Re: Windshield shopping experience (feel free to comment)

I found this to be my most frugal solution for a cracked windshield:
UPullIt: $32.50 for a used windshield, if they have one. (And, you can
see if how they are fitted, and get spare clips, etc., when you remove
it!) It if cracks while you are removing it, you don't have to pay.
AutoZone: $12.95 for a roll of the 3M brand of the super-sticky
windshield tape.
Then wait for a sunny day...

[email]johngdole@hotmail.com[/email] wrote:[color=blue]
> BTW, according to Safelite, the windshield is a structural part of
> modern vehicles. So you probably shouldn't use any shop that use home
> depot caulking to "paste" the windshield on. You should also ask that
> at least AS-1 standard glass is used.
>
>
> On Feb 21, 1:56 pm, johnyan...@yahoo.com wrote:[color=green]
>> Hi all,
>> Thanks for your advice this past week re. the cracked windshield on my
>> '89 Toyota Corolla SR5 coupe. This is in the Boston, MA area. I've
>> called a zillion places-- told all of them I don't have comprehensive
>> coverage and need to pay out of pocket. I thought you might find some
>> of the below interesting:
>>
>> 1. The chains (e.g. JNPhillips) have multiple locations in my area,
>> and I was trying to call the inner-city locations, figuring that the
>> best price would be if I drove the car into their shops instead of
>> their coming to me. The shops in nicer neighborhoods were quoting
>> like $250-$270 vs $220 for poorer neighborhoods. Interestingly, the
>> shops in poorer neighborhoods would give me a quote, e.g., $220, and
>> when they heard I don't that live close by, they told me I can get it
>> done at their sister shop in my local [nicer] neighborhood shop for
>> $220, b/c they can "transfer the price over." So I guess moral of the
>> story is that if you want a chain to do your windshield, don't
>> hesitate to call different locations of the same chain, b/c they'll
>> likely give you different prices that you can transfer to any
>> location.
>> Won't the shops lose business and money if they are routing customers
>> to other locations in the same chain [that are more convenient for the
>> customer]? They seemed to do this all the time when I called. You'd
>> think that to some extent, the amount of business each individual shop
>> does will affect what its employees make.
>>
>> 2. Highest quote I got was $396 (!!). Fewer than 10% of quotes were
>> $215 or less.
>>
>> 3. Junkyard said $125 installed (how many of you go this route?). I
>> would be up for it, but the junkyard said that '89 SR5 coupes use
>> different windshields than sedans. None of the other shops said this
>> though, so hopefully the junkyard was wrong. Does anyone have any
>> idea? I don't want to have a shop rip out my old windshield and then
>> tell me "oops, we can't find one to fit."
>>
>> 4. One independent shop said $195 cash, off-the-books. Is it safe
>> to pay for a windshield like this? Or do they often end up needing to
>> be re-fitted, re-sealed, in which being a cash off-the-books customer
>> may not be ideal?
>>
>> 5. One shop with mobile service quoted a good price, said they'd
>> like to be paid in cash, said that if I'm at work, I can leave the car
>> in my driveway, unlocked so they can get in, with the cash payment
>> hidden in the car. Didn't seem like a good plan to me...
>>
>> 6. The lowest quotes I got were:
>> $195 cash, off-the-books, drive it to an independent shop.
>> $189.20, independent shop with mobile service, said they preferred
>> cash
>>
>> Finally I called one of the chain glass companies, asked for a quote,
>> they said $254. I said thanks but no thanks. The girl answering the
>> phone asked me what else I was offered, I said $189. She said she
>> could do $180+ tax and set up an appt for me at their closest
>> location. I was quite surprised when she said this, as I didn't think
>> that they would offer a discount, let alone a $74 one. How much
>> profit are auto glass installation companies making?
>>
>> Do you guys usually ask shops to match or beat someone else's quote?
>> I didn't do this because I felt bad asking, esp if it was an
>> independent shop. For auto repairs I go to independent shops and have
>> never asked for a better/different/lower price, because I figure
>> that's an insult to the mechanic. At least I would be insulted if I
>> were the mechanic.
>>
>> Is it better to get your auto glass done by a chain than by an
>> independent shop? Maybe for warranty purposes at least? Generally I
>> avoid chains (no Sears/Jiffy Lube/Firestone/etc for anything) but auto
>> glass is probably a different story.[/color]
>
>[/color]