My daughters are home from college for the weekend and picked up a rock chip on the drive down. No problem, I’ll zip down to Safelite for a quick repair. Not. They wanted $115 to fix a small chip. I walked out and across the parking lot to the local auto parts store and bought a kit for $15.99. A YouTube video later and I had it done. Doing the math, they are making at least $400 an hour for chip repairs. I’m surprised these crooks are still in business with these prices. I imagine that if I had needed a new windshield, it would have been cheaper to buy a new car than a new windshield.

If you have 'Glass Coverage' on your Auto Insurance Policy, often times the Insurance Company will foot the bill for this type of repair (AND waive the deductible!) as it's cheaper than replacing the Windshield down the road.

ETA - They often waive the deductible too!

Deductible is $100 so I’d save $15. I thought of that but thanks for mentioning it as it is easy to forget insurance for little things.

My local guy charges about $40, comes to my house to do the job. One time he even came to my club and did the chip repair in the parking lot while I sat inside enjoying an adult beverage. Toward the end of the day so when he was done I invited him in for a beer, two other members needed chip repairs while he was there.

Last time he didn't feel good about the results, told me he thought it would fail and I'd have to get a new windshield, tried to refuse my payment. I paid him anyway, and sure enough I was buying a new windshield a few months later.

Called around to several shops, the usual first question was about my insurance company. I told them "Cash". Prices ranged from about $200 to $450. Had an appointment the next day for replacement, in and out in about 90 minutes. Happy customer, happy small business owner.

Yes, I carry glass coverage. No, this was not the vendor recommended by my insurance company. I later made sure that Jake now knows who to send his policy holders to for auto glass.

quote:

Originally posted by BB61:
Deductible is $100 so I’d save $15. I thought of that but thanks for mentioning it as it is easy to forget insurance for little things.

hnracecraft is stating some insurance companies will pay the entire repair bill, no deductible. Its cheaper for them to pay the $100 now to fix the windshield then to wait till the windshield cracks and you file a claim.

The last time that I had this done, the glass guy told me that there is no deductible to pay for this type of work. If I understood him correctly, this is true of all auto policies in Florida if there is any collision / comp coverage for the vehicle.

He fixed the problem, took my insurance information, took before and after photos, and handled everything. The total paperwork that I had to do was to sign the glass guy's form, stating that the job was done to my satisfaction. Easy-peasy. He came to my location and did it while I was working (sorting range brass, actually), so it didn't even take ten minutes of my time to get it done, at no cost.

Here's my Safelite story:

Got a small chip in my windshield. A few days later I decided to call Safelite and let them repair it.

The chip stayed the same size the whole time.

On the day the repairman was to arrive, I was out front looking at the chip and it was still the same. Went indoors as the truck pulled up.

Two minutes later the technician asked me to come out and showed me where the chip was now a complete break from top to bottom.

The technician obviously walked up to it and smacked it so it would spread and he wouldn't have to do the repair. Perhaps he was also a commissioned salesperson like so many technicians are, who knows.

But I don't do business with them any more. I've found a Veteran owned small company that's impeccably honest and I give them my business.

most insurance companies in az replace windshield without deductible.

I had a stone chip in my old TrailBlazer's windshield mitigated by a local auto glass place. I don't recall what it cost, but I wouldn't have balked at $115, compared to the cost of a full windshield replacement had I left it and it had spread.

My insurer in Michigan has zero deductible for windshield repair and zero deductible for any and all glass replacement in a covered vehicle.

OP, I guess you've never had a business if your calling them crooks for charging for that.
There's a lot more to then operating their business than buying a kit.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
If you have 'Glass Coverage' on your Auto Insurance Policy, often times the Insurance Company will foot the bill for this type of repair (AND waive the deductible!) as it's cheaper than replacing the Windshield down the road.

ETA - They often waive the deductible too!

With this it costs me $50 to replace my windshield. I typically don’t even bother with trying to repair it anymore. Plus, I’m usually not lucky enough to have a small chip. When I get hit, it’s gone.

I hate replacing the windshield. I've had to replace the ECU twice because the windshield was leaking water. Luckily the ECU was under warranty (covered by the windshield company). But still, it was inconvenient and dangerous.

I don't fix chips anymore. As much as I hate replacing windshields, I guess it's necessary eventually. Driving on the highway is apparently similar to sandblasting over time. And when the glass is old enough, when the light (sun or street light) hits it just right, you can't see through, even if the glass is clean (inside and out).

Yes, often the insurance will cover it, depending on policy.

Another low cost option is to buy the cheap repair kit then do it yourself. I got a kit from Amazon or fleabay, less than $10. No, likely won’t be as good as a dedicated service.

My repair of a chip went ok, haven’t had to redo it, no further crack.

How else are they gonna pay for all those TV commercials they have?

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
OP, I guess you've never had a business if your calling them crooks for charging for that.
There's a lot more to then operating their business than buying a kit.

Actually I have. And I stand by my statement. The resin to fix the windshield only cost them pennies. Granted the professional equipment costs more but over the life of the equipment, not much at all. I bought a kit at the local auto parts store for $15.99. It took me a while as I had never done it before. I then fixed a second chip and this one went quickly and smoothly. I estimate it only takes man hours of 15 minutes maximum to fix a chip. At $115 a chip that that is a minimum of $460 an hour. Law firms in my area, senior partners, do not charge anywhere near that an hour and they have employees, rent, benefits, copiers, etc. to pay for. I seriously doubt Safelite pays anywhere near what law firms pay their attorneys and employees yet they are charging more per hour than the attorneys in my area.

Safelite is making a killing off of glass chip repair. I’ll never return to them for anything.

Was that the drive-in price or the come-to-you price?

I'm literally getting my BMW windshield replaced as we speak, and it was $295 for the whole windshield replacement and they're doing it in my driveway.

I do make liberal use of the $15 resin kits in between windshield replacements. Lots of new construction around here so there are always dump trucks on the freeway.

We've had three or four repairs over the years and never paid a dime .

^^^^
That was the price at their shop.

Regarding replacement, remember that not all windshields are the same quality.