How common is it for a tiny 2-3 mm chipped windowscreen

ethan · 3 Jul 2017 at 18:12

.....develop in to a crack after Autoglass get their hands on it? The ruddy thing cracked when the repairer heated the resin with his lighter so I am now left with having to install a replacement.

Uther · 3 Jul 2017 at 18:17

ethan said:
.....develop in to a crack after Autoglass get their hands on it? The ruddy thing cracked when the repairer heated the resin with his lighter so I am now left with having to install a replacement.

So he broke your windscreen. Wouldn't he become liable for it's replacement?

Nasher · 3 Jul 2017 at 18:21

Heated it with a lighter? wtf

MooMoo444 · 3 Jul 2017 at 18:25

Uther said:
So he broke your windscreen. Wouldn't he become liable for it's replacement?

If a windscreen chip we work on becomes a crack during our attempted repair, you will need a replacement windscreen. In that case you will have to pay any additional excess due for a replacement.

https://www.autoglass.co.uk/glass-repair-and-replacement/windscreen-repair/our-quality-guarantee/

Seems like the OP would be liable. To the OP I'd imagine it's common enough that they need to cover themselves in the event of it happening, so just unlucky I guess.

Frozennova · 3 Jul 2017 at 18:59

Repairs can and do crack during, but it's a very small percentage that do. Nobody should be using a lighter to heat it though

sovietspybob · 5 Jul 2017 at 10:39

I had some right cowboys sent from my insurance company years ago to fill a chip, turned up in dirty tracksuits in a battered white van and used a lights on the inside of the screen. It was a rubbish job and looked worse than before, sadly as i was only probably 19 at the time i didn't do anything about it. The proper autoglass way of filling chips is loads better and should't involve a lighter.

Maundie · 5 Jul 2017 at 15:13

I know the above states that Autoglass would expect you to cover the insurance excess for a replacement windscreen but I would inform your insurance company that you aren't happy as he didn't use the correct tools to complete the repair, maybe the fact he used a lighter can get you a bit of leeway from Autoglass and save you having to pay the extra excess.

Glanza · 5 Jul 2017 at 15:57

He didn't turn up in joggers and riggers by any chance?

What an odd thing to do using a lighter.

Frozennova · 5 Jul 2017 at 16:36

Glanza said:
He didn't turn up in joggers and riggers by any chance?

What an odd thing to do using a lighter.

Its an old trick. Heating a finished repair will improve the visual appearance for a little while

Cleisthenes · 6 Jul 2017 at 08:52

I've been told in the past by them that there's a chance of it cracking but you just have to take the chance unfortunately. As others have said due to him using a lighter you might have more of a leg to stand on in this instance.

MooMoo444 · 6 Jul 2017 at 09:10

Cleisthenes said:
I've been told in the past by them that there's a chance of it cracking but you just have to take the chance unfortunately. As others have said due to him using a lighter you might have more of a leg to stand on in this instance.

Wouldn't the guy just go 'what lighter?'

I doubt the OP filmed his windscreen repair.

DereksDontRun · 6 Jul 2017 at 09:24

I got a quote from someone (Autoglass i think) for a small 3-4mm chip and the guy was honest enough to say that the chance of cracking the windscreen during the repair was so high he wanted me to make sure a full replacement windscreen was covered on my insurance policy (without effecting my no claims) in case it happened. He wouldn't even start until I checked my policy, which at the time was a bit of a pain, but makes sense that he was covering himself... No lighter i can remember, but i think he was suggesting the pressure of the repair gun squirting in the resin into the crack is enough to cause a crack to propagate.