Is a stone chip worth claiming on insurance in Queensland?
Usually not: unless your policy repairs glass with no excess, a stone chip claim costs you the excess, and that is often hundreds of dollars, well above the price of the repair itself.
How the excess works on a chip
A comprehensive policy covers damage, but you pay the excess first. On a windscreen claim that excess can be hundreds of dollars, up to around $800 depending on the policy. A chip repair is a fraction of that, so paying the excess to fix a chip rarely makes sense.
A claim can also go on your claims history, which can matter at renewal time.
When a claim does make sense
Some policies include glass cover, where a windscreen repair has no excess or a small one. If you have that, ring your insurer first: they will usually choose the repairer, or pay up to the rate of the repairer they use.
Ask them three things: is there an excess on a chip repair, who chooses the repairer, and how long until someone comes. Then compare that with a fixed price and a time you can book today.
Why most people just pay for it
For a chip, paying directly is usually cheaper, faster and keeps it off your insurance. You can get a fixed price in three taps and book a repair at your home or work. If your policy turns out to have excess free glass repair, ring your insurer first with that price in hand.
If it has already cracked
A crack across the glass usually means a new windscreen, and that is where a claim is more likely to be worth it, because a replacement costs far more than the excess on many policies. Read your policy, ring your insurer, and ask about the excess before you book anything.
A quick way to do the sum
Take the excess on your policy for a windscreen claim, add the time it takes to lodge the claim and wait for the insurer's repairer, and compare it with the price of the repair. If your excess is a few hundred dollars and the repair is a fraction of that, paying for the repair is the cheaper choice before you count anything else.
The sum changes if your policy has glass cover with no excess on repairs. Then the claim may cost you nothing, and the only questions are who does it and when.
What glass cover usually means
Glass cover is an option on many comprehensive policies, sometimes included and sometimes added for an extra premium. It usually lowers or removes the excess on windscreen repair or replacement. It does not always mean you choose the repairer: often the insurer sends their own, or pays up to what their own repairer would charge.
Every policy is worded differently, so the product disclosure statement for your policy is the place to check, or a phone call.
The questions worth asking your insurer
Is there an excess on a chip repair, and how much? Who chooses the repairer, and can I use my own? If I use my own, how much will you pay towards it? Will this claim go on my history? How soon can your repairer come? With those five answers you can decide in a minute.
Questions
Will a chip repair claim affect my premium?
It can go on your claims history, and insurers can take that into account at renewal. Ask your insurer how they treat glass claims.
Can I choose my own repairer on insurance?
On many policies the insurer chooses, or pays up to the rate of their own repairer. Some policies let you choose. It is in your policy wording, or ring them.
Do you lodge insurance claims?
No. You pay a fixed price for the repair. If you want to claim it, your insurer can tell you what they will cover first.