Incident
I am still at a loss as to when the damage occurred. I pulled out of a parking space and thought I had a pine needle on the windshield. It was a crack. A crack that began at an almost indiscernable pebble mark at the lower edge of the windshield. I learned later that the edges are the worst spots to have this happen. I first went to the dealer (Toyota). They outsource this repair to a third party (on site). The guy seemed a bit too wary/critical of the competition and started inundating me with the complexity of the endeavour. I spoke to some friends and we wrote him off as a line item stuffer. One that my insurance company wouldn't reimburse me for in totality.
Claim
I then called my insurance company. They sent a link. I ignored this and filed a claim online. It was simple. Asked when it happened. Bigger than a dollar bill? They promised to cover everything. No photos. I must chose my own guy and pay and hope to get reimbursed or leave it up to their guy - Safelight. I chose the surer thing. The next page was a scheduling page with a map of places in my vicinity. I made a reservation at the closest one two days later. Then the second thoughts started in. I tried to get their phone number. Searched online. Only an endless corporate labyrnth (866-904-9472 or 844-250--6606 or 888-507-1910) that never resulted in a direct number to the repair shop. Then I checked their rating on Yelp (low 3s). Not good. Many installation errors and missed appointments. Other locations also bad or worse.
Scheduling
So, I called the first guy (Rick at Auto Glass Medics at 407-388-1969 or 407-270-0665) and said I would give him a chance to make good on his promises. I drove to the dealer and he called his back office company and they got through right away (almost impossible on your own) to an agent at my insurance company and got them to guarantee a no cost repair to the windshield billed directly to insurance company. The insurance company canceled my appointment with Safelite. They sent a link to an app to send them (4) pictures (Safelite would have required this on the day of too). Rick did this for me. I then received the ok via text. There is something about a work order number that is important that they give the installer. I said goodbye until the install. He put in a PO to the glass distributor. He kept me up to date on progress/delivery. Two days later it was done.
Installation
A seemingly reliable (said 30 years) tech (Jeff) came to MY home at 10am and we spoke about the business in general for a bit. Said he teaches other techs. Said the test they take is a bitch. He answered every question and gave my a short tutorial on the subject. I signed a form. I then left him to his devices. I checked in a few times. It took about an hour. He calibrated everything and fixed fault codes. It looks new. A bit of epoxy smell. No issues as of yet. No requests for payment by anyone yet.
Lessons
I'll add at this time some things I learned through this process. Because of (mainly Miami) fraud, the on site picture taking requirement is necessary. Repair facilities just file false work orders with fake photos. Safelite is a total joke. They don't come to you. They can't recalibrate your cameras (ie auto stop or lane change warning). I'm not exactly sure why, but I was told they don't or can't have the equipment to do it that they show on tv. They use poor materials. Their CS isn't acceptable. The labor, etc costs they accept must also be accepted by other companies that the insurance companies agree to sponsor. You aren't more likey to get overcharged by another option. The internet said a repair should cost $200-$400. Rick laughed at that. I never got costs if you are on the hook for it. These damn "features" like cameras complicate the repair. Windshield glass is part plastic. It shouldn't shatter in on you if you drive with a crack. But if airbags deploy while there is a crack, it could be worrisome. It is illegal to drive with a crack bigger than a dollar bill. I had this happen once before in Maryland and got a fix it ticket/warning in NY. It was a rental car, so, they had to deal with it. I'm unsure what the penalty is in Florida. I think it could be a ticket in the triple digits. The glass integrity deteriorates at about ten percent a year on its own. We all will probably be dealing with this at some point. A bad seal can lead to rust. Improper calibration can lead to all kinds of fault errors and equipment failure. I'll bet it invalidates some part of your insurance agreement if I know these companies at all. Make sure they know what model car you have. The window may be different. My hybrid had a different number. Most dealers don't want the hassle of window repair. Tesla owners are screwed. No one will work on them. They have parts issues in general and I think the tech in the window is complicated.
Conclusion
My friends who told me to just use Safelite were probably wrong. A crack isn't the end of the world. In Florida, your insurance company may actually cover you (without deductible) as promised. I'll be even more impressed if it happens again and they don't try a wriggle out of it. You can/should work around their professed parameters. You can believe what the higher end installer tells you. Now let's see if my auto insurance goes up.
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