They call it “Acts of God” but if you look at it as a whole, it is a glitch that most car insurance companies have dug up to avoid covering the thousands of cars that have been damaged in the Philippines the past week. Thousands of cars were damaged and left useless as a result of the storms and car insurance companies certainly went to work finding an “Escape Clause” to save them money.
Apparently this is one claim that many Filipino motorists chose to forego since based on experience, hurricanes or outrageous life-threatening events barely touched Philippine soil. That was until Typhoon Ondoy came in. So now, turning to car insurance for aid was a big letdown, especially for the ones who have new vehicles and paid their car insurance premiums religiously.
You have to hate car insurance companies for this. Saving on cost is one thing but including a low blow just to avoid paying for the damages on their clients (damages that they totally could not avoid) was certainly something motorists could do without during this state of calamity in the Philippines. Business is business but if only to help get the country back to its feet, the best they could do is forego this for now or perhaps shoulder at least a portion of the car repairs that thousands are busy with at the moment. This is one reason why you will really hate car insurance, especially in the Philippines!
By now you may have heard of probably the worst storm ever to hit the Philippines in years. Tropical storm Ketsana (Ondoy) hit the country hard, leaving a lot of people homeless and cars floating like rafts. Motorists practically had no choice as the flash floods easily brought up their cars and carried the vehicles away just like feathers.
The storm has passed but the damage has been dead. Thousands of cars were either filled with mud or being towed by mechanics to their shops, opting not to start them up for fear of further damaging their computer boxes which were certain to be damaged during the flood.
This is the first time that such a fortuitous event hit the country. A lot of the cars were practically brand new, ranging from luxury cars to 4×4s. To give you an idea of the degree of damage, here are some images and a sample video of the unfortunate mishap.
When it comes to buying a second-hand car, car mileage was seen as the top consideration for selecting a new vehicle. This was revealed by CarMax in a survey they had conducted online. The next factors were car accident frame damages and regular maintenance.
Going back to car mileage, it is not surprising. The longer a car runs, the more issues on wear and tear for the entire car surfaces. They may not necessarily be glaring, but the fact remains, the more a car is used, the depreciation value starts to sink in.
This is not of course to discourage people from buying a car that has been used over and over again. The fact remains first owners need cars for various reasons. They are the means for everyday transportation and depending on their profession or venture, car use may really be a need.
Of course, the pricing factor will play a vital role. It is only common to find that cars which are extensively used to carry a lower market value would naturally be priced lower. The more things you do to dilapidate your car only leads to being valued lower since they have been obviously used in any which way where owners would want a car in the first place.
With or without insurance, Ace Glass stands to be the first auto glass company to entertain cars in need of windshield replacement without insurance needs. Apparently the importance of car insurance has become evident in the processing of vehicular damages and normally, auto glass vendors would require car owners to present their insurance policy before availing of price offs on their service.
As you know, a lot of motorists have passed on car insurance due to the additional costs it brings. And to lend a helping hand, Ace Glass will still offer a 50% off on windshield replacements without car insurance. Coupons and some other special offers can be claimed at their website.
Other programs the progressive glass company has to offer is free windshield replacement with a $50 or $100 comprehensive deductible, and free rock chip repair with MOST insurance companies. With the relationships that have been built with most insurance companies, Ace Glass is able to pay the deductible for their clients and handle the entire process for them.
If there is one thing that motorists have to take into consideration, it would be the type of roads that they drive on. Unlike in marquee countries which have great infrastructure, some countries like the Philippines have a rough and tumble roads that make it entirely toxic for cars when you talk about smooth driving and car maintenance.
In short, the smoother the road finish, the longer it is for that satisfying car performance. Add to the fact that better roads mean better fuel consumption since you get a silky smooth ride with no worries along the way.
Perhaps if technologies such as this one from Penetron, road conditions play an important role when it comes to smooth motoring and fuel consumption. Penetron’s Crystaline Concrete Waterproofing addresses the various conditions such as rain where concrete used can only get better. It clearly addresses the issues raised when water penetrates and causes problems for concrete roads today.
“Once the concrete has been made waterproofed,” adds Mr. Christopher Chen, North American Sales & Marketing Director, “a host of additional problems generally brought on by water is now eliminated. Penetron takes care of problems such as freeze-thaw and scaling damages seen in colder climates and corrosion from deicing salts or seawater.”
They call it “Acts of God” but if you look at it as a whole, it is a glitch that most car insurance companies have dug up to avoid covering the thousands of cars that have been damaged in the Philippines the past week. Thousands of cars were damaged and left useless as a result of the storms and car insurance companies certainly went to work finding an “Escape Clause” to save them money.
