Safelite Windshield Replacement Leads To Worse Damage

[2112]

I don’t have a Twitter account, but from what I’ve read, large businesses are loathe to have their bad service aired out on Twitter.

Maybe if Safelite doesn’t make you whole, in a timely fashion, you can document your story there and tag all the local dealers, Ford, Chevy etc.

I mean, you have been wronged, so it isn’t as though you would be tweeting falsehoods.

kind of the modern version of picketing a business that wronged you but with out the homemade sign.

Sponsored

 

[Tony4x4]

2 years, 1 month, 3 days and change. Thats how long I waited to get my Bronco.

It only took a Safelite technician about 2 hours to cause more damage to my Bronco than I have accumulated in 6 months as a daily driver.

Long story short (actaully, kinda long!), I had about a 4 foot crack in my windshield, and Safelite was Progressive's preferred windshield replacement vendor. I figured it was the safest bet to make sure things went smoothly and correctly. They even offered mobile service, so i had them replace my windshield today (one of my work-form-home days of the week).

Once the tech was at my door to tell me he was finished, I asked him to give me a minute to look over the work. Glad I did while he as still there, because it was nothing short of completely unacceptable. He gouged the paint at the upper corner, between the windshield and the pillar face. Just about to the bare metal. As I'm looking this over he says "Yeah, the scratch?".......I try to keep my cool, knowing full well I'm about to get into a dispute with a large corporation, and want it to go a certain way. Then he says "Yeah, it happened on the other side too".....and I look over "Dude, are you FUCKING kidding me???"

Another set of scratches, same area on the opposite side. He attempted to "fix" by scribbling over it with some black primer (keep in mind my Bronco is Cactus Grey"), to help conceal it. In reality, it only made it THAT more noticeable. He tried assuring me that SafeLite only guarantees they won't scratch the pillar face, and he did me a favor by not covering the entire gap area between the windshield and pillar with black primer (which almost seemed like it was Safelite policy to do so).

Anyway, talking to him for more than two minutes I could tell he had absolutely zero problem-solving skills, and still had no idea what the big deal was. I told him I was going to call Safelite and let them know what happened, and that I was going to get them to pay for the repairs. After numerous calls to the Safelite shop he worked for, with a Safelite customer service rep on the line, had no luck reaching the shop manager (or shop itself). The rep then assured me that they would have that particular shop's manager call me by 5pm today. Fine, I'll give them a few hours.

In the meantime I check my Blink cameras to review his work. THEN I SEE HE WAS SITTING ON MY DOORS WHILE THEY WERE OPEN, AND YOU CAN VISIBLY SEE THEM SINK DOWN AS HE SAT ON THEM. Never once did he use a step stool. Each time he needed to get somewhere he couldn't reach, he would open the door and sit on it. I have clips of him doing it numerous times.

I went out and inspected my car, and sure enough, both door are now a little out of whack, the jamb gaps are no longer consistent (both sides), and the driver's side door is now RUBBING AGAINST THE SILL.

I'm livid. I'm trying to keep it together here.

Anyhow, I have the Better Business Bureau complaint page open, and once it hits 5:01pm, I'm submitting a formal complaint. Then I'm contacting Progressive to make them aware of what their preferred vendor did to a customer's car. Then I'm calling back the Safelite customer service line and speaking to a manager/supervisor/director about what happened, the proof I have, and the steps I've taken to draw as much attention to the issue as possible during the same timeframe I was unable to get a hold of, or get a call back from, the shop that was at fault.

OMG.

This is absolutely terrible. Glad you got the videos. It is undeniable.

Hopefully you will get it all fixed on their dime. Seems like a pretty easy job for a reputable body shop to do.

 

[Wolfeman]

I don’t have a Twitter account, but from what I’ve read, large businesses are loathe to have their bad service aired out on Twitter.

Maybe if Safelite doesn’t make you whole, in a timely fashion, you can document your story there and tag all the local dealers, Ford, Chevy etc.

I mean, you have been wronged, so it isn’t as though you would be tweeting falsehoods.

kind of the modern version of picketing a business that wronged you but with out the homemade sign.

I've already sent their Twitter handle a link to this thread.

 

[wrbix]

Entire thread - tl/dr….but,
Early on (‘21 Bronco in summer of ‘22) had my cracked windshield replaced at SafeLite SHOP with OEM glass (none other yet on market) and was/am very pleased with result. I’m told shops differ in experience and quality of work - mine gets good reviews, will return

 

[Austin Bronco]

Crazy shit. WTF are they thinking? So sorry OP, hope they get it squared away.

 

[DEC]

Mind boggling, I sure hope these are very isolated incidents.

 

[FatRat250]

2 years, 1 month, 3 days and change. Thats how long I waited to get my Bronco.

It only took a Safelite technician about 2 hours to cause more damage to my Bronco than I have accumulated in 6 months as a daily driver.

Long story short (actaully, kinda long!), I had about a 4 foot crack in my windshield, and Safelite was Progressive's preferred windshield replacement vendor. I figured it was the safest bet to make sure things went smoothly and correctly. They even offered mobile service, so i had them replace my windshield today (one of my work-form-home days of the week).

Once the tech was at my door to tell me he was finished, I asked him to give me a minute to look over the work. Glad I did while he as still there, because it was nothing short of completely unacceptable. He gouged the paint at the upper corner, between the windshield and the pillar face. Just about to the bare metal. As I'm looking this over he says "Yeah, the scratch?".......I try to keep my cool, knowing full well I'm about to get into a dispute with a large corporation, and want it to go a certain way. Then he says "Yeah, it happened on the other side too".....and I look over "Dude, are you FUCKING kidding me???"

Another set of scratches, same area on the opposite side. He attempted to "fix" by scribbling over it with some black primer (keep in mind my Bronco is Cactus Grey"), to help conceal it. In reality, it only made it THAT more noticeable. He tried assuring me that SafeLite only guarantees they won't scratch the pillar face, and he did me a favor by not covering the entire gap area between the windshield and pillar with black primer (which almost seemed like it was Safelite policy to do so).

Anyway, talking to him for more than two minutes I could tell he had absolutely zero problem-solving skills, and still had no idea what the big deal was. I told him I was going to call Safelite and let them know what happened, and that I was going to get them to pay for the repairs. After numerous calls to the Safelite shop he worked for, with a Safelite customer service rep on the line, had no luck reaching the shop manager (or shop itself). The rep then assured me that they would have that particular shop's manager call me by 5pm today. Fine, I'll give them a few hours.

In the meantime I check my Blink cameras to review his work. THEN I SEE HE WAS SITTING ON MY DOORS WHILE THEY WERE OPEN, AND YOU CAN VISIBLY SEE THEM SINK DOWN AS HE SAT ON THEM. Never once did he use a step stool. Each time he needed to get somewhere he couldn't reach, he would open the door and sit on it. I have clips of him doing it numerous times.

I went out and inspected my car, and sure enough, both door are now a little out of whack, the jamb gaps are no longer consistent (both sides), and the driver's side door is now RUBBING AGAINST THE SILL.

I'm livid. I'm trying to keep it together here.

Anyhow, I have the Better Business Bureau complaint page open, and once it hits 5:01pm, I'm submitting a formal complaint. Then I'm contacting Progressive to make them aware of what their preferred vendor did to a customer's car. Then I'm calling back the Safelite customer service line and speaking to a manager/supervisor/director about what happened, the proof I have, and the steps I've taken to draw as much attention to the issue as possible during the same timeframe I was unable to get a hold of, or get a call back from, the shop that was at fault.

Friggin’ Disgrace. Sloppy work Safelite. Now fix this man’s truck.

 

[Docindahouze]

Keep an eye out for late-model Focus and C-Maxes in local pull-a-part yards; they had the same MAP sticker and often keep them 'till the end.

Until then, could always go old-school:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-96-Mi...ord-Bronco-Blue-or-Black-/224078734291?_ul=IL

So I did some google searching online. I found a single comment on a ranger forum. A guy asked ford customer service if he could get the MAP sticker and they sent him one. So I tried too. I used the ford customer service chat feature. I asked the lady if there was anyway I could possibly get the MAP sticker after explaining my windshield had been replaced. It took her a little while to look into it but she came back and said she was able to request a sticker for me. She then asked for my address so it could be sent to me. We’ll see if it comes in the mail. I like that ford put their assembly plant stickers on their vehicles.

 

[Wanderexplore]

Wow - lawyer up.

You have every right to be pissed off.

I'd be pissed too, but you don't need to hire a lawyer to deal with this. If they claim not responsible, file a comp claim and your insurance company will subrogate.

 

[vick]

I got a small rock ding will they just fill that in?

 

[SuperDave150]

I had bad experience with Safelite on my F150. I thought I was the only one to have trouble with them but now I see they are to be avoided at all costs, literally.

 

[pakrat]

When I was doing my claim with Progressive they asked if mine had the windshield lettering. Some Broncos don't? Anyhow at least that was a little encouraging. We'll see on the 1st.

 

[lakesinai]

You might want to remove your doors beforehand. Don't give them the opportunity to use the doors as a seat.

Im curious. Is sitting on doors while repairing windshields a usual practice? Can most car doors support weight? Because Bronco doors are removable, does that make them weaker, and therefore this has to me mentioned to an installer? I've had Safelite replace windshields on Subaru, F150 (in shop) Freestyle (at home) never an issue . . . Although the Freestyle leaked and Safelite sent another tech to replace ir a second time.

 

[SubmarineNuke]

Im curious. Is sitting on doors while repairing windshields a usual practice? Can most car doors support weight? Because Bronco doors are removable, does that make them weaker, and therefore this has to me mentioned to an installer? I've had Safelite replace windshields on Subaru, F150 (in shop) Freestyle (at home) never an issue . . . Although the Freestyle leaked and Safelite sent another tech to replace ir a second time.

as someone else pointed out, most cars/trucks have a full frame, so no sitting on the door doesn't seem like it would be standard practice, especially not a taught practice.

 

[SasquatchMansquatch]

That's terrible.

Zero deductible windshield replacement isn't available where I live. But I have the grab gard.com protection film on mine to prevent a broken windshield. In a way, it's better than a few windshield, since you avoid the time and hassle and risk of a bad replacement job.

Sponsored