Viva free enterprise – a personal experience takes 55% off the price of a new windscreen

by Alec Hogg

Alec HoggEconomic slowdowns have their good side. Especially in a country where long-standing oligopolies have a stranglehold. As a result, consumers like me often forget to shop around. No longer.

A few weeks ago, a stone badly cracked my windscreen. With another road trip around the corner, it needed replacing. First call was the obvious one. Market leading PG Glass, that voracious advertiser, has a good website and its team hassled me with the vigour one only gets during tight economic conditions. Being among our society’s time poor, I’d normally have gone with this convenient option. But the quote, at R10,600, was hard to swallow on an eight year old car.

So this time I invested time online. A few days later, a small company in Benoni had sourced the windscreen, sent out its team and done the replacement at our offices. Cost: R4,750. A 55% discount on the route I’d normally have taken. Downturns are painful. They swell unemployment and destroy weaker companies. But they also force business to sharpen up its act. The internet aids this process by making price comparison easier. Viva free enterprise.

From Biznews community member Chris Deacon

Viva Benoni !!!

From Biznews community member Michael Woodhall

To be fair, I think the Benoni company also deserves to be mentioned by name.

From Biznews community member Anthony Worthington

What do you know on succession? What has to happen for the Western Cape to secede from the rest of South Africa? What with all these laws that are now going to be passed by Zuma to grab the land and homes from the white man. I see this as the only way out. The ANC will not let this go lightly, probably be a civil war, but I am not prepared to just capitulate to the whim of the ANC.

From Biznews community member Irene Roussouw

Perhaps next time round(hopefully not soon though) you could try calling Grandmark International. They usually fit windscreens for approx 28% of the price of all the other boys, I have made use of them on several occasions, with different vehicles, old and new.

From Biznews community member Wessel

I and my family had a similar experience with 4 windshields damaged at the end of 2014 in Pretoria. But WHY do you mention PG by name but not promote the small outfit that actually provided you with good service?

From Biznews community member Irvine Green

Many years ago when I still had a car and the windscreen was stolen (YIP – STOLEN) I too shopped around… Got a second hand one with a slight chip in it (out of the drivers line of vision). Saving = eighty percent

From Biznews

Given the number of requests for the name of the company mentioned – here it is: Acrotek, phone number 011 963 3496.


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