any other excesses shown on your schedule * The repairs, unlike those carried out by one of our recommended repairers, will not be guaranteed for 5 years - unless your own repairer offers this
* The repairer, unlike our recommended repairers, is not contractually obliged to provide a specific level of service to you * We will not be able to assist you with any aftercare issues"
My policy has similar conditions which are fair enough... you have the choice. What the website says isn't important... it's that actual documentation with your own specific policy that matters.
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.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Thu 10 Mar 11 at 10:05
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>> Most insurance companies except the excellent CIS try to bully policy holders to use their
>> approved repairers because they dictate their terms of business on said repairers, i.e screw them
>> down on price. You are under no obligation whatsoever to play their games. Your car,
>> you payed the premium, you say who mends it. The end.
>>
Precisely. Appointed/approved repairers are purely for the financial benefit of the insurer. So far I've had no problem whatsoever with specifying my repairer, and have not received any financial penalty for doing so.
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>> My insurer, Co-operative Insurance, makes no such demands for any type of accident damage repair.
>>
Is your Policy different to the on on the Co-op website which says:
"repaired by a Co-operative Insurance appointed repairer"
"call our appointed windscreen specialists to arrange repair or replacement. If your policy covers you for damaged windscreen, window or sunroof glass (other than glass roof panels), please be aware that should you use another provider, the amount we pay will be subject
to the monetary limit specified in your Policy Details under “Limits”."
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Not perhaps authoritative, but this insurance broker's site says in no uncertain terms that you may well "not be allowed" to choose your own repairer.
www.carinsurancebrokers.co.uk/claiming/repairers.htm
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>> Is your Policy different to the one on the Co-op website which says:
>> "repaired by a Co-operative Insurance appointed repairer"
Could you provide a link to the Co-op website where it says that you must use one of their appointed repairers? All I could find was that they would provide a courtesy car if you do use one of their appointed repairers. tinyurl.com/5awbfb
In my experience a reputable repairer will provide a courtesy car off their own bat.
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VBRA www.vbra.co.uk/ say...
"YOUR VEHICLE - YOUR CHOICE OF REPAIRER
Always Remember: It is your vehicle and you can choose where you have it repaired - despite the threats and coercion your insurer will try and bring to bear. Stand your ground. Your VBRA repairer will assist you with this. If in doubt telephone us for advice.
If your policy holds a contractual clause that you MUST go where you are told it is essential, for this to apply, that it was made very clear to you at the outset of the insurance contract."
I never have chips repaired, because I like a clear new glass, but I always insist on genuine screens, as the aftermarket ones are graded, but the OE ones are the most perfect of the ones made.
Last edited by: sooty tailpipes on Wed 9 Mar 11 at 20:28
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>> I never have chips repaired, because I like a clear new glass, but I always
>> insist on genuine screens, as the aftermarket ones are graded, but the OE ones are
>> the most perfect of the ones made.
I always prefer a repair, I dont like the idea of a screen being cut out of the bodywork. There is nearly always a bit of damage, even if you never see it.
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Agreed. Having seen numerous windscreen changed I have seen the removal tool scrape paint down to bare metal potentially creating an in for rust.
Anyone know if the main windscreen companies providide a scratch removal service? Mines a mess. Used a soft broom to get snow off during early winter. later found a litte piece of hard cement stuck in the middle of the bristles.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Wed 9 Mar 11 at 21:38
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a primer is added to any bodywork scraped to metal
as for the llink to the vbra thats so last century
its pas 125 now dearies
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>> >> Most insurance companies will now insist you use their approved supplier.
>>
>> My insurer, Co-operative Insurance, makes no such demands for any type of accident damage repair.
The CIS did when my dad crashed his Astra in December 09. Yes, he could have used another repairer of his choosing is he so wished, but the repairs would not be guaranteed for 3 years unless he used one of CIS's approved repairers.
Say for instance the bumper fell off 3 months after being repaired. It would be down to my dad to argue the shoddy repair with whoever he picked and argue with them to get it put right again. If he used the CIS approved repairer, then the CIS would sort it all out for him.
That aside, the car was a write off anyway, so it made sense to let it go to the approved repairer to benefit the use of a courtesy car for a few days ;o)
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It's not just car owners who are bullied by insurance companies though, is it?
If you are unfortunate enough to be burgled, it's distressing to say the least.
Your wife's valuable jewellery, with great sentimental value (which you can't put a price on) has gone. Your insurance company insists that you go to their approved jeweller. You have never claimed in thirty years of being with them and they're telling you where to do your business.
Wouldn't be anything to do with the fact that they have the same sort of arrangement as they do with bodyshops by any chance?
There is a large Italian organisation with a far more honourable business ethic IMHO
I rest my case
Your Honour.
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>There is a large Italian organisation with a far more honourable business ethic IMHO
then dont use them.
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I don't live in New Hampshire. They don't use anybody
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you pay THE FAMILY
or we smasha your glass
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do you have to accept a windscreen repair? - hobby
