Windscreen vandalised

Strider590

Parked outside GFs last night, it's on road parking (in a very quiet village) and can be a little tight as certain neighbours like to park over two/four spaces. I parked up on Friday night, I left 2 full spaces in front of my car, this morning the one neighbour has taken her usual two spaces, her partner has parked on someone else's driveway (on holiday), the other neighbour is nowhere to be seen and my windscreen has a 2 ft long crack up the middle.

Initial thoughts were of kids running up and over cars, but on inspection it seems to have been hit with a centre punch or glass hammer, right underneath the wiper arm and below the bonnet line.
I checked my onboard video camera and the damage was not present when I parked up.
There's no other damage bar a possible futile attempt to key the passenger side from nose to tail.

So, it's most likely been done deliberately, in such a way as to be unnoticed as a deliberate act and probably because I don't live there.



Now i've got to get it replaced and because my insurance company are likely to shaft me for this, i've got to get it done myself.

Where or who should I use???

There seem be good/bad reviews of almost every windscreen replacement company in existence.


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Paradigm

Look for a local independent fitter, the well known names are very expensive.

Autoglass wanted £355 for a vw polo screen, got it done by a local guy for £130.

gilbert_and_sullivan

As Paradigm, use a local indy screen co who don't spend on ads, local car sales guys and good independant workshops will know who to use in your area.

It might still be worth using your insurer, depending on company of course.

edit if it is deliberate and you find who a centre punch sounds ideal...;)

Paradigm

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

It might still be worth using your insurer, depending on company of course.

Personally I'd avoid this if at all possible. There is usually a windscreen excess & it will be recorded as a claim which may or may not affect future premiums

colino

Check your insurance. Will be much cheaper and I've never had a glass claim load my premiums.

System

but on inspection it seems to have been hit with a centre punch or glass hammer,

Looks no different to a stone strike that I suffered resulting in a similar large crack about a week later. Mine was below the bonnet line as well. I remember hearing something hit the windscreen but never found it until the crack made itself known

neilmcl

I'd agree, it does look like a stone chip that has caused a crack overnight, possibly due to changes in overnight temperatures. Seems a bit of an odd place for someone to do it deliberately.

How are your insurance co. going to "shaft" you. It'll be standard windscreen cover, and there may (or not) be an increase in next years premium but hardly enough to me more than you'd have pay out if done by yourself.

Strider590

!!!!!! wrote: »

Looks no different to a stone strike that I suffered resulting in a similar large crack about a week later. Mine was below the bonnet line as well. I remember hearing something hit the windscreen but never found it until the crack made itself known

Believe me, it's shielded under the wiper arm, highly unlikely to be a stone chip. Not only that but the crack appeared over night on a what was a fairly warm evening and the car/windscreen having not been washed for a while, looked to have smudge marks in the dirt/dust near to the area.

The cause is of no concern really, I drive and old car, it costs me nothing but petrol every month, no finance, no hire purchase.... £200 for a new windscreen is nothing compared to other peoples motoring costs.

I'll keep parking there regardless, only I might stop parking so considerately from now on, just to escalate any "issue". I intend to take my webcam with me from now on and setup a quick/dirty time lapse CCTV overlooking the parking, if there's a neighbour keeping a secret grudge, i'll find them.

redux

colino wrote: »

Check your insurance. Will be much cheaper and I've never had a glass claim load my premiums.

However, with some insurers glass claims do load the future premium.

Mine says it doesn't affect the no claims bonus, but despite that after sample quotes with and without a glass claim (only a glue repair in a tiny star crack) I saw a difference in premium, and then discussed this ...

It could add up to costing me almost £50 over 3 years' premiums for a repair I could have paid £15 for or bought the glue and done it myself cheaper than that.

The excess for a replacement windscreen will be £50 to £75, so if it is an insurer that does add loading in future the budget for arranging it separately may well be no more expensive than claiming.

Or it might be worth claiming on the current insurer and then moving next year to one which doesn't load for glass claims ...

colino

redux, we move our private car insurances most years (well done privilege, renewal this year £230, bought online as new quote £170) and from the humblest to the greatest of cars, it has only ever cost us the excess. While I can get a Fiesta 'screen fitted by my glass man for less than the £70 excess, I certainly can't get one for a Jag at that money.
Interesting thing since Autoglass squeezed out a lot of their competition by blanket advertising and slashed (to insurance company) prices, they started bumping up their costs and even the, initially, "free" repair side of the glass on my car insurance would cost me £10 now.

OddballJamie

neilmcl wrote: »

I'd agree, it does look like a stone chip that has caused a crack overnight, possibly due to changes in overnight temperatures. Seems a bit of an odd place for someone to do it deliberately.

I'd hazard a guess at an air rifle, maybe a local kid from his bedroom window.

Regarding the temperature causing problems, last year I saw a neighbours rear screen shatter for no reason whatsoever, their was a few neighbours about at the time, closest was about 6 foot away walking a dog when it happened.