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Auto Windscreens
by SmashBob84
Imagine my dismay when I leave work at 5pm only to find a random crack about 3 inches long in the bottom of the drivers side of my windscreen. Great, more money.
Being the responsible citizen I am, I get home, I call my insurers (Hastings Direct) who put me through to my windscreen repair people which are covered on my fully ... comprehensive insurance for just £65.00 excess. The guy on the phone asks me some questions about my car, some of which (as I have only had the car three months) I tell him I'm not 100% sure of the answer. The Toyota Yaris from 2006 has two windscreen options, but he tells me he thinks he knows which one. I'm told the earliest they can do is the following week if I choose my home address, and two weeks for my work one. I reluctantly book the afternoon off work and hand over my DD details.
The following week comes and low and behold, the man from AW turns up with the wrong windscreen. I call up the office, quite annoyed as I've taken the afternoon off, and they tell me it is now another two week wait. When I mention that they should be pushing mine through quicker due to an error on their part, they manage to fit me in the week before - amazing. And they're coming to my workplace, even better. I am told that I should be the first one out in the afternoon. They can only confirm either between 9 - 1, or 1 - 5, a little inconvenient as I finish work at 5 and there is a minimum of 1 hour drying time after it is fitted. I didn't really want to be hanging around at work for an extra hour or so, so he confirms that I am first on the list for the afternoon - fab.
Wednesday 1pm comes, 2pm comes, 3pm comes. At 3.30 I call up and am told that the guy doing my windscreen has been stuck on another job - not bad as I was the first one due that afternoon. I ask when he is likely to come out and he says in about an hour, which is no good as it takes an hour to fit and an hour to wait - meaning I wouldn't even start my 1 hour journey home until 6.30pm. We rearrange it, I am again told there is a two week wait, and I again remind them that this is now twice due to something they have not done correctly. I get it rearranged for the Friday - two days time, amazing what a little persuasion can do - and I'm first on the list again!
9am Friday comes and goes, and this time I don't call. I wait. And wait. At 11.45pm I get a call to say they won't be doing my car today as the fitter they have has called up ill this morning. I understand that illness can't be helped, however I ask why it has taken 2.45 hours to inform me and am given a sob story which just doesn't wash. Same old story about the two week wait, except this time I also add I am due to go on holiday on the following Friday and I WAS supposed to be taking my car.... he tells me he can do first thing on the Friday, I mention I am slightly skeptical due to the past few times but he GUARANTEES me so I am obviously reassured...
At 8.45 I get a call to say that the fitter is about 30 minutes away - HOORAY! I get a call at 9.30 (45 minutes later but never mind they are here!) to ask why I'm not answering my front door - you guessed it, they've gone to my home address not my work one. The fitter is less than impressed and I AM FUMING. I am booked to be on annual leave from 12noon that day to travel to Wiltshire in a car with a crack in the windscreen (which is now over a foot long due to the snow, apprehensive driving or what?!).
The fitter finally gets to me at 10.45 and leaves at 12.30 telling me I need to wait an hour and apologising for the mix up - not his fault - I say, and call up the office.
When I call the office I also realise I have never received any receipt, proof of purchase or who I bought the windscreen from for insurance purposes. I am told that I should have got them but that the printer broke, the guy apologises and says they will be in the post.
So, not only did it take a month to get my windscreen fixed after four attempts, but, I was spoken to rudely, told that I shouldn't worry that the crack had grown (even thought I pointed out it was an MOT failure and theoretically the police could have given me points if I had been pulled over) and that it wasn't dangerous to drive which contradicts the adverts which tell you that if you have a chip in your windscreen you should get it fixed asap.
It is now a month since I used their 'services', I have complained to them, written two emails (which are guaranteed to be answered within 48 hours and have been ignored), posted two letters and had no response and so have written a letter to my insurer who have sorted everything out within 2 weeks and I have been issued a refund. Still no proof I ever got my windscreen fixed though....
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