Be Aware of the Situation

The majority of insurance companies have gone to third party “billing networks” to handle their glass claims. You call your insurance agent, they give you the number to the network and off you go to fend for yourself in the safety department. The networks can then control their share of the market and the insurance companies can control the cost. What is missing here? Safety regulations and standards are what are left out of the equation. Just because your insurance agent “referred” you to a glass shop there is no guarantee that the shop is safe.

There are things you can do to safeguard your interest in safety and quality:

1. Check references before choosing an insurance agent and/or company. Develop a good business relationship with the agent so you feel comfortable with their recommendations.
    
2. Understand some of the auto glass “lingo.”
• O.E. –Original Equipment: Not a used piece of glass, this piece of glass has been crash tested and approved for installation
• Aftermarket Glass: This glass is from a supplier that is not the original equipment manufacturer; the glass has not been crashed tested.
• NGA Certified: A technician who has six months experience and takes the required tests can achieve this certification.
• NGA Master Certified: A technician who has at least three years experience and takes the required tests can achieve this certification.
• Urethane Adhesive: This is the “glue” that holds the windshield in place.
• Safe Drive Away Time: The time it takes for the urethane to become cured. Once the urethane is cured the car is safe to perform in an accident. The technician should provide this critical information.
   
3. Look for shops that meet Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standards (A.G.R.S.S.). The National Standard Institute endorses these safety standards. Compliance with these standards ensures a minimum level of safety and quality in the processes used by the shop.
   
   
4. When talking to a third party billing network, be careful of the following issues:
• Steering: This is the practice of telling you where to go to get your auto glass replaced or repaired. The network will send you to one of their own shops or what they refer to as a “preferred shop.”
• “Preferred” shops: These are the shops willing to work for the network’s cheap rates. If you are steered to a “preferred” shop always ask questions. Is there a guarantee on the installation and the product? Are you an AGRSS shop? Are your technicians certified? How long have they been in the business?

If you still think windshields are no big deal just read Lisa’s story . . .

It Really Does Matter! Your Windshield Could Save Your life Lisa of Plainwell, MI owes her life to Auto GlassMasters. Lisa was in a crash that caused her SUV to roll over. Just two weeks before the accident, she had her windshield replaced by Auto GlassMasters. If her windshield had not been installed properly, the crash would have caused fatal injuries. Here is her actual letter to us: Dear Auto Glassmasters: My name is Lisa and on August 13, 2002 I had my front windshield on my 1997 Ford Explorer replaced by Auto GlassMasters out of Schoolcraft, Michigan. I was very pleased with the work they had done for me and also with the customer-business relationship I had with them. On August 26, 2002 I had just left work at 5:00 P.M. and was travelling West on M-89. I approached the main intersection downtown with a green light and another vehicle waiting to turn North at the light did not see me coming. As I went through the light I was hit in my drive'rs side door, which instantly tipped me on my roof, spinning me around many times. I remember hearing screeching and glass breaking all around me. When I finally came to a stop I just sat there hanging from my seatbelt trying to figure out where I was. After a few tries I was able to get out of my seatbelt and fell onto my front windshield. I crawled out of my vehicle and could not believe what had just happened, and how I managed to walk away with nothing but a little cut on my forehaead. I thank Terry and Auto GlassMasters for all they have done for me and my future life ahead of me.