Advice on car windscreen issue with main dealer needed

[Julian Thompson]

Butter Face said:

Oh man, I am out

You sir sound like you need to buy brand new cars..... Used cars with used windscreens aren't for you.

Come on that’s hardly fair - he’s done 100 Miles and the repair has failed. If that had been any other kind of repair that had lasted 100 Miles the dealer would have been expected to sort it. If the screen was marginal for a repair in the first instance the dealer should have changed it.

I’m all for buying new because many used cars are rubbish - but the dealers need to start actually doing what they say they do in their nonsense:

“Buy a used XYZ approved used car with two million point check and perfect history. We hand select only the best cars blah blah blah.” It’s utter bollards and they sell anything they can get their hands on and cross their fingers. If they did start inspecting cars and properly evaluating them and bidding on quality and condition rather than that stupid “cap book” then the used car buying experience would be much better.

[Glassman]

sasha320 said:

Dabooka said:

FFS, you can claim on my insurance if it closes this fking thread.

Remember, it is entirely discretionary to read and / or participate in a forum thread.

It is evident from the contrasting views that there is something to debate here - if you choose to.

You should consider using this discretion rather than winding yourself up.

This.



Some people.

[anonymous-user]

Julian Thompson said:

Come on that’s hardly fair - he’s done 100 Miles and the repair has failed. If that had been any other kind of repair that had lasted 100 Miles the dealer would have been expected to sort it. If the screen was marginal for a repair in the first instance the dealer should have changed it.

I’m all for buying new because many used cars are rubbish - but the dealers need to start actually doing what they say they do in their nonsense:

“Buy a used XYZ approved used car with two million point check and perfect history. We hand select only the best cars blah blah blah.” It’s utter bollards and they sell anything they can get their hands on and cross their fingers. If they did start inspecting cars and properly evaluating them and bidding on quality and condition rather than that stupid “cap book” then the used car buying experience would be much better.

We can look forward to your used car emporium then, if running a car business is as simple as evaluating cars.

[Red 4]

Simonium said:

We can look forward to your used car emporium then, if running a car business is as simple as evaluating cars.

Well, there are dealers and there are dealers.

op - where did you buy your car ?

Main agent for the marque/ approved used/ car supermarket/ arthur daley, etc ?

Standard screen or heated, etc ?

[Glassman]

Red 4 said:

standard screen or heated, etc ?

What difference would that make?

[MitchT]

TooMany2cvs said:

MitchT said:

Garage want the OP to claim in his insurance for pre-existing damage. Sound like a bunch of chancers!

It isn't pre-existing.

The screen did not have spider cracks when he took possession of the car, and his insurer put it on risk.

Surely the spider cracks are a consequence of the failure of a previous repair predating the OP's insurance policy on the vehicle.

[Red 4]

Glassman said:

Red 4 said:

standard screen or heated, etc ?

What difference would that make?

Cost - another reason why the dealer may be reluctant to pay for a new screeen.

Edited by Red 4 on Saturday 20th January 14:35

[Glassman]

OP - any chance of an image or two?

[Julian Thompson]

Simonium said:

Julian Thompson said:

Come on that’s hardly fair - he’s done 100 Miles and the repair has failed. If that had been any other kind of repair that had lasted 100 Miles the dealer would have been expected to sort it. If the screen was marginal for a repair in the first instance the dealer should have changed it.

I’m all for buying new because many used cars are rubbish - but the dealers need to start actually doing what they say they do in their nonsense:

“Buy a used XYZ approved used car with two million point check and perfect history. We hand select only the best cars blah blah blah.” It’s utter bollards and they sell anything they can get their hands on and cross their fingers. If they did start inspecting cars and properly evaluating them and bidding on quality and condition rather than that stupid “cap book” then the used car buying experience would be much better.

We can look forward to your used car emporium then, if running a car business is as simple as evaluating cars.

My family has been in the motor trade for the last 50 years and I have a firm grasp of the principles and workings of such. As you may know, many used cars change hands over the telephone with no inspection or checks and they arrive at the dealerships for prep and sale. Some are good cars and some are bad cars. The “careful evaluation” of “only the best” cars doesn’t take place and instead they’re bought on colour, spec, mileage and year.

And, in fact, I know a couple of traders who make excellent money bidding outside of “cap” both up and down because they actively get down and dirty, ditch the cheap suit and inspect the cars they buy properly. There are many specialists like this - and in my experience their cars are better than the others...

[sasha320]

Red 4 said:

Glassman said:

Red 4 said:

standard screen or heated, etc ?

What difference would that make?

Cost - another reason why the dealer may be reluctant to pay for a new screeen.

Edited by Red 4 on Saturday 20th January 14:35

The windscreen has HUD, traffic sign monitoring, active cruise control and lane keeping assist - all factors that make the screen (or fitting it) higher cost possibly?

[sasha320]

Red 4 said:

Simonium said:

We can look forward to your used car emporium then, if running a car business is as simple as evaluating cars.

Well, there are dealers and there are dealers.

op - where did you buy your car ?

Main agent for the marque/ approved used/ car supermarket/ arthur daley, etc ?

Standard screen or heated, etc ?

Main dealer for a very well known German brand, approved used car 2.5 years old, list price £95k

[sasha320]

Glassman said:

sasha320 said:

Glassman said:

OP - just so that I've got this clear - for 100 miles you didn't spot the [repaired] damage and it suddenly cracked off?

No. The glass was showing no sign of repairs, chips or cracks.

The cracks surfaced after 100 miles of driving.

Care to elaborate for me, please? No signs would indicate you were happy with the condition of the glass. For a crack to 'appear' would either need an impact/trauma, or for the 'repair' to have been incomplete, in which case there would be evidence of this before the event?

I was happy with the condition of the glass when I inspected the car as there were no signs of any chips, cracks or repairs.

That said I wouldn’t see anything other than an obvious chip or crack.

The cracks appeared once the car started getting driven (normally).

For me, the point here is that the repair could not withstand normal driving.

[Torcars]

It's interesting that the established PH view is that only tts claim on insurance for made up personal injury claims etc.

I'm in full agreement.

But it's OK to collude with a lazy dealer and make a fraudulent insurance claim for a windscreen.

OP, I wish you well with this.

I'm sure a quick call to the DP will have this sorted in no time.

All the potential hassle paperwork and negative attention from the manufacturer must make the cost of new glass look attractive to him

[Red 4]

sasha320 said:

The windscreen has HUD, traffic sign monitoring, active cruise control and lane keeping assist - all factors that make the screen (or fitting it) higher cost possibly?

And therein lies the reason why the dealer has botched it.

Price up the cost.
No way will the dealer have wanted to pay for it - hence off-loading the issue on his superdooper approved, 1 million point checks, fancy showroom, sold by shiney suited, pointy shoe'd smooth talking snake oil salesmen of BMW (or Audi).

[sasha320]

Torcars said:

It's interesting that the established PH view is that only tts claim on insurance for made up personal injury claims etc.

I'm in full agreement.

But it's OK to collude with a lazy dealer and make a fraudulent insurance claim for a windscreen.

OP, I wish you well with this.

I'm sure a quick call to the DP will have this sorted in no time.

All the potential hassle paperwork and negative attention from the manufacturer must make the cost of new glass look attractive to him

Thanks Torcars, I hope the DP is able to look at this in a different light too.

I must say I was surprised by both the dealer’s and the PH response that drawing on my insurance was seen as a reasonable option. Fraud aside, if there is an insurance payout it is surely with the dealer, ergo the windscreen technician’s insurance.

Note, I wrote ‘IF there is...’; taking everyone’s opinion onboard it still remains to be seen whether I signed up to the risk of a previous repair creating a problem on a ‘consumable’ and having no recourse irrespective of potentially being in the ‘right’...

Hot off the press - threw in a call to the National Customer Services number just now and although the response was based on my version of events, at face value the agent said there is a strong possibility of a new screen even if it is off the back of pure goodwill.

Edited by sasha320 on Saturday 20th January 16:09

[Red 4]

I had an interesting conversation with a dealer principal recently.

He said he's not always aware of what goes on in sales/ service/ aftersales but if he did, then he would do all he could to solve the problem(s).

He was a nice chap.
The problem is resolved. I am happy. So is he.
Hopefully, if you escalate this, your problem will be resolved too.

[anonymous-user]

helmutlaang said:

Take up their offer of paying excess and move on.
Life is too short.

I think this falls under the 'st happens' heading. It is the same as having a screen replaced then getting a chip 500 miles later. As much as dealers can take the piss I think they are being reasonable but fully entitled to say not my problem, suck it up.

Having read the full thread, the dealer has no idea how/where the car has been driven so I don't believe it is easy to apportion responsibility.

The argument about quality of repair and not lasting for an acceptable period of time is I think difficult to prove , if we had smooth roads and potholes were unheard of then I would err towards unsuccesful repair but we don't. On the balance I think it is just unfortunate circumstances and now about mitigating the financial loss.

Would the OP view the situation differently if he had put 10k miles on the car before this happened?

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 20th January 16:53

[Mexman]

Julian Thompson said:

Come on that’s hardly fair - he’s done 100 Miles and the repair has failed. If that had been any other kind of repair that had lasted 100 Miles the dealer would have been expected to sort it. If the screen was marginal for a repair in the first instance the dealer should have changed it.

I’m all for buying new because many used cars are rubbish - but the dealers need to start actually doing what they say they do in their nonsense:

“Buy a used XYZ approved used car with two million point check and perfect history. We hand select only the best cars blah blah blah.” It’s utter bollards and they sell anything they can get their hands on and cross their fingers. If they did start inspecting cars and properly evaluating them and bidding on quality and condition rather than that stupid “cap book” then the used car buying experience would be much better.

Yeah, its all bollards isn't it? Bloody dealers, blah, blah, and I suppose you would have been over the moon wouldn't you if this was your car that you took in to be appraised at part exchange time and the nasty salesman told you he was going to chip you £300 on the part exchange price, because the windscreen had a chip in it??
You would be on here moaning that you got offered a st part exchange price and the chip could be repaired for £20 blah, blah.
We cannot win can we, damned if we do, damned if we don't.
Bloody customers, go buy a new one if you don't want used condition.

Edited by Mexman on Saturday 20th January 17:03

Edited by Mexman on Saturday 20th January 17:04

[Mexman]

Red 4 said:

And therein lies the reason why the dealer has botched it.

Price up the cost.
No way will the dealer have wanted to pay for it - hence off-loading the issue on his superdooper approved, 1 million point checks, fancy showroom, sold by shiney suited, pointy shoe'd smooth talking snake oil salesmen of BMW (or Audi).

I think you will find that the salesman does not give a st what happens in the workshop regarding checks etc, that's not our job, we are paid to sell and kick the car out of the door.
Nice stereotypical view of a salesman though....... Yet again,.....yawn :rolleyes

Edited by Mexman on Saturday 20th January 17:11

[Red 4]

Mexman said:

I think you will find that the salesman does not give a st what happens in the workshop regarding checks etc,

Clearly.