Autoglass time-wasters

klint

My windscreen cracked a month ago and I rang Autoglass and made an appointment for its replacement. I subsequently made a total of six appointments with Autoglass and they still haven't replaced my windscreen. Each time, I wasted my time waiting in for them and they either phoned after the start of the appointment time to say the windscreen wasn't ready, or they just didn't bother turning up without telling me, or they turned up with the wrong windscreen. I am now going to have it replaced by a local independent trader. I am also drafting a Notice Before Action to claim for consequential loss as a result of their six breaches of contract.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who's had any similar experiences.

paulstar

I have had a very good experience with them. On time, good job, etc.

I think this a franchise operation? If so, perhaps you could contact their head office to complain specifically about the branch(es) you had the problem with. They will want to weed out the bad ones.

DUTR

klint wrote: »

My windscreen cracked a month ago and I rang Autoglass and made an appointment for its replacement. I subsequently made a total of six appointments with Autoglass and they still haven't replaced my windscreen. Each time, I wasted my time waiting in for them and they either phoned after the start of the appointment time to say the windscreen wasn't ready, or they just didn't bother turning up without telling me, or they turned up with the wrong windscreen. I am now going to have it replaced by a local independent trader. I am also drafting a Notice Before Action to claim for consequential loss as a result of their six breaches of contract.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who's had any similar experiences.

Why would you need that if you are raising some claim against them?
Unless you have some rare car or no one has authorised the replacement screen then I fear you have little chance of success in the claim going in your favour.
Especially if no money has changed hands.

BykerSands

klint wrote: »

My windscreen cracked a month ago and I rang Autoglass and made an appointment for its replacement. I subsequently made a total of six appointments with Autoglass and they still haven't replaced my windscreen. Each time, I wasted my time waiting in for them and they either phoned after the start of the appointment time to say the windscreen wasn't ready, or they just didn't bother turning up without telling me, or they turned up with the wrong windscreen. I am now going to have it replaced by a local independent trader. I am also drafting a Notice Before Action to claim for consequential loss as a result of their six breaches of contract.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who's had any similar experiences.

Which are what?

klint

DUTR wrote: »

Unless you have some rare car or no one has authorised the replacement screen then I fear you have little chance of success in the claim going in your favour.
Especially if no money has changed hands.

Thanks for the reply, but I'm not sure I understand. Can you elaborate on that? What has the rarity (actually it's not rare) of my car got to do with it? What do you mean by "authorised the replacement screen"? No money has changed hands, but by making an appointment they entered into a contract with me. As a result of their missing appointments without notice (a breach of contract) I incurred losses in terms of lost annual leave, lost opportunities to get on with other personal stuff, cost of heating and electricity while waiting at home for them, the inconvenience of having a car on the road for over a month which would fail an MOT, etc.

DUTR

klint wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, but I'm not sure I understand. Can you elaborate on that? What has the rarity (actually it's not rare) of my car got to do with it? What do you mean by "authorised the replacement screen"? No money has changed hands, but by making an appointment they entered into a contract with me. As a result of their missing appointments without notice (a breach of contract) I incurred losses in terms of lost annual leave, lost opportunities to get on with other personal stuff, cost of heating and electricity while waiting at home for them, the inconvenience of having a car on the road for over a month which would fail an MOT, etc.

What do their T&Cs state?
Who authorised the replacement screen?

BykerSands

klint wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, but I'm not sure I understand. Can you elaborate on that? What has the rarity (actually it's not rare) of my car got to do with it? What do you mean by "authorised the replacement screen"? No money has changed hands, but by making an appointment they entered into a contract with me. As a result of their missing appointments without notice (a breach of contract) I incurred losses in terms of lost annual leave, lost opportunities to get on with other personal stuff, cost of heating and electricity while waiting at home for them, the inconvenience of having a car on the road for over a month which would fail an MOT, etc.

Ok let's look at your losses.

Lost annual leave. How many days and what value? It's the end of the year and were no doubt booked anyway.

Lost opportunities. Zero financial loss.

Heating and electricity. What extra have you really used?

Inconvenience of having the car on the road that would fail an mot. So other than knowingly driving the defective car you were not inconvenienced as you used it.

You'll be laughed out of court. Move on and get the screen elsewhere.

klint

DUTR wrote: »

What do their T&Cs state?
Who authorised the replacement screen?

What do you mean by "authorised"? I rang their 0800 number, told them I have an 8-inch crack in the driver's visible area, they told me it can't be repaired so it has to be replaced, and they gave me an appointment time (six times - none of which they kept).

As I made the contract over the phone, they didn't read out their T&Cs to me over the phone. I was not aware of them when I entered into the contract.

Now that I've searched for and found their T&Cs on their website, they do say that they can cancel an appointment if they give advance notice. Since they never gave me advance notice, they are in breach every single time.

BykerSands

klint wrote: »

What do you mean by "authorised"? I rang their 0800 number, told them I have an 8-inch crack in the driver's visible area, they told me it can't be repaired so it has to be replaced, and they gave me an appointment time (six times - none of which they kept).

As I made the contract over the phone, they didn't read out their T&Cs to me over the phone. I was not aware of them when I entered into the contract.

Now that I've searched for and found their T&Cs on their website, they do say that they can cancel an appointment if they give advance notice. Since they never gave me advance notice, they are in breach every single time.

He probably mean who authorised payment, as in your insurance company?

No one goes direct to autogalss for a screen if they are paying since independent fitters are way cheaper.

DUTR

klint wrote: »

What do you mean by "authorised"? I rang their 0800 number, told them I have an 8-inch crack in the driver's visible area, they told me it can't be repaired so it has to be replaced, and they gave me an appointment time (six times - none of which they kept).

As I made the contract over the phone, they didn't read out their T&Cs to me over the phone. I was not aware of them when I entered into the contract.

Now that I've searched for and found their T&Cs on their website, they do say that they can cancel an appointment if they give advance notice. Since they never gave me advance notice, they are in breach every single time.

So if you are all so sure, I don't see the point of the thread, you just complain and get thousands off them!
Realistically, it appears you are only understanding the bits that seem to suit you.
They may have cancelled for reasons beyond their control and is often a clause that you will not get compensated for.