Ever since we started this blog I have talked about the windshield stalkers out there and have tried to inform consumers of their practices and to take action to prevent these stalkers from forcing them into filing a claim. Turns out at TeleGlass we are ahead of the curve.
Recently the National Insurance Crime Bureau has caught on and teamed up with our competition to run several short commercials in an effort to inform consumer’s of this practice. I’m not bitter or anything that they teamed up with our competition, just saying, I was talking about this over a year ago…
Read more from Rachel Letourneau.
System Process Manager, Rachel has been with Teleglass for six years. In addition to making a mean birthday cake, Rachel has an extensive grasp of the auto glass business. Find her on Twitter: @rachelcrocker.
At TeleGlass we are asked every day if a customer has coverage or not. Most people have no idea where their coverage for auto glass is, or how any of it works. Since it is so confusing, I am going to put my insurance adjuster hat (yes, I am a licensed property & casualty adjuster) on and lay it out for everyone.
First things first. Your auto glass coverage is bundled into your comprehensive insurance coverage. Comprehensive coverage is coverage for your auto that covers damage NOT caused by a collision. Comprehensive coverage covers a host of different things, such as auto glass, fire, theft, vandalism, damage from animals, damage from flying objects and weather (storm) related damage.
With comprehensive coverage you have a deductible, just like you have a deductible with your collision coverage. The deductible is your portion to pay when it comes time to pay for the claim. For Example, let’s assume you have a $250 deductible and need a windshield replacement. For this example we can say a windshield replacement will cost $400. The amount billed to the insurance company would be $400 (windshield) – $250 (deductible) for a total of $150 billed to the insurance company.
Read more from Rachel Letourneau.
System Process Manager, Rachel has been with Teleglass for six years. In addition to making a mean birthday cake, Rachel has an extensive grasp of the auto glass business. Find her on Twitter: @rachelcrocker.
Not all states offer glass specific policies, but Louisiana has joined the ranks.
Governor Bobby Jindal signed a bill that allowed vehicle insurers to offer specific policies to cover windshield damage. This sounds a lot like the coverage I had added to my policy when I lived in Arizona… and I loved that coverage. Made auto glass claims a breeze!
Read more from James Lee.
In 2009 he joined TGSC Group as the managing director of product development. James brings expertise in customer satisfaction and service delivery to the team. He guest blogs for TeleGlass and is an amateur photographer. Find him on Twitter @jronaldlee.
Did you know that your credit score can be used to calculate what your auto insurance rates will be?
It starts with the actuary. That’s a job title – this person is the math geek at the insurance company who tries to predict how much, on average, people just like you will cost the company in claims per year. For example, take all the men between the age of 24 and 29 who have one minor driving infraction over the past five years, and using a series of calculations that can best be described as multi-dimensional calculus (I’ve studied this a bit, and it’s hard), you figure out what the average guy in that group will cost the company. Then you add factors like what kind of car he drives, how far he drives, how many days a week he works, whether he has more than one kind of car, whether he wants full glass coverage on his vehicle, and you add it all up to come up with the rate he will pay for auto insurance.
If the actuary can prove, statistically, that if that guy has a credit score below 500, he is more likely to be in an auto accident, the insurance company can charge that guy more for insurance.
There doesn’t have to be a causal relationship. There just has to be a demonstrable correlation.
It’s like this – storks don’t bring babies, but before electricity, homes with new born children were more likely to run the fireplace constantly, making areas near the chimney consistently warm. Storks are smart, and when they choose places to build their nests, they figured out that a chimney over a fire place that runs full time is a better place to raise baby storks. People saw storks nesting near chimneys of homes that have new born children, and 300 years later we have the story of storks bringing babies.
Storks didn’t cause the babies, but there was a predictable relationship between babies and storks on the roof. Statistically, if a home had storks nesting near the chimney, the home was more likely to have a baby in it.
Insurance is the same way.
If you have a low credit score, regardless of the circumstances that led you to that point, you’re now part of a population that is slightly more likely to create an auto insurance claim. That means some insurance companies use this to raise the rates of people with lower credit scores (and lower the rates of people with high credit scores). Worst case scenario, some companies might even cancel a policy.
Some states are doing something about it. For example, New Hampshire just passed H-1236, which prohibits the credit score of a policy holder of being the determining factor in canceling a policy. Insurance companies can still use it as part of the decision, but it cannot be the only reason.
It’s a confusing topic… what do you think? Should your insurance company use your credit score when it determines how much your coverage should cost?
Read more from James Lee.
In 2009 he joined TGSC Group as the managing director of product development. James brings expertise in customer satisfaction and service delivery to the team. He guest blogs for TeleGlass and is an amateur photographer. Find him on Twitter @jronaldlee.
I think the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety makes a very good case for limiting “low speed vehicles” (LSVs) from the nation’s roadways.
While it’s true that they serve a purpose in some gated communities, once they join public roads, they become a hazard to their occupants. Take a look, and see if you don’t agree.
Read more from Blog Admin.
The Blog Administrator of Seeing Clearly. More of a collective intelligence than an actual person, the personification of a company that facilitates twentyfive thousand glass repairs every year. Find TeleGlass on Twitpic or on Twitter: @TeleGlass.
If you didn’t, there’s a good chance your neighbors did.
Mitchell International, a company that works closely with insurance companies and repair facilities, recently released findings that show that comprehensive deductibles are trending upward across the United States. As we specialize in auto glass, we took notice. This is where your glass coverage lives, so it’s relevant to our customers.
While there are windshields out there that cost over $500, almost all of them cost less than that. For consumers that raise their comprehensive deductible to $500, they are almost always assuming one hundred percent of the risk associated with a glass claim.
It’s true, some insurance companies might waive the deductible if you have a small crack or chip in your windshield, but that’s only relevant if your windshield is repairable. In the case that the glass must be replaced, a waived deductible will not apply (and it’s important to note that not all insurance companies will waive the deductible for repairs, so it might not apply either way).
What does this mean to you?
Think twice before raising your comprehensive deductible. Make sure your deductible is not higher than what you would feel comfortable paying out of your own pocket, and remember, without comprehensive coverage, your car’s glass is your responsibility.
Read more from James Lee.
In 2009 he joined TGSC Group as the managing director of product development. James brings expertise in customer satisfaction and service delivery to the team. He guest blogs for TeleGlass and is an amateur photographer. Find him on Twitter @jronaldlee.
First the House passed it. Then the Senate amended it and passed the bill, and sent it back to the House. The House has now passed the revised version, and it’s now just waiting for Governor Jan Brewer’s signature. What am I talking about?
We’ve talkedpreviously about this bill. We had guests here at Seeing Clearly say they don’t like it one bit because it targets the glass industry. We had other guests talk about the people we lovingly refer to as creepy windshield stalkers, and offer their opinion that if it weren’t for high pressure salespeople trying to push repairs that insurance policy holders don’t want or need, this legislation wouldn’t be needed.
In any case, you can find the language here. Here are the highlights again:
It is unlawful for a person who sells or repairs auto glass to knowingly submit a false claim to an insurer for auto glass repair, replacement, or for related services.
Bills for services that were not provided cannot be submitted.
It is illegal to say you did work in one place when you really did it in another geographic area.
You cannot file a claim not authorized in writing by the owner of the vehicle.
You cannot put one date on the invoice or claim if the work was done on another date.
You cannot “falsely sign” a work order on behalf of a policyholder (no forging the customer’s signature).
You cannot “misrepresent” your relationship to the insurance company or the cost of the repairs. You cannot tell people that the insurance company has approved a repair unless that is true.
You cannot make a statement on behalf of the insurance company regarding the coverage for the glass claim, including telling someone that their repair will be entirely paid for or done at no cost.
You cannot add damage to the auto glass to increase the scope of the repairs needed.
You cannot do work that is beyond what is required to repair/replace the auto glass.
We think that Arizona politics is a strange brew. In point of fact, after living in Arizona for over thirty years, I’m amazed any legislation passes both the house and the senate, but that’s a story for another blog. Regardless, this bill has now passed both the House and the Senate, and appears headed for the Governor’s signature.
In the end, I’m guessing that this will have next to zero impact on reputable businesses, but as always, we welcome your comments.
Read more from James Lee.
In 2009 he joined TGSC Group as the managing director of product development. James brings expertise in customer satisfaction and service delivery to the team. He guest blogs for TeleGlass and is an amateur photographer. Find him on Twitter @jronaldlee.
Its been a while since we had some of my quality artwork, and since I came to the end of my rope this morning about how bad these creepy windshield stalkers are I figured a visual will help get the point across of why not to use these types of shops.
Most of these scenarios start when you are doing a regular errand, such as going to the grocery store or the car wash. These people will literally break your windshield so they can get a commission for having it replaced. You see, most of the time they aren’t even employed by the company they say they work for. They’re an “independent contractor” out to make some cash by getting a commission to replace your windshield. They make a business of being in the right place at the right time.
Our crack investigative team has discovered that windshields don’t just break themselves when these people are around. We have received reports about people breaking windshields just to get a $25 commission. Please read our “based on true events” dramatization to see how easy it is to get duped.
Here we have poor unsuspecting Gomez enjoying a nice car wash. Little does he know that a creepy windshield stalker is just waiting under a rock to pop out and cause havoc!
As soon as you try to leave the creepy windshield stalker jumps out and tells you something scary that makes you stop. I imagine it like my next fine drawing.
At this point, many people will stop and see what this crazy person is talking about. They will tell a potential customer anything, make up fake laws, tell them lies about windshield safety, anything to make a sale.
This creepy windshield stalker will sweet talk these poor unsuspecting customers until they get their way. Many people think it’s free, and don’t see that these creeps are calling their insurance companies. These companies are very crafty and have each of these “independent” contractors sign a waiver for each claim they pull in stating that they are liable if the claim is found to be fraudulent. Any company that makes each of their “employees” sign a waiver for each claim they produce is BAD NEWS. If they company will not stand behind their employees, will they stand behind their repair?
If I had it my way, we could have TG, the TeleNinja, go out and put a stop to these people before they rake in another unsuspecting consumer. Until that day happens, be careful of these people and always protect yourself from windshield and auto glass fraud.
Read more from Rachel Letourneau.
System Process Manager, Rachel has been with Teleglass for six years. In addition to making a mean birthday cake, Rachel has an extensive grasp of the auto glass business. Find her on Twitter: @rachelcrocker.
It is unlawful for a person who sells or repairs auto glass to knowingly submit a false claim to an insurer for auto glass repair, replacement, or for related services.
Bills for services that were not provided cannot be submitted.
It is illegal to say you did work in one place when you really did it in another geographic area.
You cannot file a claim not authorized in writing by the owner of the vehicle.
You cannot put one date on the invoice or claim if the work was done on another date.
You cannot “falsely sign” a work order on behalf of a policyholder (no forging the customer’s signature).
You cannot “misrepresent” your relationship to the insurance company or the cost of the repairs. You cannot tell people that the insurance company has approved a repair unless that is true.
You cannot make a statement on behalf of the insurance company regarding the coverage for the glass claim, including telling someone that their repair will be entirely paid for or done at no cost.
You cannot add damage to the auto glass to increase the scope of the repairs needed.
You cannot do work that is beyond what is required to repair/replace the auto glass.
At TeleGlass, we love our independent autoglass shop partners. Clearly this bill is targeted at them, but we’d be surprised if any of our member shops will be impacted by any of these regulations.
We understand why some glass shops might be concerned with the language surrounding how you speak to your customers. Business people who have worked hard to establish a reputable business are certainly going to take notice when a congressperson introduces legislation aimed directly at their industry. For the most part, we think this one will have limited impact on glass shops.
What do you think?
If you have a concern about any of these bullets, what are they?
Read more from Blog Admin.
The Blog Administrator of Seeing Clearly. More of a collective intelligence than an actual person, the personification of a company that facilitates twentyfive thousand glass repairs every year. Find TeleGlass on Twitpic or on Twitter: @TeleGlass.
In the state of Arizona, Republican Representative Nancy McLain introduced a bill entitled HB 2463: Auto Glass Repair; Fraudulent Practices. Within the legislation, McLain and seven other Arizona representatives outline unlawful practices that protect the auto glass consumer and the insurance companies. The bill begins by stating it is illegal for a person who sells or repairs automobile glass to submit a false claim to the insurer. For example, this person cannot knowingly submit a claim for work that is not needed – if the customer only needs a small glass repair, the claim should not be submitted for full replacement glass.
This is especially important in regard to windshields. The bill prohibits a glass seller or repairer to add damage to the glass in order to receive more money from the insurance company for a windshield repair or any other type of reparation. Also, the person cannot encourage, advise or instruct the policyholder to add further damage to the glass themselves. The person also cannot tell the policyholder that the repair or replacement glass will be entirely paid for by the insurance company. This person is merely a middleman and not a representative of the insurance company, thus cannot speak on its behalf. The only time this is legal is when, “the person making the statement is employed by or is a producer contracted with the policyholder’s insurer.”
Thus, for a windshield or other kinds of auto glass, the state of Arizona protects all their citizens against auto glass repair fraud. If you live in Arizona or anywhere else in the US and need your auto glass repaired, be assured that TeleGlass works with your insurance company and explains the entire process to you. Please contact us at TeleGlass.com for more information.
Photo credit: Used by CC, photo by PhillipC on Flickr. See page for details.
Read more from Blog Admin.
The Blog Administrator of Seeing Clearly. More of a collective intelligence than an actual person, the personification of a company that facilitates twentyfive thousand glass repairs every year. Find TeleGlass on Twitpic or on Twitter: @TeleGlass.
Ever since we started this blog I have talked about the windshield stalkers out there and have tried to inform consumers of their practices and to take action to prevent these stalkers from forcing them into filing a claim. Turns out at TeleGlass we are ahead of the curve.
Read more from Rachel Letourneau.
System Process Manager, Rachel has been with Teleglass for six years. In addition to making a mean birthday cake, Rachel has an extensive grasp of the auto glass business. Find her on Twitter: @rachelcrocker.
Read more from 
Read more from 
Regardless, this bill has now passed both the House and the Senate, and appears headed for the Governor’s signature.
