S80 Cars: Volvo insurance : replacement w/screen

[fergus]

This is not really specific to S80, more to "insurance" or "windscreen" but there is no such prefix.
I've had Volvo Insurance for many years. It's quite expensive but absolutely great, in my experience, for speed and for providing flawless confidence in the work done. Previous telephone claims (all for bodywork) have progressed incredibly efficiently and with fantastic communications, including freighting a crashed car 80 miles to my local dealer / associated bodywork specialist for work, rather than just choosing "the nearest".
Recently I got a chipped screen, a star of less than 1 inch diameter, not really in the line of sight but on the driver's side at just below eye level. Deemed (a) an MOT failure and (b) requiring replacement nor repair.
I phoned Volvo Insurance in the usual way. The menu options included specifically "Windscreen". The pathway then takes one to Auto Windscreens i.e. out of the Volvo network, but presumably an approved company? We have made a date (home or where you like, in my case work) for a mobile on-site repair.
I am stunned and greatly concerned about integrity, all the associated electrics (heating, city stop), quality (leak?) but mainly that the work will be achieved so quickly (2H), regardless of weather conditions, and then I'll be "good to go". I had anticipated a day's refined quality work, under cover, at the dealer or, as previously, at their associated, approved, bodywork specialist, and possibly another day for setting, drying, and so on. And testing.
This is on an S80 Executive, leather everywhere, vents crystal clean, all the body-to-glass joins perfectly engineered, watertight, blah blah blah. If I had an ancient Nissan runabout I wouldn't be bothered, but this is a prestige motor.
Can you understand my concern? Can anybody offer experience or evidence or anecdote to provide me with some reassurance? I am just comforting myself that, surely, the whole process is Volvo approved and assured.
Thank you!

[Paul Wildsmith]

I've had too have my S80 screen replaced a number of times - always done very well and relatively quickly. They know what they are doing! The only note is to make sure they bring the right screen, ie: one with the necessary positions for the radar/camera etc..

[AndyJudge]

Originally Posted by Paul Wildsmith

I've had too have my S80 screen replaced a number of times - always done very well and relatively quickly. They know what they are doing! The only note is to make sure they bring the right screen, ie: one with the necessary positions for the radar/camera etc..

Yep Agree on that, my last screen was Auto Windscreens on the S60 & they did a good job, they all have a fold out tents etc to keep everything dry. When they did mine I had to leave it for a number of hours to set, so factor this into any booking (ie don't have them come to do it of an afternoon at work when you need to drive home)

[steV50]

I have been with Volvo Owners Insurance for about 18 years.
I had a total of 5 replacement windscreens in S40's/V50's all genuine Volvo OEM screens replaced at the main dealers although they did use a specialist contractor to actually install the screen but I never had any problems with the work. Last time I paid for the screen to be replaced at the main dealers and claimed the money back from Volvo insurance. Personally I would prefer to have the work carried out at the main dealers.

[fergus]

Well: it happened.
Detail: good. The windscreen surround, inside and out, is unblemished. (The beige fabric surround could easily have been marked.) Even the ticket holder is in place.
Functionality: good. Heating works, wiper application is complete and squeak- and judder-free, rain-sensitive wiping works. Haven't tested City Stop.
Fit: good. The recent extremes of heat, dryness and torrential rain have not exhibited any creaks, leaks or stretches.
Speed: frighteningly rapid. Maybe an hour.
Anxiety: generally high, exploding when I saw the mastic gun. But I contained myself. And then again when I saw the guy on the phone to, dunno, back office. What could there be to talk about?
But: finish: the sidescreen trims on the outside at the left- and right-hand edges don't fit well (slightly raised, moveable to the touch) but are sufficiently glued in by mastic (or similar, maybe even stickier) to make lifting them just too scary to do. I took the car to my favourite body shop (magic; literally perfect, and I have used them double-digit times, occasionally after quite bad prangs, other times after trivial but deep scratches). Retaining clips had been broken when extricating the damaged screen; the fitters do not of course carry spares for every eventuality; so, what to do but glue them back. But the shop said: far too good a job to mend something that isn't actually broken, and potentially a seriously expensive can of worms to refine the finish now. Don't even go there.
Verdict: I wish I had held out for the work to be done other than by a mobile quick fit. The car, 5 years old, was perfect in my eyes. Now it isn't, though I'm the only person in the world who knows it or can even see it. I guess I'll grow out of it and the deep regret I feel EVERY TIME I climb into the motor will fade.
PS It's not obvious to me that the star-shaped crack would have left to MOT failure. I now wish I'd waited to test that out, first.

[green van man]

I've had 3 screens in the works sprinter. All have leaked, all were mobile fitters.
It's a works van and the boss could care less about the leaks. We're it my car I would be ballistic.

If they broke the clips they should of replaced the clips not bodged it with mastic. I would be on to the insurers complaining were it my car. Their contract with you is to put the car back to its prior condition. Let's see how good they realy are, I know they are good at taking my money.

Paul.

[Dippydog]

Even had you taken the car to a Volvo dealership the chances are better than good that they'd have called in someone like Auto Windscreens to replace the screen on their premises.Very few[if any]dealerships do this kind of work themselves even the bodyshops usually farm this sort of thing to outside companies.

[TonyB65]

I've had two windscreens done this year, both by Autoglass via insurance, you wouldn't know they'd ever been changed. They seem to get some stick but my experience of them has been nothing but excellent.

[Dippydog]

They[Auto Windscreens] did the screen on my Omega while it was on the drive at home.I was at work but my[now late]partner was there and they had her outside and pointed out any "faults" with the area around the screen before they started the job,once the screen was out they showed her the empty aperture and again once the screen was in,she then had to sign to say that they had done all of this.This was something like 6yrs ago and I've never had a problem arising from their work.

[The Thong]

I have to agree, they did my V50 and it was a very satisfactory job. M

TT