Well, I finally had the windshield replaced this morning. Total cost - $258 (as per the estimate, but I have notes on that later) through JN Phillips, which included a new seal, but not new bright trim.
They actually had to make two trips. The installer first showed up on Saturday 3/18, but the customer service people had only ordered and sent him to my house with the glass. Normally, I'd be tempted to find someone else to do the job at that point, but the installer seemed knowledgeable. So, he called the customer service people at that point. Somewhere along the line, after I made the appointment, someone deleted the seal and the bright trim from my order. He apologized (the installer really was a nice guy), and promised sort everything out.
The next appointment I could get was for this morning. The same guy showed up with the glass and the seal. They couldn't source the bright trim, but he understood what needed to be done and how to be careful with it, so I wasn't worried.
It took longer than originally estimated (1 hour turned into 3 hours - it didn't matter much as I was able to work from home for the morning), and the installer had to call a second guy to come and help him. But, I don't fault him for that - we talked about the job beforehand, and the installer had absolutely done his research. In the end, the fresh glass is nice to have, the seal is brand new (brand unknown, probably aftermarket, but it looks/feels very heavy-duty to the touch - I'm pleased), and the bright trim, albeit re-used, seems to be sitting in the seal channel even straighter than it was before
My car is now on at least windshield #3, and I'll bet the bright trim is from the factory.
Quote:
Originally Posted by funola
Take close-up pics of your aluminum trims before they start. If they try to tell you the trims were already bent, you can show them the pictures.
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Thankfully, the installer understood the risks and pitfalls. He was able to do the job without a problem.
The only complaint I have is with the company itself, and not the installer. The original estimate I got on the phone explicitly indicated that the $258 would cover glass, seal, and new bright trim. (although, I doubt all of that can be done at that price) In fact, every company I spoke to insisted on using new bright trim, and quoted as such. Well, according to the installer, they couldn't get their hands on the trim. $258 still feels fair, but the customer service people really don't know what they're doing.
But, I'm happy with the job. The next step is to talk to my neighbor about paying for it. Bottom line, though, I can drive the car again. We had some rain this week, which rinsed salt off the roads. So, I drove the 240D into the office this afternoon for the first time since December.