Yesterday a friend told me that her dog jumped through the half opened back window in her Volvo wagon and shattered the glass. I asked her where she was going to take the car to get the glass fixed and she said it was the place that the insurance company told her to go to.
I asked her if they specifically said that she had to go to this shop, and she said that she was told she had to go there if she wanted the glass warrantied. I was amazed by this misinformation and decided to set the record straight.
So do you have to take your car to the insurance company’s recommended glass shop to retain the warranty?
First of al, Insurance companies handle claims, not warranties. If you take your car to a body shop to have it repaired, and down the road you have a problem with the paint or something else, the Insurance company will not process the warranty. In fact they will tell you to go back to the body shop.
The same holds true for any glass claims. It is illegal for an insurance company to force you to have your car repaired at any particular repair shop. In the industry this is called steering.
Insurance companies work out deals with repair shops that typically result in the insurance company saving money. The repair shop, in exchange for the labor savings, will get higher volume of work from that insurance company.
My friend had to wait an extra day or two to get her window fixed because she felt that she had to use this particular auto glass shop because they could not schedule her in. This could have been avoided had she know that she could have taken her car to the first decent shop that could have scheduled her in for the repair.
Your Glass repair or replacement company warranties the work.
So before you select an auto glass repair company, make sure that you look for and look over their warranty. Make sure that the repair is warrantied along with the replacement glass.
Here are a few answers to some commonly asked glass replacement and insurance questions:
Will my insurance company pay for my new windshield repair or replacement?
Yes, if you have full (comprehensive) coverage or what some insurance companies call a “glass policy”. Your only out of pocket expensive would be your comprehensive deductible if there one exists in your policy. If you think your deductible is even higher than the repair cost, be sure to confirm that you are not confusing your “comprehensive” deductible with your “collision” deductible. “Collision” deductibles are usually higher, but not applicable to windshield repair or replacement. It you still think you have a high deductible, click here. We provide different options to help you out.
Will my insurance company cover my auto glass repair if I only have liability coverage?
Auto glass repair and replacements are not covered under your liability policy. Liability insurance only provides coverage for damages to another vehicle. Therefore you would have to pay out of pocket for your auto glass repair or replacement.
Will all insurance companies waive my deductible if my windshield is repaired rather than replaced?
Many insurance companies cover windshield repair at 100 percent coverage with no deductible, reducing your cost to zero! Be sure to contact your insurer to verify their position.
What if my deductible is the same or more than the auto glass service?
You will be responsible for any cost up to your deductible amount. Your insurance company will pay any amount over your deductible amount. If you have a high deductible, then it will probably make more sense to forgo the claim and just pay out of pocket.
Will the auto glass company bill my insurance company for me?
Most glass repair shops will handle all necessary paperwork and billing directly with your insurance company.
While it was unfortunate that my friend was misinformed and had to wait a few days for her glass repair, hopefully I have saved you from falling into the same trouble based on the inaccurate information from and auto insurance adjuster.