Is Your Windscreen Covered In France? (1 Viewer)

[Binky]

Arrived in France yesterday, pootling along a newly made road with a 50kph limit when the garçon racer zoomed past, chucking up a minor hailstorm of stones and crack went our windscreen. I rang the Axa windscreen number on our policy who informed me that motorhomes were no longer covered in France & Spain. Rang the broker (caravan club and devitts) and then rang Axa, all who referred me back to auto glass, who then told me to ring car glass in France who would do it. Rang car glass - non, we will not cover a camping car. Back to brokers/Axa/auto glass and 2 options were given - get it repaired myself and submit a claim (for which Axa would refund £100) or go across the border where auto glass have an arrangement with somebody who will repair it. Guess we are heading waffle-side in the morning to start all over again.

Anybody else had problems and why does my Devitts insurance statement state unlimited cover on windscreens yet this appears to be super ceded by the Axa policy of £100 cover if not using auto glass?

 

[Techno]

A Ducato screen can be fitted for under £20o in UK privately whilst auto glass charge insurance a grand or more
I'll never use auto glass again as they are s h 1 t in my experience I'd rather pay a proper fitter

 

[Judge Mental]

headache!

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[DavidG58]

If it is only cracked I would wait till I got home personally

 

[flatpackchicken]

Yes wait till you get home if it is safe to do so. Mine went on way home through France as well in April but waited till I got home to phone Autoglass as required by my insurance company glad I did as only paid £75 excess and bill was just over !!!!!! Wait for it !!!!!!!
£3100 yes £3100 for A class screen on Frankia i800 2001. Model DOH and had to wait for 2 weeks for it to come from the continent I think Belgium. So to sum it all up make sure you have full windscreen ins with max £75 excess. Thank you Comfort ins and all done with 2 phone calls very good service
Regards Garry Flatpackchicken

 

[cruiser]

my son rang auto glass for a wind screen. they said very busy. a 9 day wait. got ins comp to try someone else. did it in 2 days.

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[treetops1]

We had a similar problem in France 4 weeks ago cracked windscreen from a projectile off a lorry arrive home ok,rang Saga within 1hr auto glass rang .They had to send to Belgium for it .We eventually had it fitted within the week ,paid £75 excess .The excellent guys that fitted the screen said an A class windscreen can indeed cost well over 2 grand fitted .For us ,Well done Saga.

 

[Binky]

We have just returned after a very nice week in Belgium, still with a cracked windscreen that has developed into two nice long cracks weaving a pretty pattern across the passenger side. Carglass in Belgium (part of the Autoglass set-up) also spent a jolly week messing us about before finally, a week after saying that they could probably help, telling us that it will take 3 to 4 weeks to get a new screen and that they would forward all details to autoglass in UK to sort it out (they didn't forward any details). Within the hour of ringing autoglass at home I have had a call from their "specials" people and, hopefully, they can help us.

Interestingly, I learned that if you leave the front of the van parked in direct sunlight you can watch the crack move across the screen and place bets on which direction it will take.

It is still worrying that you pay for windscreen cover in Europe yet France and Spain appear not to be included.

 

[Saint76]

Had a screen replaced on our Carthago i51 A class by Autoglass specials dept 2 vans 2 men lifting frame scaffold signed on the dotted line for £100 -00 excess Insurance companies invoice which i had to sign £5700-00 glass supplied by Carthago as they hold the stock from glass suppliers in europe.
Nice little earner Rodders!!!!!

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[Techno]

A number of insurance companies only cover up to 1k before it affecting your no claims. I believe caravan guard is one of those.
Not so important with C class but if A class be sure you know what screen cover you have or you'll get a shock premium next time around.

 

[Binky]

We have just returned after a very nice week in Belgium, still with a cracked windscreen that has developed into two nice long cracks weaving a pretty pattern across the passenger side. Carglass in Belgium (part of the Autoglass set-up) also spent a jolly week messing us about before finally, a week after saying that they could probably help, telling us that it will take 3 to 4 weeks to get a new screen and that they would forward all details to autoglass in UK to sort it out (they didn't forward any details). Within the hour of ringing autoglass at home I have had a call from their "specials" people and, hopefully, they can help us.

Interestingly, I learned that if you leave the front of the van parked in direct sunlight you can watch the crack move across the screen and place bets on which direction it will take.

It is still worrying that you pay for windscreen cover in Europe yet France and Spain appear not to be included.

...and, as a follow up, Autoglass have come back to me and have approval from my insurance to fit a new screen, which will be arriving in the next few days from Belgium. So, Carglass Belgium, part of Autoglass, cannot source a new screen for 3-4 weeks, but Autoglass UK can source a new screen from Belgium in 3 to 4 days? Figure that one out.

Lesson learned: If you crack your screen in France, Belgium or Spain then come home and get it fixed here. I wonder if the Germans are more efficient?

 

[FJmike]

A customer who worked in the industry told me that insurance companies pay the fitters the price of the excess. The theory is that if you have a run of the mill hatchback and your excess is £75, the fitters are on to a winner as said run of the mill windscreen would cost them about £20. They obviously loose out when fitting motorhome screens. I am not stating this as fact its something I was told so maybe it can be filed with gas attacks

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[Techno]

Autoglass featured on Watchdog at 20:00 tonight!!!

 

[Bren]

Just return back from France with a cracked windscreen , replaced by Auto glass within 2 days of ringing
Was told by the fitter that if we get a cracked windscreen on the continent again it's quite safe to leave it untill we return as will not shatter , as the windscreen has two layers of glass ...

 

[Binky]

Autoglass arrived today to fit a new screen - yay!

They brought the wrong size screen - boo!

I'm growing very attached to the cracks now. Think I'll just keep them.

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[treetops1]

You can hang on to your cracked windscreen until your next MOT lol.

 

[gus-lopez]

It is very rare to get pulled for it but in Spain it is an offence to drive with a damaged windscreen.

 

[Badknee]

I do believe here it's ok till mot time as long as it's not rubber to rubber , so a crack that ends in the screen is ok. A fitter many many moons ago when I earned my living as a trucker drilled a tiny hole in the outer glass to stop it getting any bigger till mot time then it was replaced.

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[Binky]

Following a formal complaint to Axa they told me that in the instance whereby Autoglass/Carglass could not or would not replace a windscreen then I should have been told to go to another repairer and obtain a quote for the insurance company's consideration, even though it was over the £100 limit. That information is worth filing away if anybody else is in a similar situation. They also gave me back my £60 excess to cover my "distress and frustration".

In future, I'm going to drive with a mattress bungee'd over the new windscreen to protect it.

 

[CWH]

Is Your Windscreen Covered In France?
Not while driving