LETTERS: Mysterious windscreen ‘repairs’

My nine-year-old Honda Jazz was recalled to rectify airbag and window switch problems and it was taken in to Honda Umhlanga. A couple of hours later I got a phone call to say that the windscreen had five chips on it and if left would result in cracking and eventual replacement. The price was R300 to repair . . . should they go ahead? I agreed to the repairs.
When seeing the repairs, they were like tiny spots around 2mm in diameter where some form of grinder had removed the slightest of surface glass from the windscreen. Thinking that it was odd, I decided to take the vehicle to experts in Ballito. Both PG Glass and Glassfit who repair and fit windscreens on a daily basis were puzzled at these repairs, and had never seen or heard of these type of repairs before, and thought that they were totally unnecessary.
I contacted the MD of Honda Umhlanga and told him the story. He said he would look into it and refund my money. I sent him my bank details and twice offered to let him have the Jazz for his own evaluation of the repairs by experts of his own choice, and never heard from him again and never got the refund promised.
So, be aware of this practice, I am told that a few garages are offering this “service”. I should have said no!
STAN WOXHOLT
Zimbali

Danie Snyman, dealer principal of Mekor Umhlanga replies:
The repair of chips is a service we offer and the repair, by definition, will be difficult to see once fixed. We mark the spots where the chips are evident, after repair, as proof that they were indeed fixed.
It is a service that PG Glass and other windscreen companies also offer. It is a precautionary fix to stop the chips from “running”, thereby preventing replacement of the whole windscreen.
I offered to refund Mr Woxholt as I did not want him to feel he was done in. I will confirm that this was done. We are a company who has been in business for 12 years, and customer satisfaction is the most important aspect of our business. We have offered this service to our customers for the last four years, and this is the first complaint of this nature I have received.