Technical Windscreen replacement - options?

[AAB1992]

Hi all,

I had a stone chip that rapidly progressed into a massive crack before I had chance to repair it. The windscreen needs to be replaced. I'm assessing all options currently.

The car is a 2018 pop with 110k on the clock.


Option 1 - A used windscreen (approx. £90 from a 2018 model that's done 7k) and then finding someone to fit it (if anyone is willing to fit a second hand one?).

Option 2 - Via insurance (£100 excess). Then you must declare you've made a windscreen claim for 5 years. I know people seem to suggest it doesn't affect premiums but I did a test on a prospective new policy (mine has just renewed) and it did make the quote increase by an extra £35. So extrapolating that for a 5 year period it could potentially cost £275 overall in the long term.

Option 3 - Go direct to a windscreen replacement company. Does anyone know roughly how much a new screen would be? Can anyone recommend places in Yorkshire or specifically West Yorkshire?


As the car has already covered 110k and I do approximately 20k a year I don't want to be spending over the odds as I’ll be replacing the car in 18-24 months.

Let me know your thoughts.
Adam

 

[IanWalrus]

Regarding Opt#1, 'Allscreens' (https://www.allscreens-nationwide.co.uk) will fit glass you supply - they replaced a rear window on my camper, glass bought from JustKampers.

 

[jrkitching]

I think you've summarised the main arguments pretty well. I may be being paranoid, but these days, making any sort of claim on any kind of insurance generally seems to result in additional hidden longer term costs. I can see the appeal of going under the radar on this.

Windscreen replacement companies generally fit aftermarket screens which may or may not be of similar quality to the original (Fiat generally use Pilkington screens). If you buy a secondhand screen, you can replace like with like without spending any more money. Check before buying that the one you're getting is the original one fitted to the car. Avoiding one that's been damaged either in service, during removal, storage, or in transit to you might be the hard part. I'd say it would be a good idea to find one that you can collect.

@typecastboy likely knows folks who can fit windscreens, but unfortunately they won't be anywhere near you. He might have something useful to add about the process, though.

If you're feeling ambitious, you could always have a go yourself. Watch a few youtube videos, and you'll need something like this and this.

Has anyone here ever fitted a bonded screen themselves?

 

[KPat]

I think you've summarised the main arguments pretty well. I may be being paranoid, but these days, making any sort of claim on any kind of insurance generally seems to result in additional hidden longer term costs. I can see the appeal of going under the radar on this.

Yes beware. Even if you don't make a claim, telling them you've damaged your car can put your premiums up.

 

[tommo1]

Yes beware. Even if you don't make a claim, telling them you've damaged your car can put your premiums up.

Windcsreen claims do NOT count as a claim. I had one every year from 2018 to 2020 on 3 different cars, made no difference.

 

[jrkitching]

Windcsreen claims do NOT count as a claim

Both windscreen repair and windscreen replacement count as a claim. Failure to declare this when seeking a quote from another insurer could invalidate any insurance subsequently taken up. Remember that insurers both keep and share claim records.

Whether it affects your subsequent premium depends on the insurance company.

It may affect your ability to get a competing quote at renewal time. Some ask a specific question about this. You have no way of knowing if it affects the premium subsequently quoted, or whether your existing insurer would have offered you a lower renewal quote if you hadn't claimed.

 

[AAB1992]

Windcsreen claims do NOT count as a claim. I had one every year from 2018 to 2020 on 3 different cars, made no difference.

They do on comparison sites.... made a £35 difference on a like for like premium with vs without a claim.

 

[chris3234]

Windcsreen claims do NOT count as a claim. I had one every year from 2018 to 2020 on 3 different cars, made no difference.

Replacement most certainly do count

Just have a lot smaller impact then a full claim
And not usually effect no claims

They do still make you "more likely to claim again" according to there own data

 

[varesecrazy]

@panda_nut

Has broken several rear screens.. So may know a good cost effective way to approach this

My dealings with a broken side window say it's a minefield, and you are right to be wary

 

[tommo1]

Side windows are different, that is what I'd call a 'proper' claim. I had to do it way back in the 90s when I broke the side window on a Lotus Excel trying to get the electric regulator back in.

If it counts as a claim, why does it have no effect whatsoever on NCD? All policies stipulate this. They've started mitigating it with big excess charge. Excess on windscreen cover used to be low (I actually remember it being £25 back in the 1980s), rising to £40 - £50, windscreen excess on my latest cover is now £125! Because of the heated one and those with sensors in I suppose.

As an aside, I've noticed several insurance companies do what they call an 'essentials' or 'basic' fully comp policy, Hastings and Direct Line for example. They do NOT have windscreen cover and people are buying them without reading the T&C, coming unstuck later. It probably DOES have to be made as an accident claim then. Personally, I think it's a cheek to call it Fully Comp without it.

 

[chris3234]

Side windows are different, that is what I'd call a 'proper' claim. I had to do it way back in the 90s when I broke the side window on a Lotus Excel trying to get the electric regulator back in.

If it counts as a claim, why does it have no effect whatsoever on NCD? All policies stipulate this. They've started mitigating it with big excess charge. Excess on windscreen cover used to be low (I actually remember it being £25 back in the 1980s), rising to £40 - £50, windscreen excess on my latest cover is now £125! Because of the heated one and those with sensors in I suppose.

As an aside, I've noticed several insurance companies do what they call an 'essentials' or 'basic' fully comp policy, Hastings and Direct Line for example. They do NOT have windscreen cover and people are buying them without reading the T&C, coming unstuck later. It probably DOES have to be made as an accident claim then. Personally, I think it's a cheek to call it Fully Comp without it.

If you have protected NCD is dosnt effect your ncr either


The main reason it dosnt effect nice if that it's a much smaller claim then a accident type



As for your point about £25 excess
Well in in 1980s £25 was probably quite a similar amount of money to 125 in today's money
Probably more money for the avarage person

 

[tommo1]

Hargreaves Lansdowne inflation calculator shows £25 in Dec 1988 as £87 now. So 43% increase 'in real terms' as economists say, I mean guess.

Many are not just tinted glass any more so I appreciate it needs to be higher. Classic car windscreens are probably unobtanium for some makes.

 

[jrkitching]

If it counts as a claim, why does it have no effect whatsoever on NCD

Because some insurers will add a premium loading because the car has been involved in an insurable incident irrespective of whether a claim has been made.

In the same way, if you tell your insurer that you've had an accident but aren't making a claim, you can expect next year's premium to be loaded to reflect that new information.

You haven't lost any no claims discount, but the premium rises anyway because they add a loading on account of the prior history.

 

[The Panda Nut]

I had two REA

Hi all,

I had a stone chip that rapidly progressed into a massive crack before I had chance to repair it. The windscreen needs to be replaced. I'm assessing all options currently.

The car is a 2018 pop with 110k on the clock.


Option 1 - A used windscreen (approx. £90 from a 2018 model that's done 7k) and then finding someone to fit it (if anyone is willing to fit a second hand one?).

Option 2 - Via insurance (£100 excess). Then you must declare you've made a windscreen claim for 5 years. I know people seem to suggest it doesn't affect premiums but I did a test on a prospective new policy (mine has just renewed) and it did make the quote increase by an extra £35. So extrapolating that for a 5 year period it could potentially cost £275 overall in the long term.

Option 3 - Go direct to a windscreen replacement company. Does anyone know roughly how much a new screen would be? Can anyone recommend places in Yorkshire or specifically West Yorkshire?


As the car has already covered 110k and I do approximately 20k a year I don't want to be spending over the odds as I’ll be replacing the car in 18-24 months.

Let me know your thoughts.
Adam

I had 2 REAR screens in the PANDAs in 12 months and insurance paid without question. I have never been asked about glass claims. I told them it was my mower on both occasions too.

 

[tommo1]

Because some insurers will add a premium loading because the car has been involved in an insurable incident irrespective of whether a claim has been made.

In the same way, if you tell your insurer that you've had an accident but aren't making a claim, you can expect next year's premium to be loaded to reflect that new information.

You haven't lost any no claims discount, but the premium rises anyway because they add a loading on account of the prior history.

Yes, if you make an accident claim or declare an incident. A windscreen claim is NOT a claim, or declarable as an 'incident.' Yes, if you renew with the same company, they know you've had a glass claim, but if you leave and they send you proof of NCD, there is no claim against you or your vehicle on CUE database or the MID.

 

[jrkitching]

but if you leave and they send you proof of NCD, there is no claim against you or your vehicle on CUE database or the MID.

Regardless of what's recorded where, if the question is asked on a proposal form, and you don't answer truthfully, that's insurance fraud.

A windscreen claim is NOT a claim, or declarable as an 'incident.

I don't agree.

A windscreen replacement is a claim.

A chip repair is a claim.

Anything which results in an insurer making a payment under the terms of a policy is a claim.

This is what one of the leading comparison websites has to say on the subject.

 

[tommo1]

In the news today as it happens, only just over half of the 'comprehensive' products available cover the windscreen:

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[jrkitching]

In the news today as it happens, only just over half of the 'comprehensive' products available cover the windscreen:

It's the insurance industry's version of shrinkflation.

This sort of thing is trending across the whole economy; it can be summed up as "Pay more, get less".

 

[The Panda Nut]

Regardless of what's recorded where, if the question is asked on a proposal form, and you don't answer truthfully, that's insurance fraud.


I don't agree.

A windscreen replacement is a claim.

A chip repair is a claim.

Anything which results in an insurer making a payment under the terms of a policy is a claim.

This is what one of the leading comparison websites has to say on the subject.


View attachment 439949

If I remember rightly most if not all of the forms I have ever filled out specifically said claims except glass. What you say is noteworthy however as its years since I was asked to complete a form. Discretion is the better part of valour. I even tell them when the summer / winter tyre and wheel changes are done on the brokers advice.

I cant see the point of insurance that excludes things that are likely, like glass, unless the are very much cheaper and they are not. I have been with Cornhill insurance for a few years now and get a discout for being part of GEM rescue. The discount goes almost all the way to paying for 5* breakdown and recovery. Cornhill Managed to keep this years cost very very near last years with a small amont of pressure to reduce. I ahvn't had a claim but thus far they do at least answer the phone and connect you with a human very quickly which isa primary requirement for me. I would hate to be fighting to speak to someone in the evnt of a stressful claim. The mandatory excess is only £125 and I take no compulsory excess either so it seems a reasonable bet.

As for Confused and Compare the Market, I have found they can be bettered. The cheap policies they offer are probably not worth the trouble they would cause in the event of a claim. My sister used to work for buget insurance and doesnt have anything good to say about them having seen how they behaved. Im sure they are typical. The brokers I have been using for the last ten years have used the same companies, so my policy has been stable for that time and they seem to notice have stopped mistreating their exisitng business as we continue to be able to deal satisfactorily.

 

[jrkitching]

If I remember rightly most iof not all of the forms OI have ever filled out specifically said claims except glass.

My understanding is that if you apply directly some do, some don't, but IIRC I've always been asked the question when using a comparison website.

As for Confused and Compare the Market, I have found they can be bettered. The cheap policies they offer are probably not worth the trouble they would cause in the event of a claim.

Basically I'd agree with this if you are looking for a policy that you might ever want to claim against yourself.

If you're on an extremely tight budget, and have an older, low value car, then I can understand why you might buy a bargain basement product. If you do, it's probably best to think of it as a third party only policy (even if it's supposedly comprehensive), as making a claim against it yourself might lead to a nasty surprise. But it will at least cover you against any third party claims, and it keeps you on the right side of the law.

Whatever you choose, please don't be economical with the truth when filling in a proposal form. If your insurers are ever faced with a substantial third party claim, they will check everything, including anything you might previously have posted on a social media platform. They will always pay the third party claim, but if they believe you've made a misrepresentation on the proposal form, they'll come after you for the money + costs afterwards.