Claiming for a windscreen on your car insurance in South Africa

Which policies cover your windscreen

Savvy Insurance sums up the general position in South Africa. Comprehensive car insurance usually covers windscreen and glass damage. Some policies include glass cover as standard, while others sell it as an add-on for an extra amount. Third-party cover, including third-party, fire and theft, does not pay for your own windscreen.

So the first step is to find your policy schedule, the document that lists exactly what you are covered for. Look for a line about glass, windscreen or auto glass, and check whether it names only the windscreen or all glass, including side windows, the rear window and any sunroof.

How the glass excess usually works

Many insurers apply a separate glass or windscreen excess that is lower than the excess on a normal claim, and some charge little or nothing for a chip repair. The amount is set by your insurer and is shown on your schedule.

Some insurers publish their rule. Naked, for example, says its glass excess is based on the total cost of the repair or replacement, you never pay more than one thousand rand, and if the claim is two thousand rand or less you pay nothing. Other insurers use a fixed amount or a percentage. Check your own policy before you assume any of this applies to you.

Will a glass claim affect my no-claims bonus?

Many insurers treat windscreen and glass claims separately from accident claims, so they often do not affect a no-claims bonus in the way a normal claim would. Savvy Insurance advises confirming this with your insurer before you claim, because it is not universal. If your premium or bonus matters to you, ask the question directly and note the answer.

Get approval before anyone touches the glass

This is the step people skip most often, and it can cost them. Most insurers want the claim registered and approved before the repair or replacement is done, and many have their own approved glass suppliers.

Naked's published rules show why it matters. It says that if you had prior approval it covers the full cost less its maximum excess, but if you had the work done without approval it settles only up to a capped amount, which it states as fifteen hundred rand. That is one insurer's approach, and yours may be stricter. Check your own policy, and if the car is unsafe to drive, tell the insurer that when you call.

Step by step: reporting a windscreen claim

The exact process depends on your insurer, but most claims follow this pattern:

• Take photos of the damage up close and from a distance, plus the area behind the mirror, before anything is cleaned or taped.
• Note what happened: date, time, place and cause, such as a stone from a truck on the N1 or hail.
• Report it through your insurer's app, website or claims line, and write down the claim number.
• Wait for approval and for the insurer to say whether it is a repair or a replacement, and which supplier will do it.
• Ask about calibration if your car has a camera behind the screen, and confirm it is part of the approved job.
• Pay the excess to whoever the insurer tells you to, and keep the invoice and any calibration record.

Who does the work on an insurance claim

Many insurers send the job to a glass supplier they have appointed. Some let you use a fitter of your choice, as long as the quote is approved first. If you want a particular fitment business, ask the insurer at the start whether that is allowed.

The RMI's motor body repair association, SAMBRA, has warned about poor glass and poor fitment on some insurer-arranged jobs, and about cash-in-lieu settlements that are lower than the real cost of a proper repair. Its advice is to use reputable fitment experts and to do your homework before accepting cash instead of a repair, because you then carry the cost of both the glass and the fitting.

Calibration, several panels and car hire

Naked says that where a car needs ADAS calibration it is done as part of the fitment, and that it usually takes an extra day. It also says several glass panels damaged in the same incident can go on one claim, and that car hire is not available on glass claims. Other insurers will have their own rules on each point, so ask.

A hailstorm is a slightly different case, because it often damages panels and paint as well as glass. That is usually handled as a full hail claim with an assessor, not a simple glass claim. See hail damage to your windscreen.

When paying privately makes more sense

If the job costs less than, or close to, your glass excess, a claim may not be worth it. That is often the case with a single chip repair under a policy with a fixed glass excess. A private quote lets you compare. Our windscreen cost guide explains what goes into that quote, and windscreen chip repair covers the repair option.

Whether you claim or pay, we can pass your enquiry to an independent fitment business that covers your part of Pretoria. Tell us on the form if it is an insurance job and give the insurer's name. [CONFIRM: whether fitment businesses covering Pretoria accept insurance-approved work from all major insurers]

Frequently asked questions

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