Windscreen cracked - insurance co replacing

[cplnoonoo]

My windscreen cracked yesterday morning right where there is a really bad chip. The chip had been repaired previously but was a really bad repair.

I am getting it replaced under insurance company paying a £70 excess. They coordinate their replacements with National Windscreens and when the guy phoned to arrange everything he couldnt figure out which model he needed to order. I asked which part numbers he had for the 2 different screens and he said it wouldnt matter as their part numbers are different from the manufacturers.

Does this mean that it wont be an original mb screen hes going to be fitting and instead some sort of generic aftermarket make? Would this be better?

He said he needs to order a new sensor box for the light sensors (dont have rain sensors). Should i push for them to order an original mb screen and refuse their own make or just accept it and move on?

The screen at the mo has the mb logo on the bottom corner which shows its an original screen and i assume their own screens that they are ordering will not have this.

Any ideas?

Cheers

 

[fuzzer]

Insist on a new screen , if you leave it to them they will use their own make of screen.

I didnt renew with direct line because its their policy to use a pattern part for the screen rather than the original. They offered me some cash as an alternative but it turned out that the smart was so new they didnt have an equivelent screen and ended up having to order an original smart one.

When questioned about this i did put forward , so what if my car is in an accident , are you going to use original parts or ones that are similar and do a similar thing. No comment.

Binned , MB insurance fit original screens without question etc. Get what you pay for i suppose.

 

[SilverSaloon]

does the brand of the screen really matter in the real world?

 

[cplnoonoo]

This is National Windscreens that are doing the replacement so would they give in to me requesting an original mb screen?

 

[SilverSaloon]

I would try it, nothing to loose if it was a genuine screen to start with.

I remember i had my CLK windscreen replaced by Autoglass via insurance... I went to the MB dealer for this very reason and tried to book it in via them and therefore hope to get a genuine screen. they outsourced their windscreen work to autoglass down the road and gave me a ref and told me to visit them, which i did.

i still got a non-genuine screen iirc though.

 

[npuk]

They will most likely use a Pilkington screen who are the OEM for Mercedes windscreens anyway. Just ring and ask what make it is.

 

[cplnoonoo]

Will do. Cheers for replies.

 

[fuzzer]

does the brand of the screen really matter in the real world?

yes

 

[BillyW124]

yes

+1

 

[LTD]

Cover your back.

Call your MB parts department and get a price for the supply of the OEM screen.
Call another branch of the company that are doing the work and as for a quote broken down into parts and labour.

If they then become unwilling to fit OEM you can contact your Insurers and offer to pay the difference in cost of the two screens.

Windscreens are integral to the structural safety of a car. Regardless who makes the OEM unit, they will be to a specification.

 

[fuzzer]

You also have to take into account variances in colour of the tint etc too.

Only ever fit an OEM screen..

 

[whitenemesis]

I just checked the cost of a windscreen from MB (W203, rain sensor )


£195.05 That's very reasonable!!

 

[Haris]

yes

+1

really?

 

[fuzzer]

really?

Of course , why not?

 

[JOB-BLACK-RAT]

I had a pattern part screen from Autoglass, it was low quality with an everso slight 'dink' about 5 inches diameter that it would not clear water from, right in the drivers vision!

Went back and insisted on MB to be refitted. They were very good and re fitted with gen part.

Dont skimp on what you look through!

 

[whitenemesis]

I had a pattern part screen from Autoglass, it was low quality with an everso slight 'dink' about 5 inches diameter that it would not clear water from, right in the drivers vision!

Went back and insisted on MB to be refitted. They were very good and re fitted with gen part.

Dont skimp on what you look through!

Especially as they are not that expensive!

 

[BillyW124]

really?

i'm kinda OTT when it comes to things like this, personally i would like to think i do not want to compromise in quality what so ever, Even if the OEM glass is top quality.

Not only that, i don't wan't 'pilknigton' or the like stamped on the bottom lefthand corner!

Would rather have the original benz Securit stamp! of course depending if this is feasable by one's means.

its the minor attention to detail like this that gives me satisfaction! but i'm sure the OEM is just as good.

 

[cplnoonoo]

Well when i asked about getting an mb one fitted he said that it was a definite no as the age of the car means that they dont need to fit one. Due to manufacturers warranty etc. I mentioned what would happen if i still had a manufacturers warranty that had been extended since it was boult from a dealer and he said i would have to pay the difference and since i will not be out of pocket for any of this repair (garage i got car from is reimbursing me the excess for the insurance) i thought it best not to push for them to fork out for the extra cost of an mb screen.

It has been fitted already as he got it in yesterday afternoon. Am i right in saying though that the fittings around the screen will never be exactly right now that they have been removed? As when i was looking over the car when i got home i noticed that if i look across the face of the glass towards the side pillars i can see bare silver metal between the black trim and the windscreen. The strip of rubber running across the top of the windscreen can also be pushed in and sticks out a little bit. Also the black plastic strips that run down the pillars along the length of the car on the roof do not sit perfectly flush with the silver painted part of the pillars. Is all this normal or should i go back to the company and ask for these discrepancies to be sorted?

 

[davidjpowell]

I had issues with trim after a replacement screen. Autoglass came out and sorted it. If it's done right it should be as is was originally.

 

[BillyW124]

This is exactly what i dread..


fitting should be as flush as the original window fitted. No questions. I would query this certainly. The last thing you want is a water leak.

This is the problem faced by many owners of their cars from not overseeing work carried out assuming it will be ok. Trusted sources are acceptable but if its anyone new carrying work on my car i make sure i'm in the background.

if they say you can't be in the shop while your car is being worked on then i would seek someone else's business else where.

owner prescence alone will portray volumes. (of course unless they think you don't know nothing)