Free windscreen chip repairs - any good?

[Sooler]

Any one used a free windscreen chip repair offer you get sometimes in supermarket/DIY store car parks?


Is there a catch?

[anewman]

The catch is you have to have fully comp insurance which covers windscreens and they claim off that, so it may affect no claims bonuses or is not necessarily 100% free depending on your policy. That's all it is they claim from your insurance.

I have seen Halfords sell a tube of stuff that is supposed to repair cracks for about £15. No doubt these cowboys use something like this on multiple cars and charge the insurance companies about £80 a time.

[saintjanet]

If you have a crack in your windscreen and you dont have it repaired it may well crack all the way across and you will then need a new windscreen,this happened to me.

Most insurance companies would prefer you to have it repaired before this happens and will pay for this without it costing you anything,if you need a new screen they will only pay part of the cost,so if you have a crack have it repaired.That's always assuming you are fully comp.,check it out with your company if you are in any doubt about what i am saying.

I assume that is why these repair firms say it will be done free, coz it will!!

[MarkyMarkD]

I've had windscreen chips repaired very successfully. I think anewman is a bit cynical - the insurers obviously agree what they consider a reasonable rate with the insurers and it's irrelevant whether you can DIY it with something from Halfords for £15. When I've had them done, it's taken them quite some time to do the work, they've come to my workplace, they've done a quality job.

I don't believe that any insurer loads premiums for windscreen chip repair claims either. They are a trivial expense compared to a regular car accident-related claim.

[alwaysonthego]

we have had to have our windscreen replaced with autoglass. If it was a chip it would have been fixed free through our fully comp insurance without affecting our ncb. It cost us £50 to replace our windscreen, ins paid rest and it did not affect our no claims or premiums

[arrowsmith]

I have seen Halfords sell a tube of stuff that is supposed to repair cracks for about £15. No doubt these cowboys use something like this on multiple cars and charge the insurance companies about £80 a time.

How do you know they are "cowboys" ?
The materials may cost very little, it's the time and additionals costs incurred that make a job expensive.

[Jamp]

Can they repair a chip that has small cracks around it like a star? The cracks aren't getting any bigger.

[alwaysonthego]

Can they repair a chip that has small cracks around it like a star? The cracks aren't getting any bigger.

check this

http://www.autoglass.co.uk/Windscreen.187.0.html

[Wayne3765]

I have seen Halfords sell a tube of stuff that is supposed to repair cracks for about £15. No doubt these cowboys use something like this on multiple cars and charge the insurance companies about £80 a time.

I've seen Halfords selling spray paint for a few £'s too but I doubt anything you paint with it would compare to a finish a body shop would do.

[swagman]

Can they repair a chip that has small cracks around it like a star? The cracks aren't getting any bigger.

I had one of these, all told about the size of a pound coin, which is well within the repairable diameter.

But as soon as the Autoglass man put the repair tool on it the crack spread and it was a new windscreen job. What happens on attempting the repair depends, he told me, on which layers of the windscreen are cracked.

[artic fox]

i've had two windscreans repaired the 1st did a brill job but the second not so good both claimed it off my insurance and i havent heard any thing since well worth it as its free

[harryhound]

As someone who threw a wet swimming towel onto a windscreen to dry;
I would recommend repairing even a tiny little chip with the "star" effect.

The nearer the chip to the edge, the more of a problem it seems to be.

The professionals squirt a fluid into the chip and then cure it. They used to use heat to speed the cure, but now use ultra violet light.

That said I always repair chips in my headlights with Araldite and would be tempted to do the same with a chip in a windscreen, outside the main area infront of the driver, or the passenger.

Harry.

[peterbaker]

What's the wet swimming towel story??

I have had two chips repaired by Autoglass in the last year on two different vehicles. It is important to realise that the repairs are rarely invisible, but they are supposed to stop further cracking. That's why if the crack is too big or in the main line of sight the screen has to be scrapped.

Autoglass spent around 15 or 20 minutes on each repair using some kind of cleaning process to get the dirt out, the injection process to get the repair material into the crack under pressure, the ultraviolet process to harden it and finally some kind of polishing to flatten the repair I think. One of the screens has since been replaced because it cracked rather more convincingly on the opposite side.

As I said, the repair is often still visible, but then again it saves me a £60 excess and it's convenient.

[zippyzippy]

I actually repair windscreens for a living and I'd like to put a few things straight. You can have any chip in your windscreen repaired for free if you have a fully comprehensive policy with glass cover. The repair will not affect any no claims bonus and will not incur an excess either. The insurance companies do this as they know in most cases, the chip will become a crack, eventually resulting in them having to cough up several hundred pounds for a new windscreen. Most chips can be repaired but the success of the repair depends on a number of things. First, if the chip has been there a long time it may have dirt inside the glass or the laminate has been discoloured a milky colour caused by water getting inside the break and contaminating the laminate. These chips can be repaired but the end result will usually not be as good as a fresh break. However most of my repairs have an improvement of about 95-99% of clarity after repair.
Unfortunately using a replacement firm to repair your windscreen is not ideal as they make far more money on a windscreen than on repairing one so are far more likely to push you into having one if they can find an excuse. I see this happening on a daily basis, people telling me that Autoglass said it cant be repaired for any number of ridiculous reasons (too close to the edge, 2 chips too close together, too big etc) which are all rubbish and I usually end up repairing them fine after which the customer then complains to Autoglass for trying to push them into having a new screen. The stupid thing is that most insurance companies reccommend either of the 2 big windscreen companies not realising that in most cases it is costing them more money in windscreens than is necessary.
I like to think I am good at my work and it makes me angry when I see bad repairs all done by replacement firms that could have been so easy to repair properly with a bit of time and care.

[harryhound]

What's the wet swimming towel story??



I lobbed the wet towel onto the screen. The sun came out, heating the screen that was not kept cold by the breeze blowing over the wet towel; thus creating expansion stress in the glass. Bingo a SMALL chip in the windscreen, that had been there for YEARS, cracked across the screen to get to the nearest edge.

I think that towel cost me 125GBP and a discussion about "would a Ford black dotty edging look OK on a patterned part fitted to a Toyota !"

The professional writing above is talking sense; don't suppose he works in S.Essex ?! I think I'll ask a local taxi driver if it happens again.

Harry

PS I used to import the plastic interlayer (in a former life) on behalf of Du Pont, who made it. It was shipped wrapped in special silver film to keep the moisture out and covered in warning instructing people NOT to open the package, but 'phone a help line; just guess what those ******* at Customs & Excise seemed to take a delight in doing.

[stamford]

Mr Autoglass filled 3 chips last week, very good service, one phone call and one job sheet to sign. As per previous posters the guy told me it won't make them vanish but it will prevent them from spreading.

[dilip]

I had a bad experience with morethan. I had my windscreen repair done by one of the companies offering a free repair in april. Two months later when it came to renewing my policy I was shocked to find that it was added as a claim to my policy. I was told by more than it would not affect my NCB with them but other insurers would count this as a claim. I feel cheated as I never made a claim and morethan would not remove this claim even if I reimbursed them with the £71-00 which they have apparently paid to the repairer. Always check with your insurer before the work. IT IS CERTAINLY NOT FREE AND I WISH I HAD PAID FOR IT RATHER THAN GOT IT FOR FREE

[Nick Morgan]

Thanks, I'd be interested to know more. Cheers Nick

[cyclonebri1]

It doesnt sound as if it's going to be a free insurance service for much longer.

My OH works for one of the 2 large windscreen producers/fitters in the UK.
It seems that over the next 12 months most if not all insurers will start to charge for this service, Directline, for example, £10 per chip I understand. Get 'em done now.;)

[TheJudge]

I actually repair windscreens for a living and I'd like to put a few things straight. You can have any chip in your windscreen repaired for free if you have a fully comprehensive policy with glass cover. The repair will not affect any no claims bonus and will not incur an excess either. The insurance companies do this as they know in most cases, the chip will become a crack, eventually resulting in them having to cough up several hundred pounds for a new windscreen. Most chips can be repaired but the success of the repair depends on a number of things. First, if the chip has been there a long time it may have dirt inside the glass or the laminate has been discoloured a milky colour caused by water getting inside the break and contaminating the laminate. These chips can be repaired but the end result will usually not be as good as a fresh break. However most of my repairs have an improvement of about 95-99% of clarity after repair.
Unfortunately using a replacement firm to repair your windscreen is not ideal as they make far more money on a windscreen than on repairing one so are far more likely to push you into having one if they can find an excuse. I see this happening on a daily basis, people telling me that Autoglass said it cant be repaired for any number of ridiculous reasons (too close to the edge, 2 chips too close together, too big etc) which are all rubbish and I usually end up repairing them fine after which the customer then complains to Autoglass for trying to push them into having a new screen. The stupid thing is that most insurance companies reccommend either of the 2 big windscreen companies not realising that in most cases it is costing them more money in windscreens than is necessary.
I like to think I am good at my work and it makes me angry when I see bad repairs all done by replacement firms that could have been so easy to repair properly with a bit of time and care.
zippyzippy,
now in situation as you described thanks to some hooligan who threw a stone at the car while the wife was driving. got intouch with insurance company who passed my details on to their "approved" co's, described damage to screen, chip & crack, approx 8" long, both said can't repair, can only replace, costing me £60 excess (obviously amke more money that way !!!), anybody in the west midlands you can recommend for possible repair ?

[TheJudge]

I've had about 15 screen repairs on my fleet in the last year. Several of these were on screens that RAC autoglass would have refused to repair. They repaired two chips for me, but did such an awful job I wish I hadn't bothered.

One day I saw a guy in the leisure centre car park opposite who had one of these screen repair franchises, so I decided to give him a try. He does a superb job, a lot of the time you have to look really hard to see the repair. He's also repaired a couple of cracks up to 6 inches long, which surprised me.

Anybody needs a recommendation, PM me for the details...I'm in East Anglia.
ozvaldinho,
in a similar situation, anybody you can recommend in the west midlands area for a chip & subsequent crack about 6" long caused by some little hooligan throwing a stone at the wife's car ? insurance co. passed my details on to big 2, both claim can't be repaired, needs replacement costing me £60 excess

[gordikin]

NCD and excess aside could a windscreen claim affect your premium when you renew/change insurance co.?

[Premier]

zippyzippy,
now in situation as you described thanks to some hooligan who threw a stone at the car while the wife was driving. got intouch with insurance company who passed my details on to their "approved" co's, described damage to screen, chip & crack, approx 8" long, both said can't repair, can only replace, costing me £60 excess (obviously amke more money that way !!!), anybody in the west midlands you can recommend for possible repair ?

What makes you think there is more money in replacement than in repair?

Repair is primarily all labour so all profit (less the very tiny amount of product used to fill the chip)

Replacement is primarily the cost of the replacement windscreen. They aint cheap, especially if supplied by Pilkington.

You can't effectively repair a cracked windscreen which is why you've been told you need a replacement.

[Premier]

NCD and excess aside could a windscreen claim affect your premium when you renew/change insurance co.?

I've contacted a number of insurance companies for quotes because I've claimed in the past for replacement glass (and chip repairs).
Whilst you need to disclose the claims, all the companies I contacted said claims for glass repairs or replacements do not affect premiums