Free windscreen chip repairs - any good?

gordikin

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

Premier_2

TheJudge wrote: »

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_2

gordikin wrote: »

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

AS2552

Hi; I had a new windscreen professionally installed on a dull day, which I later discovered that same day (in bright sunshine) had a small (but annoying) scratch in it, right in front of the driver's 'view'. I took it back, and instead of replacing it, they used a red powder with a damp cloth to polish out that scratch. They said that jewelers use it to polish stones and metal and it was called jeweler's rouge;. Maybe we could all get a small amount to use on our windscreen's from time to time to 'renew' that 'new' look/view through glass. thanks, AS2552.

hfz_3

Hello

I need some advice as a chip 3cm from the edge of the windscreen was cracked by an autowindscreen technician, he now says ive got to pay £50 and have a new screen fitted.

he did say that it might get cracked as it was close to the edge but he wasnt very clear about this.

Could the crack have been avoided and shall I complain or should I accept.

harryhound

50 quid for a new windscreen sounds cheap.

Phone round for an alternative quote but I don't think you can blame the technician if he did his best so save your stone damaged screen.

kingkano

Just to warn everyone else, we recently changed our car insurance to a new company. We didnt realise we had to declare a windscreen chip repair and after amending the policy Hastings Direct want an extra £70! £35 fee for amendment (this is fair enough) but £35 extra because of a 'claim'. I could have had the chip repaired for less!! (considering I had to pay a tenner at the chip repair time too).

I wish I hadnt bothered now as it was such a small innocuous chip. My advice to people now will be dont bother repairing it or pay yourself, otherwise you will be paying and extra £35 (10% for us) for possibly years!

mellowman01

How did EVERYONE actually miss the whole point of this topic and go off ontheir own stuff?
DIY windscreen repair kits people? Anyone used them? Are they any good?
You get free ones and you can buy them? Do they work?

Gordon_Hose

mellowman01 wrote: »

How did EVERYONE actually miss the whole point of this topic and go off ontheir own stuff?
DIY windscreen repair kits people? Anyone used them? Are they any good?
You get free ones and you can buy them? Do they work?

Read the reviews here:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_203049_langId_-1_categoryId_165492#dtab

Evilm

Slightly off topic but something that may be of interest: Hubbys car was insured with First Direct last year and when he got a chip he rang them and they arranged for a repair company to come fix it. It did not show as a claim on his records. The only thing of issue is that it took about 7-10 days before they were able to come out.