Is there a way / kit to DIY fix them? Some sort of fill like Elite uses?
I'm spending a small fortune on this.
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Is there a way / kit to DIY fix them? Some sort of fill like Elite uses?
I'm spending a small fortune on this.
I have seen DIY kits at auto stores and walmart before.
I've used the 3m kit but at about $20 a chip it isn't cheap and it doesn't work as well as the chip repair places
Have you called your insurance people? A while back I took my pick up in to have the windshield replaced because of a bunch of small chips. I was going to pay cash because the original quote was about 20% of my deductible. The windshield people called my insurance company. My insurance company paid for the cost of the windshield and materials. It saved me about 80%. I was glad the shop asked if the could check with my insurance company.
The home kits suck. Most insurance companies cover chip repair. Safelite/Elite guarantees their repair. The key is to open up the chip, and make sure it's clean. Also, do not do it if the glass is too cold or hot. And keep the vehicle indoors. Most of the chip fillers are UV curing resins. If you do it outdoors, the resin will cure before it really fills in the chip. Believe me when I say chip repair requires a finesse that can only come from experience. Every chip is different, and you have to know how to go about the repair. Opening the chip up can spread the chip beyond repair if too much pressure is applied, or the wrong technique is used.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffrey Lebowski
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK1kpSZpMPM
the kit used in this video is available at wal-mart. don't know how good they are, but you can see how it works in the video
Typically even your cheapest insurance companies will pay for small cracks and chips to get filled. Better ones have total glass coverage that doesn't require your deductible to be used so you can get a free windshield without premiums going up.
i had Geico and they covered chips at no cost. Now with Allstate I have glass coverage so if I get a crack, new windshield is covered.
Ins. covers all our chips
Guess maybe we've been lucky here at work. I do vehicle service and when any of our fleet gets a chip, I use the kits that we buy from NAPA and have yet to have a chip turn into a crack. I even use the same kits on my personal vehicles and have had the same out come.
If you have full coverage (COMP and COLL coverage) a windshield repair will be free to you.
If you decide to have someone fix it for you, here is a good guy:
http://www.bullzeyewsr.com
Allstate covers chips too as long as you have comprehensive coverage. But when you have free windshield benefit, not much motivation to have chips repaired.Quote:
Originally Posted by sniper7
Be aware some insurance companies count this as a claim against you. A few years back I was shopping around for insurance and was told by an insurance company they would not cover me because I had too many claims. I said WTF are you talking about, I haven't made a claim in years. They said oh yes you have, three windshield repairs in the last two years.
No such thing as free lunch.
indeed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
Or just failing to make a profit for them. Lol at the idea of ACA expanded to all insurances. No denial of coverage for pre existing conditions/claims. Be a nightmare with some of those compulsive minor fender bender folk I see out there with all 4 corners with clearly independant looking impacts out there.Quote:
Originally Posted by hatidua
On a semi related note. How does comprehensive coverage affect pretty decent scratches. Not like a mega deep angry keying, but my truck day 2 on wedding trip got scraped by an asshole or an idiot with a big sideways Y where they brushed by the tailgate. Already picked up a few other little nicks that I'd like fixed.
Also think I might have to work nights again, even in a truck, getting sick of lately the amount of golf ball + sized rocks getting thrown into my windshield in my hour commutes on i25. (Daytime traveling during more traffic hours than when I'm getting off/on at like 5am or 9 at night.)
If the repair is more than the deductible, and if the damage was one single incident, then it would be covered by comprehensive insurance. You can't just turn in a claim to get years of door dings and scratches cleaned up. People sometimes (very often) confuse insurance policies with warranties.
If it's less than the deductible, couldnt you still report it, pay yourself, and if there's another incident in the year, you'd already have some of the deductible paid. Yknow like health insurance?
No. It doesn't work like that. Health insurance isn't really insurance, and cannot be compared to any other insurance policy. Forget anything that had anything to do with health insurance because it is not comparable.
Your auto and home insurance policies specifically state that the full deductible is applied on each and every claim. If you report things all the time, you're just screwing yourself. Actually, that's maybe the worst thing you can do as far as your rates are concerned. Please don't try that.
One way or another, you're paying. There are insurance experts here that can explain it far more eloquently than I can - and have the patience to do so.Quote:
Originally Posted by fitz19d
In short, policies that have accident forgiveness, windshield repair, etc, all have those features built into the policy. It's the same thing as cell phone companies rolling the price of cell phones into the monthly rate. I'm not even sure there is a less expensive option for full coverage at some companies. That's the way the market has changed because people are inherently bad at managing money and that's what they want.Quote:
Originally Posted by hatidua
[Beer] to everyone. I may try one of the at-home kits. However....
...this in spades. This being my concern. Those of you guys "with coverage" etc - I'd be a little careful. I got dropped from State Farm on auto, and we admittedly had several other things going on (speeding tickets, etc), but when it happened, I called my agent furious and he started looking through and said he wish he'd noticed my windshield activity. :( His own son (employed by agency) kept telling us to replace the windshields, and then after it was done, our agent himself said that was a big cause. Already this was probably 5 years ago, but I wasn't getting chips fixed. What did I do? I'd let chips turn to crack and then get a new windshield. Who wants a pitted out window, right? It wasn't like 3 in 3 years, it was more like 3 / year for a couple of years. They weren't cheap ones, either, although a few were cheap ones on the wrangler.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colorado Fatboy
I now have Farmers and they supposedly cover all the chips (and windshields), but State Farm supposedly covered all the windshields without issue either. They did, until I hit too many without warning. So, this winter I've had two fixed so far, and probably have 2-3 more. Paid cash for one, let Farmers get the other, but I definitely don't trust an insurance company to say "nah, bro, it don't affect your rates or claims or nuttin!" Yeah, right.
Also love how Elite charges LESS to insurance than they do for cash. Definitely UNLIKE the health insurance analogy.
When you say Elite, you mean Safelite? Elite auto glass was bought out by Safelite several years ago.
Having worked at Safelite replacing and repairing auto glass, I do know that in Colorado and Wyoming, the average life of a windshield is 6 months. State Farm knows that, that's why they dropped glass coverage as a seperate policy. I've been down that road with them personally. They refused to cover my glass, even though I was grandfathered in when they no longer offered glass coverage.
Every time you renew, the policy can change.Quote:
Originally Posted by jmg8550
I suppose so. I wasn't aware of the acquisition, and now that you mention it, I have paperwork with both on it. I'm sure it is Safelite.Quote:
Originally Posted by jmg8550