500 to 0 for me for $36 on 2 vehicles every 6 months

the $1100 windshield scared me a bit

 

No way!! I never would have figured that out on my own.


You can drop that condescending tone any time now.

I am well aware of what I pay for and exactly how much I pay for it. The difference between a $250 deductible and a $0 for me is about $40 a year. Considering the $2000 comprehensive claim I was jsut paid for, the related replacement windshield I am getting and the various past claims I've made, I think I'm coming out WAY ahead.

Add in my current claims, the windshield I had repalced a few years ago, that $2500 hail damage incident a few years ago, that broken drivers side window on my Civic and some others and I'm pretty happy with my choice. Hmmm... $250 for each of those... $1000-$1500 vs. that extra $40 every year that I've had my own insurance policy... $360.

I am very happy with my insurance rates. You have to have it and if I'm going to be required to have something, I want the level of coverage and security that I have now.

 

hehe, yeah, calling you "honey" was entirely unneccessary. . . way to call him out on it

 

Insurance is an actuarial game. The fact is, premiums are based on spreading the risks over the insured population. Your holier than thou, condescending attitude is unwarranted. What risk do you assume is "reasonable?" Maybe $5000 is reasonable for you and maybe $50 is for someone else. The difference between a $500 deductible and a $0 deductible was $28 a year for me. It was worth it, the insurance copmpany offered it and I don't need your particular opinion to make that decision. It would take almost 18 years without a claim to pay for that $500, at the present rate.

 

And as far as "things that would ruin you financially", I don't agree. If I had to replace my car, it wouldn't "ruin me financially". It would suck, but it would work out. Almost any chunk of money, no matter how huge, can be worked out if given the proper period of time (thus, the invention of the morgage). The true point of insurance is to reduce risk and to protect yourself. Paying $1.50 a month versus paying $1100 in one shot for a new windshield protects me and my pocketbook.

 

Had mine replaced on my 2006 @ home in my driveway in about an hour, I paid $100.00 & insurance paid the rest. Oh' we used OEM glass too. it's all good.

 

So who is losing money? It sure isn't the insurance companies...they are making more than ever.....yet to listen to all these "satisfied" customers who think that they are getting a great deal on thier insurance and that they are comming out ahead....someone pays.....someone is losing......EVERYONE PAYS, everyone loses.....It costs everyone more to embrace this logic that says that one should not be responsible for a cent of risk....its a widely accepted form of irresponsibility in my opinion.

 

It's INSURANCE. You are responsible for a cent of risk - just up front.

Rocket science.

 

[QUOTE=rubyred3;1702564]that dealer is a crook, personally, I'd ask to speak to that guys manager, he totally lied to you. There is no special technique, its not a structural member....... QUOTE]

Ruby, do your homework before you state your opinion as fact. All automobile windshields for the last 20 years have been structural components of the unibody vehicle. In addition to helping structural rigidity, it also directs the passenger airbag when it deploys.

 

ZERO charge in NY... they have a great auto glass replacement law. The guy just shows up and replaces the windscreen in your driveway; he did my Jeep after a Turkey took out the windshield and he mentioned to me that he's done MINIs in NY a fair amount due to the old, mysterious windscreen cracks that develop on some MINIs... Not my '05 (yet) thankfully.

 

You are defeating your own argument. MY risk is MY premium. The insurance company's risk is that they may have to pay out more than my premium. The fact that the insurance comapnies are making tons of money shows that me paying a couple of bucks more a year for no deductible isn't costing you, or them, crap. Perhaps your salary is adding to inflation. Would you care to give up 10%?

 

$250 from safelite - they didn't have one in stock so they ordered it from a dealer in FLA so it's OEM. And mine does have a rain sensor. (Not sure if OEM is a good thing)

 

My windshield was broken this summer by a @#*&@* spud truck. The driver never cleaned the rocks off of the conveyor belt, and wham...nix one windshield.
Windshield Doctor quoted me 285.00 for an OEM Sekurit windshield without the MINI symbol on it. Called the nearest dealer, MINI of Murray (Utah), and got a written quote of $551.16. My glass deductable is 500.00 (high because of teenage driver in house=trying to keep insurance costs down). MINI of Murray told me that someone who was not experienced in installing windshields in MINIs would accidentally glue the airbags to the A-pillars, and more than likely break the A-pillar covers getting them off. The dealer told me it has happened countless times. Sounds like a B.S. story to me.

Anyway the trucking companys insurance refuses to pay even though the rock came off of their truck, and not the road (son is a witness), and actually told me to take their client (the trucking company) to small claims to recover the cost of my windshield replacement. Anybody ever heard of such a thing???
Now, I dont know what I should do...live with the crack (lower right hand corner) as Idaho doesnt have any laws requiring the replacement of broken glass, even though the damage makes me crazy!
Sue the trucking company for glass replacement as their insurance suggested, or scrape all my money together (I am a grad student and pretty damn broke) and replace the glass myself. AGGGHHHHH!!!

 

I wish! ...In most states insurance is regulated by the govt and told what they must cover. The prime example is in this thread.... If you even live in florida then you get screwed by All these florida people who think that windshields are free the cost is passed on to everyone, the only loser is the majority of consumers, because the state has mandated free glass to all. Furthermore even to homeowners insurance the rates regulated and so people who choose to live someplace where hurricanes don't predicibly strike all the time must subsidize the cost of rebuilding fools who build on sand rather than rock! Don't tell me that MY risk is MY premium.....MY ***. If that were the case then health insurance would be affordable wouldn't it? Because the smokers with cancer could not not even dream of paying for their care would not drive rates up for those who run 5 miles a day...

I will say it again.....If insurance companies make a profit (they are)and YOU are getting more than you YOU put in(which everyone else here is saying the same thing).....SOMEBODY LOSSES....Its MATH.....Its NOT your risk your premium.....Its your risk MY premium

If it was no insurance company in thier right mind would even offer glass coverage to MINI owners

 

Your logic still fails. The premium is based on the risk the insurer is assuming. That is why your rate is based on YOUR car, YOUR age, YOUR sex, YOUR driving record. Why do you presume I am somehow screwing others when my insurance company pays for my windshield, which broke through no fault of my own, because I elected to pay a higher premium? Why do you seem to have no issue with collision insurance? Do you carry collision insurance? If you do, why should you be allowed to? Why should "I" pay for you damaging your car? Oh, and if I don't have any claims for that year, should I accuse you of stealing money from me? Or should I recognize that that is how the insurance company makes money and builds reserves? You have a flawed agenda. Give it up. Not to mention, your "math" forgets the very obvious fact that insurance companies make most of their money from investing the premiums. Do you suppose they just keep these premiums under their mattress and dole payments out??? Seems your equation is missing it's biggest chunk.

 

Well, you have some options.

1) Live with it.

2) Pay for it (get it done by the Windshield Doctor, you can get it done 2x for what the dealer wants).

3) Go to small claims court and see what happens. The filing for small claims is pretty cheap in most places.

You also might try having an attorney friend (or maybe law student friend) write up a letter to the company - sometimes this will scare them into doing the right thing. If it doesn't work, then decide between your three options above.

 

I would also add that I have seen several posts complaining about the inferiority of the OEM glass. I did acquire a chip early on. So, the after-market glass may be a better bet, even ignoring that it's 1/2 the price. If you want a MINI logo, I'm sure you can get a sticker somewhere.

 

when I replaced my windshield I found a guy recommended to me by a friend. Turned out he actually did the winshield install for 2 of the BMW dealerships in the south bay. He told me they don't do windshields at the dealership, they just call him. He charges them 450-500 bucks (since he has to supply the BMW glass) and then BMW charges the client 1100 bucks! what a scam!

However, I did have problems with my rain sensor on an aftermarket glasss. I had him replace it with BMW mini glass and the rain sensor works again. Next time I may try autolite glass since people seem to have their rain sensor which works ok.

 

Yeah, I hate the idea of taking people to court, but I also hate the thought of a commercial carrier getting away with blatantly damaging someones property because their driver was too lazy to clean the conveyor of rocks.
Got a letter from their insurance. It seems that they wont cover it, because there was a lapse in their insurance. They basically had no coverage at the time of the incident. Nice huh?
Guess I'll try the letter thing first.
It doesnt bother me in the least if there is a little MINI sticker or not, anything is better than that ever expanding crack.

 

I had a rock the size of softball hit my windshield. UGLY! ,,anyway $425.00 with a factory "Miniglass" windshield through my dealer. They had it in stock.

Carl

 

You are very correct on your thinking.
I have been in health insurance for over 20 years (the insurance companies not just brokers selling insurance) and you are exactly right. Mandated coverage costs everyone and make insurance companies money. The companies fight mandated coverage because it gives everyone higher premiums and that in general make customers mad. However, the companies get every cent back and always get a profit margin, it is in most states' insurance law.

If anyone thinks glass coverage is good for them, great make you own decision. But madated coverages cost everyone, even if you would have taken the coverage anyway.

 

Nope, the dealer is right. It took me couple of trips to non-dealer shop to fix the mess that they did. They broke A-pillar covers, they glued it (they shouldn't), the windshield wasn't aligned right, etc. And they said they have done a few MINIs before.

I took my MINI for my third windshield, they kept my MINI overnight, I had a MINI loaner, I paid my deductable and insurance pay the rest. No more hustle.

I understand your situation that you want to go for the lower price one. Just want you to make sure that they know what they are doing. Changing windshielf for MINI is quite tricky though.

 

isn't there something out there like clearbra for the front windshield, I forget who carries it, I bet that that would be something good to have to save some money instead pf buying a new windshield, does anyone have any experoence with this type of stuff???

 

It's called Clearplex and costs about $150.00 for the installation. You have to go through a dealer for installation. They don't sell to DIYers. www.clearplex.com

 

Mandated coverage almost always results from insurance companies screwing their customers by denying claims. If insurers acted responsibly and reasonably, there would be no need for mandated coverage. As for window glass, prior to the mandates, insurers would exclude glass coverage or severely limit the instances in which it is covered. Besides, the issue initially raised by planeguy wasn't about mandated coverage; it was about how we who elect to pay more for better coverage are somehow responsible for screwing the rest of the people who elect to take higher risk. That's plane bull. As I pointed out before, the logic totally ignores the fact that insurance companies INVEST the premiums; it's not "dollar in, dollar out." Using that poster's logic, I am screwing a potential mortgatge client when I withdraw money from my account.