Windshield replacement nightmare

I got a ding on my windshield a few months ago. No big deal as it was in the very lower corner on the driver's side. It did not appear to be cracking more than a few millimeters, so I figured I'd let it go until the next inevitable collision with a rock. Two weeks ago, the collision came, and I took two hits to the center of the windshield. Neither cracked, but the hits left very visible gouges in the glass. Checked with insurance and found out I had no deductable if the marks could be repaired, and a $50 deductable if it needed to be replaced.

Called the closest repair shop to my office for an appointment to have someone look at it, and I was told to come right then. I went, and was then told the technician would not be back until the afternoon. Fine. I got a call from them in the afternoon, telling me to come now, but I had some things on my calendar and asked if I could come later that afternoon. They said I needed to come right then, because their tech had to be somewhere else later that afternoon. Fine. I moved around some appointments, and went to the shop. When I got there, the tech was not there, and I was told he would be there in 30 minutes (turns out he was not there when they told me he was). Fine. When he showed up, he asked for my keys so he could "repair it". I explained that my insurance would cover repairs if the chips could be fixed, but that I wanted replacement if they couldn't. Put out, he went out to the car and determined that he could go ahead and fix one of the marks, but the other two would have to wait until they "got bigger". I explained again that I wanted a replacement if they could not all be fixed, but he still wanted to fix one and leave two as-is. I asked, "Why would I want my insurance to fix 1/3 of the damage, when they are willing to fix all of it?" Finally he gave in and said he would have to order the windshield. Fine. I told them to call me when they had one delivered.

A few days later, I get a call at 3:30. I was in a meeting, so I sent it to voicemail. At 4:00, I get another call from the same number and send it to voicemail. When I was finished with my meeting, I checked the first message, and it was the repair shop telling me they had the glass. I listened to the second message, and they said they accidentally broke it and would have to order another one. Fine.

A few more days later, they call and set up a new time for installation. I take in my car and leave it. About two hours later, it's ready, and I get dropped off to pick it up. I drive away, and make it about a half of a block when the rearview mirror drops in my lap. I pull over, try to reattach it, and it is very unstable. I go back to the shop and am told that the tech has left. I get the owner to come out and look at it, and he assures me that it is fine. I explain that the mirror had no freeplay in it when I dropped it off this morning, and that the mirror wobbled around when I was driving to the point of being useless. He calls his tech, who walks him through and explanation of how to reattach the mirror. He hangs up, then takes about 30 seconds to explain to me how the mirror attaches. I interrupt him and tell him to stop explaining it and just attach it. He puts it back on the same way as before, and it still wobbles. I ask when the tech will return and he tells me Monday. "Fine," I say, and tell him I will be back ay 8:00 a.m. on Monday to either have them fix it or I will have my insurance agent on the phone at 8:01 a.m.

I make it back to my office, and play around with the mirror a little more. I try and get the mounting bracket to get closer to the glass before I slide it down, and it suddenly feels different. I continue to slide it down, with much more resistance than before, and I hear a loud metallic "click". Now the mirror is very secure and does not vibrate when driving.

When all is said and done, I think it might have been better to ignore the rock chips.

 

Small town; no options.