It's been one of those days. I left the house after luch-time to discover that my windscreen was damaged, driver's side low down. It looked like a stone hit it but who knows. I didn't notice the damage yesterday or whenever it happened. In the sticks a stone or gravel hitting a part of your car is part of a normal day's driving IME. My insurance, with a major insurer via a broker, covers me for windscreen and other glass damage, so I rang the insurer, having a located a fixed-line number for them first rather than the premium rate 1850 number they publish.
The man I spoke to took my details including my DOB (?) and promised a claims handler would call me , which duly happened. I repeated most of the details and was assured I was fully covered for two such claims in any insurance year, provided I used their glass fitter / repairer otherwise my claim was limited to €250 / claim. I was asked had I contacted a glass company and I confirmed I had not. I pointed out that although the make and model of my car was pretty common, the variant was a rarity here and windscreens might be scarce. I was assured that was not the case and so agreed to go with the insurance company's repairer. The claims handler gave me the name of their repairer (a new one to me) and told me they'd be in touch.
Some time later my phone rang once and the caller disconnected. It was a Dublin number and my curiosity got the better of me so I eventually rang back. Sure enough, it was the wind-screen repair company. I asked why the original call had been disconnected and I was told "because you didn't answer". I let it slide. I gave all the details again high-lighting my concerns about availability of the windscreen and was reassured there would't me a problem and that their "local fitter" would ring me back.
Some time later my phone rang once and the caller disconnected. It was a mobile number and my curiosity got the better of me so I eventually rang back. Sure enough, it was the wind-screen repair company's "local fitter", from 60 kms away!! I asked why the original call had been disconnected and I was told "because you didn't answer". This time I pointed out the phone had only rung once and he apologised, saying the earliest he could get to me with the windscreen was early next week! I asked what he meant by early week and he said he hoped on Monday and wouldn't budge on that forecast. I elicited a promise from him for a call with a precise date and time early tomorrow, Thursday, and said that if it was still going to be an "early next week job" not to bother. BTW, there are major towns with windscreen fitters within 20 kms of me.
I rang the windscreen head office to no avail and rang the insurance company's claims line and was told another "claims handler" would be in touch. My original call was made shortly after 2:00pm it is now 6:35pm and I've just heard from the insurance company rep who have offered me a different repairer. I pointed out to the insurance company rep that the "one ring disconnect" was a ploy used by couriers to bypass your house and not deliver your goods if they were under pressure to meet schedules and you were just a no-account private individual. I said I was disappointed that a major insurer apparently did business with an outfit that behaved in this way.
Simple request, lots of reassurances, no action, rising premiums, poor service. I guess nothing changes in financial services. Steam let off.
The man I spoke to took my details including my DOB (?) and promised a claims handler would call me , which duly happened. I repeated most of the details and was assured I was fully covered for two such claims in any insurance year, provided I used their glass fitter / repairer otherwise my claim was limited to €250 / claim. I was asked had I contacted a glass company and I confirmed I had not. I pointed out that although the make and model of my car was pretty common, the variant was a rarity here and windscreens might be scarce. I was assured that was not the case and so agreed to go with the insurance company's repairer. The claims handler gave me the name of their repairer (a new one to me) and told me they'd be in touch.
Some time later my phone rang once and the caller disconnected. It was a Dublin number and my curiosity got the better of me so I eventually rang back. Sure enough, it was the wind-screen repair company. I asked why the original call had been disconnected and I was told "because you didn't answer". I let it slide. I gave all the details again high-lighting my concerns about availability of the windscreen and was reassured there would't me a problem and that their "local fitter" would ring me back.
Some time later my phone rang once and the caller disconnected. It was a mobile number and my curiosity got the better of me so I eventually rang back. Sure enough, it was the wind-screen repair company's "local fitter", from 60 kms away!! I asked why the original call had been disconnected and I was told "because you didn't answer". This time I pointed out the phone had only rung once and he apologised, saying the earliest he could get to me with the windscreen was early next week! I asked what he meant by early week and he said he hoped on Monday and wouldn't budge on that forecast. I elicited a promise from him for a call with a precise date and time early tomorrow, Thursday, and said that if it was still going to be an "early next week job" not to bother. BTW, there are major towns with windscreen fitters within 20 kms of me.
I rang the windscreen head office to no avail and rang the insurance company's claims line and was told another "claims handler" would be in touch. My original call was made shortly after 2:00pm it is now 6:35pm and I've just heard from the insurance company rep who have offered me a different repairer. I pointed out to the insurance company rep that the "one ring disconnect" was a ploy used by couriers to bypass your house and not deliver your goods if they were under pressure to meet schedules and you were just a no-account private individual. I said I was disappointed that a major insurer apparently did business with an outfit that behaved in this way.
Simple request, lots of reassurances, no action, rising premiums, poor service. I guess nothing changes in financial services. Steam let off.
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