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Can you bury my
insurance deductible?
From time to time, all glass shop owners
are faced with requests from car owners to "bury the
deductible" when glass damage is covered by comprehensive
insurance. At this point the car owner should be advised
that before going to the glass shop around the corner who
will "bury the deductible," consider the following points:
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Conspiring to
"bury the deductible" is committing a fraud upon an
insurance company and is against the law. |
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2. |
Insurance
company appraisers know the cost of auto glass, as
well as glass shops, and cannot be fooled by
inflated estimates. |
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3. |
If a shop agrees
to "bury the deductible", it has to take short cuts
in the installation, and the owner will get a
second-rate job, which depreciates the value of the
car at trade-in time. |
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4. |
A glass shop
owner willing to cheat an insurance company will be
equally willing to cheat the car owner. A glass shop
never really absorbs the deductible. The value is
taken right out of the job. It's the car owner who
still takes the loss. |
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5. |
If the glass
shop decides to cut corners on the job and it ends
up being second-rate, the owner has no one to
complain to if they conspired to "bury the
deductible". |
The smart thing to do to protect your investment is to get a
first-class job from a first-class shop and be glad that all
you have to pay is the deductible. |
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It's only a small crack. Can I wait to
have it repaired?
No. You really shouldn't delay. The
windshield is an important structural element of your car.
If weakened due to untended damage, it will not provide
optimal protection in an accident. Many small chips or
surface cracks only affect the outer layer of the
windshield, so it can be mended before it gets any worse —
and requires more time and money to fix.
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What's the difference between glass in
a windshield and other window glass?
Auto glass is designed and manufactured
for optimum safety in the event of a crash. Your windshield
is made of laminated safety glass. The side and rear windows
are made of tempered glass. Laminated safety glass is two
pieces of glass with a layer of vinyl sandwiched between, so
it will stay intact in a collision. Tempered glass has been
treated to make it much stronger than other glass of the
same thickness. If it breaks, it is designed to shatter into
small pieces.
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Why do I need a certified technician?
Because the windshield is part of a car's safety system,
repair or replacement work should be done by experienced
professionals who are familiar with many different types of
vehicles and the best techniques/products to use for a
particular job.
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What will the auto glass shop most
likely ask me when I call?
Have this information handy:
- Describe the damage or problem that you have.
- Provide the make, model, and year of your vehicle.
- Define what type of replacement glass you want, Original
Equipment Manufacturer
(OEM) or after market.
- Explain where you want to have the work done. In shop or
mobile service?
- Schedule service when it is convenient for you.
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How long will it take to repair/replace
my windshield?
To repair a small crack or ding (without
replacing the entire windshield) takes about 20 minutes.
Length of service may vary for a complete windshield
replacement, on the adhesives used, the thoroughness of your
technician and "safe drive time" (the amount of time your
vehicle must sit before you can legally drive again after a
windshield replacement).
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What is an original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) replacement windshield? Why is it
important?
An OEM replacement windshield is
produced from original equipment-style tooling. This type of
windshield will have the same appearance of your car's
original windshield and will fit properly in the window frame
making noise and leakage problems much less likely.
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What do I have to know about
adhesives?
Not much at all. When you select
Lancaster Glass technicians,
they've been certified by adhesive manufacturers. Discuss
specific needs with your technician to select the adhesion
process to fit your vehicle, budget and time schedule. |
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What kind of warranty should I
expect?
Reputable shops run by certified technicians
guarantee their work and offer a written warranty. If there is
a problem with the windshield not seating or sealing properly,
the glass shop will take care of it. |
