Windscreen replacement...

[RoDM]

Sadly my windscreen developed a crack yesterday it was only an inch in on the passenger's side, so I didn't see it as urgent till ending my journey home tonight when I noticed it had extended to 3 inches wide.

I called my insurance company tonight to be told that they felt with Autoglass and it would be booked in for repair next week, only one problem was that the camera that is an integral part of the Edition for the various modes (lane detection, ACC, Speed detection, etc.) This would not be connected after the windscreen is fitted as it has to be calibrated, and this is not part of the fitting service, so I have been informed that I have to book it into the Skoda dealership to get it calibrated, and this will be a chargeable repair that I have to pay, needless to say I'm not a happy chap... surely if I'm paying for an insurance and they cover the car for all forms of accidents and windscreen replacements, I shouldn't have to pay for the windscreen companies inability to complete a repair or should they have suggested that I took the car to my local dealer who would then do the whole job...?

[Danny 57]

I understand what they are saying but simply reply that if the glass was heated would they not replace that then.

[xman]

I would dispute that.

 

Lots of insurance do cover calibration.

 

They are surely under a duty to restore your car to the same condition as it was before the incident occurred. You should also have the option to have the windscreen replaced and calibrated elsewhere if their approved repairer is unable to do the full job. I'm sure the insurance ombudsman would agree.

 

Ask to speak to a senior manager and submit a formal complaint of they don't want to play ball..

 

Which insurance company is it?

[RoDM]

8 hours ago, xman said:

I would dispute that.

 

Lots of insurance do cover calibration.

 

They are surely under a duty to restore your car to the same condition as it was before the incident occurred. You should also have the option to have the windscreen replaced and calibrated elsewhere if their approved repairer is unable to do the full job. I'm sure the insurance ombudsman would agree.

 

Ask to speak to a senior manager and submit a formal complaint of they don't want to play ball..

 

Which insurance company is it?

Direct line insurance. Ive been with them for years, but feel that this is out of order, my windscreen isn't booked in to be replaced till next Saturday so I have time to get some research, I am also going to contact the dealer to see what the cost is, so will keep you posted..

[Mr Rubble]

Not a Karoq but an Octavia with a similar set up, screen damaged by a stone, no issues with camera being recalibrated when screen replaced and all covered by insurance company (Admiral). Only issue was the wait to get a screen and it had to done at Autoglass depot.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, RoDM said:

Direct line insurance. Ive been with them for years, but feel that this is out of order, my windscreen isn't booked in to be replaced till next Saturday so I have time to get some research, I am also going to contact the dealer to see what the cost is, so will keep you posted..

Look at page 13 here: https://www.directline.com/car-cover/policy-documents

Their refusal is questionable.

[Auric Goldfinger]

Do you think that because it's an Insurance Job the dealers charge more for the recalibration of the Camera knowing full well they will get paid. 

 

My 230 had to go to an Audi Dealership the Calibrate the Camera and the bill was about £450, Skoda footed the bill.

[xman]

27 minutes ago, Auric Goldfinger said:

Do you think that because it's an Insurance Job the dealers charge more for the recalibration of the Camera knowing full well they will get paid. 

 

Heaven forbid! 

[silver1011]

Time to find a better insurer. I'm with Admiral and they happily paid for the calibration, even if that meant transporting the car to a different dealer with the required calibration equipment.

 

Be sure to insist on a genuine Skoda screen too.

 

They fitted an aftermarket Pilkington screen to my Octavia and it wouldn't calibrate. My local Autogalss depot didn't have the equipment, nor did my local Skoda dealer.

 

Read my tale of woe here...

 

 

[RoDM]

The plot thickens I called my Skoda dealer in Hamilton Scotland on Monday. They told me they would have to speak to the dealships branch manager... (I would have thought it would have been the senior Mechanic in the service bay)... anyway I was told that allegedly

"The Windscreen camera does not required calibration and there is no need to book the car in after the windscreen is replaced".

So will just have to ensure that Autoglass do not disable the camera after they fit the new windscreen on Saturday.

[xman]

I would not trust that branch manager. Speak to the service manager AND phone another skoda dealer and speak to their service manager.

 

I think it will require recalibration if it has lane assist etc.

[xman]

Have you spoken to Autoglass? They definitely do have calibration equipment. Perhaps your insurance droid you spoke to was making it up as they went along. Autoglass will tell you if your insurance will pay or not to have it done.

[Woodforde]

If the car is under 3 years old you have the right to insist that a genuine Skoda windscreen is fitted. There has been a supply problem with the Karoq windscreens but that is sorted now. You should also have the option on insisting that the screen is replaced by a Skoda dealer and not Autoglass. Your excess maybe a bit more. I'm insured by NFU who normally charge £50 excess if done by Autoglass but £70 by dealer. In my case the because of the supply issue and because Autoglass cannot do calibration NFU only charged me £50 excess. The total bill covered by insurance was abou £700!

I was told by Autoglass that Skoda and other car manufacturers do not sell the software required for the calibration until the model is a few years old. This means that Autoglass and other windscreen companies can not do the calibration. The dealer also required the car for two days because they said that it was important the the screen was fully set before calibration was done. They gave me loan car for the 2 days. NFU told me that they will always pay the calibration costs as it is part of a windscreen replacement.

i expect that as most new cars require calibration that insurance companies will be looking hard at the windscreen excess charge.

NFU have been excellent. My premium was less than I paid to Skoda Insurance and they included 2 year gap insurance at no extra cost.

 

[silver1011]

13 hours ago, Woodforde said:

If the car is under 3 years old you have the right to insist that a genuine Skoda windscreen is fitted. There has been a supply problem with the Karoq windscreens but that is sorted now. You should also have the option on insisting that the screen is replaced by a Skoda dealer and not Autoglass. Your excess maybe a bit more. I'm insured by NFU who normally charge £50 excess if done by Autoglass but £70 by dealer. In my case the because of the supply issue and because Autoglass cannot do calibration NFU only charged me £50 excess. The total bill covered by insurance was abou £700!

I was told by Autoglass that Skoda and other car manufacturers do not sell the software required for the calibration until the model is a few years old. This means that Autoglass and other windscreen companies can not do the calibration. The dealer also required the car for two days because they said that it was important the the screen was fully set before calibration was done. They gave me loan car for the 2 days. NFU told me that they will always pay the calibration costs as it is part of a windscreen replacement.

i expect that as most new cars require calibration that insurance companies will be looking hard at the windscreen excess charge.

NFU have been excellent. My premium was less than I paid to Skoda Insurance and they included 2 year gap insurance at no extra cost.

 

 

I hope you got their name, I bet they're an excellent story teller 

 

Sadly, neither of their claims above in bold are true.

 

[Woodforde]

Silver1011, I am sorry but it was an Autoglass employee who told me about the software not being made available to them  and Autoglass were unable to repair my windscreen because they did not have a replacement screen. They also informed me when I tried to book them to do repair that they were unable to calibrate the screen because it was new car and they didn't have the software. The dealer did require my car for two days. They did say that they could do it quicker but they had problems with calibration requiring it to be redone. It didn't affect me as they had had the car for 2 months awaiting the screen because of the supply issue!

i can only report my experience.

This gives some useful information on the subject:

https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/fleet-management/service-maintenance-and-repair/be-clear-over-windscreen-sensor-recalibration

 

Edited 22 November, 2018 by Woodforde

[silver1011]

Things may have changed but I had a new windscreen calibrated by Autoglass on our MkIII Octavia less than 2 years after it launched.

 

By the time the fitter had finished reattaching the trim, rear view mirror, plus the calibration, the car was ready to drive home.

 

[langers2k]

Anyone can download the latest version of ODIS directly from Skoda/VW although the licence is expensive. You'd also need the calibration board for the camera to look at.

 

It's more likely Autoglass don't want to use the official software and are waiting for a 3rd party to create a cheaper solution...

[Ootohere]

A nice Email to Autoglass Management & not an employee at a Fitting Centre might get a sensible answer from someone in the know. 

http://www.autoglass.co.uk/about-us/who-are-we/autoglass-management-team/

 

 

Autoglass® Management Team _ Autoglass® UK.mhtml

Edited 22 November, 2018 by Offski

[xman]

“Due to the different systems in use and the different calibration processes required, together with the different costs of the equipment required for recalibration there is no set, single, definitive cost for recalibration,” he adds.

“But it’s not uncommon to see dealers charging anything from £400 to almost a £1,000 for undertaking recalibration.”

 

Gulp!

Edited 22 November, 2018 by xman

[Ootohere]

Not uncommon to see a £279 Major Service ending up with a owners paying over £1,000 because of a diagnostic check having them getting a water pump fitted at a ridiculous price and bits and pieces Up-sold to them.

They would like to be charging more if the owner went with the New Discs and pads that they advise.

 

It is the VW Group Dealership way.. No more 'Das Auto',  just splash the cash or the car can sit where it is.

[Autoglass]

Hello - My name is Emma and I am a representative from Autoglass UK. If you have an on going issue with our service or workmanship, please contact us direct via [email protected] using your vehicle registration number as a reference and our Customer Services Management Team will get back to you to discuss further. Kind regards, Emma.

[RoDM]

5 hours ago, Autoglass said:

Hello - My name is Emma and I am a representative from Autoglass UK. If you have an on going issue with our service or workmanship, please contact us direct via [email protected] using your vehicle registration number as a reference and our Customer Services Management Team will get back to you to discuss further. Kind regards, Emma.

Thanks Emma. Much appreciated, but sadly the saga still goes on as I turned up for my windscreen replacement this morning at the pre arranged appointment 08.00. After the vehicle was taken in by the Autoglass engineer, he called me in to the repair bay to show me the damage to the new windscreen heater ribbon cables at the bottom of the screen.. to say I was slightly disappointed, as I'll have to make another appointment next weekend, so hopefully the next windscreen is in a better condition... ☹