Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

For those of you in Brisbane who want the name of a windscreen installer to avoid like the plague, email me.

For the others, hopefully you can learn something from my experience. Even if that lesson is "camp out at the repairer and watch Every. Little. Thing. they do to your beloved".

My windscreen cracked on the last day of our honeymoon. Yep, it's taken me nearly a month to organise to get it replaced (insured, no excess so all good), but hey, you can't rush these things!

So last week I rang the repairer. No worries, windscreen available in Sydney, will be here Friday. Today being my first day off, I made the appointment.

Dropped my baby off, being especially careful to explain that the frame needed to be removed to replace the windscreen. "Yep, we've done it before. No problem". The Tech Adviser reiterated this, in case they needed to hear it from someone with a male appendage (I've been burnt in the past!). All good.

So we go back to pick it up this afternoon. Mind you, the promised phone call didn't eventuate, we drove past 6 hours after we dropped it off because we were sick of waiting, and she was in the parking lot.

New windscreen? Check. Tinted? Pretty sure I asked for plain when they ordered it, but my memory is sketchy. So I'm willing to overlook this bit.

1/2 inch gap in the bottom left corner of the frame? 1 inch gap in the rubber? CHIPS OF PAINT from the inside of the door frame on my carpet? THE BROKEN HEAD OF A SCREW from the windscreen, also on the carpet next to the paint?

By this time we're getting a bit PO'd, but willing to listen to their explanation. Guy who did the "installation" comes out. Oh yeah, I know you said you needed to take the frame out, but I've done these before, and if you BEND THE FRAME OUTWARDS AFTER YOU TAKE OFF THE TOP BOW, THEY POP RIGHT IN!!!

Scuse me??? He started to get cranky when we pointed out that this wasn't in fact what we had asked him to do, and told us that the windscreen frame was crap. He grabbed the quarter glass (door was open) and SHOOK IT, declaring that my baby was "a piece of sh!t". Direct quote.

Well, we asked to speak to the manager, and he came out with the worker and defended him! Told A he shouldn't swear at him (he wasn't initially, this guy was rude, insulting and an altogether not-very-nice person). Worker pushes A in the chest, but then left the scene when we pointed out that this was in fact assault, and we'd call the police if he continued.

Finally got manager to agree that the work was sub-standard (not actually admit to anything, but anyway...) and he said they would fix it. At this stage we said we didn't want this particular worker anywhere near my baby, and asked what our alternatives were. Turns out they have another installation facility, on the other side of town, and he booked us in there to have it repaired.

Phone calls were made - to the new repair place detailing what needed to be done (including repainting, retapping of holes for screws to be replaced, that kind of thing). And one to some guy in Head Office in Sydney - we now have his personal mobile number in case the issue isn't resolved.

Bottom line is, I have a new windscreen. Nobody's paid for it yet (must ring the insurance co. to let them know not to pay for the extra damage). And the COMPLETE MORONS at the windscreen place broke my baby. And called her a piece of sh!t (I think that's what's irked me the most at this point!)

I'll keep you updated. Repairs are supposed to happen next Tuesday. Another complete waste of a day off.

I hate these stories. They make it hard for the repair people who do their job right. I used to be a service manager for a Volvo dealer, got out of it 15 years ago, have been much happier since. We were a very high quality shop in an upscale town, if you misled a customer, you were fired. Raise your voice to a customer, fired. We were totally honest, and people were so used to being lied to, treated like idiots etc. in other shops they came in with the asumtion we were going to do it also. Took a while to get them used to not being a victim. It's hard to train a good customer
It amazes me what some people who are supposed to be professionals call "service". The sad part is you would have been better off doing it yourself, knowing nothing of how to do it but being careful, than to deal with a moron like you described.

I would call the local TV news station, besides a good news story on the windshield, they would love the fact the car was invited to the weding and was almost a bridesmaid.

Good luck with the re-repair, and may as well get the non-tinted windscreen you wanted.

I only found this in a search.any updates on the repairs.
Also where in Sydney did you get the windshield.
Rob

Hi Rob,

We ended up not taking it to the other place, we were so disillusioned by the whole affair that we decided to fix it ourselves.

http://www.earlydatsun.com/shonky.html is my hubby's rant about the whole thing, including the business name. The z car club in Melbourne apparently used this in one of their recent newsletters too. Word gets around!

Are you going to Hervey Bay?

Please post this on my forums as well - 96K members, and a LOT of Aussies on board.

AZhitman wrote:Please post this on my forums as well - 96K members, and a LOT of Aussies on board.

Which forum is yours?