News

NWRA June 2008 Newsletter

SAE RELEASES DRAFT Z26.1 STANDARD
NWRA Believes Standard Represents Threat to Repair Industry
Today the National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA) obtained a draft copy of the new Automotive Glazing Standard (ANSI/SAE Z 26.1-2007) released by the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE), a national automotive standards setting organization. NWRA believes that, as written, this proposed standard seriously threatens the repair industry. -READ FULL RELEASE-

NWRA January 2008 Newsletter

NWRA October 2007 Newsletter

NWRA August 2007 Newsletter

NWRA Turns ROLAGS Into ANSI Standard

Annual Conference Pre-Registration Opening Soon

NWRA May/June 2007 Newsletter

Dwyer Group Joins NWRA - 5/29/07

NWRA March 2007 Newsletter

NWRA Fall Conference 2006 Successful; Inaugural
Windshield Repair Olympics Held in Honor of Walt Gorman

Massachusetts Insurance Company Requiring Photos to Verify Whether Glass is Repairable

NOVEMBER 8, 2006 -- Massachusetts-based Safety Insurance has put into place a policy that requires all glass companies in the state to submit digital photographs of all damaged glass. According to the company, the program was developed to provide it with proof-of-loss on glass claims. READ FULL STORY

Walt Gorman, A-1 Windshield Doctor Passes Away
Walt Gorman, A-1 Windshield Doctor, of Seekonk MA died Monday morning, August 7, 2006, after a long and courageous battle against pancreatic cancer. He died in Mississippi at a cancer center of complications before he ever received any treatment for the cancer. His family thanks for all those of you who prayed for him and says that Walt is at peace now.

CONNECTICUT -- Contractors shall display their state license number

Sec. 20-334. License or card of registration. Requirements. Suspension or revocation.

(a) No person shall engage in, practice or offer to perform the work of any occupation subject to this chapter in this state unless such person has first obtained a license as provided in section 20-333, or possesses a card of registration from the Labor Department or the board and is subject to all of the regulations adopted under this chapter for the purpose of governing apprenticeship training, or has been issued a license for such particular work under this chapter prior to July 6, 1967.

(b) The Department of Consumer Protection shall furnish to each qualified applicant a license certifying that the holder thereof is entitled to engage in the work or occupation for which the person has been issued a license under this chapter, and the holder of such license shall carry it on his person while engaging in such work or occupation. Such license shall be shown to any properly interested person on request. No such license shall be transferred to or used by any person other than the person to whom the license was issued. Contractors shall display their state license number on all commercial vehicles used in their business and shall display such number in a conspicuous manner on all printed advertisements, bid proposals, contracts, invoices and on all stationery used in their business. The department shall keep a register in which shall be entered the names of all persons to whom such licenses are issued. The register shall be at all times open to public inspection.

(c) Each board established under section 20-331 may suspend or revoke any license or certificate granted or issued by it under this chapter if the holder of such license or certificate is convicted of a felony, is grossly incompetent, engages in malpractice or unethical conduct or knowingly makes false, misleading or deceptive representations regarding his work or violates the regulations adopted under this chapter. Before any such license is suspended or revoked, such holder shall be given notice and opportunity for hearing as provided in regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection. Any person whose license has been suspended or revoked may, after ninety days, apply to the board to have such license reinstated.

NOTE: "Commercial Vehicle" for the purpose of Section 20-334 of the general statutes, means any vehicle used by a contractor in his business that is leased or is registered in the name of the business or contractor with a motor vehicle licensing agency under a "commercial" or "combination" registration.

NOTE: The lettering of the state license numbers required to be displayed on all commercial vehicles used in the contractor's business shall be at least one inch high and legible.

EXAMPLE: CT.LIC. GLZ.0000428-AG1

State Farm Update

December 14, 2005

To: State Farm® Offer and Acceptance (O&A) Program Participants in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington, and the District of Columbia

From: Bob Bischoff, Glass Claim Services Manager State Farm Insurance

Subject: Waiver of Deductible – Repairs Car Policy Endorsement 6127

Summary:

All glass-only claims occurring on or after January 1, 2006, in your state will be subject to the terms and provisions provided in the new State Farm® Car Policy, Endorsement 6127.

This means effective January 1, 2006 in your state, State Farm will pay for eligible policyholder windshield repairs only after the policyholder’s deductible has been met and the glass service provider has collected the deductible from our policyholder.

Details:

· This change originally was scheduled to become effective December 1, 2005, in Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Washington state. However, a temporary delay in the required system connectivity has caused the effective date to be moved to January 1, 2006. All other policy terms included in 6127 are effective on the date of policy renewal in those states.

· The language that is being eliminated under the Car Policy for windshield repair is: “If we offer to pay for repair of damaged windshield glass instead of replacement of the windshield and you agree to have such repair made, we will pay the full cost of repairing the windshield glass regardless of your deductible.”

· State Farm continues to value windshield repair as an option, as stated in the O&A Agreement.

· Lynx Services® will continue to dispatch claims and identify the applicable deductible amount. The Lynx dispatch fax or communication will have the appropriate deductible amount for any given repair or replacement.

PLEASE REVIEW: There has been some confusion regarding the waiver of a deductible when a windshield is repaired on a glass-only claim. With the State Farm policy changes in Endorsement 6127, deductibles may no longer be waived when a windshield is repaired for a State Farm insured. There is no policy change affecting waiving of deductibles when a windshield is replaced. State Farm’s position remains that should an O&A participant shop waive a deductible when replacing a windshield for an insured it is a violation of the O&A agreement and grounds for review and removal of that glass provider from the program in all states.

For More Information:

We greatly value our relationship with both you and our mutual customers. Thank you for reviewing this change, and please contact Glass Claim Services at 309-766-6000 or me at 309-766-0660 if you have any questions.