Car Insurance Company ABIU or them

[Ididnothearthat]

My windscreen has been smashed in by a brick/object overnight on my driveway. Reported to police etc. Fine rang my car insurance company and they said they only use Autoglass - okay fine. Autoglass can't come out until next Friday so won't be able to use my car or get to work for a week. Even a temp repair they said i cannot drive on motorways.

My dad works as Mechanic and knows someone who can come out today. I told my insurance company that i can do this and will claim the money back. They are saying they won't be able to do this claim as they only use Autoglass. Surely i am being reasonable in that i can't wait a week for a repair, i can get it repaired today and they should process this claim as they are not able to offer a reasonable time to repair my car!

I have to drive on motorway to get to work and I need my car to drive between my visits - i visit children with SEN and complete assessments. Could go into the office i guess via train for a few days at worse but would't have much to do other than catch up on some reports (maybe a days work) and id have to cancel all my existing visits for the week impacting on those children.

[ShatnersWig]

I think that is ridiculous. Which insurance company is this?

[Allthebestnamesareused]

I would call them back and ask whether if you have to be without your car for that many days because their contracted repairer will not come out until then you assume they will be providing a courtesy car! Is next Friday bank holiday?

[Totsntantrums]

Have you tried phoning autoglass direct?

[Bluelady]

That's crazy. They're hoping you'll have it done elsewhere and they won't have to pay up. Have you checked the details of your policy?

[beany5]

I think a courtesy car is required if they can't come out until next Friday. That's just ridiculous.

[CMOTDibbler]

Phone Autoglass direct, and ask if it can be done any quicker, esp if you can take it to the depot. Once when I was waiting for my cars windscreen to be replaced at the depot, they were on the phone all the time moving peoples appointments forward by several days so it was like they booked them far out deliberatly

[bruffin]

They use Autoglass to keep down costs, most insurance companies will only use their own repairers. Does your car insurance not include a courtesy car?

[nikkylou]

Haven't they recovered your car to storage as if the windscreen is smashed in, it's insecure?
I'd expect if they do that you can speak to them about courtesy cars etc. If you still have your car they probably won't give one as it tends to be your car in courtesy car out basis.

[frankchickens]

From another thread - can you get counselling?

[TheMerryWidow1]

my rear windscreen was smashed, autoglass couldn't get out to me so I took it to them, it was a bit chilly for the 30 min drive but I got it sorted. Normal roads though not motorway. I too couldn't be without a car.

[Sirzy]

I think a courtesy car is required if they can't come out until next Friday you would only get that if you took it as an extra.

Many insurance companies will only work with their preferred companies for whatever reason and I am guessing if you read the small print it will say exactly that so sadly I don’t think you have much chance of getting them to shift

[GU24Mum]

If the mechanic is a proper car mechanic he's probably got the paperwork you need about insurers not being able to enforce their own choice (but the alternative having to be a "suitable" company).

[mummyhaschangedhername]

We had the same 2 weeks ago. Had a massive crack up yeh windscreen, called them up, auto glass again only, they could only do it 7 days later. I has an MOT booked a few days later, I had quotes from other companies prepared to do it, but I could only use auto glass.

Auto glass themselves were extremely rude, they refused to give me complaints of mangers number, refused to give me their names, it was extremely frustrating.

My insurance was elephant.

[Bluelady]

Ah, bloody Elephant. Shittest insurer ever. I wouldn't use them again if they gave me my policy for nothing. There's a reason they're so cheap.

[SantanicoPandemonium]

I had this a few months ago and I asked about getting a courtesy car. I was told I could, but it would have to go through my insurance as a declareable claim instead of a glass claim (that I don’t have to declare).

I ended up waiting the extra few days to save my premiums.

[Somerford]

Ask Autoglass for their estimate and see if you can price match it with another glass supplier in the area. If someone else will do the job for the same price or similar they don't really have any excuse not to let you use your own choice of repairer, other than direct billing arrangements which aren't really your problem.

[mummyhaschangedhername]

Bluelady - lesson learnt. It's just a cheap run about and our no claims is used on the main vehicle so just went for the cheapest, but you get what you pay for and I won't make that mistake again. I thought auto glass was a good company but they really are dire.

[DGRossetti]

Is it a modern car with loads of bells and whistles ?

When our screen went last year it took 2 weeks for autoglass to replace it, as after the glass is changed, another technician needs to recalibrate the camera that is mounted behind it and which the cruise control/lane warning system uses. There weren't many of the technicians, so there was a wait. (We'll skip over the fact that Autoglass managed to mess things up right royally and waived our excess as a goodwill gesture).

[Ididnothearthat]

Thanks all - been on the phone to admiral and autoglass both passing me back and forth!! Ive got another company who would come out tomorrow and fix it but Admiral are saying they would only refund £50 of the cost instead of allowing me to claim it and pay £75 excess in the same way as autoglass.

They haven't offered to secure it, and they said my courtsey car is only for claims not windscreen claims. You try to do things properly pay for full insurance etc and then your still left hanging.

[MassDebate]

We are in a very similar situation at the moment: a stone flipped up and hit our windscreen while we were on the motorway at the weekend causing a hole and long cracks, and because we have an unusual car autoglass have to order the replacement in while we wait an unspecified amount of time for repair. Our local specialist dealer has the right screen in stock but the insurer (Privilege in our case) have said they'll only give us £200 toward the cost if we do that, minus our excess. The windscreen is over £950 so that's no good. They won't give us a courtesy car because we weren't in an accident, despite acknowledging we have courtesy cars included in our cover and can't drive the car until it's fixed.

We will be complaining formally once the screen is finally replaced as it will cost the insurer far more than £200 to fix the issue even using Autoglass. Not impressed.

[CluedoAddict]

Can you go direct to Autoglass? We had a window smashed and they couldn't come out for a few days. We were able to go to a branch that afternoon and have it done.

[Ididnothearthat]

Update - i esculated within admiral and autoglass. Now sitting at another independent company that autoglass are paying to get the work done and i only paid the usual £75 excess as i would have done for autoglass. This was autoglass that organised it so @massdebate maybe keep complaining!

[MassDebate]

Thanks Ididnot, they're supposed to be coming out to us on Friday but we might see if we can get it done more quickly based on this! Well done for persevering!

[randomsabreuse]

I had the same problem with Direct line only my incident was a pheasant (was hit by another vehicle into my windscreen). Drivers side so completely undrivable although I took it home as it was only 5 minutes away and no layby closer. They were better in that I could have used other companies but there are no other mobile companies that could get to me any sooner as "it's really busy at the moment". They said I could make a non windscreen claim but obviously that would affect my NCD and tbh car hire plus windscreen would be around my excess so I just had to suck it up.

Autoglass were entirely unable to comprehend that I could not drive the car due to the location of the damage (impact crater covering entire bottom 3rd of driver's side of windscreen and suggested I could take it somewhere after I had said this.

Twats the lot of them