message on well known repair company website
"At XXXX we always try to repair windscreen chips where possible to save you both time and money."
MOT was due on Monday
Rung Friday last to say had a 15mm x 9mm chip in drivers view (low down) I suggested probably need a new windscreen.
Told to take it to the repair centre and they can decide.
They say repair , which they did, chip doesn't look much smaller, ask if it is OK for MOT
they say as it is low down (15 cm from bottom edge, near centre of steering wheel) it is not in field of view. Cost £10
Booked it in to the MOT , tester says it is swept area and in area above steering wheel, so fails. (All else passes). When looking out from drivers seat, the chip blocks the view of the bonnet, unless you are under 5ft.
Now told they have to order in a windscreen, maybe a few days before they can do it, cost another £75. Then I have to pay for the retest fee for the MOT.
So I have spent £10 + retest fee and it has taken probaby a week longer than it should.
After the repair the chip is still 15mm x 9mm and according to the pamphlet it the windscreen repair centre in the driver's view.
Do these technicians read their own pamphlets?
Moral: If you need a repair done on windscreen for MOT go armed with the MOT page on windscreen damage and a ruler before you pay anything!
Also does anyone know where the bottom of zone A on the windscreen is ? So pictures show it going to bottom edge others say swept area, others to just below steering wheel.
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15mm x 9mm - thats not a chip it's a pothole - did they use tarmac to fill it?! I'm surprised they managed to repair it at all. I'd certainly be going back for a £10 refund.
From the MOT manual:
Zone 'A is:
. in the swept area of the Windscreen
. 290mm wide
. centred on the centre of the steering
wheel.
Reason for rejection in Zone A
a. damage not contained within a
10mm diameter circle
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Supposing that you fitted a shorter wiper blade - what would then qualify as the swept area?
Maybe it would gain you enough for a pass?
p
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In this case as its in the centre of the drivers sight it would have to be 2 inches long
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Chip is maybe a 5mm circle surrounded by 9 to 15mm (or 4 - 5 mm either side of chip) of cracks.
Wipers - interesting - they (MOT station) may argue that the wipers are not those specified for the car and therefore do not give sufficient view of the road and the orginal fault remains.
They say that they do not guarantee repairs will pass an MOT but by saying it is not in the MOT specified area, it makes me think that it is OK to take it for an MOT. So possible refund ?
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And tell them you want your £10 refunded for the repair (which at the end of the day was not legal and therefore not of merchantable quality) and you want your retest fee refeunded by them (as the cost was incurred due to their negligence)
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Also does anyone know where the bottom of zone A on the windscreen is ?
This any good?
tinyurl.com/dd3vvn (www.glassdoctors.co.uk)
tinyurl.com/d6ne2o (www.windscreen-warehouse.co.uk)
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Moral: If you need a repair done on windscreen for MOT go armed with the MOT page on windscreen damage and a ruler before you pay anything!
There's no need for a rule, an A4 sheet of paper is 294mm long, which is as close as makes no difference to the specified 290mm
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UPDATE:
Technician re -inspected area and said it was size of a 5p piece and in swept area.
He disagreed with my version of what was said during the chip repair.
A few days later I spoke to a lady based at same branch who agreed the damage was greater than 10mm, a 5p is actually 16mm (I am sure all references to 5p's have recently been removed from this company's website) and matter been referred to central customer services.
Another 2 days pass and they fit a new windscreen (different technician) with £50 deduction from windscreen excess (£75). since not paying full price for MOT I guess this is OK.
I happy with outcome, but the "saving your time and money" comment on their website may depend on which branch of this company's repair shops you go to.
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