04ctd

SC has a thing where "windshields are free"
in other words, you have no deductible for glass,
because they are too ingnorant to buy sweepers and get the trash off the road, because they spent all the money on used school buses from KY...

anyways
got a tiny hairline crack in my jeep,

IF you use your insurance, the windshield is: $360
at the next shop, with insurance: $270
and still at the same shop:
if you don't use your insurance: $219
if you REALLY REALLY want a good deal,
and you tell them you are gonna call
around, until you GET a good deal $180

TAS05CTD610

What insurance do you have?? I had Geico and it only cost 50 bucks to get a new one put in my chevy. I switched to progressive recently due to a 600 dollar anual savings. Don't know there deductable. Not sure, seems high though.

MikeyB

It's not uncommon for this practice. My neighbor and his brother had the windshields replace at the same time on their Silverados for $180 each, cash deal.

MikeyB

Commatoze

Up here in Taxachusetts, windshields are a BIG business. You see, in MA windshields are covered 100% provided you have the coverage; a several dollar yearly premium. If you get a ding, just make sure it's cracked when you call them and it's replaced for free. Appraisers don't get involved; just call your agent and get the work order nuimber. Most of the glass companies have service trucks that will come to your home or company parking lot, pull the old one and put the new one in without having to drive to their shop.

phox_mulder

They must be huge around here as well.

Multiple glass places offering "Free Windshield plus 12 free dinners at "xxx" restaurant when we bill your insurance company."

They gotta be charging the insurance $400 plus for a $50 dollar windshield.

Some serious scamming going on, and it's costing all of us.

I had to replace it 4 times in the 6 years I had my Tacoma.
Yes, it was severely cracked all 4 times, but never got the insurance involved, and only paid about $125 for it.
(once, I swear the crack looked like it was started by a ball-peen hammer, and there was a mobile glass company van seen in the parking lot earlier that day )


phox

TAS05CTD610

Very similar in Rhode Island. Up to 2 windows a year due to the amount of salt and stone they put down. We do have to pay the 50 bucks though, where as you guys get them free. Yeah it sucks up here, I stay way far back from trucks in the winter time.

CASMOKIN

I have a commercial ins. policy for auto for my company. my deductible for glass is $1000.00, no that isnt a typo not $100.00, $1000.00. Go figure

NHDiesel

Several years ago I had to buy a windshield for my S-15. With ins., $380. Cash, $140. It would have been free with ins. (no deductible) but I paid the cash. For $140, I kept it off my record, so my premiums didn't increase. They would have gone up aprox. $100/yr for 4 years ($400 out of my pocket vs. $140). People who think insurance is great just don't look at the big picture. Liability is great...but comp. is a joke. Sure, it might seem to pay for itself when you have an accident, but then your premiums go up. Nothing is free, and insurance is a business. Have a big enough claim and good luck getting insurance. I totalled a truck (same S-15) about 8 or 9 years ago, $14,000 payout from the ins. company, and now its difficult for me to even get insurance. For liability only I was quoted $1200/yr for my '97 Dakota 4x4.

Jim

Timmay2

Using insurance for anything except a crash is plain stupid. small bumps, scratches, glass, fender benders, pay outta pocket!

The deductible plus the rate increase to follow isnt worth it.

BigBlue

To have the windshield replaced on dad's corvette was right at $1000. Apparently since it has the heads up display on it, it adds an extra $500 or so bucks to it.

katoiler

This is a lame way of thinking!How much have you forked over to your Ins.co?Why shouldnt we be able to use it without fear of them raising our rates or worse canceling us?I think they need to be controled by an agency of some sort that will review the claims history when they want to cancel or raise rates after a payout!It is like extorson;If you use it we will punish you!!My mother in law never had a claim and one day someone ran into her while she was parked and she turned it into them and they paid but she got a nice surprise at the next renewal.a $400.00 a year increase!It was $200.00 less than what they paid out for the claim.I pay over $5000.00 a year and if the need arises I will use it!It's hell having 3 kids under 21 on the pollicy!

Commatoze

I was paying nearly $8000 a year for 4 cars when the kids were home and I lived back in NJ in the late 90's. Back there, if one of the kids gets into a bad accident and exhausts the limits of your coverage, guess who lawyers come after next? You. My State Farm agent had us get the kids on their own policy and titles ASAP when he discovered they were on our policy. It saves money, but is very risky.

drew03

my deductable is too much (like 500-1000$) to even think about having insurance pay for a windshield.

Timmay2

its not a lame way of thinking, its a way of thinking that keeps your rates lower. Either way youre f'd. In the last year ive probably paid around 3,800 for insurance.


you pay 5000 now, so youd rather make claims and then pay 6,000 next year? horrible thought process to get lower insurance.

What i was saying is theres no need to contact your insurance company about anything small, because they are just going to raise your rates anyways so you save no money by doing so. Only real benefit to insurance is there to cover the whole vehicle/medical in the event of a serious accident.

NHDiesel

Exactly. Even with a more major accident, unless someone else's vehicle was damaged, you should strongly consider paying for the repairs out of your pocket. The insurance company will always get their money out of you one way or another. There are a couple ways to look at it. When you have an accident, think of the payout from the ins. company as a loan that you will be paying back over a very long period of time, with interest.

When shopping for insurance, think of it like having a credit card that you never use, but you send payments to anyway. You never use the card, but maybe, after many years of sending monthly payments, you might decide to buy a TV with it. Is that TV worth all those years of payments?

The other problem, which is what started this thread, is that body shops and windshield places overcharge the insurance companies. There should be a law about that. I don't feel bad for the insurance companies, but that extra money they are paying is more money that they will need recover from you with higher premiums.

Jim