RAC Autowindscreens

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Sp!ke

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On Saturday, I decided to get my windscreen changed as it was cracked. What a mistake that was. :(

When I collected the car, it was raining and getting dark and the car was by now parked up outside. I drove it home got it in the garage for a look at the work done and was horrified at what I saw.

The fitter (Baboon) used so much sealant that it was everywhere, fingerprints all over the bodywork, on the glass, it even splurged through to the interior of the car so now even from the drivers seat I could see splurges of black sealant coming through between the glass and interior trim all around the windscreen area.

Worse was to come however. The metal sealing strips were incorrectly lined up and not fixed properly and in places there was gaps of up to a centimetre in size...The wiper assembly clearly hadn’t been removed for the job as the rubber seals were missing in an attempt to seal the area, the mastic gun had been used again...to such an extent that it was interfering with the wiper movement.

Shards of glass were left inside the car (remember the old screen was only cracked, not broken) and the whole bonnet area was covered in small pieces of glass also....and there was muddy footprints on the front seats.

Anyway, I rang up Autoglass and an hour later the same Baboon came to put right what he had done.

In an attempt to clean up his mess, he managed to further damage the car. The two alloy strips either side of the windscreen have now got visible stress fractures as the baboon tried to bend them to fit (???), and still do not line up correctly. The two interior panels on the front A pillars have now been cut by a Stanley blade as the baboon tried to remove excess sealant. The interior still looks like it has Sh*te due to the (still) visible sealant everywhere and now the whole front of the car rattles and vibrates at certain revs since the work was done. :crazy:

I rang RAC Auto windscreens head office as I no-longer want the particular branch/baboon involved due to their/his incompetence. To be fair, head office seemed quite concerned and supportive and I an inspector is going to come and inspect the car tomorrow.

I will keep you posted on the outcome.


:crazy:
 
Baboon is the description I would use for all Auto Glass fitters I have met too.

Discouraging really, I am not sure if you can do the £50 excess thing and have MB do the job for you :(
 
I know on some policies there is a maximum amount payable if you don't go where they say so I guess it depends on the cost from an MB dealer and your particular policy.

Hope it all get sorted OK.

Cheers,

Phil
 
It was also RAC Autowinscreens who replaced my side window (see earlier posting about "E" numbers). I made a point of staying and watching what they done. Much to thier annoyance.

I had to watch 3 teenagers struggle to take the door trim off whilst they asked each other how the panel un-clipped :mad: .

Never would I trust them to touch my car again.

Best of luck though Spike:) .
 
Ive actually had the RAC fit a screen on one of our peugeot partner vans, and while not the most immaculate vehicle, they did a good clean job, both men must have been in there mid 40's or so, and were very polite as i observed there work...

they made a little mess while removing the old bonding, but proceeded to hoover the mats/seats and clean the dash off...

in my opinion, they did a good job, and could have hardly improved, given the job...
:rolleyes:
 
I have just had a call from the area manager at RAC Autowindscreens.

He rang to say that all the bits I claimed had been damaged have been ordered from Mercedes and he will call me when the parts come in and arrange for the glass to be done again properly at a different depot using their 'mercedes specialist' in Feltham Middx.

The parts came in at just under the £300 mark and I didnt even have to create too much commotion about it before they agreed to get the parts in.

If all goes well, then their customer services team need commending - its just a shame that the original baboon was allowed to be let loose on my car.
 
MB specialist in feltham huh? I think they are autoglass based in feltham trading estate.

I would ask for the windscreen to be put in by autoglass at MB under supervision from the stealership and yourself.
 
Thats why i had a good experience of having the screen fitted...must be good to be MB specialists... ;)
 
Just to update this story somewhat.

Although RAC Autowindscreens did claim they had ordered the damaged parts and were going to redo the job properly

That was now a month ago and I haven't heard a word from them about it since.

I have been so busy recently I haven't had the time to chase it. Tomorrow I am going to fire off another email to their headquarters and somewhere within the text will be a link to this thread. ;)

Perhaps they'd like to comment in a public forum about the matter.
 
Arhhhh...got a crack the size of an elephants **** across my screen and not looking forward to getting it replaced now!!!
 
Originally posted by Wheelie
Does that Ernest drive a C class??? Does anyone know what is involved in changing a C class screen???

I know how you feel. I have LOADS of nicks and scrathces on mine, which I would normally not risk for sake of £40 excess, but I am leaving until it is desperate. I have a rainsensor too.

Have read previously (Steve MBenz I think) that in his opinion, the wiper should come off, otherise sufficient access to apply the bonding correctly for the new screen would not be possible.

Last thread I read, with someone getting a W202 screen replaced by Autoglass or whoever it was, said this was not done, but were oterwise happy.


If you are supervising the replacement, you will find these pieces pop off by depressing the obvious tabs.

vent.jpg


This pic shows the bottom of the windscreen and how it just overlaps and is bonded. You can see MBenz's point.

GrillsOff.jpg



Let us know how you get on.
 
I had mine replaced by Autoglass through my insurance last summer. First time out he bought a 190 screen:mad: but next time he had the right one with the right tint and sun strip at the top, evidently these vary!

He did a very good clean job, at the time I was surprised at how much stripping down he did, side trim and lower trim and he even removed the wiper!! Once he had finished he replaced my phone aerial tax disc holder gave the screen a good clean and told me not to use the car for at least 5 hours and then only to drive home to allow it to set.

I have since rang them as I get a very bad smear from the wiper even after changing the blade, I thought it might be the glass but they said it would be a build up of wash/wax and an oily film. They said the best thing to remove it is T-Cut:crazy: but it does work.;)

I would recommend Autoglass, but this bloke was a good one who knew what he was doing!! Not all of them do.
 
Had my windscreen replaced yesterday by auto glass. Shudes experience prompted me into action.

I had 12 small chips in the old screen, and then another stone hit the screen right in my line of vision of Thursday. My NSF side window had always had vertical scratching from grit in the rubber seal.

I called the Autoglass helpline, and told them my windscreen was chiped, and my side window was damaged. I thought I would end up paying two excess' but she said as they was only comming out once there was only one excess to pay! :D

The guy arrived a bit later than expected, and after reading previous posts here I watched him like a hawk. He changed the NSF side window first, and I was impressed with the care he took in doing it.

I got talking to him, turns out he had been glass fitting 15 years, and acording to him new fitters are provided with no real training, and people only learn by there mistakes!!!

Next was the windscreen, wiper arm off, all the trim came off and the new windscreen was fitted.

He then pointed out a very small scratch on the OSF side window, which I hadent even noticed. He offered to replace thst too, as he had brought both sides out with him. I of course accepted his offer :D

He whilst talking to me broke a clip on the OSF door handle, and he told me if it didn't "grip" anymore they would replace it. Fair enough I think.

Filled in the job card, and not one piece of glass on the list for him to bring was the correct one for my car. The guy had selected the right ones based on his experience. The call centre had selected the wrong tint, and no sun strip on the windscreen.

Anyway, he told me he was planning on leaving Autoglass soon, as the pressure he was bing put under by the company (job quotas etc) ment the he was running ver long hours, and was not paid overtime for this. In his words, you either cut corners to get the work done or have no lunch and work late.

Looks like I got lucky, and got a decent fitter. I will call them tomorrow to order an replacement handle. Things could have been a lot worse!
 
I noticed a stonechip in my rear window yesterday:crazy:

I am perplexed how i could get one there :devil:
 
I've just seen a TV ad for Autoglass, I must confess that having read this thread my first reaction was to burst out laughing.

Seems that the odd's of getting a chimp or a champ to replace the screen are similar to playing 'Russian Roulette'.

S.
 
I have a large crack that is splintering in my line of sight, which needs seeing to. That with the other 3 chips in the screen I think it will be a replacement job.

Elephant.co.uk use RAC Auto Windscreens, fingers crossed!
 
how has this thread managed to spend SO LONG in the wrong section? :)

Moving to bodywork...
 

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