Its been a while since we had some of my quality artwork, and since I came to the end of my rope this morning about how bad these creepy windshield stalkers are I figured a visual will help get the point across of why not to use these types of shops.
Most of these scenarios start when you are doing a regular errand, such as going to the grocery store or the car wash. These people will literally break your windshield so they can get a commission for having it replaced. You see, most of the time they aren’t even employed by the company they say they work for. They’re an “independent contractor” out to make some cash by getting a commission to replace your windshield. They make a business of being in the right place at the right time.
Our crack investigative team has discovered that windshields don’t just break themselves when these people are around. We have received reports about people breaking windshields just to get a $25 commission. Please read our “based on true events” dramatization to see how easy it is to get duped.
Here we have poor unsuspecting Gomez enjoying a nice car wash. Little does he know that a creepy windshield stalker is just waiting under a rock to pop out and cause havoc!
As soon as you try to leave the creepy windshield stalker jumps out and tells you something scary that makes you stop. I imagine it like my next fine drawing.
At this point, many people will stop and see what this crazy person is talking about. They will tell a potential customer anything, make up fake laws, tell them lies about windshield safety, anything to make a sale.
This creepy windshield stalker will sweet talk these poor unsuspecting customers until they get their way. Many people think it’s free, and don’t see that these creeps are calling their insurance companies. These companies are very crafty and have each of these “independent” contractors sign a waiver for each claim they pull in stating that they are liable if the claim is found to be fraudulent. Any company that makes each of their “employees” sign a waiver for each claim they produce is BAD NEWS. If they company will not stand behind their employees, will they stand behind their repair?
If I had it my way, we could have TG, the TeleNinja, go out and put a stop to these people before they rake in another unsuspecting consumer. Until that day happens, be careful of these people and always protect yourself from windshield and auto glass fraud.
Read more from Rachel Letourneau.
System Process Manager, Rachel has been with Teleglass for six years. In addition to making a mean birthday cake, Rachel has an extensive grasp of the auto glass business. Find her on Twitter: @rachelcrocker.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s just a matter of time before Broward County, Florida generates some Coast to Coast Autoglass business practices complaints. Wanna know where the mothership is located that the windshield stalkers use as home base?
R. F. Lilly & Associates, LLC
541 S. State Rd. 7 (Rt. 441)
Suite 6
Margate, FL 33068
This business is owned by Richard and Liliana Toplak. The office is a little hard to find – it’s in the rear of the building – and to confuse things just a little more – there’s another building just to the north of the 541 building that looks exactly the same.
There’s another, smaller windshield stalker mothership office run by a guy named Ian located at:
12505 Orange Dr., Suite 908
Davie, FL 33330
So if you’re wondering where the door-to-door solicitor that just visited your home or office came from – now you know.
Hey, why couldn’t those Homeless Voice beggars/vendors that are always on the street corners and median strips of the big intersections look for windshield damage and sell windshield replacements while they beg for pocket change? Just an idea…
These guys already got me at the Mobil on University Dr in Coral Springs- just next to the Chick-fil-a on Shadowood. I knew it was a scam but I wasn’t charged by my insurance company. I was pumping gas and the guy acted like he was offering a free service on behalf of the gas station and immediately was like WOW LOOK AT THIS CHIP LUCKILY I CAN FIX IT, FOR FREE!!! These people are scum and needed eliminated.
DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY!
Even if you -are- speaking to a “representative” of the company… your information and money is not secure.
As you can see from testimonials/complaints – your repair may not be completed and if it is, it won’t necessarily be correct.
Even if you do not do business with this company, they will perpetually knock at your door, become extremely pushy and refuse to leave.
If you are repeatedly approached or receive more than the occasional visit here’s what to do:
1. Report them to the corporate office. The person you want to speak with is Rhonda Jacobson (480)991-9889 x135, (email: RJacobson@GlassC2C.com) tell her what’s going on and that you are demanding that their sales people do not visit you again and that if they do you will contact law enforcement and/or the local news.
2. If the problem persists, contact local law enforcement and/or news.
These people need to be shut down.
They are currently hiding behind the fact that their local offices are somewhat independent and autonomous but this does not take away their liability.
This is some cartoon someone made up …. prob. a insurance company that wants to scare people away from this company to save $!
Will, that’s simply not true.
I look at a lot of data surrounding glass claims. There a lot of great glass companies out there, but there are a few I’d rather not do business with. Let me put it to you this way… if my sister asked me if she should do business with them, I’d always say no.
I think consumers get the wrong idea about their insurance companies trying to save money. Here’s the thing – insurance companies will always make a profit. When their expenses go up, they raise our rates. When their expenses go down, if they don’t lower their rates, you switch to another carrier, so they’re pretty motivated to pass the savings on to you. Just like glass shops, there are insurance companies that work harder at making sure their customers get the best deal possible, so this varies from company to company – except for the part about insurance companies always making a profit.
That’s pretty much universal.
So the next time you consider filing a claim that costs the insurance company more than it should, keep that in mind. It all comes out of your pocket in the end (and my pocket, too). Sure, a higher priced claim will be spread across all policy holders, but that includes you, me… and both of our sisters.
That’s why at TeleGlass, we strive hard to find glass shops to partner with that are looking for that sweet spot where service, price, and customer satisfaction all come together. Could you get a better deal somewhere else? Sure. Could you pay more? Yes.
Will you find a better value for your hard earned dollars? I don’t think so. That’s what we strive to provide, every day.
The same R. F. Lilly & Associates are hiring people to do this with Craigslist! As of September 1, 2010.
Wow, thank you. Funny thing, I am looking for a job and decided to look up RF Lilly & Associates since their ad says a lot and yet nothing. Interesting enough, their website says a lot of BS and yet says nothing about their services. I knew I smelled SCAM!
“That’s why at TeleGlass, we strive hard to find glass shops to partner with that are looking for that sweet spot where service, price, and customer satisfaction all come together. Could you get a better deal somewhere else? Sure. Could you pay more? Yes.”
So someone who works for TeleGlass wrote up this story? It sounds to me like they are trying to bash another company for taking business away from them. I haven’t read any complaints online about people being unhappy with the replacement windshields that Coast to Coast provides. I would think that by making employees sign waivers for each claim would only help protect the consumer from fraud. This doesn’t mean that they don’t stand behind their product or installation. I would agree the people do sound a little pushy, but for people who don’t understand that if their windshield is damaged, they are entitled to a replacement without paying a deductable. So really they are just providing information and getting paid to help people, just like the people at TeleGlass. Guess I’m just playing the devil’s advocate, but in business it never hurts to bash people in the same business.
Well Confused, this is the TeleGlass blog, so clearly we wrote the above blog. If you search online you will find many complaints about companies that “service” the customers in this fashion. The waivers are signed so the owners of these companies cannot be sued if their subcontractors file fraudulent claims, not to protect the consumer in any way. As a licensed insurance adjuster I would never advocate for a company that swindles consumers into making insurance claims. This blog was written about the fraudulent shops that are harassing consumers from California to Massachusetts, but clearly you are involved with a company called Coast to Coast that I would have to assume based on your comments also uses a similar windshield stalker business model?
This was helpful to me but I have a question. Do all of these companies work the same way and increase insurance rates for people? I know somebody who works at one in New Jersey and when i tried to tell him that his job is a major scam, he didn’t believe me. Do you think that employers have brainwashed their employees?
Hi Amanda,
It’s not so much of a scam as it is scammy, if that makes sense. The services these companies provide are legitimate where they will repair a chip in your windshield, but how they get people to sign up are the scammy way of doing things. These companies tell the consumer this chip repair is at “No Cost To You” which makes me and consumers think its free. People don’t realize the repair company will then go to bill the insurance company to get paid. It is a deceptive selling practice that does increase insurance claims which would ultimately increase all of our premiums. Good looking out!
when i first moved to south florida in 4/09 i went to an interview with these guys. i’m at middle age so i figured based on the interview as well as the waiting room before hand that this probably wasn’t the best opportunity but the job market is tough and i thought i can’t say no without at least seeing for certain (having been in sales for years i find that the ones you think are easy or sure things rarely work that way and the ones you’re skeptical about often wind up being the best). so when i return the following day (in full suit – of which they tell me i can remove the jacket) we go out to a neighbor hood (i follow in my car) and park. right there, just on the side of the road of the subdivision or development, whichever term you prefer. we then start walking from home to home knocking. i was told we were an affiliate cross marketing at big box stores so i was definately wondering why we are knocking on doors for that. the guy i’m shadowing gets his first chance and pitches the window chip – free replacement. Anyway, anyone here reading already knows the deal. I admit that i didn’t necessarily find the broken windshield issue anything underhanded however i figured how lucrative could this be finding broken windows on foot??! I soon realized the unethical part when i posed this question to to the guy i’m with and he shows me a chip on the windshield and says this is worthy of a replacement. i look closely trying to find the issue. he shows me again and i smiled and said REALLY, that. it was nothing but a tiny mark where the point of a pebble may have scratched the windshield. and i use the term scratch very lightly. i have had a crack in my windshield for 6 years now that is about a 1/4 inch and haven’t had any issues with it getting bigger and i’m supposed to push people to replace their windshields because they have an imperfection at best in their windshield. Not going to be able to do it. anyway, just ran across this site and figured i’d add my 2 cents since i actually did this for about and hour and a half before leaving. and for the record i was told $35 per windshield and the guy said a real good day was 3 replacements.
oh – and to answer amanda’s question regarding brainwashing – yes. but really they just bought in to the opportunity presented to them. the guy i was with just turned 20 and he said he’d have his own shop doing this in 6-9 more months after doing it for 6 months so far. so either you do what i did because you’ve been around the block or you get totally committed and you are then speaking to a disciple so until they get the short end of the stick they won’t believe otherwise. think about what they are already enduring to have been doing the job – massive rejection, lots of expended energy, meager income and all in hopes of the big carrot at the end. blinders are an amazing thing.
Wow, thanks for the insiders info. This young kid probably doesn’t realize the impact these claims have on the whole industry. I’ve said it before and I will say it again. More Claims = Insurance company paying out more = Increase in premiums. We all lose in the end. Thanks again!
Yea just got emailed to come interview with this compnay
R. F. Lilly & Associates, LLC
541 S. State Rd. 7 (Rt. 441)
Suite 6
Margate, FL 33068
So did what any young person nowadays should do. I researched them and found this.
Yes we rip u off and get paid for it! But I’m a felon and they hired me no one else would!