thepostman

Just to share my experience with Safelite glass and to forewarn those thinking of going to Safelite for their windshield.

I had my windshield replaced with PPG today. For those that haven't figured it out yet, the 350z windshield is crap. It is likely manufactured in Japan and this is another attempt by Nissan to keep the Z as the most affordable sports car on the market. PPG is one of the two foremost domestic glass manufacturers. My 1998 Honda Civic has PPG and there is a clear distinction of quality.

My costs were: $133.95 glass, $15.95 molding, $60 labor + tax for $223. Through the waiting looking glass I could observe them, and it seems they did a good job....however, this is where it gets weird.

Upon scheduling service via their 800# call centers, the agent tells me they will ship the wiper blades as well for $19.00 and I wasn't obligated. I told them I dont need them don't bother shipping them. My logic is 1. its 115 degrees in Lancaster, CA and they would bake anyways and wait until the rainy season 2. there's nothing wrong with my existing 3. i dont want anyone touching/scratching anything they dont need to.

Upon giving Safelite the keys at the repair location, the blades were still included in the final price. At this time I asked what the functional need was for them (thinking maybe there is a logical reason) and finally he said they may be faded as the only reason. No big deal, issue solved..supposedly. However, upon receving the final invoice the charge was STILL ON THERE and I told him to remove it.

While at home I went thru the invoice once more and I notice a line item "1 inshop discount $14.05"...however it is included in the grand total. I called the shop and the manager stated "oh...it looks like he "forgot" to put a minus there....and said he will credit the account.

I'm thinking...hmmm...it could have been an honest mistake but I realized in doing the math. 15 cars per day * $20 wipers = $300 per day. 15 cars per day * $14.05 = $210. This is conservatively a $500 per DAY/$15,000 per month scam. Considering the majority of people may not review their invoices and ask questions, these guys are a bunch of slimeballs.

To top it off they marred/scratched the driver side door. I know it was them because it is diagonal and wasnt there before. I will be filing a complaint against them with the BBB immediately. I am HOPING there are no leaks in the windshield..in a couple days I will wash it and test it out....hopefully the saga ends. My experience at Safelite is another in a long list of companies scamming the public and providing underpar service. I usually go through the line items meticulously in these situations....but I was tired/hungry and didnt think i had to be on my toes AGAIN with these bozos.

Feel free to share any experiences with windshields and/or Safelite.

DavesZ#3

iTrader: (26)

I had the totally opposite experience with Safelite. I got my windshield replaced Friday except I made arrangements for them to come to my house. I sat out on the carport and watched the guy change the windshield. He's a big car fan so we had lots to talk about during the 2 hours he was here.

He has changed out Z windshields several times so he knew exactly how to take the car apart and didn't damage or scratch a thing.

Are the Z's windshields cheap? Yes, they come that way from Nissan. Not sure what that has to do with Safelite as they don't get them from Nissan. I have to say that mine looks identical to the OEM though, all the way down to the dotted mash around the rear view mirror area.


Considering how you day was going, I'm surprised you didn't inspect the invoice more carefully before you left.

When I called to make the appt, I told them "no wipers" so I wasn't billed for them.

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

What's wrong with the Japanese windshield anyway?

It's working just fine on my copy.

Russ@Z1

iTrader: (65)

I had safelite replace mine a while back. While they didn't bill me for wipers, they did scratch the passenger fender. It would've been nice for the installer to come inside my workplace when he let me know he was done to notify me of the damage. When I did notice, I called safelite and they promptly offered to pay for repairs with no arguments.

ZPHILE

iTrader: (13)

Postman, ironic but I think that I went to the same Safelite as you (I'm in the AV). Is it that one near Ave K and 10th st West? Anyway, my experience was good with the quality and all (no leaks - was done in March '07). My total was $198.00 (no UV in this glass???). Didn't see the extra charge nor did they try for wiper blades. Hate to hear what happened to your car.

mikewagon

what is the benefit of safelite? is it still glass like oem? only for road racing? ive never heard of it?

michaeljr6

iTrader: (14)

it's a glass repair /replacement service.......

i've used them twice and they're very professional. they repaired the lexus rear window and replaced the z front windshield. it took about 2 hours for both work and it was all done at my house. they price match and have the lowest price. i was very happy with the service and will use them again.

ZPHILE

iTrader: (13)

It's OEM like,(doesn't say Nissan - everything else LOOKs the same. Also considering the dealer wanted to charge me 1K for replacement as opposed to the $198.00 guess which one I did. Again - it's just like the stock glass.

nzpv03

iTrader: (3)

HAHA damnnn thats a big price diff

thepostman

glad u had a great experience. Sure, I should have caught the $14.50 mistake....consumer education is important but that goes so far. Was it a mistake, perhaps. Do they make this "mistake" on a regular basis? I wish I could have a peek at their books.

ASTIG_Z

iTrader: (8)

I had a good experience when I had my windshield replaced by them. They came to my work and finished in about 1 1/2 hrs. This was on friday, lunch time.

Everything was all good until i found white spots in between the glass and the black borders. It was impossible to get to those spots. I told the techinitian about it and he said that he was sorry and that he didnt check the glass before he came out to my work. So they called it in to their service center and got an approval to replace the glass for no extra charge.

They made an appointment on monday around the same time to replace it. I inspected the replacement glass to see if there were any blemishes or etc. The work was done within the same time frame....and I was a satisfied customer! I guess it all depends on the individual worker then?

thepostman

yeah, thats the same one right next to 24 hr fitness. Wow, a neighbor in Lancaster! (My z is black, all stock no spoiler, zee bracket and usually kinda dirty...) When you walk in, it seems like a professional place. All I know is what happened to me unfortunately...Glad to hear you were fine and you have no leaks. I doubt I will have any leaks but I've heard some pretty scary stories in general of seals not done correctly with molding/weatherstripping. Also, I paid an extra $80 for the PPG glass instead of their aftermarket. My 98 civic has PPG and it has taken some hellacious beatings with rocks and is a clear difference in quality.

DavesZ#3

iTrader: (26)

It's a franchise, like a lot of other businesses, each run by a different person. Sure, one location may be run by a shady manager but it's hard to lump them all into the "bad apple" category. I've used Safelite for three different windshields over the years and never had an issue with them.

My Z windshield has been broken since last October. I've been apprehensive about getting it replaced because I didn't want to chance getting the car scratched or damaged. The tech must have thought I was nuts because when he arrived I started quizzing him. I was prepared to send him away if I didn't think he knew what he was doing.

thepostman

in the event I need to replace my PPG windshield (yes, I plugged PPG again) - I will likely check out a different safelite since it seems the majority of folks seem to have had pretty good experiences. It's funny, no matter how much research you do (BBB, friends, forums, interviewing staff) there is always *some* issue that will creep up.