Free windscreen replacement insurance
Free windscreen replacement can be added to your car insurance policy. Read on for more details.
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Offering basic cover with limited features or higher pricing.
Car insurance and free windscreen replacement
When you take out a comprehensive car insurance policy, you'll have the option to add 'free windscreen replacement' or 'reduced excess windscreen repair' — or something to that effect anyway.
Essentially, this means that if you need to make a claim for windscreen damage, you can do this without having to pay your standard excess which is typically quite high at $800+. Each insurer may offer something different but there's three main options to choose from.
Excess free windscreen replacement
This means that you won't have to pay any excess when you make a claim for windscreen damage. You can usually make 1 or 2 of these claims per policy year.
Reduced excess windscreen replacement
Some insurers won't offer 'excess free' replacement, but they'll offer a reduced excess option instead. This means you can pay a reduced excess when you need to make a claim for windscreen damage, rather than paying your full standard excess. What that 'reduced excess' looks like will be agreed upon with your insurer but it's usually around the $50 mark.
Excess free windscreen repair
The wording here is very important. This means that if your windscreen is damaged and can be repaired then you won't need to pay any excess for this work. But if your windscreen needs to be replaced then an excess would apply. No excess windscreen repair usually exists as an included feature of a comprehensive policy and it exists alongside the option to have a reduced excess for windscreen replacement. So the option to have a reduced windscreen if the event a replacement is needed is still available for you to add to your policy.
Case study: Tiffany's experience
"Every day I commute to work via the train so I park in a big commuter carpark. One day I got off the train and found that my car windscreen had been smashed in. Luckily, I had included the excess free windscreen replacement option on my comprehensive car insurance so I was able to get it repaired without costing me a cent. The process was super easy and I was back on the road in no time. I've been really thanking myself for not stinging on cover!"
Does car insurance cover my windscreen if I haven't opted for windscreen cover?
In short, yes. If you have comprehensive car insurance then you're covered for accidental damage to your car, which includes your windscreen.
To make a claim for windscreen damage though, you'd have to pay your standard excess. Depending on how bad your windscreen damage is, this excess is often more expensive than the cost to repair/replace the windscreen and therefore, not worth making a claim for. I'd suggest getting a few quotes for repairs yourself and seeing if they come out more or less expensive than your excess.
How much does a windscreen cost to replace?
The cost of a replacement windscreen can vary widely. You can expect to pay anywhere from $250 to $400 for common cars like a Holden Commodore or Toyota Corolla. There are plenty of aftermarket windscreens for those models on the market and the labour is pretty straightforward.
However, windscreens for some models are harder to come by or are equipped with specialised sensors. This means you'll end up paying up to $1,000 or more. For example, some newer cars have automatic rain sensors that activate your wipers when they sense rain.
Our expert says
"Reduced excess windscreen cover is a non-negotiable for me when it comes to car insurance. It only costs an extra $50 or so every year but it has the capacity to save me hundreds. I won't miss the $50 it costs to add it on but I would miss the peace of mind it brings me every time a rock flies out of a truck and onto my windscreen while travelling on the highway. It's a no brainer for me."
Compare car insurance with windscreen cover
All the policies below either include windscreen replacement/repairs as standard or can have the feature added as an optional extra.
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