Autoglass/insurance rant!!!
 

Ok guys bear with me on this as i am confused as hell about it

On 24th Jan 2009 i rang Autoglass to enquire about a small chip i had in my windscreen to see if it was repairable,they said that because it has a tiny crack (about 2mm) the screen would have to be replaced at this time i was in posession of a cover note but AG insisted on the full certificate.This arrived on the 26th Jan so I made an appointment for 27th and took the car down along with my insurance certificate to have the screen replaced,paid my £60 excess and drove away about 4 hours later.
Today,nigh on a year later I get a letter from Autoglass saying that my insurance company has refused to pay for the work that was carried out.I rang them to enquire why and it turns out that the day i rang to enquire about a chip I wasnt covered but the day I had the work done i was in posession of a valid comprehensive certificate.Apparently the insurance company insist that if you simpy make an enquiry about a chip/replacement of windscreen you have to be covered irrespective of when the work is finally carried out

Has anyone ever come across this before? and more importantly where do I stand because I cant afford to pay the full invoice on a windscreen

all input welcomed

tell them to bugger off and cancell your insurance with them, just tell them your taking your car of the road and the ollowing day get new insurance

I have cancelled the insurance as i have sold the car :thumb: but what is more baffling is the fact that they waited a year to bring it to my attention

i have recentely had problems with autoglass in plymouth after a repair fell out and was told by manager tough and pay for new screen.contacted their head office to be told there is a 5 year warrantee on repairs and if it fails in that time they have to replace the screen at their own cost.went back to local site and spoke to an old bloke that works there and he redid the repair there and then for me and also told me that he was about to lose his job as the company is going tits up.they are having no more offices and only doing call out work.hence why they are now trying to get money out of anyone that has used them.

I don't understand your post scooby-tc. At the top you say you had a cover note on 24th Jan, but then you imply the insurance wasn't in place on this day. I think it's reasonable of your insurance company to refuse the claim if you only took the fully comp policy out after the windscreen was damaged.

The insurance must have been in place for them to issue a cover note unless companies are in the habit of dishing them out when you are not covered.The damage had been there for 3 years prior,the car was off the road for almost 2 years I had to insure it in order to put the car back on the road.The MOT picked up the windscreen problem,I didnt get my full certificate till the 26th (AG don't carry out any work on just a cover note) and the work was carried out on the 27th
My arguement is that I didnt put a windscreen claim in till the car was fully comp all i did was merely enquire whether a chip could be fixed or a replacement was required

seems like a bunch of muppets. A year later is stupid. Tell them to jog on. And you are right by sticking to your guns. You only enquired about chip. So stick two fingers up to them.

Personly I think the insurance company are talking rubbish! If you look at the law on sales of goods act, it does stipulate that a contract, in writting or verbal has to be entered before there is a comitment to sale or service. An enquire is not a contract. Its like going to view a house and being told because you viewed it, you have comited to buy it! Just tell autoglass if that the business is between them and the insurance company, thats who the contract of sale was with. Its then up to the insurance company to persue you if they wish to try. Unless its in writing that any enquiry is an agreement to work to be carried out, i dont think they have a leg to stand on!

If you were not insured when you made the 1st enquiry then the Insurance Company are technically correct - they should not be, and are not, liable for damage sustained before they assumed the risk.

You essentailly declared that the windscreen was damaged before they took you on cover .... the damage happened when they were not at risk - they are right to refuse payment to Autoglass.

For it all to take so long is not right and you would have a right to reasonable treatment.

A court will find for the Insurance Company/AutoGlass - but, may reduce their payment due to the time taken to present you with the invoice.

The point is I did have a cover note so I was insured.I actually had the cover note the day before i made the enquiry so was 'in my opinion' covered

also if worse comes to worse and i have to pay out then surely i would be entitled to the excess i paid on the day of the repair

Very true! I guess their argument would be if the damage was before the cover note was issued. Be a difficult both ways to aggree if the damaged happened while in posestion of a cover note but lets face it, if the damaged did happen with the cover note, the same as if you crashed with a cover note, you should still be covered?

The bill would be reduced by the amount you paid, that is quite correct.

You have said, here, that the windscreen was damaged when it was MOT'd - before you took cover. The MOT Failure would state the damage.

It's simple in straight legal terms - but, your advantage is that AutoGlass are unlikely to drag you into court (I wouldn't have thought). The time is so long since they incurred the loss, that is in your favour.

I would hold and not offer payment. Just explain that AutoGlass did the work on sight of the relevant documentation .... it was up to them to check that they would receive payment, they took your excess - implying that they were happy with the proposed contract.

I would hold out, personally.

I would second that! Its for them to prove that the damage was before you had cover. After a year, unlikely. In theroy they checked the paper work, took the excess etc, so its their issue, not yours.

First sensible post i have ever seen you type Pete so many thanks for that :thumb:

also thanks to everyone that has commented I am going to string this one out.....robbing bastids :D

Lol I would too, credit crunch and everyones trying it on!
I sold my old BMW E46 330d over 18 month ago and the guy emailed me last week saying the exhaust had gone (Standard exhaust) and would I cover the cost as it was more than he could afford! :cuckoo:

to be honest i would not worry about it,a/glass are def not going to bother chasing you for a repair payment or a screen,i personally do this job every day and a lot worse things happen...you also dont need to have ins to enquire about a repair on replacement,as you could be paying cash...also a repair is a life time warranty...not 5 years...as far as your concerned you got a reiciept,the ins was correct at the time of them fitting the glass,thats it...unless it was all correct they wouold not have entered in to the replacement...

:razz:

;)

A sensible/funny/witty post is one thing to someone, and something completely different to someone else ..... but, I am genuinely glad that I may have assisted you somewhat.