If you have "Teilkasko" insurance (partial comprehensive), then you only have to pay your deductible - the insurance covers the rest.
Check out the company "Carglass" ( www.carglass.ch ) - they are all around Switzerland and have done good work for me on several cars.
Windscreens are expensive, because there is a lot of technology in there - two layers of glass, with a plastic foil sandwiched inbetween, and these have to be almost perfect - they should not distort your view. Many now have integrated (almost invisible) wires for defrosting the glass, and others have integrated antenna cabling for radio reception.
It's not easy or cheap to manufacture them to the specifications set forward by the car manufacturers and the insurance industry.
It's one of those things when insurance companies pay the price goes up. I am about to change the windscreen in my 1983 Porsche 911 quotes in CH range from 690 chf to 2000 chf v 900 euro in Germany v 600 - 1500 euro in France. Of course £299 in the UK is possible, using 6 year old exchange rate of 2.5 gives 650 CHF .....
This seems fairly standard take a good look there is a chance the windscreen is a lot more then you think it is. My windscreen has inbuilt sensors which is what controls the rain sensors and hence the speed of the wipers!
Sure it's normal, very few people pay out of their own pocket so the price is high. If insurance did not ever cover windscreens then it would cost nearer 500.
Clear insurance costs rise, I only have 3rd party insurance over the last 30 years, could buy a new car with the premiums I have saved!
Carglass replaced mine (twice!!!) last year due to rocks being thrown up. CHF1387,70 each time -- and unfortunately for me, a CHF500 excess on my policy.
While that is all true, I would be interested to know how much is the manufacturer's selling price of the actual windscreen.
I once had to replace a windscreen on a Renault (which had rain sensor attached on top) and the guy asked me if I had insurance. I said no. He: Ok, then it is (I dont remember exactly but around) 500CHF.-
Of course I don't know how much it would have been, had I said I have insurance, but somehow I feel it wouldn't have been less.
WOW. Just . I will never complain about $300 for a windshield again!! I was always able to replace windshields in my cars for less than my insurance deductible in the States. Never even bothered to file claims for them.
I also have a cracked windscreen. Zurich insurance suggested a company that comes to our house and repairs it, Dersausa (sp??). I can also take the car to the dealer and have it done, cost is nothing to us either way. No wonder our premiums are so high!
Which is better? Will repair be of the same quality? I can't see them doing a perfect repair job in our parking space with dim lighting but it would be the most convenient.
The actual local repair will be fine. I know many people who did it. It's not really rocket science.
I would actually be more worried about cleaning the inside of the car afterwards as I haven't seen it be vacuumed when the repair was done locally (as opposed to the garage, where they even vacuumed it in the back).
I think modern windscreens are more difficult to replace than they were before. In the old days, they had a rubber surround, with a bit of beading to hold it tight in place. You could do it yourself - I did so several times to old Minis - it was a bit fiddly but a hairdrier made the process easier.
Nowadays the windscreen provides some structural integrity and is bonded in.
For that reason, I think I would rather mine was changed in a warm dry garage where the bond is more likely to cure properly and evenly, rather than in the cold by the side of the road especially at this time of year. Of course, this is all supposition and prejudice on my part - they might be able to do it outside perfectly well.
Just had the invoice (all paid for by insurance) for a screen on my Honda CRV, CHF 1576. A total rip off when the chip on the screen would normally have been repaired in the UK in about 15 minutes.
Talking about windscreens cracks and stone chips in bonnets. Has anyone had professionally fixed stone chips in silver titanium metallic? Did it myself once with color coded paint and varnish but not very happy with end result. Would prefer to have it redone by a garage to be less discernible by sharp eye.
Is there really a "local fix" that wouldn't show? I always had the whole affected element resprayed back home where it usually costs 100e per element (hood, door etc).
I found it strange that I had no deductible here when I made my 2 claims in 8 years. The total costs will be more than a year's premium - and that's actually better value than back home when I never did things through insurance because of the deductible.