Dude came to replace my wife's windshield... I was under the assumption they billed insurance, but he charged me the full amount. Does that sound right?

Also, he flat out told me that he wanted gratuity. (which he did not get) is this expected?

8/12/2014 2:53:42 PM

I can't remember if I paid them in the past, or my insurance. I've used them twice for windshield replacement and twice for windshield repair. Never tipped.

Also, they use shitty cheap glass. Last time I had to get a windshield replaced I went with another company. I wouldn't have recommended them in the first place.

8/12/2014 3:20:22 PM

It depends on your insurance who they bill, with GEICO I didn't pay out of pocket for anything and Safelight used OEM glass that they bought from the dealership.

[Edited on August 12, 2014 at 4:05 PM. Reason : this is assuming you already had a claim with your insurance about it]

8/12/2014 3:55:22 PM

i filed a claim with my insurance but I still had to pay $100 out of pocket. I know some people have glass repairs fully covered. I guess I did not. Also, Safelight used OEM glass brought from the Ford dealership.

8/12/2014 4:42:23 PM

Quote :

"they use shitty cheap glass"

that's probably all there is for our shitty cheap cars from the early 90's

8/12/2014 5:17:22 PM

did you call the insurance company first? i just call my insurance company and they will ask me who i want to repair it or they'll recommend someone from their list. they'll get them on a 3-way call with you, give them the insurance info, and then let you set up an appointment.

8/12/2014 6:14:01 PM

They did good work on my f150. Wasn't expensive enough for a deductible though so I paid them directly. No tip.

8/12/2014 8:58:06 PM

Freakin awesome people. They got a windshield from the OEM manufacturer. Great workmanship, no leaks or issues for the past 5 months. I haggled and they discounted my deductible. I'd go back. I went through some subsidiary family shop that do windshield replacements through Safelight.

8/12/2014 9:22:43 PM

One good thing about SC is that law requires insurance to replace the glass with a $0 deductible and they aren't allowed to count it against you.

8/12/2014 9:45:52 PM

so you're required to carry comprehensive in SC?

i mean, i guess that's a good thing if you like paying for everyone else's "free" windshields a little bit at a time over the course of your entire life.

[Edited on August 12, 2014 at 9:50 PM. Reason : ds]

8/12/2014 9:47:36 PM

Quote :

"so you're required to carry comprehensive in SC?"

No, the law requires insurance companies to replace your windshield for free no matter what your insurance is.

According to google, we are one of 4 states with laws like this.

8/12/2014 10:06:25 PM

you're paying for it in the long run.

8/12/2014 10:10:43 PM

Quote :

"No, the law requires insurance companies to replace your windshield for free no matter what your insurance is. "

And they raise their base premiums because of this.

Nothing is free in this world. Whether you realize it or not, you're going to pay for the service.

8/12/2014 10:15:24 PM

The amount they would need to raise premiums for windshields if everyone is covered is going to be almost completely negligible. Glass insurance is just a few bucks even without it being mandatory, so it would be even less than that.

But OMG OBAMA !

8/13/2014 7:38:06 AM

^Yeah it's not much. After cracking so many windshields I changed my comprehensive coverage from a $250 deductible to $0. Price difference was only $55/year.

Quote :

"that's probably all there is for our shitty cheap cars from the early 90's"

Lol, maybe for you man All the instances I was referring to were for my S2000. And OEM glass my ass, those replacement windshield got tiny little nicks so fast...

I actually did use Safelite back a while ago for my Integra after someone decided to shatter my rear hatch glass for no reason. And they most certainly did not have the correct OEM piece of glass for it either. Only glass they had was for the base Integra (GS-R's is different). So that was great

8/13/2014 9:06:38 AM

I know my premiums are higher in general because of the law, but I also am certain that I've got my moneys worth out of it.

I'm also pretty sure I pay for more than just other people's windshields.

8/13/2014 10:31:07 AM

^ Likewise. I'm on my 3rd replacement in 4 years (though one could argue the 2nd and 3rd were due to shitty glass).

In KY, we have a very limited selection of glass providers and it's a real pain in the ass to use anything but safelite. If you go to a shop of your choice, you need to submit a claim for reimbursement rather than <insurance company> paying upfront for you. It sucks, but, it's convenient and has come in handy.

Regarding safelite, I don't recommend them if there's a real choice. I've never taken issue with the glass itself, but they've always done a piss poor job on the rubber trim around the windshield.

8/13/2014 6:00:02 PM

Hmm. maybe it varies based on car make/year/model then. I wanted an OEM glass, but of course there isn't a bunch of MX6 windshields laying around. What safelight did was show me who the OEM vendor was for my car, and contacted them for a replacement. I had to wait a week for the OEM company to send the replacement out, but it's a nice quality OEM glass with the right curvature and everything. The windshield I had was just replaced by the previous owner by a glass company who did not have a warranty and did not use an OEM replacement, so needless to say it cracked during the first winter storm we had.

8/14/2014 9:14:00 PM

Figures that less than a week after posting in here a rock cracked my windshield

8/19/2014 8:27:55 AM

http://www.absolutevisionautoglass.com/

8/19/2014 10:21:55 AM

FWIW, just used AAA autoglass repair and was pretty much exactly the same service/cost as Safelite; mobile installation, guy was able to come out with my OEM-spec'd glass within a day of scheduling, and did a good quick job (1hr). Cant say much about the insurance thing, its a company vehicle and they told me just to expense and reimburse it. He didn't ask for a tip, just gave him a cold bottle of water when I checked on the progress. In my few times I've used any of these services I've never heard any of them even mention it.

8/24/2014 11:46:31 PM

Quote :

"No, the law requires insurance companies to replace your windshield for free no matter what your insurance is. "

so...you...have to have comprehensive, at least sort of?


Even if you only have liability coverage, it's really "liability...oh, and windshields for your own car" coverage in SC?

8/25/2014 1:45:58 AM