Auto Windscreens - www.autowindscreens.co.uk

Job booked in for 10/02/2025. Technician has marked job as complete and payment taken despite not showing up. Supposedly 'clicked wrong button when marking other job as complete.' Then showed up for all of 5 minutes, said it's 'too windy' and then left. When asked about rebooking, simply told 'you'll get a call'. Not good enough at all - you've taken my money, no job has been complete but now there's going to be a confusing record that it's been done because you can't click a button properly?

This review will be posted everywhere and will remain up until a satisfactory response has been met.

Subject: Booking Reference 13159450

Dear Autowindscreens

Extracted from an email I received from yourselves

We take pride in the quality of our work and are committed to providing the best possible experience for our customers...

Hmm, Really?

Sadly not in my case.

24/09/2024

I arrived at the Brierley Hill centre, pulled the car up to the opening of the unit, looked deserted, so I got out to try and find the entrance to the office, which there wasn't an obvious one, looked through the window and saw three guys looking down at their mobile devices ( I presume) I was spotted by the one guy who came out and said "alright mate can you pull your car inside" so I did, first thing I noticed was remnants of mastic on the floor, bit untidy, pulled my car in, got out, started chatting to Daz who was pleasant and relatively personable, I asked if it was OK if I could watch them replace the windscreen as I am very particular, I was told I can't stay in the unit because of insurance purposes, ok so why was I allowed to drive into the unit, I thought? He said it was gonna take about 90 minutes, Merry Hill is over there if you wanna go, yeah right I thought, I decided to wait in the waiting room which was clean,tidy and very warm (wall heater on full blast), I noticed a water dispenser but only used cups atop!

I wasn't offered a drink of any kind. I asked if there was a toilet and shown the way, after using the loo I wanted to wash my hands but there was no soap or paper towel, as no other customer was there I looked in the ladies, fully stocked soap and paper towel, I can only assume when the male staff use the toilet they don't wash their hands afterwards? 

Here comes my major gripe...

When I got home and gave the car a detailed inspection I noticed what looked like a rubber seal hanging from the scuttle panel in the engine bay (see image) I was going to go back and ask him to rectify it, but it was quicker, more convenient for me to take the panel off and see what was going on, besides I didn't want them mess anything else up and he wouldn't have let me watch anyway. On taking the panel off I noticed scratches where the plastic fixing clips fit and one of them was missing, which fortunately I found in the engine bay (see image), hmm, I also noticed that the pipe for the windscreen washers had not been routed correctly and was pinched between the scuttle panel and bodywork (see image), when testing the windscreen washers there was only a small amount of water coming through.

Once I had got the panel off, to my disgust I found a length of mastic that had been left under the panel, what about if this had got entangled in the windscreen wiper mechanism?

The bits of rubber mastic probably wouldn't have been dangling between the scuttle panel and firewall if they had fitted it correctly, (that didn't work if they were trying to get one over on me) the plastic scuttle panel has small pegs which slot into holes on the firewall, the pegs were not in the holes!

I was told "it's all done mate" I was then "allowed" to reverse the car out of the unit with no guidance.

At this branch they don't...

Take pride in the quality of our work and are committed to providing the best possible experience for our customers.

It's pointless having a motto if your "technicians" don't take this into account when doing their job!

I have bought this car with my savings and hard earned cash.It's not a company car or someone else's, I look after my stuff, pity you don't give 2 hoots.

Problem is what choice do you have when your insurance company used them as preferred.

Their reply

Auto Windscreens Customer Care

Details 07/10/2024

Good Morning Mr C

Thank you for your E Mail and we apologise it is to make us aware of a complaint.

This has been logged and a member of the service team will call you to discuss

Kind Regards

Auto Windscreens Customer Care

A week has gone by and no other communication from them ???? Typical

Auto Windscreens are without doubt the worst company I have ever had the misfortune of having to deal with. Over the course of 6 weeks and a litany of errors they completely failed to replace my cracked windscreen. I had to take holiday leave and use my own time TWICE to visit their install depot. The first time they ordered completely the wrong glass, the second time I attended and the glass simply hadn’t been ordered. They promised an installer would attend my house the next day. Eventually after waiting all day somebody did attend at 16:30, took out the old cracked windscreen only to find the new glass was too big and wouldn’t fit so they had to put the cracked windscreen back in, causing more damage in the process and glass everywhere which I then had to clear up. To make matters worse over the course of 6 weeks Auto Windscreens couldn’t be bothered to contact me, leaving me to phone them and do all the work chasing them to try and find out what was happening. The irony is that their phone line is always busy and whilst on hold I am forced to listen to pre-recorded lies about how they are industry leaders with a 97% review score, able to supply and fit ALL types of vehicle glass. Oh well, lies, lies and damn statistics. I complained to their customer service department hoping form some form of good will gesture for all the time and effort wasted, but got nothing. PLEASE if you have a choice save yourself the hassle and DO NOT USE AUTO WINDSCREENS. They are simply an APPALLING company with zero customer service skills and a don’t give a damn attitude. AVOID Auto Windscreens.

Caused over £2,500 worth of damage, accepted liability but 64 days later still won’t pay.

Customer service is AWFUL!! AVOID AVOID AVOID

Absolutely appalling customer service. I’m giving them one star because there isn’t an option for zero or more appropriately a minus score. Never again will I use them.

Was good with booking and getting the windscreen in. But the gentleman that come to replace my broken windscreen couldn't re fit my wind wiper. He said he was unable to but I would be compensated or another engineer would come out to resolve the issue with I had no is with and was fine with. After 2 months of trying to solve this problem. I got told oh no sorry we can only apologise as we would leave this up to you. Our guy couldn't undo the bolts. Before calling these out make sure they can leave your car fully equipped. Manager at Croydon was just useless.

Took this windscreen company 2 weeks and 3 appointments to replace my windscreen due to cracking it when installing, then not bothering to order the part they need in 7 days after. Cost me hundreds of pounds in Ubers over this two weeks. Nobody apologised, I had to log a complaint and chase it as they keep choosing to ignore me. Have now offered me TWENTY FIVE POUNDS back, and now ignored me for a further week. DO NOT USE AUTO WINDSCREENS. Overall, a VERY UPSETTING experience. No customer care whatsoever either.

I’ve made a massive mistake using this company and am paying the price!! :(

Appalling service???????????????? Been waiting since the 28th November to get my windscreen fixed.Now got to wait until January. Thankyou for ruining my Christmas

FALSE ADVERTISING

Repair carried out on rear screen of vehicle

Left car on drained battery damaged alternator and was told get on with it by local branch

Costing myself £300 just before Christmas for a technicians error

Reported to

Insurance company

Trading standards

DO NOT USE

got there early and they started immediately we went round the shops and had to wait 5 mins and it was done.very instructed about washing very good