[ReefMagnet]

Ok, so a week or so ago I had the new windscreen fitted to the Patrol. Because she is unregistered and the old screen was already ripped out, the guy that put it in only had to throw the new screen in. According to my wife the job took about 5 minutes. Anyway, when I got home from work that night, I noticed that the rear view mirror had apparently been unscrewed and left on the dash. No biggie, I thought, the guy has just had to remove it to get access to the inside of the seal and has forgotten to screw it back up.

So fast forward to today and I figure I'll screw that rear view mirror back in - only take a couple of minutes. Yeah right. As I start screwing the breakaway bit falls in my lap. To cut to the chase the windscreen guy has managed to bust the breakaway mount for the mirror. Fair enough, accidents happen I guess but what has really ticked me is 1) he never let me or the missus know and 2) he has obviously disassembled the mirror, then "glued" the mount back together with, umm, black windscreen sealant so now the whole rear vision mirror mount which is toast anyway along with the adjacent head lining is covered in black goop WTF!!

Anyway, unless I find out the replacement bit is like 50 bucks plus from Nissan, I'm kinda cool with replacing the mount but what do you reckon guys - should I be on the phone blasting the bejeezus outta this mob first thing Wednesday or would this just be an over reaction????

 

[jeffs5]

Ok, so a week or so ago I had the new windscreen fitted to the Patrol. Because she is unregistered and the old screen was already ripped out, the guy that put it in only had to throw the new screen in. According to my wife the job took about 5 minutes. Anyway, when I got home from work that night, I noticed that the rear view mirror had apparently been unscrewed and left on the dash. No biggie, I thought, the guy has just had to remove it to get access to the inside of the seal and has forgotten to screw it back up.

So fast forward to today and I figure I'll screw that rear view mirror back in - only take a couple of minutes. Yeah right. As I start screwing the breakaway bit falls in my lap. To cut to the chase the windscreen guy has managed to bust the breakaway mount for the mirror. Fair enough, accidents happen I guess but what has really ticked me is 1) he never let me or the missus know and 2) he has obviously disassembled the mirror, then "glued" the mount back together with, umm, black windscreen sealant so now the whole rear vision mirror mount which is toast anyway along with the adjacent head lining is covered in black goop WTF!!

Anyway, unless I find out the replacement bit is like 50 bucks plus from Nissan, I'm kinda cool with replacing the mount but what do you reckon guys - should I be on the phone blasting the bejeezus outta this mob first thing Wednesday or would this just be an over reaction????

YEP!! Let em have it!!!!

 

[STIC]

I'd complain. One, it's probably just sloppy workmanship that caused the problem (i've had about 9 windscreens replaced and never had a problem like that) and my mate worked in the trade for years and never had this kind of thing happen. What's more, even if it WAS an accident, they should have been up front about it, and really, should have fixed it properly.

Over the last few years, well maybe the last 15 more like, i've always stayed and watched the workers doing whatever it is they need to do on my vehicles...

Yes, i know this is really annoying for the shop in question, having a customer loitering but, there is a good reason for why i do this:

I have, on previous experience, discovered that approximately 80-90% of all workshops employ idiots. The guy who runs, or owns the shop may be very smart, and maybe most of the staff are too, but the guy who works on my vehicles always seems to be a friggin cretin! More often than not, most workshops treat my pride and joy like a piece of junk, often causing damage when supposedly being an 'expert' workman. Many shops are far from what i'd call experts in the field, and a lot of them use sub-standard techniques to keep their costs down.

I have never received any better than what i consider average service, and on many occasions, have received such bad service, i've complained to the shops governing body.

I once had a 1961 Plymouth that i took to a local brake specialist for replacement shoes in the drum brakes...simple' easy and cheap job i was told, around a couple of hundred when finished. The next day, i pick up the car and pay $400 bill which i think is a bit steep (this was in 1992) but, ok, as long as its all fixed.

Got about 5 km down the road and when i stopped, it sounded like the wheels had all buckled...grinding and crunching noises...WTF?

Slowly limped it back to the shop and they said they'd have a look...turns out, the new boy (see what i mean?) didn't kmow what he was doing when he removed the rear drums and bent the axles...

They said they could get ti fixed so i left it with them...a week later, i get a phone call and it's all fixed and done, but i now owe them another $600 and they won't release the car until i pay....:angryfir:

Long story short, got the car back, they lost their Motor trade registration and i didn't have to pay a cent more.

This is only one of many horror stories, and i now take the route of, why trust them, just be there and watch them like a friggin hawk!

 

[bloke83]

Go in there with a blow torch and a sword and present there brazed liver and make them eat it!!!

Fukn twats!

 

[marin]

Last time I replaced one of those I think about 2 years ago (and I'm up for another one atm as I broke mine with the engine crane whilst changing the clutch :S oops LOL) it cost me about $22 from what I remember.

 

[THE FERRET]

MY FUR COAT, I'd be fairly slipp'n into em!!

 

[Ando]

Just make a new one out of Ali or a piece of steel flat bar
I did after I busted mine cleaning the windscreen


and remember strange **** happens every day so deal with it

 

[marin]

Just make a new one out of Ali or a piece of steel flat bar
I did after I busted mine cleaning the windscreen


and remember strange **** happens every day so deal with it

I advise against this, much cheaper to replace the break away part than a new mirror.

 

[dbsep]

Just go and put black sealant in his door locks.

 

[work horse mk]

It's the usual story with vehicle tradies, if they think they can get away with it they will try to create more work for themselves and other shops. Im always very careful to demonstrate as clearly as possible that I regularly work on my own car, know its ins and outs and am willing to source my own parts and inspect their work at every stage of its progress. Marking parts is another good practice so you can be sure that whatever was 'replaced' actually was replaced and no one has touched your radiator cap or oil filler unnecessarily. I once had a friend who was told he had a blown head because of milky oil but being the suspicious kind, he dropped the oil out of the car and refilled it and never saw another drop of coolant in his oil again, clearly the mechanic had put it in there to give himself an expensive pay rise without any work. Finding a mechanic you trust is hard but once you find one, don't take it anywhere else.

Also I agree with glort, the best thing to do is be calm and explain your issue, its likely to be met with having it actually resolved, failing that OCBA is only a phone call away...

 

[ReefMagnet]

Hey thanks guys I'll have a low key chat with them tomorrow. And wow 22 bucks for a teeny bit of plastic. If the DH hadn't covered it in goop I could've fixed it properly with some araldite and a bottle top

 

[ReefMagnet]

Just an update. Contacted the windscreen mob and politely made a complaint. The owner of the place drove out to my place and had a look, admitted his guy had fooked up, took the bit away, fixed it and returned the next day. All good.

 

[OILRIG]

fixed or replaced with a new 1???

 

[nab]

Shouldn't have happened in the first place, but as long as you are happy with the finished product it sounds like you had a good outcome.

Well done to the owner.

 

[ReefMagnet]

fixed or replaced with a new 1???

Fixed, but in a way I'm happy with - they have obviously done this once or twice before

 

[OILRIG]

ok...as long as it doesnt fall of later

 

[ls400x]

That sucks, a vehicle is most people's second largest investment, largest in my case, and having retards do half assed work is heartbreaking. I try and do everything I can on mine so at least I know an effort has been made and no one else is to blame if something goes wrong.

 

[malcolmmg]

name & shame

 

[Bananaman]

Naming and shaming would be poor form at this point.
The owner took the complaint on board, went out of his way to come and see it, fixed it and returned it. He wouldn't have done it if he knew he was going to get a bad name anyway.

 

[Jacket_1985]

x2, they have done the right thing in the end, and it obviously wasnt the owner that did your windscreen.