How much does a new windscreen cost?
How much does a new windscreen cost?
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V8mini

Original Poster:

26 posts

234 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
I had a new screen fitted to my Megane R26 (so, a standard Mk2 Renault Megane screen AFAIK) through my insurance - which they now list as being a £4000 claim and won't tell me anything more about it. If I want to reduce the claim figure I have to send them proof, which obviously I can't, because they paid for it.

Just wondered if someone might help figure out: Could a screen really cost that much to fit!? I'd've thought the glass would be a coupla hundred and then you're looking at an hour or two labour to fit it? Even factoring in the "it's an insurance job" price hike I can't see it getting close to that figure. Is it normal for a windscreen claim to be listed on your insurance with a claim cost that high?

I've never claimed for a windscreen on insurnace before so have no experience of this... (I've been pretty lucky, last time I got a broken screen was about 15 years ago on an old mini so I just fitted a new glass myself!)

It hasn't put my premium up significantly yet, but that's not to say it wouldn't in the future I guess.

Ta!

kambites

71,540 posts

251 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
That sounds crazy to me. I'd have guessed at a tenth of that cost!

snoopy25

2,112 posts

150 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
£4000 for a windscreen?! did you have it made from gold?! lol

Puddenchucker

5,901 posts

248 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
kambites said:
I'd have guessed at a tenth of that cost!
I'd wonder if someone has keyed in wrong and it should be £400.00

rallycross

13,757 posts

267 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
Usually £100 to £300.

lbc

3,336 posts

247 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
That should be £400, not 4,000.

Seems like an admin error to me.

backwoodsman

2,508 posts

159 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
We paid £217.75, to have a heated screen fitted to our Focus.

Looks like someone mis-typed the price on yours.

X959

96 posts

207 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
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It cost me £120 to have a one fitted to a mk4 Golf last week.

AlexRS2782

8,521 posts

243 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
It must be a typo. When I had the screen on my 205 GTI replaced last year a local specialist charged £140 supplied & fitted for a replacement. Had I gone via Autoglass (who the insurers would have used) the quote was just short of £400.

Mound Dawg

1,927 posts

204 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
Within reason, the cost of a claim won't affect the premium. Of course, if you mow down a bus queue it might but there's no difference between a £4000 claim and a £400 one as far as premium loadings go.

So don't sweat it.

I did once see a £5000 claim on a policy which our insured insisted was a windscreen claim. When I checked with the insurer it turned out that the screen had been broken by the forehead of the pedestrian he'd run over.

surveyor

18,691 posts

214 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
3 years ago Insurance Company paid £1200 for a 5 series screen.

We had words as they wanted me to pay vat as it was a business policy.

V8mini

Original Poster:

26 posts

234 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
Great, thank you folks! At least I'm not completely misjudging the value of things! (As it happens, my dad's Renault Avantime had a front screen fitted, and that genuinely was well in to a four figure bill, but I figured that's the exception not the rule!)

My insurance company are being typically unhelpful - I've contacted them three times already about this, here's how the phone conversations & email chain have gone so far:

ME: Hi, so, you reckon it cost £4000 for a Megane windscreen?
INSURANCE: Yes, I can confirm that's what our records say
ME: Yes, I know that's what your records say, I can see a claim for £4000 on my policy. I'm saying that if you really are paying £4000 for every windscreen repair, I'm in the wrong line of work.
INSURANCE: We can certainly adjust the claim cost if you send us the proof
ME: But... but.. I don't have any proof of what it cost. You paid for it!
INSURANCE: Then I'm afraid we can't adjust the claim cost.
ME: Oh good [Hangs up phone]

Can I ask the company that fitted it to send me details do you reckon? Or will they not want to disclose what they charge the insurance companies? (under the guise of Data protection etc.) Or am I better off just calling my insurance company repeatedly until someone actually helps me?

V8mini

Original Poster:

26 posts

234 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
Mound Dawg said:
Within reason, the cost of a claim won't affect the premium. Of course, if you mow down a bus queue it might but there's no difference between a £4000 claim and a £400 one as far as premium loadings go.

So don't sweat it.

I did once see a £5000 claim on a policy which our insured insisted was a windscreen claim. When I checked with the insurer it turned out that the screen had been broken by the forehead of the pedestrian he'd run over.
Ah that's good to know. Thanks. (The premium thing I mean, not so much for the pedestrian...)

backwoodsman

2,508 posts

159 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
Call the company that fitted the screen.

Record the call.

Pretend to be a new customer.

Ask for a fixed quote to replace your screen.

Play call to insurance company.

Mound Dawg

1,927 posts

204 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
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I think you're better off moving on and worrying about something more important. Life's too short to try to "sort out" things of no consequence like this.

JakeT

5,997 posts

150 months

Thursday 9th October 2014
quotequote all
It's cost me £75 on a Fiesta, my mum £75 on her 500 and her E46 and my dad £75 on his X5 which is a massive piece of glass. Even to me, £400 seems too high when it isn't a fancy Ford heated one...

Glassman

25,009 posts

245 months

Friday 10th October 2014
quotequote all
In some cases, invoice values are set at 'retail' and the discount (to the insurer) is applied retrospectively.

SV8Predator

2,102 posts

195 months

Friday 10th October 2014
quotequote all
JakeT said:
It's cost me £75 on a Fiesta, my mum £75 on her 500 and her E46 and my dad £75 on his X5 which is a massive piece of glass. Even to me, £400 seems too high when it isn't a fancy Ford heated one...
Umm.... the £75 figure is the excess. You didn't "pay" £75 for your Fiesta screen. The insurance company paid for the supply & fit of the new screen.



ZOLLAR

19,920 posts

203 months

Friday 10th October 2014
quotequote all
backwoodsman said:
Call the company that fitted the screen.

Record the call.

Pretend to be a new customer.

Ask for a fixed quote to replace your screen.

Play call to insurance company.
Ok undercover PI no need to be so stealth laugh

Op just call the window company that did the work they will confirm to you the work done, speak to the insurance companny and have a conversation to get it resolved rather than hanging up wink
You may get it sorted then.

Save Ferris

2,738 posts

243 months

Friday 10th October 2014
quotequote all
It's £700 for a GT86 windscreen if you don't go through insurance!