On 26th of April a rock broke my windscreen. The two small cracks are now superglued up, but are 30cm across passenger side.
Insurers (Direct Line) asked me to go to Autoglass.
Autoglass firstly offered appointment mid May. This was then changed to last Friday 4th, but they didn't turn up or tell me they were not coming. Now they can't tell me when they can get a new windscreen in stock. They can't tell me what they are doing to find a screen. They can't tell me if it's a mobile fit or depot fit. They can't seem to do anything it seems - including calling round other stockists to see who does have one.
Local companies can't do it due to cameras (according to one local company the end of them, as so many cars are now coming with them, and you need the software and hardware to recalibrate for each model).
Volvo dealer quoted dafty money (£1.2k) and insurer won't pay that.
Local conpanies and Volvo have them in stock, it took 10mins of calls yesterday to find a correct one. Autoglass claim there are none in UK.
I've loaded up the bladder and got Bombers out shed, but anyone able to explain what game Autoglass is playing and how the hell I persuade them and Direct Line to get themselves moving?
What's the car, how old is it?
I'd be looking at the terms of the insurance. You said Direct Line asked you to use Autoglass. Do you have to? When is the MOT due (I assume it will fail due to the damage)? I think I'd be focusing on Direct Line to sort it.
2014 V70 with heated/reflective/ADAC/auto rain+lights sensor
Kick off with Direct Line - they wouldn't insist you used a body shop who couldn't get a new bumper when a different one up the road had them in stock.
I read a similar story about a guy with a seat ateca, autoglass didn't have a replacement for weeks due to all the sensors fitted (road sign etc). He then had an issue getting all these sensors 're calibrated when they did get a windscreen and had to go to a dealer miles away. It seems that all this fancy safety stuff getting fitted to cars these days can make replacing a simple thing a total ball ache.
If there's another national supplier who have it in stock, you can usually go to them and they'll bill direct line under your insurance windshield policy. You just pay the excess + the charge.
Clearly Direct Line / Autoglass are listening in...
I'm just off the phone with Bogdan from Autoglass, who says they will today try and find a windscreen. He's unable to tell me why it's taken 10 days to get to making that phone call, but promised a call back today to let me know what, if anything, has happened today. He claims Volvo might take a week to reply, despite local dealers being able to tell me over phone yesterday...
Hmmmm
Had 2 windscreen replacements on Grand C-Max with auto sensing wipers / traffic sign recognition camera / heated. In both cases Autoglass didn't re calibrate but left a note suggesting getting main dealer to do so. The fitters both said it probably wasn't necessary and so we didn't get it done. Everything still works fine.
How much will Volvo charge for re calibration?
Are the various sensor built into the screen? On my Focus they are in a plastic housing thats fixed to the glass somehow.
I'm not sure how true this is but if you go direct to Autglass etc you can get a screen supplied and fitted for under £200 - go though your insurance and they will bill them for over £800.
Volvo don't fit themselves or recalibrate themselves - they use another supplier!
Quoted supply £750, fitting and calibration £400.
Every thread I read about modern cars with modern technology is putting me off more and more.
I'm dreading the day when my simple banger gives up the ghost and I have to get something newer.
Can just see me with something like this in ten years time when it's in my price range, with no windscreen cover on tpf&t having to scrap a perfectly good car because of some cracked glass...
"I’m not sure how true this is but if you go direct to Autglass etc you can get a screen supplied and fitted for under £200"
Not very true.
If you can get the fitters number he will do a cheap homer for you. But auto glass directly quoted me 760 quid for one for my iveco and aa shade over 500 for a berlingo.
A local fitter(not autoglass ) is doing them for 260 a piece - none of the fancy shit mind just a bonded glass panel .
Only the heated part of all that seems worthwhile keeping. I'd happily get rid of the other sensors if it meant saving some money.
ah i see you got their Stirling based call centre Matt 😀
"If there’s another national supplier who have it in stock, you can usually go to them and they’ll bill direct line under your insurance windshield policy. You just pay the excess + the charge."
Read the small print first, you could end up with a big bill (
page 11). Ask DL if they have other approved suppliers
DL have no other suppliers,and say they only pay £200 to others, as the Autoglass contract is exclusive and only on the terms that DL don't deal with others it transpires....
Local dealer now called back - dropped from £400 to £90 for fitting(!)
Tis all a rip off anyway. I remember as a student ringing Autoglass to get a screen in a car I was renovating on my drive.
"£150 quid mate. "
"That seems a bit steep to me!"
"Why worry. Your insurance is paying"
"Errr, no, I am repairing the car, it has no insurance at the moment"
"Ahhh, OK, in that case we can do it for £60 fitted, how does that sound?"
Like a scam, that is what is sounded like to me. They did a tidy enough job though 🙂
If Matt is calling Autoglass, I think their Scottish call centre is in Glasgow. Bogdan is probably there too. W ehave recently had some quite long lead times with some glass. A Fabia windscreenand a Doblo rear panel took a little while...
Insurance companies usually have a bulk buy fixed price deal with the likes of autoglass. The price they pay is £cock all (ok, I only know for certain what one Co paid and that is 5+ years old).
What this proves? Nowt. Anyway, I'd be giving direct line some grief.
One thing I did find out was that if you have a new car, as in a very new model of which not many are in the UK, and you have to break a window to get in due to locking your keys inside and there's no other way, then the window to pick is a moving one, not a fixed one.
Logic being that the fixed ones will not be in stock anywhere, but the opening ones are flatter and can be cut to shape. No, I didn’t try it out.
After taking to Twitter, I've a response from Directline who clearly kicked someone's butt, as I've had three calls from Autoglass to book appointment...
Let's see what Tuesday brings...
If you think windscreens are APITA then try hitting the front of a Q7 (all of STW own them right?) You can write the car off if the collision camera can't be aligned afterwards, that's a whole lot of ££££ worth of scrap.
Where’s Mr Wolf when you need him?
