Auto Glass - Windshield Experts (Mumbai)

[chinkara]

Originally Posted by Pashin

Hi,

Had a pretty bad experience at Windshield Experts, Andheri east today.

A friends Accord (type2) required the windshield to be changed. The in-charge at the store informed us that the original Asahi one was for 17K and we would have to pay 2.5k over and above the insurance claim.

We handed over the insurance papers and the car @ 1.00 pm and were promised delivery by 5pm. The car was indeed ready by 5.00pm and the job looked well finished. However I just happened to inspect the glass and found that it was not Asahi! It was some FY brand which the guy said is Japanese and very good quality. I inquired with a few known dealers and found that the MRP of this glass with fitting is 7K. I immediately told the guy to arrange for Asahi and change the glass. He started reasoning that Asahi was not available and this is a very good quality glass and blah! blah!.

Since I did not budge even a bit he agreed to source Asahi in 2 days and have this replaced. I have instructed him not to process the claim unless the glass is replaced.

I somehow got a feeling that the franchisees and using this as a loop hole to mint money. A very smart thing to put a glass worth 7k, claim for 17K + get 2.5k from the customer!! The Insurance guys just inspect the old glass and process the claim.

I shall post further developments soon. Would advise everyone to verify the make and quality of the glass before and after replacement

Regards

Pashin

Interesting, AFAIK WE is an Asahi enterprise. So they were cheating themselves / their principal.

[Epic]

I just spoke to the Windshield Expert guys in Mumbai and I was flatly told that scratches (whether minor or major) cannot be removed. They can only fill cracks or chips. This is so weird!!!

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by Pashin

We handed over the insurance papers and the car @ 1.00 pm and were promised delivery by 5pm. The car was indeed ready by 5.00pm and the job looked well finished. However I just happened to inspect the glass and found that it was not Asahi! It was some FY brand which the guy said is Japanese and very good quality. I inquired with a few known dealers and found that the MRP of this glass with fitting is 7K.

Well, if they can source Accord type 2 Windshield for 7K, it's actually a good thing (unless you are sure that this FY branded glass is poor on any parameter compared to Asahi). In such a situation, I may even opt for it instead of Asahi and evaluate if I can just pay from my pocket and save the NCB...

Note: They should have told you upfront about the 2 options (7K for non Aahi and 17K for Asahi), but looks like they aren't very good at cheating. Else, they would have even told you that FY is better and and more expensive

BTW, what's your point? Why don't you just inform the insurance company so that their money is saved? They will only pay 7K as part of the claim and will have a goodwill for you. Or you just want the insurance company to spend minimum 17K???

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Epic

I just spoke to the Windshield Expert guys in Mumbai and I was flatly told that scratches (whether minor or major) cannot be removed. They can only fill cracks or chips. This is so weird!!!

Call them if you want to polish it to remove scratches -
http://www.glasspolishindia.com/

[Epic]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Call them if you want to polish it to remove scratches -
http://www.glasspolishindia.com/

Hey Akshay thank you for the suggestion. Have you ever tried them yourself?

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Epic

Hey Akshay thank you for the suggestion. Have you ever tried them yourself?

Was going to but in the end didn't need to. But after speaking to them they seemed to know their stuff. Give it a shot.

[Pashin]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Well, if they can source Accord type 2 Windshield for 7K, it's actually a good thing (unless you are sure that this FY branded glass is poor on any parameter compared to Asahi). In such a situation, I may even opt for it instead of Asahi and evaluate if I can just pay from my pocket and save the NCB...

Note: They should have told you upfront about the 2 options (7K for non Aahi and 17K for Asahi), but looks like they aren't very good at cheating. Else, they would have even told you that FY is better and and more expensive

BTW, what's your point? Why don't you just inform the insurance company so that their money is saved? They will only pay 7K as part of the claim and will have a goodwill for you. Or you just want the insurance company to spend minimum 17K???

Hi Anand,

When we dropped the car we were told that the Asahi glass would cost 17500 + we would have a bear a cost of 2500/- for rubber and labour etc. However on delivery we found the discrepancy and pointed it out to them. Later, We did write to the insurance company regarding the claim amount

My point here was for everyone to double check on what is being promised and what is being delivered by Windshield Experts.

Regards

Pashin

[Epic]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Call them if you want to polish it to remove scratches -
http://www.glasspolishindia.com/

Hey Akshay! Thank you for these details. Had visited them today and got my windshield polished as it has very minor scratches which were caused during paint spots on the glass. The windshield is now super clean and flawless!

Also decided to try out their detailing on the hood of my car as an emergency step as some minor scratches had occurred due to urchins rubbing their hands on the hood. They have all vanished after the polishing. I would still prefer Kamyo's services though.

They charged me just 1300 bucks for the above job which was well worth it.

Thanks again for your help. I have put their details up in the directory.

[lamborghini]

Had a chance to use Windshield Experts last month, when a marble rock fell through the rear windshield of the Laura.



Initially planned to get it done from Skoda itself, but the insurance guy recommended Windshield Experts. Though I was hesitant, the quicker turn around time (1 day v/s 8 days Skoda needed due to lack of windshield), lower cost, and positive feedback online helped make up my mind and give them a shot.
Sent the car the next day, and it was returned the same evening. Everything looked perfect under a casual glance, and Windshield Experts even cleaned the broken glass pieces from the rear seat.
However, when I took the car out for a spin - I noticed that the rear windshield had a significant distortion. In fact, at night, it pronounced the glare from the headlights of following vehicles and was quite an irritant.

Note the yellow round circles on the fence - and how they are distorted from right to left.





Upset over the same, I sent the car back to their outlet, and was asked to write to the company regarding the same, which I did so, using their website, as well as their customer feedback email address. Sadly, I did not hear back from them for over a week, and was getting worked up.
Decided to give their helpline a call - only to be told the manager who deals with these grievances was busy, and would call me back shortly.
Of course, that didn't happen, so after 2 days, I decided to call them back again, and spoke a little more firmly (though polite) - especially as I was getting quite impatient. That seemed to have done the trick, and I was connected with Ms. Ruchi from their office.

She was a great help in sorting out the problem, and once I provided her with the required information, I was requested to send the car back to the shop, where a senior would inspect the car, and carry out the replacement if required.
A date was set, and Mr. Vivek Rastogi carried out the inspection, and when I called my chauffeur to follow up, he informed me that the windshield was being replaced.

It's been a over a couple of weeks now since I have the new windshield installed, and I am quite happy overall. I was expecting their Customer Service to be in the same league as many Indian companies - where customers are taken for granted - but the overall ending to this experience actually has me quite pleased.

In fact, would recommend them to others for their promptness, value, and above average customer service (not excellent, but definitely above average).

Let's hope there are no leakage issues during the oncoming monsoons!

[sgiitk]

I bought the windscreen for my Civic from them (Kanpur). Took them four days to get it. Then the installation was excellent. They promised but never supplied the bonnet cover clips. The Glass was identical to the OE except for the Honda logo.

[Epic]

Hello all,

After a 10 day official trip, I returned today to see a cracked windshield on my Polo 1.6. It seems that a stone of some sort had hit the windshield and cracked it. At first I decided to give it to the VW authorized service center as I wanted to ensure that the glass is OE but they informed me that it would cost me a whooping 12k and would take at least two days to complete. I then remembered this thread and decided to give it a shot.

Visited the Andheri East outlet in Mumbai and got it replaced for 6.8k. I was glad to see that the windshield was exactly like the OE one and even had the clear slot marked out for the VIN just like the OE glass which was impressive. The work was completed in 45 minutes. Since the monsoons have already started and since the glass was fitted today itself, I still need to see if the work is good enough and there are no leaks.

Overall a good job done by the looks of it but i wish they took more care in keeping the interiors clean.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by Epic

it would cost me a whooping 12k and would take at least two days to complete.
Visited the Andheri East outlet in Mumbai and got it replaced for 6.8k

Did you claim Insurance? If so any idea if they have tie up with which all Insurance firms? I need this just for information purpose.

Puzzles me as to why should the workshop charge almost double than what Auto Glass charges? Is there a difference in the quality of the glass being replaced? Doe the glass replaced by Auto glass feel solid?

[Epic]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Did you claim Insurance? If so any idea if they have tie up with which all Insurance firms? I need this just for information purpose.

Puzzles me as to why should the workshop charge almost double than what Auto Glass charges? Is there a difference in the quality of the glass being replaced? Doe the glass replaced by Auto glass feel solid?

I did not claim insurance but paid by cash but they seemed pretty well tied up with insurance companies.

The glass is as good as OE if not better. I am not sure too with the reason for such a difference in costs for the same specification.

Also an update that the job is well done as I did not experience any leaks during my 20 km drive to work today in heavy rain. So I am now at ease.

[Team_Godspeed]

Sir, can i get the rear glass of toyota qualis? The big rear "windshield" has been broken cause some one on the street decided to break it!
Anyhow what would be the cost?

[manishkapadia]

I just had a Mango ( Kacha ) fall on my wifes Hyundai Eon and it shattered the windshield . I got quote of Rs 5,500 from Hyundai and Rs 4,700 from WSE andheri branch. Thinking where to get this done from!