Windshield Repair Forum

This doesn't happen often to me on insurance referral claims but I had the misfortune to experience another bogus claim this week.

CSR calls and states it has policy holder on the line that needs bullseye repair on his 2003 BMW. After getting information from CSR I then talk to insured and go through the normal spill trying to qualify damage info, i.e when it happened, location of damage, description of damage and most importantly has anybody already tried to repair it? Customer responds, it just happened last week, bullseye in in the middle of shield and nobody has previously tried to repair it. Service location was somewhat further than I'd normally travel (23 miles) but because it was a AAA claim that paid $75 and decided it was worth the travel. So I show up 9 am next morning only to find out it's already been attempted. I asked the customer again.....did somebody already try to repair this? He said no, they haven't. HMMMMM?
Well, I then asked for his insurance info....at which point he reaches into his glovebox and guess what happens???? A $7 do it yourself repair kit falls onto the carpet including a purchase receipt for 2 kits Boy was I pissed I looked at him again and asked for a third time, did somebody try filling this repair? He finally admitted that he did but figured it was no big deal to have me fix his mess up. $58,000 BMW, $140,000 yearly paid engineer and he decides to fix it himself when he could have had it done free by a qualified tech....GO FIGURE? What a A.. Hole!

Anybody ever ran into this type before or tried calling insurance back to charge them a service fee for customers dishonesty?

I had a situation like this a couple of months ago. LYNX calls and gave me the dispatch for a job site unseen and they said it was a 3 chipper. I went out and its was worse than presented. I did it anyway. I had no idea how to handle a customer misrepresented preauthorized repair. The customer was happy with the repair and I went on my way.
I think with the BMW guy should have called you first rather than the insurance to see what you could do. It is my opinion though that MANY customers tend to represent the damage over the phone, especially cracks. If a customer says he has a X number of inch crack.... add 10 inches to get the true figure .

I turned up at a job years ago to find the customer had tried to get rid of his bullseye by rubbing it with coarse grit sandpaper.

Charge the customer direct for your wasted time.

People believe advertising it is what makes them use some of us and the companies that sell D.I.Y kits do a lot advertising, it would be nice to see these kits taken off the shelf but it seems in the mean time we have to just keep educating Joe public.

If you do not see a few screens you cannot repair you are not looking at enough of them.

Did you say engineer? That's half the problem, noone is as smart as an engineer. Just ask one, he'll tell you.
I got a quote to have the engine on a lawnmower fixed a couple of years ago and the guy told me it would be about $200, as I was walking out(I only paid $220 for the thing to begin with) he quickly added "double if you've already tried working on it". I definitely would have charged something extra for the headache of fixing his screwup.

AAA pays $75 in Michigan?

Dude they sent you to a repair the bone head had tried to work it himself tell him point blank IF YOU HADNT TRIED TO FIX THIS YOURSELF MY REPAIR WOULD LOOK BETTER! and drill and fill as best you can if only to try to make his mess look better charge em for 3 chips and leave I dare em to say something

In Michigan, Harmon is the network for AAA. If your signed with the Harmon network offer and acceptance agreement (which I'm not and never will be) you'll only get $45/10/10/10 on repair. If your not signed and bill direct to AAA claims they will pay $75/12.50/12.50/12.50. Wish we had more like AAA around here to be truthful.

GlassStarz,

I understand you view point on this. I did offer to refill this repair for customer and fully explained to him the results would'nt turn out perfect since he already screwed up repair but could make it look better. His response was.... I have a buyer for this car and I need it to look perfect:roll: I said you want perfect, ok... then I'll need to replace shield and you'll have pay your $100 deductable. I wasn't about attempt a repair for this guy when I already knew beforehand he wouldn't be satisfied. I did however, call back AAA claims to explain why I couldn't satisfy customers windshield claim. They were happy I called and put a notation on his claim so he couldn't pull another repair tech into his mess.

I'm not happy but still feel I did the right thing with this situation.

I stick my machine on and tell him it turned out well and thanks for the call
But only if the guy has jerked me around like that.