Trev Good Posted June 30, 2023 Report Share Posted June 30, 2023 Last week, our newish car (new Aug 22) suffered a chip on the side of the windscreen courtesy of a rock thrown up from a passing lorry. Two hours later parked at home, the windscreen cracked right across immediately in the drivers eyesight. No problem thought I, ring the insurance company. They immediately handed the call over to a windscreen subsidiary who said no problem, but as the screen needs calibrating, I would need to drive the car to the nearest depot which just happened to be 90 miles away with an M4 drive! I pointed out that the car was deemed as unfit to drive by both the law and insurance company and I would be liable to a fine and 4 points on my licence if stopped and worse if involved in an accident! I heard the shoulder shrug over the phone! I rang the insurance company again. No help, they hand windscreen claims to windscreen companies! It gets worse! The windscreen is on back order, so car is stuck at home and likely to be for weeks and insurance company and windscreen company say no courtesy car on windscreen claims. I am threatening the insurance company with moving my insurance (new car, three classics and home insurance) they are also shrugging their shoulders and saying it's in the small print! Incidently, it's not as no details of what the windscreen cover is appear in the documents. Aarghhhh! Swear word swear word swear word! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted June 30, 2023 Report Share Posted June 30, 2023 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted June 30, 2023 Report Share Posted June 30, 2023 I was a bit thrown by getting the windscreen calibrated but having looked it up, I see now that is is related to the optical sensor systems with which modern cars are cluttered. Boy am I glad my present daily-driver predates most of that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crawfie Posted June 30, 2023 Report Share Posted June 30, 2023 What’s the company called ? O Quote Link to post Share on other sites
monty Posted June 30, 2023 Report Share Posted June 30, 2023 2 hours ago, Crawfie said: What’s the company called ? O Yes name & shame! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ransomes256 Posted June 30, 2023 Report Share Posted June 30, 2023 Not sure why you would have to go to the glass fitting company depot for calibration as when I had my Ford Focus screen replaced with all the bells and whistles it was completed at home on the drive. Neil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted July 1, 2023 Report Share Posted July 1, 2023 I know the new cars that are aluminium construction do have to go to the windscreen companies depot as they have to be fitted on a dead level surface and left for the bonding to go completely off for a couple of hours as apparently the new screen will crack if fitted on uneven ground. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trev Good Posted July 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2023 Right!...It is the biggest insurance broker with the actual policy with the one that probably holds 90% of all UK policies! NFU and policy is AVIVA! So not one of the smallest! Evidently, every insurance company does this and it is up to the insured to make sure what is applicable for a courtesy car. It depends on what electro goodies are in your car as to whether the car can be calibrated at home or needs to be on a main computer system. Update....the company has offered to fit the screen at my home and I then drive it 90 miles to them and 90 miles back to get calibrated. I've now dug my heels in and told them that the local dealer can calibrate the car at their cost unless they want to loose my patronage of over 40 years! They acquiesced, but it still doesn't alter the fact that there is a wait on the screen and I am daily car less. Didn't tell them that I'm enjoying using the classics. Dogs aren't though as they don't fit in a 3! PS....I was happy with my old 4x4, was SWMBO who bought the new car! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ntc Posted July 1, 2023 Report Share Posted July 1, 2023 34 minutes ago, Trev Good said: Right!...It is the biggest insurance broker with the actual policy with the one that probably holds 90% of all UK policies! NFU and policy is AVIVA! So not one of the smallest! Evidently, every insurance company does this and it is up to the insured to make sure what is applicable for a courtesy car. It depends on what electro goodies are in your car as to whether the car can be calibrated at home or needs to be on a main computer system. Update....the company has offered to fit the screen at my home and I then drive it 90 miles to them and 90 miles back to get calibrated. I've now dug my heels in and told them that the local dealer can calibrate the car at their cost unless they want to loose my patronage of over 40 years! They acquiesced, but it still doesn't alter the fact that there is a wait on the screen and I am daily car less. Didn't tell them that I'm enjoying using the classics. Dogs aren't though as they don't fit in a 3! PS....I was happy with my old 4x4, was SWMBO who bought the new car! Well my road car has all the bells and whistles fitted and I would advise you to listen carefully to what they are saying as I know someone who had the screen replaced and they did not get a original replacement and nothing worked right and took many months of pain to get it sorted Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted July 1, 2023 Report Share Posted July 1, 2023 50 minutes ago, ntc said: Well my road car has all the bells and whistles fitted and I would advise you to listen carefully to what they are saying as I know someone who had the screen replaced and they did not get a original replacement and nothing worked right and took many months of pain to get it sorted Same with a lot of aftermarket stuff, its only then you find the new bit wont talk to the rest of the car! Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trev Good Posted July 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2023 Exactly why we are waiting on the screen from the manufacturer and why I insisted the dealer where the car came from does the calibration! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ntc Posted July 1, 2023 Report Share Posted July 1, 2023 4 minutes ago, Trev Good said: Exactly why we are waiting on the screen from the manufacturer and why I insisted the dealer where the car came from does the calibration! That’s what I am saying the dealer with a aftermarket screen may not be able to calibrate it that’s what happened with a friend of mine Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trchris Posted July 4, 2023 Report Share Posted July 4, 2023 Just to throw my 2 pennies in my brother in law works for a windscreen company and he’s the only person qualified to carry out re- calibrations after replacement windscreens are installed and the stories he tells would put you off buying a new car one make you cannot re-calibrate as the software isn’t available in this country at present and a customer has been waiting for over 6 weeks at the main dealer’s expense Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted July 5, 2023 Report Share Posted July 5, 2023 13 hours ago, trchris said: Just to throw my 2 pennies in my brother in law works for a windscreen company and he’s the only person qualified to carry out re- calibrations after replacement windscreens are installed and the stories he tells would put you off buying a new car one make you cannot re-calibrate as the software isn’t available in this country at present and a customer has been waiting for over 6 weeks at the main dealer’s expense Chris Not only windscreens, woman down the road had a brand new Ford Focus and damaged the front suspension one side after hitting a curb in a thunderstorm, it took the main agents nearly six months to get the bits to repair it, it only needed a strut and a wheel. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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