Preferred Insurance Windscreen Company too expensive....

[mike42]

So I get a crack in the windscreen and according to the insurance online system it needs replacing.

Happy to go with their recommendation. Only one problem. The amount covered for replacement under insurance is not enough to pay for their recommended windscreen replacement company.

How do they get away with stating "windscreen cover - TICK" in all the leaflets and comparison sites?

More to the point I guess I'll just need to stump up and next time I get insurance read all 110 pages of the terms and conditions.....

[Chubbyross]

EmailAddress said:

Glassman

Is the correct answer.

[vikingaero]

mike42 said:

So I get a crack in the windscreen and according to the insurance online system it needs replacing.

Happy to go with their recommendation. Only one problem. The amount covered for replacement under insurance is not enough to pay for their recommended windscreen replacement company.

How do they get away with stating "windscreen cover - TICK" in all the leaflets and comparison sites?

More to the point I guess I'll just need to stump up and next time I get insurance read all 110 pages of the terms and conditions.....

Without kicking you whilst you are down, did you go with one of the bottom feeders in the market?

[sixor8]

What does it say in the policy? After reading this, I've checked mine for my TVR (not heated or any radar stuff) because they are now rare. My insurers only state that if I do NOT use their recommended company (Glassline - who?), they will only pay up to £1000. There is no mention of any ceiling as long as I use their recommendation.

On cars with active cruise control, Head-Up displays and heating elements, I expect some are a LOT of money. Some companies which only do mobile fitting can't do them because they need specialist equipment to set everything up after a replacement.

I would add that some insurance companies do a fully comp policy without glass cover (Hastings Essentials for example).

[Glassman]

mike42 said:

The amount covered for replacement under insurance is not enough to pay for their recommended windscreen replacement company.

FC usually means you are covered for a replacement, unless, there's an exclusion which could be for glass roofs, cabriolet (roof) glass; in which case, the policy - or proposal - would have indicated that.

Some policies will have a floor limit.

My guess is that your policy (or glass cover) is capped. Some of the budget policies will cap the cover at £500.00 which might not have been anything to worry about in the days of Escorts, Metros and Rover 200s. Some policies, like Ageas cap their windscreen cover at £1k if using a 'non-approved' repairer. IOW, if you use their nominated repairer: £50 excess and no limit. If you go with say the main dealer or owners club recommended specialist: you pay the first £100 and they will cover the claim up to £1,000 (anything above and beyond that you supplement).

It's another example of how consumers arrive at the checkout stage of the process when they really should be checking out the terms. Insurance companies need to make it clear which they don't. I've looked at many policies at the proposal stage and there's no way you can make an informed decision based on what the wording they've presented you with is.

[Glassman]

sixor8 said:

What does it say in the policy? After reading this, I've checked mine for my TVR (not heated or any radar stuff) because they are now rare. My insurers only state that if I do NOT use their recommended company (Glassline - who?), they will only pay up to £1000. There is no mention of any ceiling as long as I use their recommendation.

On cars with active cruise control, Head-Up displays and heating elements, I expect some are a LOT of money. Some companies which only do mobile fitting can't do them because they need specialist equipment to set everything up after a replacement.

I would add that some insurance companies do a fully comp policy without glass cover (Hastings Essentials for example).

Yes, but, for example, the mobile fitting/equipment for setting up is not so. There's an ADAS re-calibration element to screens housing the technology and this is where it gets interesting. The calibration process is simply the fitter taking your car for a drive. You can do a 'static' calibration but essentially, it's the same thing. You present the device with a set of scenarios and check to see it's doing what it is programed to. They are all self calibrating by design. Due to fuel cell load; tyre pressure changes; passengers; payload; terrain etc, they have to self adjust.

These big household names you get directed to in the event of your windscreen cracking have a lot of calibration issues when fitting non genuine glass. In many cases, device cannot complete a calibration check and will fail. Rip the aftermarket screen out and put a genuine one in and wallop! Everything works as it should. No problem. This is happening a lot and they keep on fitting the cheaper glass because sometimes they do get away with it. In the main, the screen has to be replaced with an authentic, OEM part.

Static calibration is usually required if the device is replaced, or if the car has been put through an ignition cycle with it disconnected (again, in that case, it will usually self calibrate).

For anyone seeing 'Glassline' in their policy, it's basically a sister company to Autoglass which acts as a price regulator whereby they get to control pricing, and in times of long lead times, get the job covered (and still for a profit, of course). Anyone other than Autoglass, Auto Windscreens, National Windscreens et al stating they're 'insurance approved' are merely plugged into 'Glassline' which is owned and operated by the same company that owns Autoglass (they also own a windscreen wholesale distribution business). A great business model... for them.

[sixor8]

Good information on Glassline, I'm OK for cover then.

I've had to have a windscreen in a previous Chimaera (took 2 attempts to get a good fit) and a Cerbera (where they tried to get a pattern windscreen and couldn't). They ended with one from TVR Parts but I was kept waiting 6 weeks! Fortunately it was a smallish crack but if it had been serious... Fortunately, it wasn't my only car, but it could have been.