LCR - Windscreen Replacement Costs/Quote

[Marv-95]

Hi,

Just thought Id share with everyone. I got hit by a stone on the motorway last week which caused one of those annoying creeping cracks on the driver side.

I am fully comp with protected NCD but I have experienced in the past that windscreen repairs cost £10 extra on my following years premium let alone a windscreen replacement.

I contacted the Insurance company and would have to pay my excess (£70) and my NCD is frozen (doesn't move forward the following year). I would also have to use their glass replacement company (usually autoglass). AND its classed as a claim (which you have to report).

My thinking was to do it myself without the Insurance Company to stop the thieving ba*stards from having an exuse to put my insurance premium up AGAIN!!! (Even though Ive had no accidents).

- I phoned autoglass for a quote £370 incVAT
- recommended glass replacement company (my insurance) £300 incVAT
- Google searched a few £200 - £250
- Premier Autoglaze (Southampton) - £140 incVAT

- £140!!!! And they come out to do it. Im going to book them next week.

So I only have to pay £70 myself and it doesn't give the Insurance Company an exuse to wack my Insurance up by £100+.

Has anyone else done the same & got a Windscreen cheaper than £140???

Cheers
Marv
ps. I dont work for Autoglaze!! Just thrilled!!

 

[Jason-R]

Why do you only have to pay 70. Or am I missing something? If you go direct to the glass co surely you will have to pay the full cost

 

[Slimy]

And why does your insurer class a windscreen as a claim? None of my insurance policies have been interested in windscreen claims. I have had to pay £100 excess, but still got my ncd for that year.

 

[d3m0niTe]

Who is your insurer? I had to claim on my windscreen cover and my insurer didn't freeze my NCB

 

[Marv-95]

Hi sorry just answer all your points:-

- I would have to pay £70 regardless if I went through the insurance as its my excess - so I look at it as £70 + £70 = sorry you are correct though

- Insurance companies are changing the goal posts so when you get your windscreen repaired (not replaced, repaired) that to them is a claim (not an accident claim but a cliam) - it is still used in their criteria to generate you next premium. Which of course will go up. I think you will find that they say accidents or claims int he past 5yrs - so really truely you should tell them if you get you windscreen replaced. Im sure they have it on record any way and share the information.

- I was suprised to as I thought if you had an accident your claim would be frozen not on just a windscreen replacement. Did you replace your windscreen or repair it. I think this is one of those Insurance amendments (change the goal posts). I am with AXA!!

 

[Marv-95]

Sorry your NCD would be frozen (No Claim Discount)

 

[Slimy]

Mmm, i might try this in the morning with confused.com. I was sure that their claim reason list doesnt include windscreen repair or replacement but it has been a while since i would have looked.

I know i have a clause that 5 or more claims in a year results in them removing one year ncd, but anyone needing five screens in a year needs to be picking better roads to drive on!

I also thought autoglass promote on their adverts the fact that it wont affect your no claims. I just hope its an axa specific thing.

 

[traumapat]

That's a big difference in prices, make sure its not a standard leon screen as there could be a difference in tint. I've always gone through my insurance companies and even before protected ncb came out you still didn't lose out claim wise for a screen which carried its own excess.

 

[Marv-95]

Yeah get back to me on it - maybe you could phone your insurance company as well just to confirm. I think they are changing the goal posts to squeeze even more money out of us. I know that it is on their criteria. I was with Swift for a few years and they told me if I had a repair it would be £10-20 increase on my Insurance. They put my Insurance up every year for 3yrs hence the change to AXA!!

The worst thing I think is the fact that Insurance Companies push you to Autoglass whom they have partnered with. So you find out the Screen will cost £370 (elevated price) so you naturally think I'll just pay my excess and replace it via Insurance Company. Giving them the exuse to put their Insurance up as you have made a claim (Windscreen Claim) which affects their criteria. So Autoglass are making a huge markup on supplying/fitting the screen and Insurance Companies get you to pay for it in your next premuim. CLEVER!!!

However when you look around and find out the same screen actually costs £140 then you may as well do it yourself and not give them the option.

 

[Marv-95]

Its a huge difference in price!! I told them my number plate and that it was an LCR. They asked if it had automatic windscreen sensors which it doesn't as its a LCR 1. I will tripple check.

I think it has an affect on your Insurance premium as they have a list of criteria ie. age/male/postcode/points/accident claims etc....I can tell you my Insurance Costs as I have written them down.

- (35) 2009 Swift = £340
- (36) 2010 Swift = £370
- (37) 2011 Swift = £447 negotiated down to £409
- (38) 2012 Swift = £510 which is when I said enough is enough

Im now with AXA:-

- 2012 AXA = £389.50

I was suprised to find out AXA is the sister company of Swift. Swift only said that everyones Insurance is going up and thats why my Insurance went up every year. In 2011 I accepted £409 and it was going to come out of my account by DD at the end of the week. I decided to do a Windscreen repair at the local supermarket and they actuall took £429 from my account. Thats how found out that they charge you for a Windscreen Repair (via your premium).

You may not be paying the Autoglass guy on the day for the repair but you will pay it later via your following years premium. Im 38 yrs old by the way - just incase you can compare.

Id be interested to hear anyone elses stories or if they have found a cheaper windscreen than £140.

 

[Slimy]

You're not doing too bad on the insurance though, I'm the same age and paying only £100 less for a V5 Toledo, a bit less car than an LCR!

Well, I've just been on Confused, and where you enter your claims there is a windscreen glass option! Just for the hell of it, I ran through two quotes. The first as if I were insuring my car tomorrow, Axa come back with £276. Add on a windscreen claim for £300 for last month, Axa goes up to to £290 and drops to second in the list. A third quote for a £20 windscreen claim (a typical repair?) comes out the same £290.

So yes, despite Autoglass promoting the fact that a windscreen repair is 'free', you do end up paying for it. The barstewards...

By the way, I remember paying £80 for a Vauxhall Nova windscreen back in the early nineties, so £140 for an LCR screen is about as good as it gets!

 

[Marv-95]

Thanks - thats what I thought - I wonder if Autoglass fixing their price with their partners in order to charge us more is Legal?? Times like this I wish I was super rich and/or a lawyer.

I need to book them to come out - just thought Id run it by everyone to see if I can get it cheaper.

Cheers

 

[Slimy]

I've actually popped an email over to Which as I am a subscriber, if I get a response (50:50 chance to be fair) I'll post the information. I've always been wary that insurers only allow Autoglass for claims, even that seems dodgy to me. This is just icing on the cake.

 

[d3m0niTe]

I replaced the whole screen. £70 excess and still received my years NCD when it was renewal time

 

[Marv-95]

Who are you with d3?? I have a feeling this is a new Insurance blag - how long ago did you replace your screen may be you could ask them tomorrow and see if they have also changed the goal posts.

Good idea Slimy - I look forward to hearing about it later.

Cheers

 

[Alexis27]

Surely everybody's premium increases by at least inflation each year? Whether you had a chip repair or a new windscreen, it's just coincidental when your renewal price inevitably increases.

I can tell you my Insurance Costs as I have written them down.

- (35) 2009 Swift = £340
- (36) 2010 Swift = £370
- (37) 2011 Swift = £447 negotiated down to £409
- (38) 2012 Swift = £510 which is when I said enough is enough

Your problem was staying with Swift in 2011. Even the £409 negotiation is higher than you'd get elsewhere as a new customer.

 

[Slimy]

Surely everybody's premium increases by at least inflation each year? Whether you had a chip repair or a new windscreen, it's just coincidental when your renewal price inevitably increases.

You're right (at least for the first part), but it didn't apply to what I did. I did one price quote through confused and got one price, then revised the same quote but included a windscreen claim, and the price increased. Everything else had stayed the same. I can't confirm the loss of NCD as that would require twelve months of insurance.

I'd agree with the problem being staying with one company, even on the first increase I'd have started shopping around!

 

[Marv-95]

Just to confirm I did shop around each time - I use the comparison websites every year. Swift turned out to be the most competitive each time. 2011 the whole industry put up premiums as they said that too many uninsured people having accidents (the usual Insurance schpeel).

I wouldn't say £30 increase each time is due to inflation but the last increase to £510 was enough for me to change. 1st time buyers generally get a better deal than loyal members any ways, believe me I will be shopping around when AXA try it on.

Its funny that Insurance always increases never goes down when Inflation goes down - worst than the gas companies!!

 

[Marv-95]

Freezing NCD when you do a Windscreen Replacement (with the excess paid) is new to me!! Then again the last car I changed Windscreen was my company car (seat leon 130 TDI) and of course I didnt worry about prices (that would have been 2004/5).

 

[johnp2]

Your right you get Ncd but the price is inflated at renewal you pay more from years

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