# Please help! Squeegee scumbag scratched my windscreen



## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

Evening all

Currently in the foulest of foul moods. had to drive to south London this evening to pick up an eBay purchase. Near Elephant & Castle, my car was set upon by a group of east European squeegee merchants. Despite my best efforts to fend them off, one of them still managed to drag their filthy, manky squeegee across my windscreen a couple of times, leaving two very pronounced (fingernail catches them) and very large (2foot long each) semi-circular scratches in the drivers side of my windscreen.

As well as looking hideous, they are very distracting while driving, so I desperately need to do something about them.

This is way beyond my skill set, so I need any and all help please on how to either irradiate the offending scratches, or at least tone them down as much as possible. Failing that, is this something that one of the many pro retailers here could tackle for me?

Also, as an FYI, I do not own any form of machine polisher.

Please help!

Thanks
Chris


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## MK1Campaign (Mar 27, 2007)

Hammer, screen, insurance excess :thumb:


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## steveo3002 (Jan 30, 2006)

your car insurance will cover replacement for what you will pay out on products etc


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

Really wanted to avoid that route - in addition to the excess, can guarantee my premium will skyrocket, even with just a windscreen claim.


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## nortonski (Jul 10, 2007)

I have a glass polishing kit that connects to a drill, problem is you've gotta be really careful on a screen as if you overheat it you'll lose the optical clarity due to damaging the plastic laminate.

You should make a claim on your insurance for a new screen...don't even try to fix it as it sounds too deep to even attempt to polish out...


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

Report it to the police it's criminal damage.


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

Appreciate the posts, but can we please park the insurance claim suggestion for now (it really is a last resort option due to the fact it'll end up costing me at least £800 in extra premiums over the next 4 years - that's based on past experience of having a windscreen replaced via the insurance).

What other product options are there? I'm also going to call some detailing firms on Monday regarding the viability of polishing the windscreen to at least tone down the severity of the scratchets, assuming it's possible without damaging the screen further as per the earlier post on machine polishing a screen.


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

bigmc said:


> Report it to the police it's criminal damage.


Will be doing that tomorrow, though will be an interesting discussion as I don't know the area or the name of the road where it happened.

Either way, getting a crime number won't solve the scratch issue, which needs to be my primary focus for now.


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

nortonski said:


> I have a glass polishing kit that connects to a drill, problem is you've gotta be really careful on a screen as if you overheat it you'll lose the optical clarity due to damaging the plastic laminate.


Thanks. I suspect this would be well beyond my limited competence, so not something I would be brave enough to attempt. Going to get a couple of quotes from pro detailers to see what it might cost to try and salvage the screen - really want to avoid a replacement screen if I can.


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## steview (Sep 23, 2010)

I'm pretty sure I've seen Alex at elite and Kelly at kds doing glass correction maybe worth contacting them for advice may cost a small fortune tho hope this helps


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

steview said:


> I'm pretty sure I've seen Alex at elite and Kelly at kds doing glass correction maybe worth contacting them for advice may cost a small fortune tho hope this helps


Thanks - will drop them a line - will be good to get an idea of cost vs the impact on my car insurance of claiming for a new windscreen.


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## Duke Wellington (Dec 1, 2009)

Sorry to read about this.

If you go through Google street view it may jog your memory as to where you were ambushed.


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## Hasan1 (Jul 1, 2011)

chrisgreen said:


> Will be doing that tomorrow, though will be an interesting discussion as I don't know the area or the name of the road where it happened.
> 
> Either way, getting a crime number won't solve the scratch issue, which needs to be my primary focus for now.


Would this not go on your h.p.i report as damage to your car if you was ever going to sell it


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## Alzak (Aug 31, 2010)

Ceriglass from Carpro shoul do the trick have look on www.carpro.uk.com


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## Alzak (Aug 31, 2010)

Hasan1 said:


> Would this not go on your h.p.i report as damage to your car if you was ever going to sell it


NO on H.P.I is just total loss against insurance (pay off)


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## ABC Detailing (Jun 29, 2010)

As has been said, Ceriglass is worth a try before doing anything too costly.


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

Alzak said:


> Ceriglass from Carpro shoul do the trick have look on www.carpro.uk.com


Thanks, had a look and I'm thinking the 150ml polishing pack might be worth a punt. At the very least it might dull the scratches down to a level where they don't bother me.

I need to check first whether my C4 has a coated windscreen (I've asked the owners club). I know it is heat reflective, but don't know if it's a coating or something in the laminate layer that does it.


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## alexj (Apr 12, 2012)

If youre fully comp its £75 

and there is no effect on your no claims bonus


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

What car is it? Got a local independent glass fitter to do my Grande punto *(i trust him)* after i err... Managed to crack my screen £138 fully fitted Same chap did my mates megan with rain sensor for £180 

Might be worth a ring round get the yellow pages out


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## ianFRST (Sep 19, 2006)

yeah some windscreens are really cheap, may aswell price it up to buy one and get it fitted

id also go down the insurance claim route tbh, it wont effect your policy at all. ring up and ask to confirm, i dont get why it would make your policy more expensive?


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## sunnylunn (May 1, 2008)

i just wind the window down and tell them to ---k off, seems to work for me.


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

sunnylunn said:


> i just wind the window down and tell them to ---k off, seems to work for me.


Same here, but not on this occasion. They only backed off when I got out of the car.


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

andy monty said:


> What car is it? Got a local independent glass fitter to do my Grande punto *(i trust him)* after i err... Managed to crack my screen £138 fully fitted Same chap did my mates megan with rain sensor for £180
> 
> Might be worth a ring round get the yellow pages out


No such luck - it's a Citroen C4 with a heat-reflective screen and a rain sensor, new screen will cost £900 fitted.


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## AGRE (Sep 25, 2008)

chrisgreen said:


> I know it is heat reflective, but don't know if it's a coating or something in the laminate layer that does it.


Its in the laminate :thumb:


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

AGRE said:


> Its in the laminate :thumb:


In that case, a Ceriglass session is in order - thanks.


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## shane_ctr (Dec 17, 2006)

chrisgreen said:


> Appreciate the posts, but can we please park the insurance claim suggestion for now (it really is a last resort option due to the fact it'll end up costing me at least £800 in extra premiums over the next 4 years - that's based on past experience of having a windscreen replaced via the insurance).
> 
> What other product options are there? I'm also going to call some detailing firms on Monday regarding the viability of polishing the windscreen to at least tone down the severity of the scratchets, assuming it's possible without damaging the screen further as per the earlier post on machine polishing a screen.


If thats the case you have been had by your insurance company, I have made too claims for window screens at £75 and never had an increase,

But back on topic i fit windows and doors and we have a compound for fine scratch's in glass, Ill find out what its called:thumb:


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## bigslippy (Sep 19, 2010)

shane_ctr said:


> If thats the case you have been had by your insurance company, I have made too claims for window screens at £75 and never had an increase,
> 
> But back on topic i fit windows and doors and we have a compound for fine scratch's in glass, Ill find out what its called:thumb:


I was thinking the same about insurers :thumb:


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

chrisgreen said:


> No such luck - it's a Citroen C4 with a heat-reflective screen and a rain sensor, new screen will cost £900 fitted.


is that from autoglass or the equivalent?

my man is a one man band (sadly for you he only covers Yorkshire) i was getting silly quotes from the national chains


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

chrisgreen said:


> Appreciate the posts, but can we please park the insurance claim suggestion for now (it really is a last resort option due to the fact it'll end up costing me at least £800 in extra premiums over the next 4 years - that's based on past experience of having a windscreen replaced via the insurance).
> 
> What other product options are there? I'm also going to call some detailing firms on Monday regarding the viability of polishing the windscreen to at least tone down the severity of the scratchets, assuming it's possible without damaging the screen further as per the earlier post on machine polishing a screen.


Windscreen claims do not affect NCB and premiums, there is a £60-£100 excess and that's it. But if you don't want ot follow that route fair enough, pity you didn't post a pic of the scratch, sometimes they can be polished out, sometimes not


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

Avanti said:


> Windscreen claims do not affect NCB and premiums, there is a £60-£100 excess and that's it. But if you don't want ot follow that route fair enough, pity you didn't post a pic of the scratch, sometimes they can be polished out, sometimes not


It was too dark by the time I got home last night to do a pic. I'm going out shortly and plan to try and grab a couple of pics then.

I've ordered the Ceriglass kit to see if I can improve things - probably worth having in my kit anyway for £15 delivered.


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## BlackSLine (Jun 29, 2008)

just come across this thread.

did you manage to sort out your screen mate?


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## chrisgreen (Mar 30, 2012)

Alas no, can't use the CeriGlass polish as it turns out the heat reflective screen on the C4 is coated. Trying to live with it but it's pretty bad, suspec I'll have to reluctantly have the screen replaced eventually.


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## Bmwjc (Apr 2, 2012)

I would actually phone the insurance company first (anomalously - don't want to burn your hammer bridge!) and see what they say with regards fixing or replacing. I cannot see it costing you £800 over four years if you do claim, if your a motorway driver chips and cracks happen yearly you would be paying an obserb amount on premiums! I have a chat with them first you might be surprised. Mine by the way didn't go up a jot and mine had the rain sensor blue band reflective glass jobby stuff on it!


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## trv8 (Dec 30, 2007)

chrisgreen said:


> Near Elephant & Castle, my car was set upon by a group of east European squeegee merchants.
> As well as looking hideous, they are very distracting while driving, so I desperately need to do something about them.
> 
> Please help!
> ...


Yeah, the scuffy bards are everywhere aren't they.
Report them to imigration :lol: :lol: :lol:.

Sorry......I couldn't resist :wave:


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## alzieboy (Feb 8, 2012)

Eastern European Scam


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




This is serious. Please BEWARE!

Over the last month I became a victim of a clever 'Eastern European' scam while out shopping.Simply dropping into Sainsbury's for a bit of shopping has turned out to be quite traumatic. Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends.

Here's how the scam works:

Two seriously good-looking 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the boot. They both start cleaning your windscreen, their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. It's impossible not to look especially with all the rain we have been having.

When you thank them and offer them a tip, they'll say 'No' and instead ask you for a lift to another store, in my case, Tesco in Bangor.

You agree and they get in the backseat. On the way, they start undressing. Then, when you pull over to remonstrate, one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet! 

I had my wallet stolen APRIL 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th, 24th & 29th.

Also May 1st, 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, 23rd, 26th, 30th, three times last Saturday and very likely again this coming weekend.

So Be Warned! 
:wave:


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## trv8 (Dec 30, 2007)

^^^Some people never learn  :lol:.


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