Lease co / windscreen issue - scam?
Discussion
I'm in the process of arranging return for one of our company fleet vehicles, and I've tripped up across something frustrating which, digging into it, has a rather nasty whiff about it...
- Lease car has 3 very small chips on the windscreen.
- BVRLA guide does not have any minimum size for windscreen chips, so need to get them repaired!
- Call insurers preferred Automotive Glass supplier...get told they will not attend for chips <2mm. Get 2 different reasons: 1) The website reason - windscreen is perfectly safe, no need to repair; 2) The party line "we cannot repair as the windscreen is more likely to crack when making a small repair as we need to apply pressure" :cough: WHAT?!?
- Call lease company. They take >24 hours to come back with the party line.
- Call the auto-glass supplier again. Get party line from them. Get told they are the preferred windscreen partner for lease co, and that lease co will ask them to replace the windscreen when it's returned.
At this point I get a little upset and get into an argument...the glazier's policy is such that they are forcing lease-car customers to return cars with windscreen chips which will then get referred to them to REPLACE the windscreen.
So...is this a scam, or is this just the unfortunate confluence of different companies' policies? And how do I get around it?!?
- Lease car has 3 very small chips on the windscreen.
- BVRLA guide does not have any minimum size for windscreen chips, so need to get them repaired!
- Call insurers preferred Automotive Glass supplier...get told they will not attend for chips <2mm. Get 2 different reasons: 1) The website reason - windscreen is perfectly safe, no need to repair; 2) The party line "we cannot repair as the windscreen is more likely to crack when making a small repair as we need to apply pressure" :cough: WHAT?!?
- Call lease company. They take >24 hours to come back with the party line.
- Call the auto-glass supplier again. Get party line from them. Get told they are the preferred windscreen partner for lease co, and that lease co will ask them to replace the windscreen when it's returned.
At this point I get a little upset and get into an argument...the glazier's policy is such that they are forcing lease-car customers to return cars with windscreen chips which will then get referred to them to REPLACE the windscreen.
So...is this a scam, or is this just the unfortunate confluence of different companies' policies? And how do I get around it?!?
elanfan said:
If you genuinely believe that preferred repairers are ripping off customers Insurers) and their clients with poor repairs and unnecessary windscreen replacements you should get hold of the claims manager at the insurers concerned and explain the situation. Insurers are very cost driven and any suggestion that they are being played by a preferred supplier will get investigated.
Wrong end of the stick - insurer not involved in this, it's the glass company vs the lease company:-- Glass co won't repair small chips
- Lease co (apparently) won't permit ANY chips.
- Lease co (allegedly) replaces any 'damaged' windscreens upon return from lessee, rather than repairing.
- Glazier contracted to do the replacement is the same one that won't repair small chips!!!
...so the glazier gets a big fee for a w'screen replacement rather than pennies for a chip repair! Seems rather cute...
mudster said:
For clarity, you're paying the full cost of the repair to the glass company?
That is what I've been led to believe will happen. Ins. co appear to be on-side on this one, if I need to get them involved (i.e. it's a pre-existing condition from a time when the car was covered by their policy).Car went back yesterday - will wait and see what happens. I've been told I'll be notified of any required repairs and have 5 days to challenge them prior to the repairs being performed.
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