miniscule crack--replace ENTIRE windshield???

[agrointhemountains]

to begin, not only am a i pissed off that the franchise is insisting they MUST replace the windshield for a teenie chip....the damn thing didn't happen when in MY possession!

upon returning my super cheap weekend rental today (looks like i just figured out where they make their money back), i was told that there was a "crack" in the windshield and i would be required to replace it. WHAT????

here's where the fraud comes in: foolishly, the guy who checked me in TOLD me there was no visable damage to the car and to "initial here"---and i did it. i had been in an accident the previous day with my personal car, and was not thinking right. totally my fault for not physically checking the car myself, but when this BOY told me everything was 100% ok, i signed away. stupid, i know. that said...even if i DID check the car, i would never have noticed such a tiny chip in the windshield. it's not even big enough to have "starred out" yet....i took a freaking picture for my records and it's not even visable enough to SEE.

i was in this car for many, many hours this weekend. i would have noticed if a rock came flying at the car. heard it. felt it. whatever. this simply DID NOT HAPPEN on my time. and really? they have to replace the entire windshield at $450???? you have got to be fucking kidding me. is that standard practice???

i'm fighting this tooth and nail, that's for sure. even if i don't stand a chance, i plan to make it as difficult as possible for them to perpetrate such bullshit tactics....

incidentally: i did NOT sign a damage report. there were other customers (potential suckers?) in the shop and i think the sales rep filling out the report was eager to get me out of there....

Although it may seem like you do not need to replace the windshield, it is not your car and therefore not your decision. Since the chip may lead to a crack, it is in the best interest to replace the windshield. You really should have checked the car for damage, especially the windshield. I feel for you, but you will likely lose out and have to pay or get sent to collections or waste countless hours of your time dealing with this. Find out if they have taken the car to the shop yet, likely they just rerented it without fixing it, and if that is the case, ask for the area manager's info. Go from there.

well, thanks for your input. imho, it simply doesn't matter that it "isn't my decision"....where on the rental contract does it state that a chipped windshield requires complete replacement? simple question, more simple answer: it doesn't. if the windshield were totally cracked or had a major star, i could see the point of replacement.

and you're totally right....i SHOULD have checked the car out. my fault for being trusting. but again, this chip is so tiny that i would never have noticed it while doing a walk around anyway!!! it looks like a dot of salt---a drop of birdcrap. there's NO STARRING. it's a tiny chip....i literally had to put my face to the glass to see what the hell he was talking about. it doesn't show up in any of the pictures i took.

while perhaps it would be less of a 'waste of time' to let enterprise screw me over for $450, that's not how i work. i'm fiercely allergic to fraud and injustice...and i'm not going to roll over and play dead on this one. i informed them that i would NOT pay for this and to have someone contact me. we'll see when that happens.

[slave no more]

There are several details that go into replacing a windshield. Where was the crack located? If it is direct sight of the driver (where as the driver needs to look through or at the crack to see ahead of him or could reflect light towards the driver)? Is it an actualy "crack" regardless of size, a star or a chip? ERAC makes shit off of replacing windshields. Soft costs only being about $20 they wont be ripping you off. What kind of car was it. Some cars like Cavaliers, Sunfires and Neons have insanely expensive windows and the labor to put them in is ridiculous too. To replace a star for ERAC is free in some places due to an agreement with AGS. If they are replacing it it is probably legitimate because they are losing that vehicle until it gets replaced where as with a chip they can rerent it until AGS can come out or schedule a defnite time. Answer these questions first and you should be able to get more of an opinion from people on this site.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

well, thanks for your input. imho, it simply doesn't matter that it "isn't my decision"....where on the rental contract does it state that a chipped windshield requires complete replacement? simple question, more simple answer: it doesn't. if the windshield were totally cracked or had a major star, i could see the point of replacement.

and you're totally right....i SHOULD have checked the car out. my fault for being trusting. but again, this chip is so tiny that i would never have noticed it while doing a walk around anyway!!! it looks like a dot of salt---a drop of birdcrap. there's NO STARRING. it's a tiny chip....i literally had to put my face to the glass to see what the hell he was talking about. it doesn't show up in any of the pictures i took.

while perhaps it would be less of a 'waste of time' to let enterprise screw me over for $450, that's not how i work. i'm fiercely allergic to fraud and injustice...and i'm not going to roll over and play dead on this one. i informed them that i would NOT pay for this and to have someone contact me. we'll see when that happens.

Erac doesn't want to tie up that car to replace a windshield if they don't have to. If it is a small chip like you say, the glass comapny that branch uses should be able to fill it in for around 5-10 bucks. If the windshield company decides that they need to replace it because they can't fill it in properly, then they will tell erac that. Windshields are more expensive than you think. $450 sounds about right. They should be able to research if that chip was marked on previous rental agreements. Do you have windshield coverage on your insurance? If you do, then you might have a zero deductible. In case your allergy medicine is not working and you do have to pay this, I'd check on that.

Just a thought, but does anyone else notice that the damage to the windshield wasn't seen or noticed by the renter before or during the rental where he/she drove "many hours", but was noticed when the car was returned. To me, this seems like the very definition of damage to a rental car...not there when picked up, there when returned. I'm not saying this renter is right or wrong, but it does seem to be their responsibility. They didn't check the car over well enough and now there is damage after driving "many hours". I really don't think ERAC is trying to run a massive scam to pass off windshield damage(s) to customers, just the ones who, by definition, are responsible. Take accountability...either for the damage, or for the lack of checking the car properly when you picked it up. Does anyone else agree?

[itsfuckingcold]

w/s are a bitch to deal with. a 2 mm crack can spread across to 4 feet along the base. and ya...450 sounds right...and thats before 1 day downtime...couldn't rent er over the count

[slave no more]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Just a thought, but does anyone else notice that the damage to the windshield wasn't seen or noticed by the renter before or during the rental where he/she drove "many hours", but was noticed when the car was returned. To me, this seems like the very definition of damage to a rental car...not there when picked up, there when returned. I'm not saying this renter is right or wrong, but it does seem to be their responsibility. They didn't check the car over well enough and now there is damage after driving "many hours". I really don't think ERAC is trying to run a massive scam to pass off windshield damage(s) to customers, just the ones who, by definition, are responsible. Take accountability...either for the damage, or for the lack of checking the car properly when you picked it up. Does anyone else agree?

Indeed. I just wanted to get some more info. Either way the guys is screwed unless he bitches up enough of a storm for it to get to the GM. But even then he may still get nothing.

[17dd boy]

Originally Posted by itsfuckingcold

w/s are a bitch to deal with. a 2 mm crack can spread across to 4 feet along the base. and ya...450 sounds right...and thats before 1 day downtime...couldn't rent er over the count

I agree with you. A minor crack can easily turn into a major one. For safety reasons you must replace a crack of any kind. A chip is a different story as you can often refill it. Glass for windshields are often more expensive than you realize as they are designed with a lot of safety measures in them.

GROW up an pay for your damage.

That's what I was trying to say. Although you may not have noticed anything striking the windshield, it is quite possible something may have hit it without you realising it. Yes, the damage may have been there before, but if it was, you should have noticed it. Since you did not, you are now the responsible party. Hopefully for you, this will not require replacement, but if it does, own up and pay up. Like it or not, you are on the hook. Best of luck.