Nationwide Glass Claim in Georgia: Say 'Glass Only'

Nationwide has a phone trick that is easy to miss. According to its glass claim page, you can start a claim online or call 1-800-421-3535 and say “glass only.” And if you want to use a shop of your own choice, Nationwide says to call that number before you agree to any work. Those two small details decide how smoothly a Nationwide glass claim goes.

We are Executive Auto Glass, a mobile auto glass company in Cumming, Georgia. We have been in business since 2009, and we help Nationwide customers in Forsyth County and the north Atlanta suburbs. We are not Nationwide, and we cannot read your policy for you. Below, every Nationwide detail comes from Nationwide’s own page, which we link so you can check it.

What makes a Nationwide glass claim different

Nationwide runs glass claims through what its windshield replacement claims page calls the Glass Service Program. Under it, you can use a shop in Nationwide’s On Your Side Claims Service Network, or, where available, have the work done at your home, your office or another location.

The page also says Safelite Solutions is an optional third party that helps arrange the repair or replacement. The word “optional” is Nationwide’s own.

Work done at a Claims Service Network shop comes with a guarantee, according to Nationwide. That is worth knowing, and it is Nationwide’s guarantee on that network’s work. Ours is different and separate: our workmanship warranty lasts for the life of the vehicle.

We will not tell you that we are in Nationwide’s network, because we are not claiming that. We are a preferred insurance vendor for all major insurance companies. That is all we say, and it is true.

The line that matters most: call before you agree to work

Nationwide’s page says: “You can use a shop of your choice, but call 1-800-421-3535 before agreeing to any work.”

We think that is the most important sentence on the page, because it is the one people skip. A lot of drivers hear “your choice” and assume that means any shop, any time, no questions. Nationwide is telling you to call first. So we say the same.

Here is how it works with us:

• You choose Executive Auto Glass.
• You call Nationwide at 1-800-421-3535 before anyone starts work, and you tell them which shop you want.
• You give them our number.
• Or, if you prefer, you hand us your insurance information and we file the claim for you.

Georgia’s own agencies back up the “read before you book” habit. The Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance says in its auto claim tips to know your company’s policy on qualified repair shops. Georgia’s consumer protection website says some insurers suggest a particular shop and others ask for several estimates. Both pages speak about repair work generally, not glass only, but the idea matches Nationwide’s: know the rules, then act.

How to file a Nationwide glass claim

Nationwide’s page gives these basics. Start your claim online, or call 1-800-421-3535 and state “glass only.” Have your vehicle’s year, make and model ready. Choose the date, time and place for the repair or replacement. Write down your referral number.

Here is the longer version we recommend for drivers in Cumming, Dawsonville, Alpharetta and the rest of our area:

1. Photograph the damage. Inside and outside, with a coin next to a chip.
2. Check your policy for glass coverage. Nationwide’s page refers to having glass coverage, so look for it on your policy.
3. Find your VIN. We need it for a replacement quote. One vehicle can have up to about 15 windshield versions by option package.
4. Call 1-800-421-3535 and say “glass only,” or start the claim online.
5. Tell Nationwide you want Executive Auto Glass. Give them our number before any work is agreed.
6. Write down the referral number. Text it to us with your photo.
7. Confirm the date, time and place. We come to your home or workplace. We are fully mobile, with no shop and no walk-in.
8. Keep your paperwork. Save the referral number and the final invoice.

Filing a glass claim right now? Call or text us a photo of the damage and your Nationwide referral number. We are a preferred insurance vendor for all major insurance companies, and we can file the claim for you. Get a free quote

What Nationwide says about the deductible

Here is the line from Nationwide’s page: “If you have glass coverage, we’ll waive your deductible for windshield repairs.” The page also makes clear the waiver applies to repairs, not replacements. And it says coverage depends on your policy terms and the facts of your claim.

So the deductible picture looks like this:

• A chip repair. If you have glass coverage, Nationwide says it waives the deductible for windshield repairs. Our flat $85 chip repair covers up to 3 chips on the same windshield, mobile service included, if you choose to pay us yourself.
• A replacement. The waiver on the page is for repairs, so ask Nationwide what applies to a replacement on your policy.
• When in doubt. Ask Nationwide to tell you your deductible and whether it applies to your damage. Do that before work begins.

We cannot tell you what your policy pays. We can tell you what a replacement costs, once we know the car. We give a free estimate from your VIN. Compare it to your deductible. If the estimate is lower than the deductible, filing does not help you, and we will say so.

For the basics on coverage, see our page on whether insurance covers a windshield. For what we do on a replacement, see windshield replacement.

Waiver on repairs means timing matters

Because Nationwide’s waiver is for repairs, timing becomes the practical lesson. A chip is a repair. A crack that runs across the glass is usually a replacement. The window between those two is the window where your cost can change.

Georgia weather does not help. Warm afternoons and cool nights, a long drive on GA-400, a bump on a Forsyth County back road: any of those can send a crack out from a chip. We tell drivers the same thing again and again. If you see a chip, send a photo.

Our rule of thumb: a chip smaller than a quarter that sits outside the driver’s line of sight is a good candidate for repair. More than 3 chips on the same windshield, and we usually recommend replacement. The photo tells us more than the rule does. Start with windshield repair if it is a chip.

Other glass, other claims

Windshields are the most common job, but not the only one. We also do door glass, quarter glass and back glass. Each gets a free estimate based on your vehicle. See door glass replacement if the damage is on the side. A customer review confirms we reconnect rear defroster connections on back glass jobs.

You file those the same way with Nationwide: online, or call and say “glass only.” Tell them which glass is broken.

If the glass is already gone, protect the inside of the car. A cover of plastic and tape helps keep out rain and pollen until we arrive. Take photos before you cover it.

Glass type and the dealer

We install OEM, OEE (original equipment equivalent) and aftermarket glass, so you can choose, and we have a fallback when one is not available. What Nationwide pays for is a question for Nationwide. Ask when you call, then tell us what they said.

If your car has a camera behind the windshield, we do not do ADAS camera calibration. After a replacement on a car that needs it, we refer the calibration to the dealer. Manufacturers recommend dealer calibration, and makers require a controlled indoor space, which cannot be done mobile.

Our technicians are graduates of the Equalizer Auto Glass Academy and are DuPont adhesive certified, and our founder holds an automotive engineering degree.

A realistic example from Forsyth County

Say a stone hits your windshield on the way home to Cumming. You look at your policy, and you see that you have glass coverage. You call 1-800-421-3535, say “glass only,” and tell the representative you want Executive Auto Glass to do the work. You write down the referral number.

You text us the photo, the referral number and your VIN. We confirm the glass, give you a free estimate, and set up a visit at your house or office. If Nationwide asks you to do something different, such as use a network shop for part of the process, you tell us and we help you sort out what that means.

If the damage turns out to be a replacement rather than a repair, ask Nationwide what your deductible is before you confirm anything. The page we read says the waiver is for repairs, so do not assume it carries over.

Short answers for Nationwide customers

Do I have to use the Claims Service Network? No. Nationwide says you can use a shop of your choice. It asks that you call before agreeing to any work.

Is Safelite required? Nationwide’s page calls Safelite Solutions an optional third party.

Can you file the claim for me? Yes. Give us your insurance information and the details of the damage.

How soon do you reply? We reply within an hour during business hours, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Saturday is by appointment.

We take cash, check, credit or debit, Venmo, Zelle and Cash App for any deductible. We are rated 4.9 on Google from 110 reviews.

When you are ready, take a photo, find your VIN, and request a free quote. We will tell you what to say when you call Nationwide.