Now , the facts.We rang Covi Insurance and they said "No problem , glass is covered ". They gave us a Claim Number and that was that , just get the job done and end of storey - Yeah Right !!!!!
Smith & Smith Glass at Whangarei was our choice.
We had used them at their Henderson Branch in the past and everything was 100%. Dream on .
Top left photo is the original chip - quite bad but repairable they said.
Not so in reality - after the repair there was to be seen, from the outside , two spots that would be acceptable , but from the inside it looked like the original unrepaired chip.
"No problem " they said ( those words again ) " we will replace it" . First , it had to come up from Christchurch. A week later it arrived.
Out came the old screen ( top right photo ) and in with the new.
But they cracked it !!!!!! and at the same time they cracked the passenger screen.
Loud hoots of laughter echoed around the workshop - the two young guys from Smith & Smith thought it was a big joke.
We were not impressed !
A week later and two new screens arrived along with two older staff and the screens were fitted.A job well done, we hoped.
Not so .
The paintwork was damaged ( see photo above)
and the black sealant stained the paintwork on the mullions , both sides of the screen ( see photo below).
We had had enough of Smith & Smith by now so instead of complaining we fixed the paint chips and cleaned up the black stains ourselves.
Ok , we thought , all we have to do now is get the graphics replaced.
Which we did .
The graphics cost us $145.00 . Hold on a minute , we thought . there was one word on each screen and Smith & Smith broke one screen so surely they should pay for half the cost of replacing the graphics .
So back we went . It was a total waste of time . Their initial reaction to my request was , you might guess , a good laugh . "Claim it off your insurance " they said in-between chuckles.
A week later we had a good rainy day - the windscreens leaked .
Not just a trickle or two , multiple flows that needed many paper towels across the bottom of the screens.
Back to Smith & Smith . They listened with an air of disbelief and smug superiority that reflects the management attitude at the Whangarei branch. " It was probably condensation " they said.
We went out to the rig for an inspection . They stood there talking about condensation , I went inside and came out with two hand fulls of sodden paper towels. It was not condensation.
They did a closer inspection . When they fitted the screens , someone stood on the ground and sealed across the bottom and up each side as far as they could reach and left it at that.
The silence was deafening - not one word of apology , just some muttering between them selves .
Out came the trestles and plank and it was sealed as it should have been in the first place.
Good Bye Smith & Smith Glass - may our paths never cross again.
Since then surplus sealant has oozed out from behind the rubber extrusion all around the screens.
When I can borrow a stepladder I will clean it up.
Their is one more chapter to this tale .
Covi Insurance rang me.
" Could I tell them why the claim is for three windscreens ?" they asked.
Well I did - "I broke one and Smith & Smith broke two"seemed to sum it up correctly.
"Thank you"they said.
To summarise - Smith & Smith claimed from my insurance company the cost of three windscreens , two of which they broke themselves and they should have claimed for them from their insurance.
I now know that Novus Glass are in Whangarei so no prize for guessing where I will go for any future glass work.
