An impact on your windshield and presto, head to the garage with the most generous gifts. Since 2014 and the Hamon law, motorists freely choose their repairer. A great step forward on paper, but in reality, this freedom has created a completely unregulated market where a few players gorge themselves while the bill rises for everyone.
A juicy business at the princess’s expense
Some brands promise wonders. If Switch Lites and electric scooters have become commonplace, some go even further by offering PlayStation 5 or tickets to Disneyland. The customer leaves delighted, his windshield replaced and his hands full. Except that these gifts, apparently free, must be deducted from somewhere.
The prices charged by these repairers sometimes exceed market prices by 70 to 80%. For a Citro毛n C4, replacing a windshield ranges between 1,000 and 1,630 euros depending on the brand chosen. A gap which cannot be explained solely by the quality of the service. Florence Lustman, president of France Assureurs, denounces greatly inflated hourly rates, labor times and parts prices.
The insurers pay the bill without flinching since the law requires them to do so, then they adjust their rates for the following year. As a result, your car insurance premium goes up to compensate for the gifts given to your neighbors.
1.5 billion euros at stake
Broken glass accounts for 10% of insurers’ expenses, or 1.5 billion euros in 2022. A seemingly banal disaster which becomes the first reason for complaints in France in the face of skirmishes. Macif alone has settled 300,000 interventions for 200 million euros.
This financial windfall whets appetites. Some repairers realized they could turn every cracked windshield into a jackpot. Gifts sometimes represent up to a fifth of the final bill.
The situation is getting worse every year. Modern windshields incorporate cameras and driver assistance systems that require mandatory calibration. Their cost jumped 14.4% in 2024, much more than other auto parts. This legitimate technical inflation offers a perfect cover to camouflage the additional costs linked to gifts.
The response is organized
Around fifteen modem deputies have tabled a bill to break this system. Their objective, cap promotional benefits at a maximum of 5% of the repair amount and require their mention in quotes. No more scooters at 400 euros for a windshield change at 800 euros.
The text goes further. It would give insurers the right to challenge manifestly disproportionate prices and choose another repairer if necessary. A small revolution that would make some workshops cringe.
While waiting for this law to be passed, insurers are trying their own solutions. Macif outright bought Mondial Pare-Brise for 103 million euros in 2023. Carglass, the giant of the sector which pours more than 300 million euros per year into advertising, observes this circus with an amused eye. He is content to offer promotions on windshield wipers. No need to outbid when your slogan has been on everyone’s minds for decades.
Everybody pays the bill
Auto insurance premiums are expected to increase by around 5% in 2025. This increase is partly explained by general inflation and climatic hazards. But the gift war between repairers largely contributes to this in this system where a few get rich while the community of policyholders pays the bill. A situation reminiscent of that of opticians, showing to what extent the collective can toast for the benefit of certain individuals.
馃煟 To not miss any news on the WorldOfSoftware, subscribe on Google News and on our WhatsApp. And if you love us, .
