Leave it to the windscreen people, they should know exactly what to do. Whati would do though is make sure you do a pre inspection check with the repair man and highlight no damage, at least then if anything does go wrong you have ethem banged to rights.....its worth doing after RAC caused approx £500 damage and denied it!!!!got the money in the end of the robbing liars!!!!

 

Apart from getting the correct model windscreen (3Dr vs 5Dr etc). I only had one problem.

When they removed my old windscreen they badly damaged the rubber strip between the windscreen and the front of the dashboard. I have been waiting for 2 months now for Ford SA to supply me a new rubber strip.

I would ask them to please watch out for that strip.

Corrie

 

As other say, leave it to the experts, and make sure you check and point out damage beforehand. The problem I had was getting Autoglass to order the right part - I've got the vis pack with solar screen, and after ordering (and nearly fitting!) the wrong screen twice, they finally managed to get the one with the solar coating. Apparently mine was the first solar and auto-wiper screen they'd fitted to a Focus nationwide - which I don't believe - so, as their computer said that they'd never fitted one before, they assumed that wasn't it so ordered something else.

 

Hmmm so I need to get it done at my house then rather than at work so that I can watch them like a hawke.

My major concerns are damage to the paint work around the edge of the windscreen, damage to the scuttle panel and wipers that have to be removed to gain access to the windscreen and obviously damage to the auto dimming mirror, and wiper sensor covers......so that will be everything then

 

Make sure it's a proper Ford screen as well - RAC Glass Replacement tried to fob me off with a non-Ford version which had no shading around the rear-view mirror and the mirror placement was wrong as well - given the fairly narrow rear screen aperture, if it's the wrong height, it will affect your view backwards as the angles will be all wrong.

They did a decent and careful job fitting it though; I've found that standing chatting with them as they work and being 'interested' helps - they'll take a lot more care if the car owner's stood there! I've had two new screens in 50,000 miles now, and no damage.

 

I have provisionally booked it into Autoglass but asked for it to be done at the depo as I am near there on Saturday and the weather is looking pants. The replaced the screen on my Focus Mk1 and definitely did not fit a Ford screen. Having said that it had all the shading around the wingmirror.

When they phone up to confirm the booking I will ask about the shading and if it will be a Ford part or not.

 

If you've got a solar reflect windscreen it is a nightmare getting hold of a replacement! Can be up to a 3 month wait!

 

I've had two new windscreens and a repair on mine over three years and never had any problems both windscreens had the heating element in and they were all marked up with the ford badges and airbag enscriptions.

 

Autoglass have come back and the screen will be there on Monday but I am having it fitted next weekend as am away.

It will definitely not be a an official Ford screen but it does meet all their safety and other requirements including the shaded areas. They said I could pop in and check it before it is fitted. If I remember rightly the one they fitted to my Mk1 focus was ok but I remember there being fewer elements in the screen than the official Ford one. Didn't seem to affect the heated screen performance but made it a little clearer at night.

I guess I will have to wait and see.

 

Make sure the fitters put seat covers on your car to protect the seats from any black sealant/gunge that might be on their overalls

Take your Road Fund Licence off before they start

 

If i were you i would insist on a Ford O/E screen, they can get one quite easily, but they would rather use thier own brand as it cheaper for them, then they will bill your insurance company for the O/E :rolled:

 

I would like a Ford official screen but doubt I will be able toi force them to use a Ford screen if their screen is of equivalent quality.....and I guess it would have to meet all the relevant standards. I will definitely question this when it goes in for the screen.

 

QUOTE(corriej @ 17 Apr 2008, 09:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Apart from getting the correct model windscreen (3Dr vs 5Dr etc).
That's interesting...what's the difference?

 

Visited Autoglass on Saturday. I asked to look at the screen before fitting and was lead into the workshop. The shaded part of the screen (by the auto wiper sensor) was much smaller than the Focus original abd on closer inspection they realised they had picked out the wrong screen. They then brought out the proper screen (one of two they had) and it looked almost identical to the Ford OEM. The only minor difference that I could spot was that the heating elements were spaced slightly further apart meaning that there are less on the aftermarket screen.

I queried this with them and asked if they could order an OEM screen. They checked the paper work and it seems that Direct Line (as do most other big insurers) do not authorise the use of OEM windscreens. In view of this they will will cover the cost of the aftermarket screen and any difference would have to be payed by me. On checking this apparently the Ford screen is around £500-600 fitted and the aftermarket is charged at £330 ish. That would mean me paying £200-£300 on top of my excess.

I decided to go for the aftermarket screen as the difference between them was not worth the additional cost. The fitter checked the screen again before starting the job and noticed that both their screens had nicks / minor damage to the rubber edging that surrounds the screen. He offered to order me in a new screen or fit the slightly damaged one. The damage to the rubber was very minor so I asked if they would waive the excess if they fitted that screen.....but they declined. I am now waiting for a phone call confirming that the new undamaged screen has arrived so I can arrange a new date for fitting.

As far as fitting goes, the Focus is one of the easier screens to fit....apparently....although I will have to wait to find out !!

 

Autoglass phoned on Tuesday to confirm the screen had arrived and arranged to fit at my home on Friday. Friday came and I received a phone call in the morning from the fitter checking it was still ok to turn up. I confirmed yes and jokingly asked if he had checked the screen for damage in view of my other probs. He assured me that it was fine. I confirmed I would be at home 3.30pm. 2.50pm I got a phone call from my other half confirming that the Autoglass chap had arrived.......(doh) although he said he knew he was early and was going to give his van a tidy out.

As I left work I get another phone call from the Autoglass installer confirming that he had just checked the windscreen and he had the wrong one. It seems they had stuck the correct part number on the wrong screen and as such he could not fit the screen. He confirmed that he would phone base and get them to call me as they had no others in stock.

Eventually, and after two further phone calls, they confirmed that they have ordered another screen and that it would be fitted on Saturday. Saturday came and with fine weather the chap arrived with the correct screen. An hour later it was in and drying. An hour after this the car was ready to drive. The fitter was a good chap....and strangely it was the same person who did my previous Focus 3yrs ago.

 

If you use RAC windscrens be sure to keep the receipt as I had a new screen fitted 18 months ago and paid the £60 excess on collecton of the car like you have to, and then today received a bill for £60 for the windsceen as they said I had not paid for it.
I couldnt initialy find the credit card receipt and had no credit card statement as its all on line and only goes back 6 months.
I phoned them up and they wanted to know the credit card details so they could check with thier head office, after 18 months I havnt got a clue which card I would have used, I told them I was disgusted they could send bills out so long after the job was done and they said they could send bills out for up to 6 years after.
I have now found the receipt from the rac so if I hear anymore from them I will be o.k.
So keep your receips from them or it could cost you dearly.

 

QUOTE(blue thunder @ 17 Sep 2008, 05:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>If you use RAC windscrens be sure to keep the receipt as I had a new screen fitted 18 months ago and paid the £60 excess on collecton of the car like you have to, and then today received a bill for £60 for the windsceen as they said I had not paid for it.
I couldnt initialy find the credit card receipt and had no credit card statement as its all on line and only goes back 6 months.
I phoned them up and they wanted to know the credit card details so they could check with thier head office, after 18 months I havnt got a clue which card I would have used, I told them I was disgusted they could send bills out so long after the job was done and they said they could send bills out for up to 6 years after.
I have now found the receipt from the rac so if I hear anymore from them I will be o.k.
So keep your receips from them or it could cost you dearly.

Very similar story^^. RAC Autowindscreens replaced the front windscreen in my wifes KA in Feb 2007. July this year they write to me asking for the unpaid excess of £70. I rang them, they explained it was an admin error and all was OK. I then get another letter in August, same thing being asked again. Two further letters and two phone calls from them earlier this month. The letters stating this is my last chance to pay before action is taken. The excess at the time of Feb 2007 was actually £50 not £70 and it had been paid by cheque (and cashed by them) at the time to the fitter. Anyhow I seriously loose my SOH and get on the phone to both them and my insurance company. Eventually get it sorted and get numerous apologies out of them. Luckily I'd kept both the original invoice and my cheque book stubbs so I could trace the payment back as having been paid.

 

^^

IMHO this is an underhanded method that companies use to generate revenue, whether it's right or not. It basically the lowest of low dirty sales tricks. They are exploiting their own Tcs&Cs namely the length of time they can wait to charge excess payments, and probably randomly selecting a percentage of customers. Statistics will say that a percentage of these will either not query the payments or not be able to prove they have paid them, so the company in question ends up generating revenue twice. I bet some clever **** got a nice little bonus for suggesting this at the last ops meeting on "How to generate more revenue". I've been in similar meetings. I know it happens.

It stinks.

But I, for one, appreciate the heads up.

ps. I had not read this thread before and I will now be querying my own insurance policy as to the make of windscreen authorised for replacement, as there's no way I am either accepting a non OE part, or paying for the prvilege of replacing a damaged screen for OEM equipment when clearly the insurance should be paying for that. Just another way these t**ts are ripping us off.

 

Yep me too - I had completely fogotton but the same thing happened to me when the windscreen was replaced on my people carrier: several months after I get a letter asking for payment of the excess. I had proof and after them trying again to claim the money they didn't bother any more.

It does look like a deliberate practise and it stinks - never realised it was common...one for trading standards/watchdog etc?