“…The worst thing that can happen is that when you get on the phone with your insurance, you find out that your policy doesn’t cover the repair, and you have to pay the repair person yourself…”

Yes, in other words, the rock chip repair is not free, and that is why it’s unethical to call it free.

Yes, you’re correct if you assume that I do rock chip repairs! I understand it a touch better than you probably do. Almost all insurance companies require authorization prior to doing a repair, which means that your suggestion that the insurance companies will “deny the claim and stick you with the bill or raise your rates” is really not too realistic. We get the insurance provider on the phone to speak with us and the policy holder, and they approve the claim before we even touch the windshield! If by some very unlikely circumstance a repair is performed that is not authorized, the insurance provider just won’t pay us. They’re not going to pay us for an unauthorized repair and then bill the policy holder. On a few occasions I’ve started a repair before I verified coverage and/or got authorization, and I’ve ended up not getting paid for it. Totally my fault, but not a big deal, it’s pretty rare, and not getting paid for a repair or two out of hundreds doesn’t make much of a difference.

Almost all insurance providers do not view rock chip repair as a claim that has any effect on a policy holder’s rates whatever. This is because they consider this type of repair a ‘faultless’ repair that is covered by the comprehensive coverage of a policy. Almost every insurance provider also waives the deductible for these repairs and allows for up to three repairs to be done at the same time twice a year. With absolutely no effect on the policy holders rates.

There are a few companies that do not offer their customers the same level of service in this area that their competitors do, State Farm being the largest. In cases where a customer has one of these very few providers, we tell them immediately and offer to do the repair for cash so as not to involve the insurance. If they see the value in the repair, they do it, if not, no big deal. But this is rare, and has everything to do with the insurance company, not us.

I totally agree with your cautions, especially about the rebates. I’ve been burned with those before, and it’s so frustrating! No one should be worried about going to a free rock chip repair tent. The worst thing that can happen is that when you get on the phone with your insurance, you find out that your policy doesn’t cover the repair, and you have to pay the repair person yourself (this really is pretty rare), or you leave having wasted 10 minutes. If you have State Farm, just be prepared to pay the guy doing the repair. Don’t hate the messenger, just call and complain to State Farm!

There are still some honest people out there. Incidentally, all auto glass shops that replace windshields also do rock chip repair, and they go through the insurance exactly the way the guys in the tents do, with the exception that they’d rather sell you a new one. A tent doesn’t mean it’s a scam. It’s just…colder in the winter…