In praise of Autoglass

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C240Sport97

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My R231 SL had its windscreen replaced today at Autoglass Romford. They could not come to my flat because my SL has the driving assistance package, which means that the camera (for lane keeping assist and speed limit assist) has to be re-calibrated following fitment of a new windscreen.

They did a great job. No mess, no damage. They used seat covers. Windscreen fitted perfectly. Everything works as it should. All done in under two hours, as promised.

Best of all, a genuine Mercedes windscreen was used.

Very pleased. I was quite nervous at the prospect of Autoglass even touching my car.
 
Autoglass did a great job on my S203 :thumb:
 
Yep, they did a great job on our S205. Screen replacement first time and a few months later chip repair to the new screen. They get to do it again tomorrow on the MX-5 which I'm hoping is just a chip repair. I make it 9mm across, but it's in Zone A so we'll just have to see.
 
It's great to read a positive post.

I've had good experiences from the likes of KwikFit and others but expressing this goes against the grain of the forum sometimes.

Not sure about Kwikfit but F1 autocentres are HORRIBLE and I tried 2 different branches :D
 
As with any of these types, it's the man that makes the difference, not the company name. My one experience of Autoglass appeared OK at the time, but he'd cut through the paint and galvanising at the top of the frame, hid the damage under the rubber seal, so 3 years later I had problems. AA Windscreens have done my S204 twice (in 3 months!!), same guy both times, excellent. Halfords Autocentre Ashford were/are good for MoT, but their Folkestone tester is/was a PITA!
 
Not sure about Kwikfit but F1 autocentres are HORRIBLE and I tried 2 different branches :D

True.

The manager of my nearest KF is a petrolhead and looks after my cars well when I use them.
 
True.

The manager of my nearest KF is a petrolhead and looks after my cars well when I use them.

Yeah, it’s a bit of a lottery with Kwikfit.

I never win the lottery when I play though so I stick with places recommended on here ;)
 
Not sure about Kwikfit but F1 autocentres are HORRIBLE and I tried 2 different branches :D


Indeed and this can be a great shame. Some seem not realise that the sheer volume of business that Autoglass, Kwikfit, Halfords and their like deal with in any given day. It is huge!! No excuses but Pareto's principle still applies here and we can help ourselves them to help us, by setting expectation very clearly upfront and not waiting until we have found an "issue"

All of the above have gone way beyond good service to help me out over the past couple of years, to the point you wonder if the can make money on my cars?

On my 31 year old W124 Estate the rear windscreen arrived scratched beyond repair from Pilkington. Autoglass got a director on the case and insisted on doing the job free of charge (it was chargeable as I had damaged the glass) They also agreed to ft a new front windscreen on the same day using the same team, who knew 124's very well and had it done without a hitch. To say I was impressed would be an understatement.
 
Yeah, it’s a bit of a lottery with Kwikfit.

I never win the lottery when I play though so I stick with places recommended on here ;)

My own experience with Autoglass, Kwikfit, Halfords, ATS, and National is that it's 100% down to the person that works on your car. Some were brilliant, others were cr@p. You would hope for some more consistency from a national chain, but alas this was not my experience.
 
I had good experience with Autoglass Croydon, the same guy did two of my cars. I also have good experience with local Kwik Fit, since it's across the street and they know me. I ask them when they're not busy and only go then.
 
Autoglass will never touch any of my cars. They are a complete rip off. They charge a fortune compared to your local windscreen independent. Im sure some will say 'ahh but its my insurance company that pays'. Yes it is but they recoup those costs in the premiums we all pay.

W169 A class screen quote from autoglass : £640
Local independent windscreen company: £340

Genuine part and its supporting local business too.

One last thing to remember is that many newer cars now have cameras on them that require calibration and alignment. This requires a Mercedes specific tool.
 
trouble is, my (and most) insurance company will only pay for windscreen claims via their chosen supplier.

I had a new windscreen for my CLS55 fitted by Autoglass also .. again, the chap who came was excellent; and loved the AMG
 
Do windscreen claims affect NCB/renewal price?

If so I think I’d just pay out of my pocket
 
generally, windscreens are excluded from NCB impact

MB wanted £1600 for the job!
 
The Autoglass guy has just finished repairing the chip in the Mazda. Pretty good job, nice chap too.

When they replaced the screen in our S205, they used (by request) OEM glass, did a good job of removing the old screen and fitted the new one accurately. They were able to calibrate the camera (our car only has one). This at their depot in Knowsley.

I would have been happy to use an independent firm, but my insurance company specify Autoglass to be the repairer. So not an option.
 
We had Autoglass come out to our house to replace windscreens on my BM and my daughters Fiat last year and they did a top job on both, the guy that came out to do the Fiat even fixed an annoying rattle in the dash when my daughter mentioned it to him
 
I had Autoglass renew the rear screen on my Kia Picanto (the Bin lorry reversed into it!). Autoglass are the specialists appointed by my insurance company. The chap who replaced my screen did a first class job. He was very careful, despite the wee Kia being 12 years old and not exactly a premium machine :)

He was a bit of a petrol head too, so we had a good natter about his experiences with various BMW 5 series that have passed through his hands.
 
The Autoglass guy has just finished repairing the chip in the Mazda. Pretty good job, nice chap too.

When they replaced the screen in our S205, they used (by request) OEM glass, did a good job of removing the old screen and fitted the new one accurately. They were able to calibrate the camera (our car only has one). This at their depot in Knowsley.

I would have been happy to use an independent firm, but my insurance company specify Autoglass to be the repairer. So not an option.
It's always an option .

It is YOUR car and no one can tell you where you have to take it for service or repair . The most they can do ( quite reasonably ) is not to pay out any more than their preferred repairer would charge , but if you pay the difference then that's fine .
 

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