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 five years. In addition to making a mean birthday cake, Rachel has an extensive grasp of the auto glass business. Find her on Twitter:
@rachelcrocker.
Tagged as:
Creepy Windshield Stalker
We came across another unsuspecting customer who received a windshield installation that might not hold true. What’s wrong with this picture?
It’s snowing… and unlike the last time we showed you a creepy windshield stalker victim getting their car repaired outside while it’s precipitating, this time there’s no awning above the vehicle. Last time, only the windshield got wet. This time, the entire car is getting snowed on.
Here’s a close up – you can really see the snow in this image… even worse, you can see how wet the car is from all the precipitation. After removing the old windshield, it snowed inside the car while the tech prepped the frame. We’re not sure you you can really apply primer onto wet metal and have it turn out right. If this was my Mercedes (ha!), I would not be happy.
Our crack photographer panned back a bit so you can see the snow a little more clearly.
Why does this matter to me, you might be asking?
Simply put, Mercedes (and almost all other European vehicles) use a special type of urethane called High Modulus Non-Conductive urethane. This urethane is special because for one, it has a non-conductive element that prevents electrical currents from passing through the body of the vehicle to the glass which can cause corrosion or the electrical components to short out. High Modulus urethane also helps strengthen the vehicle as most of these types of vehicles have an aluminum body. Did we mention that it also works the best in a warm environment? Yup, it works the best and cures the fastest in a warm environment. Somehow we think that this owner was given the okay to drive away before the urethane had fully cured.
Tagged as:
Creepy Windshield Stalker,
Installation,
Snow
I recently posted a blog about how a particular auto glass company is going around the parking lots in search of windshield replacements. When they came to our door we sent them packing. We discovered that someone at our neighboring business was not so lucky. We nabbed these photos just a few minutes ago of what a non-qualified auto glass technician looks like on the job, a real life example of a creepy windshield stalker.
1. It is clearly raining out, so he put up a tent in an attempt to keep the job dry, however, he had the glass in the rain and never dried it off. Also, you can’t see from this photo we snapped in our covert operation, but he has no gloves on and has put his hands in the urethane.
2. I like Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones as much as the next guy, but this fellow is supposed to be replacing a windshield, not replacing mic’s as a roadie.
3. Cleanliness is next to godliness, or not if you are a windshield stalker.
4. I wanted to call this company and tell them what they are doing is unsafe, however, when you are too afraid to put your name on the side of the van, your uniform, and leave no record of who or what you are, probably due to the horrible installation I just witnessed, what can you do?
This is what happens when you use an unqualified shop to do your windshield replacement, or windshield repair. They do the work in adverse conditions, handle materials poorly, and ultimately will be held liable if this customer is seriously injured in an accident. Don’t put yourself at risk by using one of these creepy companies. Make sure you use a quality company with an excellent reputation before you go with the convience of a door to door windshield salesman.
Read more from
Rachel Letourneau.
System Process Manager, Rachel has been with Teleglass for five years. In addition to making a mean birthday cake, Rachel has an extensive grasp of the auto glass business. Find her on Twitter:
@rachelcrocker.
Tagged as:
Creepy Windshield Stalker,
windshield replacement
Today started like any other Monday, until just moments ago, we caught a glimpse of a real life creepy windshield stalker. The scary part was that this fellow looked like any other auto glass tech out there.
Believe it or not, TeleGlass was the intended target of one of the creepy windshield stalkers! Let me explain.
Our building displays the name of our parent company TGSC Services Group on the awning in the front of our building in Burlington, MA. So a not so savvy creepy windshield stalker might not have known right away that we process auto glass orders and auto glass claims in this facility. He also might not know that their auto glass company is on our Fraud Squad’s radar for questionable sales practices and for attempting to file fraudulent auto glass claims. I will call him John Doe for the purposes of this blog, but here is what happened.
One of my accountants who was sitting out in our reception area stated a man walked into our office saying, “Hi I am John Doe from XXX Auto Glass, just checking to see if anyone here needs a windshield repair or windshield replacement.” Honestly, the nerve of this man! Does he not know that people and companies like him are causing rates to go up from coast to coast? My accountant told him to hit the trails and go back to where he came from and that if we need auto glass we will use someone who has a good reputation, not someone who ends up on our fraud list.
Beware of these auto glass companies and remember,
- If they say it is FREE then they don’t need your insurance information.
- A good auto glass company does not need to resort to slimy sales tactics, like bombarding customers at work, the car wash, or at the gas station.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
If you feel like you are being pressured by one of these sales people, let your insurance company know so they can keep track of these shops and as always, if you need a quality auto glass shop, TeleGlass can help you with that.
Read more from
Rachel Letourneau.
System Process Manager, Rachel has been with Teleglass for five years. In addition to making a mean birthday cake, Rachel has an extensive grasp of the auto glass business. Find her on Twitter:
@rachelcrocker.
Tagged as:
auto glass Fraud,
Creepy Windshield Stalker
We recently heard a story from a very upset insurance customer of ours stating that a car wash in Colorado is telling people that the state of Colorado provides free windshield chip repairs. Sound maybe too good to be true? Sound a little fishy? Well it is!
This is a case of a creepy windshield repair stalker. We’ve blogged about the creepy windshield stalkers out there, and now we want to make everyone aware of the latest windshield repair (cough) “sales technique” going on.
If you read our blog you have seen how much we talk about safety and quality. You’ve read about how to research the integrity of the service people who fix windshields, and this is another case where we need to warn everyone to be extra careful.
That doesn’t mean that the customers of this glass company car wash might not end up having a windshield repair with no out of pocket costs. It’s possible, but it’s still not free. Your insurance company pays. You might say to yourself, “I pay the premiums, so I deserve a windshield repair!” No argument here! Where you do need to be careful is in the selection of who does the windshield repair. A creepy windshield stalker might charge your insurance company more than a reputable provider does. If that happens, the insurance company adds it to their data base of claims. When it comes time to reassess their rates, they look at all the claims they pay. If they are paying more than they have to, so will their customers. They have these super smart geeky math types who work there called “actuaries,” and it is the actuaries’ job to make sure that the rates the company charges will pay for all the claims. In the end – it’s the policy holder who pays. Every time.
Remember folks, nothing is free. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you want a quality windshield repair, do not use one of the fly by night companies that promise you something free. Use a quality provider and let TeleGlass help you book that repair with confidence you can trust.
Read more from
Rachel Letourneau.
System Process Manager, Rachel has been with Teleglass for five years. In addition to making a mean birthday cake, Rachel has an extensive grasp of the auto glass business. Find her on Twitter:
@rachelcrocker.
Tagged as:
Creepy Windshield Stalker,
windshield repair
This article is to warn everyone of the creepy windshield stalkers that are out there. Rachel calls them creepy windshield stalkers, but James calls them door to door windshield salesmen. What is a creepy windshield stalker? Why should we all be concerned about this practice?
There is this phenomenon going through the country right now where random windshield installers are going door to door peddling windshields. They are stalking you at the car wash, telling you that your windshield will cave in if you don’t get a windshield repair. James recently had someone tell him he needed a new windshield when he was buying gas because his windshield was “pitted,” creating dangerous glare when he drives in the sun (and his windshield is brand new – he just needed to wash it). Customers have called and told us about someone scamming them into replacing their windshield when it was not even broken. These windshield salesman also promise a free windshield, or a free windshield repair. Sound too good to be true? It is! Beware!
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Tagged as:
Auto Glass Fairy,
auto glass safety,
Creepy Windshield Stalker,
Windshield
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