Safelite Sucks.info from valueGLASS

Novus also sucks.

…and we have proof.

Novus Glass looks local. The sign is on a Port Orchard storefront. But Novus is a franchise brand owned out of Canada, it quoted higher prices than most shops in an independent undercover survey, and it has repeatedly sued its own franchisees to keep them out of the business they built.

See the prices Join the fight on Facebook

Brought to you by valueGLASS. Every fact links to a public source. Last updated October 28, 2026.

01 · The prices

Every Novus in the survey priced above average.

Consumers' Checkbook, the nonprofit consumer guide that takes no advertising, had undercover shoppers collect quotes from 27 Puget Sound auto glass shops for the same four jobs.1 All three Novus locations came in above the average shop.

Shop2023 Camry XLE windshield (with ADAS)2022 Malibu rear side window2021 Jetta S windshield1" chip repairPrice score ($100 = average)
Novus Glass, Redmond$873$398$598$129$138
Novus Glass, Kirkland$873$398$498$98$123
Novus Glass, Port Orchard$873$273$583$75$110
valueGLASS, Bremerton$527$204$384$40$70 · lowest of 27

Notice anything? All three Novus shops quoted the exact same $873 for the Camry windshield, $346 more than valueGLASS. Port Orchard's $583 Jetta windshield was one of the highest quotes in the survey. And Port Orchard's $75 chip repair was nearly double valueGLASS's $40.1

Same name on the sign. Same price from headquarters. Higher than most.

02 · Who owns Novus

"Local" isn't what it looks like.

Owned in Canada

Novus Glass is "part of the Fix Network Family of Brands." The company named as owner of the Novus trademarks is Mondofix Inc., headquartered in Blainville, Quebec, Canada.23

Bought and sold

Novus has changed hands like a stock. TCG International bought it in 1993.4 In 2017, its owner sold Novus Glass, Novus Franchising and nine other companies to Fix Auto World, with backing from Quebec's government pension fund manager.56

Out-of-state paperwork

The franchisor registered to do business in Washington, Novus Franchising 2 LLC, lists its main office in Naples, Florida, according to Washington Secretary of State records. Its U.S. corporate office is in St. Paul, Minnesota.73

03 · The franchise deal

A franchise is an HOA for your business.

Buy into Novus and you don't really own your business. You rent the name. Corporate controls the brand, and you pay for the privilege.

$10,500

franchise fee just to get in the door, per Novus's own franchise site, with total startup costs of about $50,700 to $53,200.8

6% + 2%

of sales, reported as the ongoing royalty and advertising fees, sent to the franchisor every month.9

2 years

Novus's non-compete after you leave. Courts have repeatedly found its reach too broad (see below).10

Here's how far that goes. In 1990, Novus started charging its franchisees a new 2% national advertising fee. A Pennsylvania franchisee who had run his shop since 1980 refused to pay it. Novus terminated him, took him to federal court, and won an order keeping him out of windshield repair across 10 counties for two years.11

Franchises answer to headquarters. Independents answer to you.

04 · Suing their own

When franchisees leave, Novus sues.

We found nine federal cases in which Novus's franchisor sued its own current or former franchisees, mostly to stop them from staying in the glass business they had built. Here's what the judges said, including the cases Novus won.

CaseWhat happenedOutcome
Novus v. Brockbank
Federal court, Utah, 2016		Novus sued a former franchisee who had run his own glass business since about 1980, before Novus. The court called Novus's non-compete "extremely broad," noted other courts had narrowed similar Novus clauses, and questioned Novus's "mystery caller" evidence.12Novus's request denied on every ground
Novus v. Dawson
Federal court, Minnesota, and 8th Circuit, 2012–13		The court refused to enforce Novus's non-compete as "more restrictive than necessary." The appeals court said Novus's 17-month wait undercut its claim of harm. The franchisee alleged Novus hid that it had sold a franchise inside his territory; that claim was never decided, and the case was dismissed by agreement.1314Non-compete not enforced
Novus v. Oksendahl / Hemperly
Federal court, Minnesota, 2007		Two Idaho franchisees who had grown "dissatisfied with Novus's business support" let their franchises expire. Novus tried to bar them from all glass repair. The court limited it to Novus's name and products, and cut Novus's fee request to one-third because it "asked for significantly more relief than was ultimately granted."1516Ban on all glass repair denied
Novus v. Dean
Federal court, Minnesota, 2010–11		Texas franchisees who chose not to renew. The court declined to enforce the non-compete, noting Novus had no other franchises in the area and "a limited presence in Texas."17Non-compete not enforced
Novus v. Superior Entrance Systems
Federal court, Wisconsin, 2012–13		The court found no material breach by Novus, awarded it about $124,700 in fees and costs, and limited the non-compete to the franchisee's actual customer area.18Novus won
Novus v. AZ Glassworks
Federal court, Minnesota, 2012–13		The defendants never showed up. Novus got back royalties, fees, and a two-year ban on competing within 10 miles of any Novus location in the U.S. The court denied Novus's claim for $68,040 in lost future royalties.19Novus won by default

All of these cases involve Novus Franchising, Inc., the franchisor entity before the current owners, and none involves the Port Orchard shop. Franchisees' complaints listed above are their allegations, not court findings.

05 · The local stories

What we've seen right here in Kitsap.

"Afterpay is a scam." Then they signed up.

valueGLASS started offering Afterpay so customers could split the cost of a modern windshield into interest-free payments. A representative of Novus Port Orchard came onto our Facebook page and called it a "scam."

A few months later, Novus Port Orchard started offering Afterpay itself. We called it out publicly in April 2026.

valueGLASS meme: Novus last year, Afterpay is a trap; Novus today, we now offer Afterpay

The Silverdale store that wasn't there

Empty former Novus Glass storefront in Silverdale with a novusglass.com sign

Novus announced on its own Facebook page that it had "decided to close" its Silverdale location and sent customers to Port Orchard. But the Silverdale shop kept showing up on Google long after it closed, until valueGLASS reported it and Google marked it permanently closed.

Photo of the empty Silverdale storefront: valueGLASS. The Google listing account is valueGLASS's firsthand account.

Got a Novus quote? Bring it to us.

valueGLASS beats Novus's everyday price by $100 or more with our $100 Price Beat Guarantee on a comparable written Novus quote. Get our quote, book with us, and throw the Novus quote away.

valueGLASS vs. Novus Join Unchained Kitsap

Sources

Check our work.

All sources were accessed October 28, 2026.

  1. Puget Sound Consumers' Checkbook, "Auto Glass Repair & Replacement," last updated June 2026 (undercover price comparison table). checkbook.org
  2. Fix Network, "About us." fixnetwork.com
  3. NOVUS Glass, home page and "About us." novusglass.com
  4. The Seattle Times, "Speedy Auto Glass parent buys competitor Novus," Dec. 16, 1993. seattletimes.com
  5. Fix Auto, "Fix Auto World acquires global rights to NOVUS Glass and other automotive aftermarket companies," Apr. 2017. fixauto.com
  6. CDPQ, "Fix Auto World has announced agreement to purchase assets of 11 glass and automotive companies," Apr. 2017. lacaisse.com
  7. Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Filing System: Novus Franchising 2 LLC (UBI 604 136 202). ccfs.sos.wa.gov
  8. Novus Franchising, "Windshield repair franchise investment." novusfranchising.com
  9. Entrepreneur, Franchise Directory: NOVUS Glass. entrepreneur.com
  10. See cases below; e.g., Novus Franchising, Inc. v. Brockbank, D. Utah No. 1:16-cv-00078. justia.com
  11. Novus Franchising, Inc. v. Taylor (1992). courtlistener.com
  12. Novus Franchising, Inc. v. Brockbank, D. Utah No. 1:16-cv-00078, order denying preliminary injunction, Sept. 8, 2016. justia.com
  13. Novus Franchising, Inc. v. Dawson, 725 F.3d 885 (8th Cir. 2013). ca8.uscourts.gov (PDF)
  14. Novus Franchising, Inc. v. Dawson, D. Minn. No. 12-cv-00529, preliminary injunction order (2012) and stipulated dismissal (2013). govinfo.gov
  15. Novus Franchising, Inc. v. Oksendahl, D. Minn. Nos. 07-1964/1965, order July 17, 2007. govinfo.gov
  16. Novus Franchising, Inc. v. Oksendahl, fee order Mar. 27, 2008. govinfo.gov
  17. Novus Franchising, Inc. v. Dean, D. Minn. No. 10-cv-02834. govinfo.gov
  18. Novus Franchising, Inc. v. Superior Entrance Systems, Inc., W.D. Wis. No. 12-cv-204. govinfo.gov
  19. Novus Franchising, Inc. v. AZ Glassworks, LLC, D. Minn. No. 12-cv-01771, default judgment Mar. 18, 2013. govinfo.gov