Window chip repair companies

[ILoveLamp]

Having never used one, is there a ball park figure for a small stone chip repair to the windscreen?

Apologies if that's like asking how long a piece of string is.

There's a very small chip in line with the rear view mirror. My MOT is in 3 weeks and I'm undecided whether or not to book it in for tomorrow and possibly fail, or get the chip fixed first, or get a new windscreen if the cost of repair is silly.

The chip happened about 4 months ago, no cracks have appeared, it's very small

Cheers

P.S. The whole insurance thing - I think it's a con, I'm not aware of any insurance company which offers this for free without it acting as a claim.

Edited by ILoveLamp on Friday 12th August 09:54

[Glosphil]

Aren't windscreen repairs (not replacement) covered by your insurance with no contribution from you and no loss of NCB?

[ILoveLamp]

Thanks Phil, I was updating my post as you replied!

My insurance company won't cover this (without it affecting the policy)

[Glosphil]

I've had two free windscreen repairs (different insurance companies) without them being regarded as claims.

[denniswise9]

I paid £50 (my windscreen excess) to have a load of chips filled in and then the company claimed it off my insurance.

It doesn't affect your NCB and it won't put your price up next year (assuming you have windscreen cover on your policy).

[dibblecorse]

ILoveLamp said:

P.S. The whole insurance thing - I think it's a con, I'm not aware of any insurance company which offers this for free without it acting as a claim.

Edited by ILoveLamp on Friday 12th August 09:54

Are you Fully Comp insured or TPF&T ???? that may be the reason, if its Fully Comp then they should cover it, I've had 4 screen claims in the last 3 years, 2 repairs and 2 screens and its made no difference at all ....

[ILoveLamp]

dibblecorse said:

Are you Fully Comp insured or TPF&T ???? that may be the reason, if its Fully Comp then they should cover it, I've had 4 screen claims in the last 3 years, 2 repairs and 2 screens and its made no difference at all ....

I'll ring them again. It's Admiral, but on the phone they said there would be a £100 excess, which seems pointless! I'm fully comp.

Having looked on-line, I'm not sure if the crack will actually fail. It's in-line with the rear view mirror and pretty central height wise. MOT guidelines seem to suggest the 'fail zone' is the width of the steering wheel?

[Trustmeimadoctor]

autoglass seem to charge £75 for a chip

in fact they should be here at 11

[Glosphil]

denniswise9 said:

I paid £50 (my windscreen excess) to have a load of chips filled in and then the company claimed it off my insurance.

It doesn't affect your NCB and it won't put your price up next year (assuming you have windscreen cover on your policy).

Until recently most car insurance companies had no excess for repairs, only for replacement. However, this seems to be changing with the windscreen excess now also being applied to repairs. So from the owner's point of view why repair if a new windscreen will 'cost' the same? 'Encourage' a small chip to spread?

[saaby93]

Anyone know what the position is with sidewindows where some scrote has put a deep scratch with maybe a ring stone - is that sharper than a key? Would autoglass etc be able to fix it?

[Trustmeimadoctor]

it can be polished out

[denniswise9]

Glosphil said:

Until recently most car insurance companies had no excess for repairs, only for replacement. However, this seems to be changing with the windscreen excess now also being applied to repairs. So from the owner's point of view why repair if a new windscreen will 'cost' the same? 'Encourage' a small chip to spread?

I believe the excess is more for replacements than repair.

I'm with Elephant and I think its £50 for repair or £100 for replacment or something like that.

A lot of the cheapy insurance companies have charged for windscreen repairs and replacements for a long time!

[Glosphil]

denniswise9 said:

Glosphil said:

Until recently most car insurance companies had no excess for repairs, only for replacement. However, this seems to be changing with the windscreen excess now also being applied to repairs. So from the owner's point of view why repair if a new windscreen will 'cost' the same? 'Encourage' a small chip to spread?

I believe the excess is more for replacements than repair.

I'm with Elephant and I think its £50 for repair or £100 for replacment or something like that.

A lot of the cheapy insurance companies have charged for windscreen repairs and replacements for a long time!

I am now insured via the IAM and there is no excess for windscreen repairs, only for replacement. Most of the other companies that offered quotes were now also applying the excess for repairs.

Surely by charging the excess for repairs the insurance companies have shot themselves in the foot? Replacements will increase and repairs will decrease? Drivers will realise it is better to let a chip/crack spread and get the windscreen replaced rather than catch it soom enough for a cheaper (for the insurance company) repair.

Edited by Glosphil on Friday 12th August 11:09

[Glassman]

Trustmeimadoctor said:

it can be polished out

But it will depend on depth

[Glassman]

denniswise9 said:

I paid £50 (my windscreen excess) to have a load of chips filled in and then the company claimed it off my insurance.

It doesn't affect your NCB and it won't put your price up next year (assuming you have windscreen cover on your policy).

The excess - esp that amount - is usually for replacement; but you're saying you paid a nifty for repairs - on ins?

[fatboy b]

I had a couple of chips repaired by the biggest repair company in the UK. They were still very visible after they'd been done. Crap job really. Also the screen appears to be weakened by them. I was polishing the inside of the screen around a chip, and managed to cause a crack.

[Glassman]

fatboy b said:

I had a couple of chips repaired by the biggest repair company in the UK. They were still very visible after they'd been done. Crap job really. Also the screen appears to be weakened by them. I was polishing the inside of the screen around a chip, and managed to cause a crack.

You do not have to accept the repairs if you're not happy; ergo: they should not have invoiced them on.

In terms of the screen being 'weaker', if you apply pressure from the inside (especially if the screen is hot) the chip will crack. If it was properly filled and cured with resin, it may not be as easy, but it will (because you're pushing into the convex if that makes sense?

[bouffy]

fatboy b said:

I had a couple of chips repaired by the biggest repair company in the UK. They were still very visible after they'd been done. Crap job really. Also the screen appears to be weakened by them. I was polishing the inside of the screen around a chip, and managed to cause a crack.

...should have used Glassman! He replaced my windscreen a couple of weeks back, and did a brilliant job (for a lot less than the nationals repairers, too!). He's a top man, too.

[jas xjr]

If come across these chip repairing chappies at a retail park it is worth asking if they will do it as a cash job. Heard it can be as little as £10 or £20