Windscreen Replacement - 7 Week Delay!

Sunflower13

Hello MSE, I'm wondering if anyone has any advise for me, I don't even know if this is the right place to ask but I'm running out of ideas.

Back in May my windscreen cracked & due to the cost involved it had to go through my insurance company, my insurance company charge £250 to use your own repairer, so I had no choice but to use there approved repairer for the job, I was told it would be a 2 week wait as the windscreen needed ordering in so I didn't think anymore of it, a 2 week wait sounded better than an extra £250 on top of my excess. However, we're now in week 7! of the job not being complete & every time I ring both the insurance company and the repairer no one has any information for me. After putting in quite a lengthy complaint, I got a call from the repairer 11/7 & they told me the windscreen had made it to the distribution centre, and as of today 16/7 the windscreen still hasn't been sent to my local repairer! nor has anyone made any attempt to update me.

To make matters worse, my car is a self charging hybrid, which I've been unable to drive since may so the battery is now flat. The car's on finance so I've still been paying that while the car's been unusable, I've had out of pocket expenses due to work commitments & other responsibilities, they've left me without a car for 7 weeks & there's still no information on how much longer I'll be waiting, also a bit of a kick in the teeth, a colleague of mine cracked the windscreen of his BMW and his insurance company got it fixed within 2 working days!. 

I know my insurance company have 8 weeks to respond to my complaint before I can escalate it to the ombudsman, so I'm really in the dark & don't know what my options are, but I really cant go much longer without my car & the stress of the uncertainty surrounding it all. Any help or ideas?  thank you 

born_again

Why have you not been driving the car?

Only 1 or 2 manufactures of windscreens. 

Mildly_Miffed

So they've had five days, including a weekend, to get the 'screen from the distribution centre to your local branch, and arrange a fitting...?

You might, of course, have been able to arrange one elsewhere, but for the sake of £250 didn't even phone around?

DullGreyGuy

Sunflower13 said:

Hello MSE, I'm wondering if anyone has any advise for me, I don't even know if this is the right place to ask but I'm running out of ideas.

Back in May my windscreen cracked & due to the cost involved it had to go through my insurance company, my insurance company charge £250 to use your own repairer, so I had no choice but to use there approved repairer for the job, I was told it would be a 2 week wait as the windscreen needed ordering in so I didn't think anymore of it, a 2 week wait sounded better than an extra £250 on top of my excess. However, we're now in week 7! of the job not being complete & every time I ring both the insurance company and the repairer no one has any information for me. After putting in quite a lengthy complaint, I got a call from the repairer 11/7 & they told me the windscreen had made it to the distribution centre, and as of today 16/7 the windscreen still hasn't been sent to my local repairer! nor has anyone made any attempt to update me.

To make matters worse, my car is a self charging hybrid, which I've been unable to drive since may so the battery is now flat. The car's on finance so I've still been paying that while the car's been unusable, I've had out of pocket expenses due to work commitments & other responsibilities, they've left me without a car for 7 weeks & there's still no information on how much longer I'll be waiting, also a bit of a kick in the teeth, a colleague of mine cracked the windscreen of his BMW and his insurance company got it fixed within 2 working days!. 

I know my insurance company have 8 weeks to respond to my complaint before I can escalate it to the ombudsman, so I'm really in the dark & don't know what my options are, but I really cant go much longer without my car & the stress of the uncertainty surrounding it all. Any help or ideas?  thank you 

Its when the insurer sends you their final response that you can go to the Ombudsman, 8 weeks is just the backstop were you can go despite not having had a final response. Most are resolved long before the backstop date. 

Generally if parts arent available there is little that anyone can do about it as it's outside of the control of both the insurer and the repairers. Sometimes it can be worth checking with other firms, if they are holding one in stock its a little different but if they actually check and can confirm it can be ordered in a couple of days (rather than assuming) then you have more of an argument. 

Personally had a glass replacement done the same day as the claim in one instance. At the other extreme a fitter was sent out with an OEM screen for a older Ferrari (by all accounts not in a state to be considered a "classic") and the owner refused to have it fitted. The firm told them its the same screen just in a different box but the customer said he wouldnt have it fitted, there was however some form of serial number on it which they told the customer to note. Anyway, after a complaint we agreed to pay for a "Ferrari" one but noted Ferrari themselves had none so it would be a wait and the customer said ok. 2 months later customer says he's had enough waiting and will take the OEM one, we checked and the fitters said the OEM one was gone as it had been sent to Italy. 

About a month later the same fitter came out with the windscreen in a Ferrari box and pointed out to the customer to check the serial number on it, which was identical to the OEM one he'd rejected but now with Ferrari laser etched next to it. Cost him 3 months, cost us a lot more for the part and was the identical windscreen.