After determining that the hardtop & conv. windshields were the same, I had who I thought was the most reputable place in town do the install in my garage.

I was there while he did it but did not breath down his neck. As he proceeded, we chatted a little. He told me that he once had a 70 SS396. I knew that he was not going to use the butyl tape so I offered to have the molding handy so he could check for the correct install height. He said he didn't need it.

When he was done, it all appeared to look good at first glance. I was late for work so I didn't scrutinize it too much.

A few days later, I took a good look. One side sits much lower than the other. I installed the chrome on the low side & was left with a 1/4" gap. NO GOOD.

I called the glass shop. They said if I brought the car to them, they might be able to do something, otherwise "too bad, so sad". The car is far from being drivable & I don't have a trailer. I feel screwed.

Any suggestions? Anyone ever had to remove a freshly installed unit that was put in using urethane (I think)?

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Phil Wise
67 SS Convertible
(now on the down slope of the resto curve)

I hate to be on the 'sue everyone' side of things, but if a shop refuses to make good on a poor (or in this case unacceptable) job, take them to small claims court. Usually just the mention of it will make them fix the problem.

The cost for filing a small claims is usually small, $30 or so. You are usually entitled to be reimbursed for lost work, court costs, etc. Many states don't even require you to appear in court, you just state on paper the problem and the judge figures it out.

I am so sick of hearing (and experiencing) how poor workmanship is. We pay good money for whatever product or service and what do we get? Garbage it seems. Many shops are the exception to the rule, but in my experience, I get poor service more often than not.

These companies need to know that they need to do a good job, that this kind of garbage won't be accepted. The other alternative is to spread the word about the lack of service or quality. Every time I get screwed, if it's not fixed immediately they get flamed. Email is a great tool if it's a big chain store, email the corporate site your problem, I can almost assure it'll be taken care of.

Hate to go on like this, but just don't put up with it! Thanks for listenin everyone, J

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70 Impala Sport Coupe (283)"Green Goddamn!"
63 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 (394)"Hoopty"
61 Chevy Stepside Pickup (350)"The Pickle"
49 Plymouth Special Deluxe (427)"The Mayflower"
77 Chevy Blazer (350)"The Moo Machine"
66 Chevelle (I wish, still looking)
http://www.geocities.com/ledsled_26m

The thought of small claims court has already entered my mind. I have never sued anyone before. I do agree with much of what you say, Ledsled, especially the note about there being many shops that do care. The problem is finding them, sometimes.

The outfit that installed the windshield used to be an independant shop. I know none of the details but they are now part of a regional franchise with a handful of stores. I do know that the same people actually operate it. I called the company's main office & explained the problem. I was sent to the voice mail of the operations manager, where I left a message for him to call me.

If I get no satisfaction within a week or so, the BBB is the first place I'll go. After I let the company know just how much "advertising" they just paid me for.

As much as I would like to fight this to the end, it will come down to time & economics. I can't take a lot of time off of work & my car needs to move on to the body shop.

Phil

Phil,
If you dont get any satisfaction, call the guys at D & S glass in Waldorf. They have done several things for me and I have been completely satisfied. They should be able to remove yours and put it back correctly.

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Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md

1971 Heavy Chevy - original owner
Team Chevelle #100

Phil;

Did you pay for it with a check (made out to the shop), or just hand the guy cash?

Did he do it during normal working hours (for the shop), or was it "after hours"?

Did the guy show up in a company truck or use company tools?.

I think you can see where I'm going with this.


The only reason that the shop can say that they have no responsability is if they can pretend that the guy did it on his own, using his own equipment. Without their knowledge.

If they can't make that statement (and back it up), tell them that you plan on calling the department of consumer affairs.

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Wes. Vann
Technical Reference section
Gold Member #5

He shouldn't have used urethane! These cars should use the butyl tape.

Maybe this guy doesn't know as much as he thinks he does?

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Bob (Pa.)

1963 Impala 283
1966 Chevelle SS 409
1969 Malibu 307
1972 Malibu 307
1969 Chevy stepside 350

Check out my website:
Bobs 409 Chevy Page (http://members.spree.com/entertainment/mr409/bob_s_409_chevy_page_index.html)

Looking for Chevelle or Impala parts? Click here:
Chevelle parts for sale (http://members.spree.com/entertainment/mr409/items4sale.html)

Small claims court is your best bet. As long as you have your reciept etc you will win.

Shine the BBB, they don't do anything. They have no power whatsoever. When is the last time you went to be BBB before you bought a product or solicited a service? All they do is send the company a letter, and it takes weeks... I'm guessing you need this settled pretty quick.

Don't cancel the check or CC (if thats how you paid), they can come back and sue you. Just being dissatisfied with a service isn't an excuse to cancel it... from a legal standpoint.

Give them one more chance to fix it... then file a claim. It's from $28-32 and takes four hours or less to deal with (morning or afternoon session). My guess is as soon as they get served they will make good on the problem.

Good Luck.

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'67 Malibu - Some assembly required.

Hard work has a future. Laziness pays off now.

Paul, see if your state has something like here in California, The BAR, Bureau Of Automotive Repair. It is a government ran office to stop fraud, and they kick butt!

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1965 Buick Gran Sport Convertible
1965 Buick Skylark H/T

Thanks for all of the replies, Guys. The job was legitimate, company man & truck and during business hours. I paid with a check which has already cleared. I am going to give them until the middle of next week to show me some positive attitude before I go further.

Bill, I may have to take you up on checking into the shop that you mentioned. I hate the thought of trying to take it out myself. Thanks.

If they don't come through I will check out what is required locally to file the claim. Maybe I can get them to pay for someone else to fix it, if they won't.

Phil

[This message has been edited by Phil Wise (edited 08-12-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Phil Wise (edited 08-13-2000).]

Phil, I've taken the front and rear windshields out of my '71 several times now without any problems. If it were me, I'd just do it myself. It's not very hard and Eastwood has a neat little tool that makes it a snap, but it does help to have a buddy helping you. That way you can assure yourself that you don't end up having a 1/4" gap somewhere.

Sorry for your loss. I hate getting ripped off too, as I'm sure most of the guys on this site do too.

Good luck

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TC Gold 287

Interesting thread. There's a lesson here for many of us that purchase parts and services for our cars.

Masterwoo is correct about the check. If you stop payment, the legal system takes a dim view of your action, regardless of how shoddy the service.

Credit cards offer some additional valuable consumer protection however. While you can't 'cancel' a transaction, you can contest a charge for inferior, 'nonconforming' or undelivered merchandise, usually up to six months following the purchase. These charges will be held in a deferred status (usually without interest) until the issue is resolved. You have to document that you've acted in good faith by allowing the vendor reasonable time and access to correct the problem. If it's not corrected the card company will credit your account and backcharge the vendor.

Read the fine print in your card agreement to find out what your responsibilities are and what the card company will do for you. This little agreement document is frequently tossed out with the other junk they send you with the card, but call the card's 1-800 number and they'll send you another. Usually the back of your monthly statement also has a summary of the agreement, but not all of the details.

We pay a lot of money to the credit card companies interest/fees paid by the consumer and discount rates paid by the vendors. Make them be the heavy hitter for you.

The small claims court route may work, however you are responsible for collecting any judgments in your favor. The credit card route is much easier, because the card company does the collections for you by backcharging the merchant's account.

Moral of the story: Use a credit card instead of cash/check whenever possible.

Happy charging!
Cheers,
John

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John Chapman
jmchapman@aol.com
BCA 35894
1965 Skylark Convertible


[This message has been edited by John Chapman (edited 08-16-2000).]