Windscreen Claims WILL Affect Your NCD

[Glassman]

Hastings Direct are reported to be revising their policies to include a few interesting changes, one stands out quite clearly: "windscreen claims will affect no claims discounts and excesses will be doubled if policyholders choose their own repairer." This is to enable HD to offer drivers a 'no frills comprehensive car insurance policy to help cut motoring costs.

Furthermore, Equity Red Star, Fortis and NIG are to withdraw from personal lines, ie, private motor insurance (according to a broker in London). These are the type of policies that are bread and butter to a lot of brokers; with price online sales and price comparison websites it's a tough business for the motor insurance broker. But it's not just the guys in the broker world, with these changes to Key Facts and underwriters pulling out of motor insurance, is this the industry stepping sideways?

For the policyholder (with HD) this means (in the event of a windscreen claim) you will go with who we tell you to, or you get your wallet spanked.

[joebongo]

That's cos Autoglass and their "2 hour video in the back room" trained ilk cock it up so often but must be the cheapest option for the insurers.

Edited by joebongo on Saturday 7th August 08:21

[Paul Drawmer]

Interesting enforcement of preferred supplier. The impact on NCD will come as a surprise to many claimants I suspect.

I know a company which applies differential glass excesses for approved (£50) and non-approved (£70), but they don't hit the NCD if you go the non-approved route.

[Jasandjules]

Glassman said:

Hastings Direct are reported to be revising their policies to include a few interesting changes, one stands out quite clearly: "windscreen claims will affect no claims discounts and excesses will be doubled if policyholders choose their own repairer." This is to enable HD to offer drivers a 'no frills comprehensive car insurance policy to help cut motoring costs.

Not sure if that would be ok in terms of competition law.

[Glassman]

joebongo said:

That's cos Autoglass and their "2 hour video in the back room" trained ilk cock it up so often but must be the cheapest option for the insurers.

I'm not sure if AG would be the 'cheapest' route as their starting prices (retail) are considerably higher than their closest rivals (and currently, there's a mahoosive gap between 1st and 2nd). Whether it's a rebate scheme or just a hefty discount I'm fairly sure it's not on Average Invoice Value (a scheme that some other companies flirt/have flirted with).

[MattYorke]

The way autoglass rip off, I'm not surprised.
Broke the windscreen on my landrover. It's on a specialist policy that doesn't have windscreen cover, so I phoned autoglass for a quote.
Can't remember the exact number, but they wanted about 200 smackers to replace the glass.
I thought, OK, if that's a genuine screen, fair enough, as they aint cheap. Check with the autoglass rep, no, it's not genuine LR glass.
Hmm - went and did a bit of googling. Non genuine screens cost 33 quid, and 15 quid for a new seal.
Took about an hour (bearing in mind I was slow, never having done one before) to fit, total cost about 50 quid.
I don't mind paying for convenience, and I don't mind paying a fair whack for the work done, but 150 quid for less than an hour just takes the pi$$.

[Timberwolf]

As I understand it, despite the seemingly rip-off levels of pricing a lot of insurers are making a loss on their motor insurance business. I wouldn't have thought windscreen claims would be that significant a contributor compared to personal injury and people having huge numbers of stupid accidents in general, but I've no doubt it probably has a fair opportunity for fraudulent claims.

(Especially via the "non-approved supplier" route.)

That would explain the step away being taken from the business by a few firms, and the insane prices being charged by some others.

Also some insurers have been recording windscreen claims on your history for a while now, although I hadn't yet heard of one that also knocks your NCD for doing so.

[busta]

So their 'no frills comprehensive' policy is achieved by making it less comprehensive? I see...

[saladdodger]

joebongo said:

That's cos Autoglass and their "2 hour video in the back room" trained ilk cock it up so often but must be the cheapest option for the insurers.

Edited by joebongo on Saturday 7th August 08:21

they didnt make a great job of mine, some reason the headliner now rattles, missin clips, screws not put back in correct, blue tissue wedged under edge of trim. I went round the windscreen and corrected all this myself.

Its strange, having a w/screen replaced worries me more than what garage i would use for mechanical repairs

[busta]

saladdodger said:

joebongo said:

That's cos Autoglass and their "2 hour video in the back room" trained ilk cock it up so often but must be the cheapest option for the insurers.

Edited by joebongo on Saturday 7th August 08:21

they didnt make a great job of mine, some reason the headliner now rattles, missin clips, screws not put back in correct, blue tissue wedged under edge of trim. I went round the windscreen and corrected all this myself.

Its strange, having a w/screen replaced worries me more than what garage i would use for mechanical repairs

The only time Autoglass have been near my car, which was about 10 years ago, they scratched through the paint, across the width of the windscreen, down to bare metal which has subsequently rusted and now leaks into the front footwells. Very annoying as it is the only bit of problematic rust on my 15 year old car and not something I can fix myself without taking the windscreen out.

[saladdodger]

busta said:

saladdodger said:

joebongo said:

That's cos Autoglass and their "2 hour video in the back room" trained ilk cock it up so often but must be the cheapest option for the insurers.

Edited by joebongo on Saturday 7th August 08:21

they didnt make a great job of mine, some reason the headliner now rattles, missin clips, screws not put back in correct, blue tissue wedged under edge of trim. I went round the windscreen and corrected all this myself.

Its strange, having a w/screen replaced worries me more than what garage i would use for mechanical repairs

The only time Autoglass have been near my car, which was about 10 years ago, they scratched through the paint, across the width of the windscreen, down to bare metal which has subsequently rusted and now leaks into the front footwells. Very annoying as it is the only bit of problematic rust on my 15 year old car and not something I can fix myself without taking the windscreen out.

did you not get them to pay for repairs, thats not on

[Fox-]

A leading windscreen company cracked the old screen, covered the bonnet and wing in shards of glass and then rubbed them into the paintwork by mistake when refitting the new screen.

I beleive that cost them £700 to fix!

[Ozzie Osmond]

I was going to choose my own repairer until I discovered,

1. Policy excess with Autoglass was just £60 cost for the job

2. Insurer would only contribute £125 if I had it fixed elswhere

3. Cost of getting the job done at the dealer was north of £700!

Fortunately Autoglass have always been "good enough" in the overall context.

[Silent1]

Elephant are just as bad, they will not pay for anything if you wont use autoglass, so now i've had a new windscreen and they've fked the trim up on the windscreen surround

[Glassman]

Aviva is another one and despite them shaking off Auto Windscreens from their RAC operation, Autowindscreens continue to control pricing for invoices from third parties.

Sometimes they're a fool to themselves. I called them for a price on a Rolls Royce Phantom. Now, given the price of the glass from RR is £3,750 + VAT, Aviva quoted a price of £3,838.00 for the job. The idea is that you reject the quote (and they take all the details of the job before they give you a price) and they capture the job for themselves.

But he who laughs last: the Phantom owner is now playing them at their own game by insisting the work is done at an official RR dealership (they will of course, mark the glass up as well as charge about nine hours labour at whatever their rate is, oh, and £150.00 for a 'bonding kit' too). I'm guessing Aviva will now be strapped up with a bill from RR for around £8k. But guess who their glass specialist is?

[saladdodger]

Silent1 said:

Elephant are just as bad, they will not pay for anything if you wont use autoglass, so now i've had a new windscreen and they've fked the trim up on the windscreen surround

[shirt]

timely post as my windscreen was cracked on the m18 yesterday.

I'm with flux so need to visit an internet cafe (am on my phone now) to view my policy docs.

anyone had to claim for new glass under flux? what is the excess and who do they use? will it affect my renewal? Its only a clio so I guess I could find a cheap screen but not sure if I can be bothered fitting it myself.

[Mars]

I get through a lot of windscreens - a consequence of driving fast and the "loose" state of the roads these days, no doubt. Anyway, I have had Autoglass out to mine twice in the last year and both times I've been pleased with the result.

Just thought I'd redress...

[cj_eds]

I've used Autoglass a few times now in Cambridge. Living close to a quarry meant the windscreen repair man actually knew where to find my car at work as soon as he saw the reg plate on his job list for the day. (My rant about trucks passing the opposite direction chucking stones across the road is a seperate thread in it's own right).
Each time its been repaired it's been fine, I've actually had a good experience from them. Eventually I got a stone chip at the edge of the glass, so it was replaced and that was done well too.

Back on topic, I'm glad the claims where all covered by NCB. I'd have no NCB at all for the last few years otherwise.

[Glassman]

shirt said:

timely post as my windscreen was cracked on the m18 yesterday.

I'm with flux so need to visit an internet cafe (am on my phone now) to view my policy docs.

anyone had to claim for new glass under flux? what is the excess and who do they use? will it affect my renewal? Its only a clio so I guess I could find a cheap screen but not sure if I can be bothered fitting it myself.

Flux issued the policy which is underwritten by ( X ). Each will have their own Key Facts / limits / restrictions / excess / etc. If you're not sure, PM me the name of the underwriter (no policy details) and I'll happily advise.

Re: Autoglass - guys, we already have several Autoglass bashing/praising posts and threads.