| Samuel2003 |
Hoping someone can learn from my mistakes (skip to the asterisks if you want to cut to the chase)...
I have State Farm auto insurance on my 03 Pilot. Need to replace a cracked windshield - my deductible is $250. I want to go through my local Honda dealer (they contract glass work out) for, among other things, consistency and recourse.
My regular service advisor tells me to contact State Farm prior to having the work done. Ok. State Farm tells me I need to go through Lynx Services because Lynx handles all auto glass claims for State Farm. Ok. Lynx advises me that I can have the work done wherever I want - HOWEVER, they would only cut me a check based upon quotes provided by companies on Their authorized vendor list (they take two quotes and cut you a check for the LOWER bid minus your deductible) and my Honda dealer is Not on their list.
The Lynx phone rep tells me I need to pick two shops and starts reading me names of shops from a list of vendors. I don't recogize any of the shops from Adam and, being stupid/naive and in a hurry, I tell her to just get quotes from the first two names off the list. I specify that I want Honda OEM glass.
A little while later, Lynx calls back and lets me know that the first shop quoted them 748.51 and the second shop 587.13 so they will be cutting me a check for 337.13 and have a nice day and fuc& you very much. :mad: (well, ok, of couse they didn't say "fuc&" but that's what it sure feels like)
In the meantime, my dealer quotes me 802.50 (full retail price for OEM glass/molding and labor). :eek:
Anyway, after about an hour's worth of simmering/steaming in my office at home, I decide that, for future reference, I want to get a hard copy of all my local shops on Lynx's authorized list. That way, if I have to deal with this BullSh1t again, I figure I'll just call around myself and get the highest quotes possible.
Lynx tells me that since my claim shows "finalized", they can no longer access the approved vendor directory and can not furnish me the information (unless I start a new claim). My State Farm agent reps are also no help (even though I have homeowners, earthquake, personal property, and 2 vehicles with them).
Btw, dealing with Lynx was also a PITA - getting transferred back and forth to different customer service reps in different departments every call - they dropped the ball on researching quotes, contacting my dealer, and calling me back, etc...
****************************
Lessons for me:
My State Farm agency sucks - they contract with Lynx for auto glass claims.
Lynx/State Farm sucks - they cut you a check based upon lowest bid from who knows where. (when I was with 21st Century, they got a quote from where I wanted the work done and cut me a check, simple/period/end of story)
Next time, get a list of the authorized vendors from Lynx. Call around and find the highest quotes possible and then tell Lynx those are the vendors you want to go with (you don't have to have them do the work, it's just for figuring out how much Lynx will pay you).
Make sure you specify what kind of parts (OEM vs aftermarket) you want to use. It would not surprise me one bit if they tried to shamalam you into taking something you wouldn't want.
They fuc& you at the drive through... :mad:
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Now I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I can just see it now. My home will be damaged in an earthquake. They tell me that I can have anyone I want fix it but they are only going to pay me XXX.XX amount because joe day laborer out in front of Home Depot could fix it for me for that much.... :rolleyes: |
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| jl_ss |
quote:
Originally posted by Samuel2003
In the meantime, my dealer quotes me 802.50 (full retail price for OEM glass/molding and labor). :eek:
Find a shop that will use the cheaper Pilkington replacement glass. Pilkington is an OEM supplier for some Hondas, but not the Pilot. I believe the Pilot OEM is PPG. However, our OEM windshield was a pitted cracked mess that required replacement at 2,500 miles. After 70,000 miles, the Pilkington replacement still looks great even after being hammered with road salt/sand/stones/debris and 2 years of constant highway construction along it's commute. If it does get cracked, the replacement will be another Pilkington. Also note that the OEM molding comes folded and needs to be heated a bit to remove the wrinkles or it will be glued down wrinkled and stay that way. |
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| N_Jay |
One might think that,
if you are the type to be too busy to make sure you get what you want when you need to use your insurance,
AND
You are the type to get upset about what you have to pay,
THEN,
it might have made sense to buy $0 deductible insurance in the first place. |
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| Samuel2003 |
Thanks JL.
N-Jay, shoulda woulda coulda, I hear you.
I pay a certain amount of dues for a $250 deductible and, in my mind, that's all I should have to pay. I guess I was foolish enough to believe that dealing with State Farm would be as "painless" as my other claims with 21st Century. It would not surprise me one bit if State Farm also has similar conditions/stipulations/fine print on their "zero deductible" level policies.
E.g. "you won't have to pay a cent as long as you take it to one of our shops and they use the cheapest replacement parts. oh, you want to take it to a non-authorized shop and use factory parts? no problem, just turn around and bend over for me sir..." :rolleyes: |
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| Roger |
$800 for a windshield? Are those CA prices or something? I just put a new one in my CRV and it was $180, my Tacoma was $220!!!!
I wouldn't be so enamored with Honda glass, my CRV and Pilot windshields were toast after a few years. They must use some soft glass or something. Just get it done at a local glass place.
I guess I don't understand the need to use a dealer when they contract it out anyway??? The dealer is not doing the work so what's your recourse? If you have a problem they will probably give you the name of the contractor and have you call them.
Heck, here they will come to your house or work and do the replacement so as far as convienience how can you beat that? |
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| andyschneider |
Back in the mid 90's when we owned Acuras, I was pretty picky about getting replacement OEM glass, so went the same route about wanting insurance to pick up the cost from the dealer. I happened to have $0 deductable for glass - but to have the dealer replace the glass with OEM, there was an added cost since the parts cost was always higher (dealer list price). What made me stop requesting this was the time when we had to get 3 (count 'em, 3) OEM windshields before we found one that didn't have optical impurities in it. That showed me that the assumption that OEm glas was better than aftermarket was a state of mind more than anything else.
What I've learned over the years is that LOF and Pilkington (as were referenced earlier) are very good brands that are actually OEM brands - they just don't say "Honda" or "Ford" - but they have the same dot-matrix patterns, and in some cases even have a tint area at the top where the OEM might not. The key is to find a reputable shop - and knowing the list of approved vendors from the insurance claim vendor does help. Now, I can't offer why Lynx was a real PITA - but Allstate has a vendor that does this for them as well, and they were more than willing to offer up this huge list of vendors - pretty much most everyone in my local area. The best news about that approach is that it's zero hassle and a guaranteed result, so if you DO happen to get an optically-inferior windshield, they pick up the tab to replace it with one (I did this once - no hassles).
So, in terms of windshields, I'd like to strongly suggest you follow my experience and leave OEM parts to mechanical and body-fit items, and feel comfortable with aftermarket glass - it'll save you money and be a better (IMHO) solution in the long run....
andy |
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| Samuel2003 |
Roger and Andy, thanks for your replies.
I agree that dealer/oem is hella (the most) expensive! As it is, it looks like I won't be going dealer route this time around. Wrto recourse, from personal experience and history with my dealership/service advisor, I have every confidence in the world that they would take care of me (even if they are contracting the work out).
Back in the day, I worked for Honda for about 4 years - motorcycles and then briefly automobiles. I'm pretty familiar with "how things work" (assuming things haven't changed much since then). I've had a few key negative experiences dealing with independent shops screwing up on a vehicle and then refusing to take responsibility - so far, knock on wood, never with a Honda dealership.
I'm pretty anal when it comes to clarity/field of view - the rest of my car may be filthy but chances are my windows are clean. Crappy glass would drive me nuts! I personally never saw any substandard OEM glass while I was working at Honda so I had more confidence in their quality control.
I will look into the high quality aftermarket glass companies you guys and the others have mentioned. |
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| mikey159 |
quote:
Originally posted by Samuel2003
Hoping someone can learn from my mistakes (skip to the asterisks if you want to cut to the chase)...
I have State Farm auto insurance on my 03 Pilot. Need to replace a cracked windshield - my deductible is $250. I want to go through my local Honda dealer (they contract glass work out) for, among other things, consistency and recourse.
My regular service advisor tells me to contact State Farm prior to having the work done. Ok. State Farm tells me I need to go through Lynx Services because Lynx handles all auto glass claims for State Farm. Ok. Lynx advises me that I can have the work done wherever I want - HOWEVER, they would only cut me a check based upon quotes provided by companies on Their authorized vendor list (they take two quotes and cut you a check for the LOWER bid minus your deductible) and my Honda dealer is Not on their list.
The Lynx phone rep tells me I need to pick two shops and starts reading me names of shops from a list of vendors. I don't recogize any of the shops from Adam and, being stupid/naive and in a hurry, I tell her to just get quotes from the first two names off the list. I specify that I want Honda OEM glass.
A little while later, Lynx calls back and lets me know that the first shop quoted them 748.51 and the second shop 587.13 so they will be cutting me a check for 337.13 and have a nice day and fuc& you very much. :mad: (well, ok, of couse they didn't say "fuc&" but that's what it sure feels like)
In the meantime, my dealer quotes me 802.50 (full retail price for OEM glass/molding and labor). :eek:
Anyway, after about an hour's worth of simmering/steaming in my office at home, I decide that, for future reference, I want to get a hard copy of all my local shops on Lynx's authorized list. That way, if I have to deal with this BullSh1t again, I figure I'll just call around myself and get the highest quotes possible.
Lynx tells me that since my claim shows "finalized", they can no longer access the approved vendor directory and can not furnish me the information (unless I start a new claim). My State Farm agent reps are also no help (even though I have homeowners, earthquake, personal property, and 2 vehicles with them).
Btw, dealing with Lynx was also a PITA - getting transferred back and forth to different customer service reps in different departments every call - they dropped the ball on researching quotes, contacting my dealer, and calling me back, etc...
****************************
Lessons for me:
My State Farm agency sucks - they contract with Lynx for auto glass claims.
Lynx/State Farm sucks - they cut you a check based upon lowest bid from who knows where. (when I was with 21st Century, they got a quote from where I wanted the work done and cut me a check, simple/period/end of story)
Next time, get a list of the authorized vendors from Lynx. Call around and find the highest quotes possible and then tell Lynx those are the vendors you want to go with (you don't have to have them do the work, it's just for figuring out how much Lynx will pay you).
Make sure you specify what kind of parts (OEM vs aftermarket) you want to use. It would not surprise me one bit if they tried to shamalam you into taking something you wouldn't want.
They fuc& you at the drive through... :mad:
***************************
Now I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I can just see it now. My home will be damaged in an earthquake. They tell me that I can have anyone I want fix it but they are only going to pay me XXX.XX amount because joe day laborer out in front of Home Depot could fix it for me for that much.... :rolleyes:
Have you tried calling your Local State Farm guy AGAIN and asking for the Regional Rep's number. Tell the Local guy you are unhappy with his lack of assistance in this matter and you want to excalate your questions to someone that will actually help you. When you talk to the Regional guy layout where you currently stand and what you are unhappy about. Leave the curse words out and they should treat you like a human being, not just some ol angry person. If you get no satisfaction ask for their boss and inform them you are thinking of moving your insurance to some other Company that actually works with you instead of TELLING you how it will be. I have State Farm and my guy calls me, out of the blue, about every 6 months, renewal time, to make sure everything is okay and nothing has changed. We talk for about 5 minutes and I get the feeling he has my case on his screen while we are talking. He asks about the kids and of course their cars that are also insured thru him, my home, etc ,etc ,etc. Not ALL State Farm people are like your agent!!! I had an accident, my fault, in my '04 Pilot and he called 3 times BEFORE I even got to the Claims Center to pick up my check. He then called to see if I needed a ride to and from the repair place when I dropped it off. The repair place is an Independant place that I have dealt with in the past and is not affiliated with State Farm or my Agent. |
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| deparson |
So, State Farm is willing to pay the FULL cost of the glass less your deductible if you use their approved vendors...or give you what they would have paid the vendor to do the job in cash.
Seems fair to me. Much more fair than expecting them to pay $800-deductible for new glass. |
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| N_Jay |
quote:
Originally posted by deparson
So, State Farm is willing to pay the FULL cost of the glass less your deductible if you use their approved vendors...or give you what they would have paid the vendor to do the job in cash.
Seems fair to me. Much more fair than expecting them to pay $800-deductible for new glass.
People seem to forget what insurance is.
all you are doing is selling a well defined risk for a monthly payment.
If you don't like it, don't buy it. |
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| Samuel2003 |
deparson/Njay - Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have expected any sort of customer satisfaction... :rolleyes:
IMO, I should be compensated enough (minus my deductible) to be able to take my Pilot to whatever Legitimate shop for repair. A dealership IS a legitimate shop. It's not like I'm using some shady friend's shop to double the cost of parts and/or pad the labor. This is my first claim with State Farm (all policies included) - "they" have made plenty enough money over the years from me to Easily cover $550.00. IMO, I also shouldn't have been screwed out of ~$160 simply because I didn't have a list of vendors in front of me to choose from.
mikey - I will be contacting my agent in the near future. Up until know, I have been dealing with his staff. I have not yet demanded to speak with him personally - partly because I feel that I shouldn't have to. I'm pretty sure they have told him how upset I am - he hasn't attempted to contact me once and his staff has never offered to transfer me to talk to him directly. Besides that bit of lesser customer service, I believe my issues are more with State Farm's SOP rather than that particular agent/office. |
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| deparson |
I guess my point is that you should not expect your insurance policy to pay for things for which you are not insured. You did not pay them for insurance that covers the cost of repairs at the vendor of your choice so it would be strange to expect that from them.
Keep in mind that your coverage does not attempt to deal with what a 'legitimate' shop is or is not. You are free to go to ANY vendor even your brother's shop, etc.
They do maintain a network of vendors that have agreed to provided services for pre-agreed prices/price polices and provide FULL coverage for all insured claims when you use one of these vendors. This protects the insurance company from higher prices and allows them to better manage their risk and thus their prices to the policy holders.
This is just like POS based health insurance plans. You can go to an in-network Dr. for full coverage or ANY Dr. and be paid a lower amount based on the pre-agreed rates used to pay thier in-network vendors.
If you really want to be able to use any vendor and get full payment I suggest you ask for this coverage to be written into your contract. I think you will find that you have to pay a LOT more and will likely have to use a high risk/specialty agency.
quote:
Originally posted by Samuel2003
deparson/Njay - Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have expected any sort of customer satisfaction... :rolleyes:
IMO, I should be compensated enough (minus my deductible) to be able to take my Pilot to whatever Legitimate shop for repair. A dealership IS a legitimate shop. It's not like I'm using some shady friend's shop to double the cost of parts and/or pad the labor. This is my first claim with State Farm (all policies included) - "they" have made plenty enough money over the years from me to Easily cover $550.00. IMO, I also shouldn't have been screwed out of ~$160 simply because I didn't have a list of vendors in front of me to choose from.
mikey - I will be contacting my agent in the near future. Up until know, I have been dealing with his staff. I have not yet demanded to speak with him personally - partly because I feel that I shouldn't have to. I'm pretty sure they have told him how upset I am - he hasn't attempted to contact me once and his staff has never offered to transfer me to talk to him directly. Besides that bit of lesser customer service, I believe my issues are more with State Farm's SOP rather than that particular agent/office.
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| N_Jay |
quote:
Originally posted by deparson
I guess my point is that you should not expect your insurance policy to pay for things for which you are not insured. You did not pay them for insurance that covers the cost of repairs at the vendor of your choice so it would be strange to expect that from them.
Keep in mind that your coverage does not attempt to deal with what a 'legitimate' shop is or is not. You are free to go to ANY vendor even your brother's shop, etc.
They do maintain a network of vendors that have agreed to provided services for pre-agreed prices/price polices and provide FULL coverage for all insured claims when you use one of these vendors. This protects the insurance company from higher prices and allows them to better manage their risk and thus their prices to the policy holders.
This is just like POS based health insurance plans. You can go to an in-network Dr. for full coverage or ANY Dr. and be paid a lower amount based on the pre-agreed rates used to pay thier in-network vendors.
If you really want to be able to use any vendor and get full payment I suggest you ask for this coverage to be written into your contract. I think you will find that you have to pay a LOT more and will likely have to use a high risk/specialty agency.
Well said! |
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| rocky |
There are only a very few companies in the USA who make glass. As people have said, the supplier to the factory is probably Pilkington, and just because it doesn't have the Honda logo on it, the replacement is probably made by them.
Dealers do not replace auto glass. They sub the job out to a glass shop to do the work for them, and make a mark up based on their $100 per hour labor rate v the $25 an hour glass shops get via NAGS which is the National Auto Glass guide for glass replacement. |
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| jay_man2 |
| My insurance company, Erie, has a glass breakage 800 number that connects directly to Safelite. I can go anywhere for the repair, but if I do choose Safelite they handle setting up the appointment, etc. and make it really easy. The last two times, one repair and one replacement worked out very well. And since only Toyota-branded glass was available for the repair and didn't cost me any more than my $100 deductible, I was even happier. :p |
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| rockman19762001 |
| I have State Farm Insurance also, over the last 30 years in Texas I have replace many front windshields. They use stone and asphalt to pave the roads here. I have used the lynx system, the supplier came to my house replaced the glass and State Farm guaranteed the work. The windshield glass also appears to be as good as OEM glass. Over the years I just use the same glass repair shop over and over. I have not experienced the poor customer service that you experienced from lynx. Which should be reported to State Farm and Lynx. |
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| jl_ss |
quote:
Originally posted by rocky
There are only a very few companies in the USA who make glass. As people have said, the supplier to the factory is probably Pilkington, and just because it doesn't have the Honda logo on it, the replacement is probably made by them.
Dealers do not replace auto glass. They sub the job out to a glass shop to do the work for them, and make a mark up based on their $100 per hour labor rate v the $25 an hour glass shops get via NAGS which is the National Auto Glass guide for glass replacement.
The Pilot's OEM is PPG.
It comes down to specifying you want a good OEM/ARG replacement company used (PPG, Pilkington, LOF, etc) and staying away from the glass companies that only do automotive replacement glass (ARG). Safelite has an ARG line called SGC that I hear is crap. A lot of the ARG only lines come from China and are called OEE (Equivalent). They are cheap and usually not equivalent - much like body parts that are also OEE. If you don't ask for OEM, they'll supply a cheaper ARG line and make a greater profit.
Samuel2003 - did you verify that the cheaper quote was using OEM glass? If so, there's no reason not ask more questions of them to verify that they are a decent shop. As noted, the dealer just adds an additional cost. |
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| N_Jay |
quote:
Originally posted by rockman19762001
. . . I have not experienced the poor customer service that you experienced from lynx. . . . . .
Maybe I missed something, but where was the "poor customer service"? |
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| Samuel2003 |
quote:
Originally posted by N_Jay
Maybe I missed something, but where was the "poor customer service"?
Every time I called them I was transferred at least twice. One time, one representative said she couldn't find my claim after I provided her with the reference number another representative had given me (but she somehow knew my name). At least one representative was supposed to contact Goudy and call me back the same day - didn't happen. When I called back the next day, the next representative told me it was never done and I had to wait while she did it then. |
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| Samuel2003 |
quote:
Samuel2003 - did you verify that the cheaper quote was using OEM glass? If so, there's no reason not ask more questions of them to verify that they are a decent shop. As noted, the dealer just adds an additional cost. [/B]
I called them and they said the quote was for using OEM glass. They said it would be about 1 hr's worth of labor. I don't know anything about the shop - I'm hoping it's reputable. I might have to go the Safelite (sp?) route as I have heard of at least a few decent experiences with them... |
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| Samuel2003 |
quote:
Originally posted by deparson
I guess my point is that you should not expect your insurance policy to pay for things for which you are not insured. You did not pay them for insurance that covers the cost of repairs at the vendor of your choice so it would be strange to expect that from them.
My point is that my comprehensive DOES cover a cracked/broken windshield. I do not believe it strange to expect that, if I am paying for insurance to have my vehicle fixed when it's broken, my vehicle should be fixed to my satisfaction. IMO, a dealership is NOT an unusual or unreasonable choice for repairs. I've paid enough in premiums to deserve to choose where to go (within legitimate reason).
Keep in mind that your coverage does not attempt to deal with what a 'legitimate' shop is or is not. You are free to go to ANY vendor even your brother's shop, etc.
And I'm sure that their policy/SOP is such that they do not want to get burned by those who conspire with a shop to bilk an insurance company out of excessive $$ (i.e. work is done for cheaper and both the shop and client pocket the difference).
They do maintain a network of vendors that have agreed to provided services for pre-agreed prices/price polices and provide FULL coverage for all insured claims when you use one of these vendors. This protects the insurance company from higher prices and allows them to better manage their risk and thus their prices to the policy holders.
Which might make more sense to me IF the difference in quoted prices from two of their authorized vendors wasn't $160! AND I get screwed because they give me the lesser amount!
This is just like POS based health insurance plans. You can go to an in-network Dr. for full coverage or ANY Dr. and be paid a lower amount based on the pre-agreed rates used to pay thier in-network vendors.
If you really want to be able to use any vendor and get full payment I suggest you ask for this coverage to be written into your contract. I think you will find that you have to pay a LOT more and will likely have to use a high risk/specialty agency.
Again, my bad for choosing an insurance company or policy that does business this way.
replies embedded... |
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| dbthompson |
quote:
Originally posted by Samuel2003
Originally posted by deparson
I guess my point is that you should not expect your insurance policy to pay for things for which you are not insured. You did not pay them for insurance that covers the cost of repairs at the vendor of your choice so it would be strange to expect that from them.
My point is that my comprehensive DOES cover a cracked/broken windshield. I do not believe it strange to expect that, if I am paying for insurance to have my vehicle fixed when it's broken, my vehicle should be fixed to my satisfaction. IMO, a dealership is NOT an unusual or unreasonable choice for repairs. I've paid enough in premiums to deserve to choose where to go (within legitimate reason).
replies embedded...
The point deparson is making is pretty clear: you are paying for properly fixing it, not for your choice of where to go. If you want to pay for where to go, you have to pay more. What you have paid in the past is not enough to deserve to get the right to choose where to go. Your premium has not reflected this.
If insurance companies let anyone choose wherever, then we all would have to pay more. And no, I don't want to pay more for my insurance so that you can refuse to go to a reputable glass repair shop, rather than paying your dealer a middleman overcharge. |
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| N_Jay |
quote:
Originally posted by dbthompson
The point deparson is making is pretty clear: you are paying for properly fixing it, not for your choice of where to go. If you want to pay for where to go, you have to pay more. What you have paid in the past is not enough to deserve to get the right to choose where to go. Your premium has not reflected this.
If insurance companies let anyone choose wherever, then we all would have to pay more. And no, I don't want to pay more for my insurance so that you can refuse to go to a reputable glass repair shop, rather than paying your dealer a middleman overcharge.
Well said. (but not repeated as that might incur the wrath of Samuel);) ;) |
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| Samuel2003 |
quote:
Originally posted by dbthompson
The point deparson is making is pretty clear: you are paying for properly fixing it, not for your choice of where to go. If you want to pay for where to go, you have to pay more. What you have paid in the past is not enough to deserve to get the right to choose where to go. Your premium has not reflected this.
If insurance companies let anyone choose wherever, then we all would have to pay more. And no, I don't want to pay more for my insurance so that you can refuse to go to a reputable glass repair shop, rather than paying your dealer a middleman overcharge.
I understand your (plural) stance on the issue. My point again is that I Do believe a dealership to be a Legitimate option to have my car repaired. My opinion is also based upon the fact that I've had much more negative experiences dealing with independent shops than dealerships (and yes, I am fully aware that dealerships usually charge more). In addition, since I don't have a list of approved vendors, I have no way of checking the reputations.
BTW, if you want to pay less for insurance, instead of denying me the ability to take my car to a dealer instead of a shop that charges only $55 less (like the first quote I got from Lynx), you ought to direct your "concern" to all those drivers who don't have any sort of financial responsibility at all... |
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| deparson |
The point is that you DID NOT PAY for the right to use the shop of your choice.
I say again, if you want to be able to use the shop of your choice (and have the insurance company pay for it) then ask them to write that into your policy. Ask them how much it will cost for that and post back!
quote:
Originally posted by Samuel2003
I understand your (plural) stance on the issue. My point again is that I Do believe a dealership to be a Legitimate option to have my car repaired. My opinion is also based upon the fact that I've had much more negative experiences dealing with independent shops than dealerships (and yes, I am fully aware that dealerships usually charge more). In addition, since I don't have a list of approved vendors, I have no way of checking the reputations.
BTW, if you want to pay less for insurance, instead of denying me the ability to take my car to a dealer instead of a shop that charges only $55 less (like the first quote I got from Lynx), you ought to direct your "concern" to all those drivers who don't have any sort of financial responsibility at all...
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| N_Jay |
Remember, I am the proponent of $0 deductible comprehensive insurance.
Especially for those who don't have patience to deal with issues like this. |
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| deparson |
But the OP would still be pi**ed because he wants to use a dealer rather than the insurance companies listed vendors and expects them to pay the rate the dealer wants to charge.
quote:
Originally posted by N_Jay
Remember, I am the proponent of $0 deductible comprehensive insurance.
Especially for those who don't have patience to deal with issues like this.
:confused: |
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| N_Jay |
quote:
Originally posted by deparson
But the OP would still be pi**ed because he wants to use a dealer rather than the insurance companies listed vendors and expects them to pay the rate the dealer wants to charge.
:confused:
Well, I would bet that if he was not paying at all he may have been happier.
Point is if you are the type that is going to get worked up about your insurance company during a claim, you are better off making sure your policy meets your desires up front.
But then I could be wrong. |
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| deparson |
I sure agree with that!
quote:
Originally posted by N_Jay
Well, I would bet that if he was not paying at all he may have been happier.
Point is if you are the type that is going to get worked up about your insurance company during a claim, you are better off making sure your policy meets your desires up front.
But then I could be wrong.
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| Samuel2003 |
Well, since there is really no middle ground here, I don't see any use in continuing this discussion. We'll agree to disagree. I would, however, like to point out that my dealership not being on Lynx's approved vendor list (my not being able to choose them) was only ONE of Several reasons why this incident left a bad taste in my mouth.
Regardless of which side of the fence you're on (agree with me or not), hopefully this thread has given someone some food for thought if/when he/she finds him/herself in a similar situation... |
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| rocky |
| If the OP wants to pay the dealer for doing nothing, and he's comfortable doing that we shouldn't stop him. |
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| Samuel2003 |
quote:
Originally posted by rocky
If the OP wants to pay the dealer for doing nothing, and he's comfortable doing that we shouldn't stop him.
I don't mind paying the dealer for "doing nothing" as long as I have the customer satisfaction and peace of mind that I've always had with them...
Btw, FWIW, I'm not some dealer sheep/puppet. I did ALL the wrenching on my motorcycles (everything short of a rebuild, the need for never arose) and used to do most of the routine maintenance on my automobiles. With my current work and family schedules, I do not have the time to play mechanic any more - and even my motorcycle is now gone. Would I recommend or tell someone that they "should" have their dealer do all their work? No. I simply have a very good relationship with My dealer and it works out for me. |
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| Jman |
| Aftermarket glass is ok in my book. What is not ok is the cust service you received from State Farm. If you haven't already I suggest as others have that you call your local guy and let them know how you feel and what is going on and that you are ready to move to that gecko company like everyone else. |
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| Samuel2003 |
quote:
Originally posted by Jman
Aftermarket glass is ok in my book. What is not ok is the cust service you received from State Farm. If you haven't already I suggest as others have that you call your local guy and let them know how you feel and what is going on and that you are ready to move to that gecko company like everyone else.
LOL! :2: |
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| andyschneider |
So the bottom line here is that glass is viewed as a commodity part - something that's disposable in many ways. The actual part cost of an aftermarket windshield vs. the Honda OEM windshield is the main difference in the overall charge. Let's face it - ANY Honda part is more expensive than an aftermarket part. And since the dealer's gonna charge you list and not a discounted price, you're getting the most expensive piece of glass made for your car.
I contend that if you went to an approved glass place and asked for Honda glass, they'd charge you extra. I contend that if you went to the Honda dealer and had them sub out the job with aftermarket glass (vs Honda glass) it'd be cheaper (or on par with any aftermarket glass place).
That's the real bottom line here - and I'm willing to bet that even a service tech or service advisor at a Honda dealer would go aftermarket due to this price situation. But that's just me....
andy |
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| Samuel2003 |
| I've seen some really horrible looking (optical quality) aftermarket glass - I do NOT know what brand(s) it was. I have not seen the same in OEM - thus my preference for OEM. I appreciate the other members contributing the info of the glass companies that also manufacture glass for OEM (and that some people Have had problems with OEM glass too). If I can find some aftermarket glass with the same quality as good OEM, then I'd be happy to go the cheaper route! If I were still working for Honda, I'd definitely go OEM - cost + x% is way way WAY cheaper than retail! :eek: |
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| deparson |
I think that is an important point. Going to someone you like and trust can have a lot of value.
In this case you just have to see if the value is equal or greater than the increased cost of not using an approved glass vendor.
quote:
Originally posted by Samuel2003
I don't mind paying the dealer for "doing nothing" as long as I have the customer satisfaction and peace of mind that I've always had with them...
Btw, FWIW, I'm not some dealer sheep/puppet. I did ALL the wrenching on my motorcycles (everything short of a rebuild, the need for never arose) and used to do most of the routine maintenance on my automobiles. With my current work and family schedules, I do not have the time to play mechanic any more - and even my motorcycle is now gone. Would I recommend or tell someone that they "should" have their dealer do all their work? No. I simply have a very good relationship with My dealer and it works out for me.
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| Samuel2003 |
quote:
Originally posted by deparson
I think that is an important point. Going to someone you like and trust can have a lot of value.
In this case you just have to see if the value is equal or greater than the increased cost of not using an approved glass vendor.
Agreed. I'm really hoping you guys are right and that I'm doing all this worrying for nothing. Bottom line is that I'd like my windshield fixed "properly" and if it's done at a non-dealership, I'll probably be willing to live with that... :cool: |
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| mikey159 |
quote:
Originally posted by Samuel2003
Well, since there is really no middle ground here, I don't see any use in continuing this discussion. We'll agree to disagree. I would, however, like to point out that my dealership not being on Lynx's approved vendor list (my not being able to choose them) was only ONE of Several reasons why this incident left a bad taste in my mouth.
Regardless of which side of the fence you're on (agree with me or not), hopefully this thread has given someone some food for thought if/when he/she finds him/herself in a similar situation...
Your Agent should be able to get you a copy of the "list" that you impatiently chose not to choose from but instead let the person on the phone choose from. Then as long as you have not had the work done yet, you should be able to return the check to your Agent and select the place on the list that is Dealer 'friendly'. I would be VERY suprised if your Agent did not try to make this a one off experience and try his/her best to rememdy the situation to both of your satisfactions. Now going to the Dealer may not be an option due to the costs involved. Many companies sell stuff, not always at the same price. Your Dealer must make a profit, even if they are just the middle man. The difference between what it can be done for and what the Dealer is charging may be waaay to great for State Farm to swallow. But to only give you the lowest price, according to the estimates, is not what I know to be standard policy. |
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| Samuel2003 |
quote:
Originally posted by mikey159
Your Agent should be able to get you a copy of the "list" that you impatiently chose not to choose from but instead let the person on the phone choose from. Then as long as you have not had the work done yet, you should be able to return the check to your Agent and select the place on the list that is Dealer 'friendly'. I would be VERY suprised if your Agent did not try to make this a one off experience and try his/her best to rememdy the situation to both of your satisfactions. Now going to the Dealer may not be an option due to the costs involved. Many companies sell stuff, not always at the same price. Your Dealer must make a profit, even if they are just the middle man. The difference between what it can be done for and what the Dealer is charging may be waaay to great for State Farm to swallow. But to only give you the lowest price, according to the estimates, is not what I know to be standard policy.
I freely admit that I rushed things - that is one lesson that I was hoping to impart to others. I just got the check yesterday - on one of my next days off, I may make a trip down to the SF agent...
Wrto what you "know to be standard policy" are you referring to State Farm or Lynx? Also, How do you Know what "standard policy" is - i.e. do you work for State Farm or Lynx? |
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| chas22 |
| I bought a 2000 Accord from a friend that had 70,ooo miles on it from a friend. His wife drove the car to Dallas and a rock came from some unknown place and broke out the drivers side window. She dropped the car off at a window shop and had the glass replaced while she attended a meeting. Days later the window started eating up the rubber around the window and tried to climb outside of it. We ended up replacing the window with OEM Honda glass to fix the problem after finding the curve of the glass from top to botton was off by 3/8. The window was a Pilkington. The Pilkington Rep. said we needed to take the glass back to the place it was purchased, but it was just as easy to replace the glass than to make the 5hr. trip. I may use a Pilkington window for the front or rear window but not a side one. |
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