Frequently Asked Questions

This is the most common insurance-related question that we receive. In most cases, filing an auto glass claim does not affect your annual insurance premium. We can’t promise 100% because it is impossible to monitor every insurance company, but in more than 20 years we haven’t ever heard of an insurance company increasing the premiums of a customer for filing an auto glass claim. This is because auto glass claims are handled differently than any other vehicle body damage claim. In California, there are a lot of vehicles with glass damage. This is a common occurrence due to our climate and terrain. Since it is such a common occurrence in California and you never know when the next rock will hit your windshield, you should never hesitate to use the coverage and file a claim if you have damage.

Definitely not. Regardless of your insurance company, they will have an auto glass company they can and will often refer you to. The biggest mistake you as a consumer can make is to let the insurance company decide which auto glass company repairs or replaces your auto glass. Let’s face it; insurance companies are in business to make money. If they can refer you to an auto glass provider that they have a financial arrangement with (and that will save them money at your expense) they will. One large auto glass company, in particular, is the auto glass provider of choice for many of the large discount insurance companies. Without getting into too many specifics relating to why it is bad to let your insurance company choose an auto glass shop for you, why not just hop online and read some reviews. We live in a day and age where it is quick and easy to research a windshield replacement company yourself. Doesn’t it make more sense to contract with a company with lots of positive customer feedback and five-star reviews? At Payless Glass, we work with all insurance companies and are considered a Preferred Vendor by many. We also use only the best brands available, something that many of the larger insurance-partnered companies don’t do.

At Payless Glass, we are well-versed in handling auto glass insurance claims from start to finish. If you are uncertain about your auto glass coverage simply call us today and we can contact your insurance company for you. We can usually have an answer within about 5 minutes. Once your coverage is verified we can schedule your windshield replacement at a time and location that is convenient for you. If you don’t have coverage we can offer a competitive quote.

In many cases, your auto policy will cover chip repair damage and your deductible won’t apply. This is usually the case if you have comprehensive coverage. If you only carry liability coverage, chip repairs are usually not covered. Once again you can call one of our auto glass representatives and they can help to determine the extent of your windshield or auto glass coverage.

In most cases, your insurance company will only authorize the use of dealer auto glass parts if your car or truck is a brand new (current year) vehicle or if aftermarket auto glass parts are not available. We acknowledge that dealer parts are often the best option for ensuring a quality auto glass brand but in most cases, your insurance company will be unwilling to pay the premium associated with the purchase of these parts. The good news is that at Payless Glass, we can often find your original equipment brand in the non-dealership market. For example, we can usually find Carlite (OE) brand auto glass if you have a Ford without buying it at the dealership and paying a premium. If that isn’t possible we can generally find a brand of equivalent quality. Regardless of what we end up using to replace your windshield, you can be assured that it will be the best brand that your insurance company is willing to pay for.

Your windshield is made of laminate glass which cracks when impacted upon. This glass is made with a plastic interlayer known as PVB (Poly vital butyrol) this material is what holds the two layers of glass together, and assists to keep occupants within the cabin of a vehicle and avoid ejection in the case of a head-on collision. The rest of the glass on a vehicle is known as tempered glass, this glass is known to shatter upon impact. The reason distributors make this glass shatter, is to assist in avoiding injury when the glass is impacted upon, the occupants inside the cab of a vehicle in the case of a side or rear collision.

The windshield in an American automotive vehicle is a regulated safety device with the same priority level as a seat belt. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) states that the windshield needs to protect occupants by so many pounds per square inch, with the bonding of automotive urethane around the complete perimeter of the windshield glass. This is designed to support occupants coming toward it in the case of a collision, to prevent ejection. The windshield is one of the main contributors in the support of the front framing of the A-pillars of an automotive vehicle in the case of a rollover.

The term OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. The meaning of this term relates to the auto glass industry meaning that an automotive maker or partner that had originally developed parts or concepts for the vehicle when it was first produced. As a consumer, it is important to understand that there is no significant difference in standards of OEM equipment and aftermarket part makers, as they are all required to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) to be eligible to be installed in a vehicle. Commonly, an OEM piece of equipment will have the vehicle’s manufacturing logo on the glass product.

The term OEE stands for Original Equipment Equivalent. The meaning of this term relates to the auto glass industry meaning that an automotive maker or partner has the current licensing to develop parts for a vehicle when the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) contract expires. As a consumer, it is important to understand that there is no significant difference in standards of OEE equipment and OEM equipment part makers, as they are all required to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) to be eligible to be installed in a vehicle.

In the auto glass business, the greatest warranty is one providing a lifetime guarantee on all workmanship and defects of a product and installation. Companies that offer short warranties may not be able to confidently guarantee their work, and may not have quality services. A glass company that is honest and holds strong integrity, will guarantee a proper warranty. If a customer provides a shop with a product, the warranty may change, as a company can not guarantee the effectiveness of a product they did not purchase, but can guarantee the installation.

A regulator is a mechanism that is on the inside of the car door panel that moves the window up and down.

If your window is not rolling up or down and you hear a sort of humming noise from the potential motor trying to run, the regulator needs to be replaced. If your glass has fallen into your door panel and will not go up or down, the regulator needs to be replaced. Also, if the window moves at a slant or does not properly shut, the regulator may need to be replaced.

A power window master switch is a switch connected to the driver door in a vehicle. The master switch contains multiple different keys, depending on the vehicle, there may be two or more keys that control the movement of the vehicle’s windows. There may also be keys that move the side mirrors, as well as unlock or lock the doors from the inside.

As long as you have the coverage, we absolutely accept home and commercial insurance.

The cost of a replaced piece of residential or commercial glass is all dependent on the size of the glass necessary for the replacement. At Payless Glass Inc., we offer a free measurement and quote, where we will come out to you at no additional cost, to measure and quote your needed replacement.