Customer has identified stone chip in windscreen 4 days after delivery - what would you do ?

[jamslug 91]

A customer took delivery of a 6 year old Honda Cr-V with 98,000 miles on Friday.

 

I have received an email this morning with a photograpgh of a stonechip in the windscreen (which is attached to this) and he wants me 'to do something about it'.

 

I don't believe it is something to worry about, and in my opinion the car exceeds the conditon expected of a vehicle of this age and mileage.

 

He has explained to me that it will cost him £75 because of his windscreen policy excess, so he is not a happy bunny.

 

He calls it significant, although, on the photo, if the key is pressed against the windscreen, it is a very very small chip.

'I have identified a significant defect extant upon delivery'.

 

 

What would you do in the this situation?

 

 

 

[GreenGiant 287]

Shouldn't be more than a tenner for a windscreen repair via his insurer.

Tell him to get his insurance co's approved repairer to mend the chip (not a replacement screen - shouldn't need it from what we see in the picture ) and for him to send you a VAT receipt for a goodwill refund. Chances are he won't bother. However, from the wording of the Email, I suspect he probably will. Recorded delivery. CC'd to your local Trading Standards. And the AA, the local paper, TripAdvisor, That's Life and Rogue Traders c/o the BBC via FaceSpace.

If he insists it's £75 for a repair (which it won't be), or that he wants a new screen, I would suggest he supplies you with a copy of the insurance schedule as proof of costs. Then call Autoglass or whoever on his behalf and make the arrangements for them to repair it and send you the bill.

Or call his bluff and say it wasn't there when it left you.

Or tell him you've ceased trading.

Maybe not that.

[Gavin@Rousdon 137]

To repair a windscreen chip is no more then £25+ VAT max. Most insurance companies will do it for free in any case.

 

Also challenge his wording. its clearly not a 'significant defect' its at best a 'minor defect consumate with the age and mileage of the vehicle'  Also why did he not report it on Friday, the delivery day. Point out you didn;t notice it nor did he when he first looked at the car and left a deposit or when he picked it up (unless he did everything on one visit).

 

I would asked him to return the car so you can inspect it. If he does, claim it wasn't there when you sold it but offer to repair it with him paying £25 and you will pay the rest. If he refuses to return the car say your not paying for what you can't see.

 

Its it really worth having an unhappy customer for the sake of £25???

[James Baggott 227]

I'd tell him where to get off. How do you know he didn't get it on the way home. He should have checked the car properly... And £75? Jesus, why is he moaning. And I'm on the customer's side of the fence...

[Gavin@Rousdon 137]

Had a similar situation last year with a customer on a 53 Plate BMW. A week after picking it up he claimed there was a chip and a 3 inch crack in the screen and that it shouldn't of passed an MOT, I asked him to bring the car in but instead he sent pictures. He claimed that the screen was going to cost him £125 on his insurance. I offered to pay £50 but would need to see the car or have a report from the windscreen company. Next he claims the screen has already been replaced and starts getting a little agressive in his emails. I ask him to scan the report from AutoWindscreen and a copy of the invoice and send it to me.

 

Next I get a copy of the invoice, hand written on a invoice book you can buy from a shop. I now know he is trying it on and I respond via email (all this is done by email!!) telling him so and pointing out what a poor attempt it is.  He get all agressive again, threatens court etc etc.

 

4 days later I get an email saying the ABS light is on, I say bring it in. Turns out it was a genuine ABS fault but he will only drop it off after hours and pick it up after hours (leaving the key somewhere safe) clearly trying to avoid me!!

 

As expected the windscreen hadn't been replaced and the crack was a mere mark outside of any line of vision.

 

Turns out he had spent £100 at BMW  getting the fault code read in trying to avoid bringing the car back to me, once they had quoted him BMW prices to fix it ( over £400 ) did he decide he would have to admit defeat and bring the car back.

 

Morale of the story, always ask the customer to bring the car back so you can see the fault, they will try it on. In the end him trying to get money out of me ended up costing him.

 

The joy of customers !!!!

[Screenman 47]

That has already been repair or attempted to be repaired before, I can see that from here, as for the bubbles in the pit fill, very poor job indeed. It is unlikely to spread  although that pit fill will fall out in time.

 

Windscreen repair is easy to do well with the correct tools and training, unfortunately here in the UK people seem easily conned when it comes to repairs.

[Linctrader 16]

'Her indoors' will have chipped it whilst out to lunch showing her gin drinking pals her new 4x4, and after giving her grief upon her return home, he will then have apologised, hugging her and telling her not to be upset, he would just take it back to the dealer and blame him for not pointing it out when he took delivery ('the scoundrel') insisting highly upon a repair...

In fact, the more he thinks about his great idea, he might just push for a screen replacement instead!

What a clever chap he is and his wife gets to rest easy knowing he's focusing his full attention on the poor bugger who sold it to him and she can calm her nerves with another bottle of gin.

Or some other similar bollocks he cooked up.

I would be polite but tell him to get knotted...you done your prep before sale and I'm assuming he signed a pdi on handover so you have nothing to resolve here.

[Arfur Dealy 823]

Tradex,old post resurrected by newby SPAM

[Screenman 47]

Not spam, I have been repairing screens for 30 years and re-educating poorly trained techs and new techs for the last 20 years. I have received the industries highest award in the USA  a country I have never even been too. I meet dealers and sales people every working day who cannot tell if a repair has been poorly filled like this one has, people who believe what they are told when the replacement guy who has no interest or skill at repairing says it is not repairable or that is the best that can be done. 

If it looks like any more than a dried raindrop when finished the repair was not carried out correctly.

Please ask any questions, even post pictures, I am happy to discuss. I am on a mission to try and improve the standard in my industry and you guys can help.

[It's me 615]

the bottom line is we is traders and if joe nick can do the bullseye for 10 nicker wes gonna use im innit

[Screenman 47]

If in doubt drag a pen across is, you will feel a waxy feel as the pen goes across the pit fill that you will not feel on the glass. Sometimes the pen will mark the resin when it will not mark the glass.

My dealers pay me £45 for a quality repair that the customer will not notice, no shortage of work and I am certainly not after any more.

[Arfur Dealy 823]

Screenman, apologies I was expecting you to bombard us with a new screen repair service. 

I would be interested in you showing us some photos of your work before and after repair....

[Tom 164]

I buy the cheap windscreen kits on ebay with good results

[Tom 164]

17 minutes ago, tradex said:

Tell  more, never seen these?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Crack-Premium-Repair-Kit-Windscreen-DIY-Chip-Windshield-Auto-Glass-Wind-Screen/676458307?iid=142009969739&_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D49131%26meid%3Deebc6f2cfa8147518271082a1f66e6ea%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D262412907487&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

Check as chips and it does work

Cheap*

[BHM 994]

Squirt a bit of superglue in - it makes the punters it’s been repaired. 

[Tom 164]

2 minutes ago, BHM said:

Squirt a bit of superglue in - it makes the punters it’s been repaired. 

Super glue cracks glass! 

[BHM 994]

Well, I’ve never seen glass break because it’s got Super Glue on it. So there! 

[Tom 164]

1 hour ago, BHM said:

Well, I’ve never seen glass break because it’s got Super Glue on it. So there! 

I've sadly done it whilst trying to super glue a rear view mirror back on. Crack! 

This guy shows you how to do it using the same kit 

 

[It's me 615]

22 minutes ago, Tom said:

I've sadly done it whilst trying to super glue a rear view mirror back on. Crack! 

 

 

was it a ford?

i stopped using superglue on interior mirrors years ago because of fiesta thin glass breakage issues

[Screenman 47]

Bit of artistic license going on with that video. He seems to have missed the very importatnt moisture removal process that we all need to use over here.

Super glue has a much different expansion scale compared with glass when heated or cooled, this can create stresses within the glass. Common one was people trying to stick rear view mirrors back on Maetro's and Mondeo's back in the day.

Arfur, I would like to see any pictures that you have and will comment on them honestly.

[Arfur Dealy 823]

4 minutes ago, Screenman said:

 

Arfur, I would like to see any pictures that you have and will comment on them honestly.

I’m afraid I cannot excite you in that manor, I’d rather blind myself with a spoon than fix windscreens for a career.

You however are claiming to be an expert. Why can’t you show us some of your superior glass fixing jobs, surely you photograph before and after ?

[Screenman 47]

Arfur, sorry I misunderstood you, I though that you wanted to see if you were getting good value for money from your repair guy as many are not. For sure I could post some pictures up but not sure what that would prove as they could belong to somebody else, or as in the video above show artistic manipulation.

With a bit of google I doubt it would be hard to find out a bit about myself, nothing to hide here and I am not after any more work. I just see people being ripped off daily and have spent years trying to improve our industry standards, bit odd I know coming from a background as a South West London car dealer in the eighties.

 

 

[Arfur Dealy 823]

4 minutes ago, Screenman said:

10 minutes ago, Screenman said:

Arfur, sorry I misunderstood you, I though that you wanted to see if you were getting good value for money from your repair guy as many are not. For sure I could post some pictures up but not sure what that would prove as they could belong to somebody else, or as in the video above show artistic manipulation.

With a bit of google I doubt it would be hard to find out a bit about myself, nothing to hide here and I am not after any more work. I just see people being ripped off daily and have spent years trying to improve our industry standards, bit odd I know coming from a background as a South West London car dealer in the eighties.

 

 

I just thought you could substantiate your expertise. Clearly not

[Screenman 47]

I welcome a visit from anyone you wish to nominate Arfur, pictures will prove nothing.

1 hour ago, tradex said:

The dealership works van -south coast division- has a nasty screen chip so invested 4 quid on one of those cheap kits, if only to see why we pay our screen man to have holidays in top Venice hotels

Did you work it out?

Edited November 8, 2017 by Screenman
Spelling

[Arfur Dealy 823]

 

15 minutes ago, Screenman said:

I welcome a visit from anyone you wish to nominate Arfur, pictures will prove nothing.

Did you work it out?

Nothing would bore me more to tears............