Rock Chip repairs covered by ICBC starting March 27th, 2017

[stuphoto]

sorry folks, the last time I had to replace a windshield the deductible was $500.00.
If it has indeed dropped back down to $200.00 then you are right. There are few if any windshields worth less than that installed.

[TylerM4]

sorry folks, the last time I had to replace a windshield the deductible was $500.00.
If it has indeed dropped back down to $200.00 then you are right. There are few if any windshields worth less than that installed.

Get what you pay for. You can upgrade for the lower deductible.

[Bsuds]

sorry folks, the last time I had to replace a windshield the deductible was $500.00.
If it has indeed dropped back down to $200.00 then you are right. There are few if any windshields worth less than that installed.

The deductible is an option and is your choice. Like T44 said, you get what you pay for.

[my5cents]

The free windshield repair program IMO is a good idea.

Chips will frequently spread into cracks and eventually require the whole windshield to be replaced.

Many years ago, I had a fairly large chip repaired on a fairly new pickup I owned. The guy came to my home, completed the repair, I didn't have to do a thing.

I sold the vehicle 15 years later with the same windshield still in the vehicle.

Lots of confusion about deductibles and coverage. In BC "Comprehensive" includes glass, which is not the case in, for example, Alberta. Glass is another coverage all together in those locations and it is expensive to add. Many don't have glass coverage in Alberta.

If you want to pay less for your comprehensive coverage you can opt for a higher deductible. If you've had what ICBC thinks are too many comprehensive claims, they can and will force you to take a high deductible, as high as $2500.

They judge the number of claims, lets say for windshields, by region. If you live in the Kootenays they will "let" you have more windshield claims there before they will increase your deductible than, lets say Vancouver. Kelowna, more than Vancouver but less than the Kootenays.

I don't know about the $500 deductible comp coverage but for the $300 deductible comp coverage, IF the claim is for a windshield, they lower the deductible to $200.

Now if you need to be informed on actual price you would pay for a windshield yourself you have to be cautious. Don't go by an ICBC invoice.

On your invoice, if you are going through ICBC comprehensive coverage, it will show the price, less the deductible. That amount that ICBC pays isn't necessarily the same price you would have to pay if you approached the shop telling them you don't have insurance coverage.

Yes, I know, ICBC buys millions of $ of windshields, why would a shop charge a single customer less than a big insurance company ??? But they do.

[Bsuds]

On your invoice, if you are going through ICBC comprehensive coverage, it will show the price, less the deductible. That amount that ICBC pays isn't necessarily the same price you would have to pay if you approached the shop telling them you don't have insurance coverage.

Yes, I know, ICBC buys millions of $ of windshields, why would a shop charge a single customer less than a big insurance company ??? But they do.

For the same reason Dentists charge you less if you don't have insurance...they are screwing the insurance Co's who in turn screw the consumer with high premiums. It's a vicious circle.

[GoStumpy]

The free windshield repair program IMO is a good idea.

You sound very well versed in the process! We should go for a beer sometime

[GoStumpy]

For the same reason Dentists charge you less if you don't have insurance...they are screwing the insurance Co's who in turn screw the consumer with high premiums. It's a vicious circle.

I'll refrain from getting too off-topic here, but the insurance companies set the price, and expect top-quality work, with lifetime warranty. When someone shops around for the cheapest cash price, they can unknowingly go to a shop that just BUTCHERS their car, and they won't know any different because it's hidden under mouldings or hidden by trim... until the paint starts bubbling around the windshield, the thing starts leaking, or the next guy replaces the windshield to find stuff like this:

Which starts out as:

These are on 2014 and newer vehicles... essentially saving $50 on a windshield installation will cost THOUSANDS in bodyshop repair work down the road...

Trust me, KNOW YOUR REPAIR SHOP!!

[Poindexter]

^^ This rust damage from window replacement is very common and makes repairing the chip before it spreads even more prudent. From what I've been told, and maybe you can confirm, even reputable firms damage the paint under the moulding and apply a primer to the damage. Even with thier efforts to repair the paint damage it's only as good as the thoroughness of the tech and even then not as good as the rust protection the car originally comes with. So regardless of whether insurance pays or it's out of pocket, always fix rock chips immidiately to avoid making an inexpensive repair into a much costlier one.

[GoStumpy]

^^ This rust damage from window replacement is very common and makes repairing the chip before it spreads even more prudent. From what I've been told, and maybe you can confirm, even reputable firms damage the paint under the moulding and apply a primer to the damage. Even with thier efforts to repair the paint damage it's only as good as the thoroughness of the tech and even then not as good as the rust protection the car originally comes with. So regardless of whether insurance pays or it's out of pocket, always fix rock chips immidiately to avoid making an inexpensive repair into a much costlier one.

Yes and No...

MOST, and I mean 95+% of cars have a design that can be removed without ANY damage to the surrounding paint and rust protection. However, you need to know what you're doing, and have some physical strength to use the hand tools. Most cars you can remove the outer moulding by hand, then use what's called a 'Cold Knife' which runs along the glass cutting the urethane-to-glass bond, never touching the car.

Another option is the wire cut-out method, which actually uses a fiber-string not wire... this is used when the glass is too tight to the body to fit a cold-knife. This takes a bit longer but again cuts it out without ANY damage.

Some places use the tool called The Extractor:

for the entire removal process... there is almost always a better way.