Glass insurance and glass break insurance

Why is glass insurance useful??

The glass insurance, also called glass breakage insurance, is a special insurance for private households, which is usually completed as a supplement to household insurance.

It can also be purchased separately.

A glass insurance is used for this, at the residential building and in the insured household
to protect glassware against breakage.

The conclusion is therefore meaningful and important because there are damages to the glazing, for which the regular home contents insurance does not pay. This applies, for example, to permanently installed glass panes, such as those found on conservatories, but also to damage caused by the policyholder by mistake.

“Shards bring luck”, so it is said in the vernacular. In fact, however, depending on the nature and extent of the damage, they can be extremely costly – especially since the entire pane has to be replaced in the event of a glass damage, because repairing the original parts in the conventional sense is not possible. The glass insurance covers the costs in case of damage and thus helps to reduce the financial amount.

Which benefits are insured in a glass / glass break insurance?

The purpose is – as the name already suggests – in the protection of the policyholder against broken glass. This can be both the glass on the building, so the building glazing, as well as those in the household furniture glazing. For example:

all glass windows
all glass doors
Conservatories, verandas, glazed balconies
shower stalls
showcases
other glass furniture or components thereof, e.g. tabletops
picture framing
Wall and cabinet mirrors, (large) standing mirrors
View windows of fireplaces, stoves and electrical appliances

For many insurers count plastics to the glass-like materials and therefore also fall under the protection of glass breakage insurance. And with some providers like DEVK too ceramic hobs In principle, they are included in the insurance cover, while in others they can be booked as an additional service component at the basic rate. The same applies to aquariums and terrariums. So if you have a corresponding piece of equipment, you should check his glass insurance to that effect.

Basically, the glass insurance covers damage

due to environmental influences (eg storm)
by third parties (such as burglary or vandalism)
by the policyholder himself (carelessness)

with off. If a damage occurs, the broken glass will be replaced by the glass breakage insurance. Many providers offer not only pure financial performance but also comprehensive extra services for their customers. These can be for example one Handwerkerservice This means that the insurance company will assist the injured party in finding a repair service. This procedure has the advantage that the recommended specialist knows the insurance modalities well. Of course, the policyholder has free choice when ordering a repair service.

In addition to the actual replacement of the destroyed glass, the glass insurance company also bears the costs incurred in connection with the repair

Scaffolding
cranes
emergency glazing
Disassembly and assembly of grids or the like, which are mounted in front of the disc
partly also the restoration of artistic elements on the destroyed disc.

In summary, it can be said that glass-breakage insurance is an important and meaningful safeguard because it represents the connecting link between home contents insurance, liability insurance and building insurance.

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What to consider before closing?

The conclusion of a glass breakage insurance is almost as important as the conclusion of the home contents insurance, because the latter only replaces broken glass, if this

belongs to the movable inventory of the household and
was damaged by one of the insured risks.

Thus, for example, glazed conservatories would be just as little covered by household contents insurance as damages that the policyholder accidentally caused himself. Glass insurance makes an important contribution to closing any gaps in insurance coverage and is particularly important for Families with small children.

Good to know: One policy per household is sufficient, because then all living there are automatically included in the insurance coverage.

With regard to the scope of insurance, however, there may be differences between the various providers. Such are, for example ceramic hobs Some of them already include glass insurance, while others require additional insurance.

The so-called hollow glass However, they are fundamentally excluded from protection. In addition to vases and the like, these include aquariums and terrariums. However, the latter can be co-insured by many providers with an additional component. It is advisable to check before connecting if and if so on what terms the conclusion of additional services is possible.

What costs will be covered in case of damage?

If a claim occurs – that is, an insured slice is broken – then the glass insurance takes over the first of course, of course Replacement of the broken disc.

In addition to the pure material costs from the insurance benefits and the Work of artisans and eventual additional expenses denied, for example

emergency glazing
the construction and dismantling of a scaffold
the use of a crane or a lift
the disassembly and subsequent assembly of protective devices that obscure the glass (such as grating as burglary protection).

Depending on the severity of the damage, too cleanup fall under the benefits. Some insurance companies also offer their customers the mediation by expert craftsmen as an additional service. Of course, this does not change the policyholder’s free right to vote, but working with a service provider who knows the terms of insurance can also be beneficial.

If the damaged glass artistic elements contains, then these are restored at some providers of glass insurance, at least up to a certain limit. For more information on whether and if so, under what conditions, this should be clarified with the relevant insurance company before concluding.

Important to know: With glass insurance, the insurance company has a legally anchored in the event of damage Suffrage: Compensation can be either in the form of a cash payment or as so-called Natural replacement. The latter means that the glass insurance does not reimburse the insured for the cost of replacing the broken glass as a monetary value, but delivers the services directly in the form of a new glass – including the associated craftsmanship services. Of course, in this case, the new glass must correspond in quality and value to the damaged one. Therefore, as policyholder you should always first consult with your glass insurance before you even provide replacement for the broken disc.

What costs are not covered by a glass insurance in the event of a claim?

The typical exclusions of glass insurance initially include all so-called hollow glass, for example

lightings
Vases
Drinking glasses, pitchers and the like
aquariums
terrariums.

For aquariums and terrariums, however, additional insurance can be taken out for most insurance companies.

In any case, not included in the glass insurance, however, are all beauty mistake on the glass, so

scratch
scrape
clam outbreaks
chipping
opacities.

Moreover, the glass insurance is not obliged to settle the damage if he
has been caused by a risk that is in the range of other insurance, especially the building insurance or home contents insurance, falls.

These include, for example, fires or the loss due to burglary. The same applies if the broken glass was unintentionally caused by a third party. In this case, instead of glass insurance
to contact the private liability insurance of the claimant.

How do I deal with a glass insurance in the event of a claim??

If there is a case of damage to the glass insurance, then as policyholder you should pay attention to some things that make it easier for your insurance company to settle claims. These include above all:

the damage minimization
the careful documentation of the damage
the immediate notification of the damage to the glass insurance
the display of possible crimes in the police
do not even provide for replacement

1. Damage minimization

It is one of your responsibilities as a glass insurance policyholder to do everything reasonable to minimize the damage. Now, in the context of a broken glass, it is rather difficult to influence the extent of the damage, because in most cases it happens within a moment that the glass breaks.

But if you can, for example by making sure that more parts do not fall and break, then you should try. Of course, from the point of view of your glass insurance, your own safety always comes before you: Under no circumstances should you endanger your health.

2. Documentation of the damage

In order for you to be able to optimally regulate the damage that has occurred, your glass insurance must be as accurate as possible about the situation. The ideal would be that nothing is changed at the place of damage until a glass insurance employee has checked everything. However, as this is usually not possible in practice, it is advisable to document the damage with the help of photo or video recordings as accurately as possible. In addition, it is necessary for your glass insurance to all existing supporting documents necessary to assess the amount of the costs.

3. Report the claim to the glass insurance

As policyholder, you are required to report the damage immediately to your glass insurance. “Immediate” is the notification of the claim within one week after the occurrence. Many insurers have already set up telephone hotlines, which enable a quick and uncomplicated damage report. This variant has the advantage that the employees of your glass insurance can still give you tips on correct behavior in the event of damage. Of course, it is also possible to inform the insurance company in writing.

4. Display of offenses

If the present case of damage is the result of an offense – or an attempted offense – you, as the policyholder, are obliged to report this to the police.

5. no replacement without agreement

Due to a special suffrage In the event of damage, your glass insurance company may – if it is not explicitly agreed otherwise in the insurance contract – decide for itself whether it wishes to render the services as a cash payment or in the form of natural products. Should the insurance company opt for the second option, it will arrange for the delivery and installation of the replacement glass itself. Therefore, you should by no means take care of replacement yourself, without first consulting with your glass insurance, otherwise they will take this option to your insurer.

When does the insurance cover begin??

The insurance cover sets in the glass insurance, if

the policy issued and
paid the first premium

is. By issuing the insurance policy and sending it to the policyholder, Glasversicherung indicates that it has accepted the claim of the insurance claimant. The insurance policy also includes the date of the beginning of the glass insurance. This may be prior to the payment date for the first premium – in this case we speak of one temporary cover. However, the insurance cover does not become effective until the first contribution has been paid on time. The policyholder usually has 14 days to do this. However, if the payment is not made on time, the insurance coverage will not be effective and the provisional coverage of the glass insurance will cease retroactively.

Which coverage / sum insured makes sense?

There are basically glass insurance
two ways to set a coverage amount. The first is that the policyholder only single, especially valuable glass objects insured, for example
only the conservatory and the maxi aquarium.

In this case, a detailed listing of the
to be insured items with their respective replacement value, and of their sum
then the insurance sum is calculated.

To prevent underinsurance, these values are regularly updated using the glass price index. The glass price index is determined and published by the Federal Statistical Office. It describes the current developments in prices in the glass industry, primarily the material costs and labor costs for glazing work.

In most cases, however, the Glass insurance as a lump sum insurance, that is, it includes all the components of the building and the furniture glazing. Here, the sum insured is not determined in detail, but it is a lump sum, which depends on the type of building (single or multi-family house). With flat-rate glass insurance, insurers in the policy mostly refrain from specifying a specific coverage amount: thus, all glass belonging to the household is automatically secured in full.

What depends on the contribution and what factors influence the contribution rate?

The contribution rate is determined by the glass insurance analogous to the procedure for determining the sum insured, ie

either according to the actual replacement value of the insured goods or
based on a fixed value.

1. The contribution rate for glass insurance with individual listing

If the glass insurance contains a single listing of the items to be insured, the aggregated replacement values of all listed items determine the sum insured. The insurance premium for glass insurance in this case is calculated on the basis of a certain percentage of the coverage. If the sum insured has to be adjusted due to changes in the glass price index, then this adjustment will also be made accordingly for the contributions to glass insurance.

2. The contribution rate for the flat glass insurance

Insurance companies that offer glass insurance as a flat-rate insurance usually distinguish only two groups of policyholders, namely

a) the inhabitants of single family homes and

b) Residents of apartments located in apartment buildings.

Similarly, only two different contribution rates are charged for glass insurance. The size of the living space and the location of the building play no role here. As a rule, residents of single-family homes pay slightly more than those who live in multi-family dwellings, because single-family dwellings can be expected to have more glass surfaces. Finally, there is the possibility of having windows on all four sides of the building, and glazed extensions such as conservatories are more common in single-family homes.

However, for most providers, the annual glass insurance premium for both single- and multi-family homes does not exceed double digits.

What are the benefits of comparing glass insurance??

A comparison of glass insurance before graduation is definitely worthwhile, because there are quite different conditions for the various providers.

First, you can ask yourself the following questions to help you decide:

Are there special glass objects in your household that need special insurance cover (for example, a ceramic hob or discs with artistic elements)??
Do you have glassware that is excluded from the standard glass insurance contracts and therefore must be co-insured as an additional service (for example, an aquarium)??
Should your glass insurance also cover damage caused by gross negligence?
Which additional services in the glass insurance offer available to you contain (installation work, painting work)?
Are you ready to accept a deductible??

If you have answered these questions for yourself, then you have a very good basis for your decision. You can now choose from the glass insurance tariffs that apply to you those that meet your requirements. Afterwards it is possible for you to compare the prices directly with each other.

By the way, a comparison of your glass insurance is worthwhile not only before the initial closing. Even and especially, if your contract has been running for some time, it is advisable to look at the market situation. The insurance industry is constantly on the move and new tariffs keep coming onto the market. Thus, it is very possible that you now get a glass insurance with the same services at another provider cheaper, or that you receive more services than before for the same price.

Can the contributions be deducted from the tax?

The contributions to glass insurance can not
be deducted from the tax if it is
to take out insurance for private housing.

Because to the eligible special issues after
§ 10 EStG only include such insurance, the
to protect the insured person or to take precautions. That’s why, for example
Private liability insurance or private pension insurance recognized for tax purposes.

However, insurances that merely protect private assets are not tax deductible. This applies in addition to the household goods and glass insurance.

The situation is different, however, when the glass insurance for a business, that is, a company-used building, is completed. In this case, the contributions may be eligible as advertising costs.

A note for tenants in apartment buildingsIf your landlord has glass insurance for the entire building, then it may be that he transfers the contributions to the individual tenants and this as Posting of utility bill lists. This is allowed. It is also possible according to a basic judgment of the Federal Court of Justice in 2009, the statement of all property and liability insurance as a sum in the operating costs statement. In this case, the glass insurance would be part of the transferred property insurance, but it is not listed individually.

What should be considered when terminating the glass insurance??

When terminating the glass insurance, the statutory notice periods must be observed. These amount

in the ordinary Termination: three months at the end of the contract period
in the extraordinary Termination: one month.

The ordinary Termination of the glass insurance is possible without a statement of reasons on both sides.
For very long-term contracts (of more than three years duration), the insurance company may order termination for the first time after three years, but from then on annually. Please note that in the case of glass insurance, the insurance year does not necessarily have to be identical to the calendar year. You will find the appropriate reference date on your insurance policy.

For the extraordinary Cancellation of glass insurance, however, requires a reason. It is possible if

the insurance company increases or the contributions remain the same
an insurance claim has occurred (regardless of the settlement of the damage).

In the case of a premium increase, it is usually the policyholder who extraordinarily terminates the glass insurance. He must file the termination within four weeks of receiving notification of the planned increase. It may, however, become effective at the earliest on the date on which the premium increase takes effect.

After the occurrence of an insured event, both the policyholder and the insurance company have the opportunity to extraordinarily terminate the glass insurance. Again, the termination must be submitted within four weeks after the conclusion of the negotiations on the claim. It does not matter if the glass insurance has regulated the damage or not.

The termination of the glass insurance must always be in writing. For the timeliness counts the receipt of the letter of termination with the insurance company.

What should be considered when changing glass insurance??

A change of glass insurance is especially in question, if

You or your insurer have terminated the old contract
You have found in a comparison that there is the same services at a lower price or more services for the same price at another provider.

First of all, of course, the eke out For
notice of termination of your old glass insurance. These amount depending on if it is
ordinary or extraordinary termination, three months or one month.

Apart from that, the motivation for a change of glass insurance should not be exclusive
from a lower contribution. It is important that the new tariff also protects you optimally.
For example, a lower premium will be of little use to you if your ceran field is no longer included in the insurance coverage of the glass insurance. So it depends, the best value for money to determine. Feel free to contact us at any time if you are considering changing your glass insurance and would like to consider alternative offers. We advise you free of charge and without obligation to your project.

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