COLLINS – It only took 16 years to get it right on windshield repairs
Simple windshield repairs can take only a few minutes. (Screengrab, CFJC)
IN 2001, ICBC abandoned the idea of fixing windshield chips before they got too big and the entire windshield had to be replaced.
Sixteen years later, Transportation Minister Todd Stone announced this past week that — surprise — if you have comprehensive insurance, you can get your chips fixed starting this spring with no deductible. It could save ICBC $8 million a year.
I am surprised it took this long. I could never understand why ICBC made the determination in a previous lifetime to do away with chip repair. You used to go in, they put some kind of magical compound on the chip, and lo and behold, away it went.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Private Insurance companies have always offered windshield repairs at no cost to the insured owner under the comprehensive part of the vehicle insurance program. Not only does this save money for the insurance company (cost of chip repair verses a windshield placement) but the private insurance companies used the “free chip” program to take away insurance customers from ICBC. The car insurer only is required to maintain third party liability with ICBC and can take out the comprehensive component with the private vehicle insurers. Thousands of insurers used the private side for comprehensive insurance because of free chip repairs resulting in ICBC not being able to compete.
What is hard to understand is why for over 15 years did ICBC not provide “free chip” repair coverage, guess they thought the vehicle owner would pay for the repair from their own pocket, cost of roughly $50. per chip repair.
Is Stone now saying this change at ICBC is a major improvement for the insured just before a Provincial election, it is not, what is really going on here is ICBC has finally woken up and has gone back to where they were about 15 years ago in an attempt to win back some customers and at the same time reduct operating costs by have windshields repaired rather than replaced.
ICBC made a stupid move that lasted for 15 +\- years, now Stone is bring it out as an election goodie,
OMG how low can they stoop!
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