Autoglass damaged my car

tommyx_2

Hello
Last week I called my insurer Direct Line to report a cracked windscreen and was told to call Autoglass. Arranged an appointment for Friday to replace screen in my Nissan Qashqai
Shortly after he had started the technician came and told me he had dropped the new screen and had damaged my car. there are scratches to the bonnet and wing. He went away and returned two hours later with another screen and fitted it. he told me that a technician would come and repair my damage, then told me that I should get quotes and they would pay. Finally when he completed the paperwork he showed me a copy of email from his boss asking Customer services to contact me that day.
No one called Friday, Saturday or Sunday and on Monday I called Direct line, who managed to get someone to call me from Autoglass who told me that they needed to inspect the damage and the earliest that this could be done was the following Monday and would be an appointment with 4/5 hour window. This is not convenient for me as am not normally in one location for that length of time. She told me no manager available, and couldn't tell me when one might call me back.
Called Direct line again and more helpful chap investigated and came back to me - they do need to see the damage, Monday s the first and still the 4/5 hour window.
So my thoughts
I want my car fixed into the condition it was before Autoglass damaged it.
I want this done with out a long delay.
I will give Autoglass reasonable access and a reasonable timescale to do any inspection they want to.
I am unable to take a day off work in the foreseeable to remain in one place long enough for their 4/5 hours.
I am minded to require a repair that is undertaken by a Nissan authorised site (the car is under two years old and under warranty)
The relationship between Autoglass and Direct Line .... who should I be getting to sort this out. Auto glass is an agent for DL. DL told me to use them and gave AG my policy details. I paid AG the excess amount.
What does any one recommend that I do?

EdGasket

Try to get something in writing/email where Autoglass admit they damaged your car. I think you would then be within your rights to get two quotes and ask them to pay the lower of the two. If you don't have anything in writing and/or photographs then you are relying more on Autoglass to fix it as they see fit. Someone else may be along to correct that advice.

AdrianC

tommyx wrote: »

I am minded to require a repair that is undertaken by a Nissan authorised site (the car is under two years old and under warranty)

Repairing some cosmetic scratches is far less invasive than replacing the windscreen, yet you were quite happy for that not to be done by a main dealer.

glentoran99

AdrianC wrote: »

Repairing some cosmetic scratches is far less invasive than replacing the windscreen, yet you were quite happy for that not to be done by a main dealer.

He got it replaced by who his insurer told him to!!

AdrianC

glentoran99 wrote: »

He got it replaced by who his insurer told him to!!

<shrug> And that affects my point how?

They aren't the only people who can do the job, and insurance will pay if you get a screen replaced by others, although you may have a higher excess and may have to pay then re-claim.

George_Michael

AdrianC wrote: »

Repairing some cosmetic scratches is far less invasive than replacing the windscreen, yet you were quite happy for that not to be done by a main dealer.

Autoglass may not be a Nissan main dealer but they probably have far more experience in replacing windscreens than a car dealership would and their employees are probably better trained in this job.

AdrianC

George_Michael wrote: »

Autoglass may not be a Nissan main dealer but they probably have far more experience in replacing windscreens than a car dealership would and their employees are probably better trained in this job.

<wipes tear of laughter away>
Given the mahoosive mess one of the as-seen-on-TV nationals made of replacing a screen for me in the past...

forgotmyname

Get a quote yourself and send then the bill, if they want to quibble over it then just mention some claims company just phoned you and said you could have a brand new car sitting outside within the hour. But you have a feeling they will just treble or quadruple the claim cost.

dacouch

forgotmyname wrote: »

Get a quote yourself and send then the bill, if they want to quibble over it then just mention some claims company just phoned you and said you could have a brand new car sitting outside within the hour. But you have a feeling they will just treble or quadruple the claim cost.

A claims company would not supply a credit hire vehicle in these circumstances. The Insurer would laugh if you threatened them with this

George_Michael

AdrianC wrote: »

<wipes tear of laughter away>
Given the mahoosive mess one of the as-seen-on-TV nationals made of replacing a screen for me in the past...

So from one poor experience you are able to accurately judge the competence of every single glass installer employed by every single national windscreen company in the UK?

I have had a poor experience from my local Ford dealership so does this mean that every single dealership in the country is the same?
Of course it doesn't.

AdrianC

George_Michael wrote: »

So from one poor experience you are able to accurately judge the competence of every single glass installer employed by every single national windscreen company in the UK?

Of course not - and I never said it did.

But what it most certainly DOES mean is that...

probably have far more experience in replacing windscreens than a car dealership would and their employees are probably better trained in this job.

...is deeply questionable at best.

I would always now use a small independent local glass specialist. The as-seen-on-TV nationals are no different from their tyre equivalents, and rely on marketing and tie-ups with the big insurers to pile 'em high, and sell 'em far-from-cheap.