Autoglass Grrrrrrrrrr #1 - Halfords Grrrrrrrrrr #2
Discussion
My wife's Seat had the small (star) windscreen chip, so I called her insurers to arrange a repair. On their say so they said call Autoglass. Well after a 10 min conversation with a chap he was certain the car needed a new windscreen. Cost £75 against a £10 repair.
Now I have had cars done before and was sure his statement of "if the chip is bigger than a pin head, you will need a new windscreen" was wrong. At this point I finished the call.
After thinking it through I phoned back, the Autoglass chap again said "if the chip is bigger than a pin head etc etc" we would need a replacement windscreen. I said I wanted to talk to a Manager as I was certain they were conning me, the insurance co and maybe plenty of people of their hard earned cash.
The Manager then confirms, the guys should be saying a "drawing pin head", not a normal pin head.
So how many people have had screens done, who did not need it done?
My Halfords issue is that they have some very good deals on car stereos, so I bought a MP3 CD player with i-pod conectivity etc etc for not very much money. But they said I needed a converter switch for the leads. £20 odd quid, fair enough I thought.
Well I went to fit it today and spent 20 mins trying to work out the way it fitted together and could I get it to work, I could not. Then I removed the converter switch to find the stereo connections worked perfectly without it.
Then I realised 4 months ago, I'd done the same process with the same model car (that I had later sold) but I'd got Halfords to fit the stereo (circa £30/£40 cost to fit) plus the £20 lead converter.
So are they conning us too?
Now I have had cars done before and was sure his statement of "if the chip is bigger than a pin head, you will need a new windscreen" was wrong. At this point I finished the call.
After thinking it through I phoned back, the Autoglass chap again said "if the chip is bigger than a pin head etc etc" we would need a replacement windscreen. I said I wanted to talk to a Manager as I was certain they were conning me, the insurance co and maybe plenty of people of their hard earned cash.
The Manager then confirms, the guys should be saying a "drawing pin head", not a normal pin head.
So how many people have had screens done, who did not need it done?
My Halfords issue is that they have some very good deals on car stereos, so I bought a MP3 CD player with i-pod conectivity etc etc for not very much money. But they said I needed a converter switch for the leads. £20 odd quid, fair enough I thought.
Well I went to fit it today and spent 20 mins trying to work out the way it fitted together and could I get it to work, I could not. Then I removed the converter switch to find the stereo connections worked perfectly without it.
Then I realised 4 months ago, I'd done the same process with the same model car (that I had later sold) but I'd got Halfords to fit the stereo (circa £30/£40 cost to fit) plus the £20 lead converter.
So are they conning us too?
Seats have a standard ISO connector but the switched and permanent power feeds are the other way around. So it would plug straight in but lose its memory every time you turn the ignition off. Most stereos have spade connectors that allow you to switch it over, so possibly the one they fitted didn't have that?
Papa Hotel said:
You're not allowed to name and shame blud.
But you can go near enough... like halfrauds etc..... mind you the 2 in question are like Krap fit....Sharks and con men....as for Halfrauds...too many children working there with no car knowledge,got to be a market for a car "handyman" to do those niggly things garages hate and or won't do...The problem with Hell-frauds on this particular theme is, as said, there is a lot of young folks working there.
I myself work there on and off when I'm not at uni.
And to be fair, the wages are ones which only attract the youth! But that is by the by.
I like to think I have an ok knowledge of the inside of a car, but a lot of time, we have to go off what it says on the computer screen in the store, without going out and looking at each car individually.
But I feel your pain sir, there are a lot of idiots working at the 'frauds.
Take the leads back and you'll get a refund no problems
I myself work there on and off when I'm not at uni.
And to be fair, the wages are ones which only attract the youth! But that is by the by.
I like to think I have an ok knowledge of the inside of a car, but a lot of time, we have to go off what it says on the computer screen in the store, without going out and looking at each car individually.
But I feel your pain sir, there are a lot of idiots working at the 'frauds.
Take the leads back and you'll get a refund no problems

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