Increase In Botched Windscreen Repairs As The Credit Crunch Begins To Bite

‘As the credit crunch begins to bite, more and more motorists are opting for DIY windscreen repair kits rather than seeking the help of a professional’, claim leading windscreen repair specialists, Autoglaze, who have seen an increase in botched repair jobs in recent months.

Gareth Kilburn, Director at Autoglaze, the national firm who specialise in chipped windscreens and auto glass, said, “It never ceases to amaze me that motorists purchase these DIY kits, especially as vehicles cost a lot of money, and if mistakes are made they can turn out to be costly. You wouldn’t repair your own teeth if someone gave you a drill so it seems absurd to try to repair your own windscreen!”

Causing problems for those who use them, DIY windscreen repairs can contain excess water, this is because it takes a professional to recognize the problem. Often dubbed as a ‘short term solution’ by those in the know, DIY repair kits can contain resin that turns yellow and falls out after a matter of weeks, making it both a costly and time consuming way of tackling the problem.

Mr Kilburn added, “Windscreen can cost around £200 to fully replace in some cases, and it really is not worth saving a few pounds by buying a DIY windscreen repair kit, especially when some insurance policies will cover windscreen chips. We find that many of the DIY kits on the market fail to manipulate the crack, this means that the resin provided seeps into every scratch and crack on the windscreens surface. We have found in the past that some clients who have even visited a supermarket repair centre, have also suffered as a consequence, after they did not repair the chip properly, but still overcharged the insurance company for work carried out.

“I would advise anyone with a chip to visit a professional, after all it may seem like a good idea at the time, but if it goes wrong you could be left with a rather large repair bill as a result.”