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Prospective customers who think or know they have chip, crack, or larger damage that could be repairable, need to remember that, according to the rules, they have the right to use whomever they want to repair their windshield.

Some large national vendors have been sued over "steering" customers through their claims service companies and most insurance agents scrupulously make sure that while they may give suggestions on whom to use, the customer is the one who decides.

This is particularly important when you get asked by your claims company what size the damage is (most insurance companies use "middle-men" claims companies — you are not talking to your insurance company itself). These companies, especially if owned by glass vendor companies, may be using the highly restrictive criteria that the vendor end of the company wants because it will "upgrade" so many repairable windshields to ones that customers are told will need to be replaced—making the claim much more profitable to the vendor.

I've had customers get pretty mad at their agent or insurer when they find out that damage they are being told can't be repaired is actually repairable; it is simply that the claims company has an interest in limiting what is repaired.

Its not that the damage is not repairable, it is that the vendors involved limit what they will repair so they can upgrade repairs to more profitable windshield replacement. 

Always be wary of giving up the independent assessment by Novus of Lincoln, as we do not do replacement work and so, have no incentive for upgrading. And remember, you have the right to say who works on your windshield:  if you don't say who you want, you may get a vendor suggested by the claims company who has an equal interest in the limited repair criteria being told to you.

Talk to us first—that doesn't cost you a penny, and our assessments are also free.

Its your car and your money.