Jiffy Lube Store 248 Ramel Diaz Owner Broke my windshield by removing a filter that was not part of the service Woodbridge, New Jersey

      On 7/24/2012 I brought my 05 Chevy Equinox to Jiffy Lube store #248 located at 424 King Georges Road, Woodbridge,NJ 07095 for an oil change using your Signature Oil Service. . The front desk clerk showed me two filters which were removed from my vehicle. An engine air filter which was in good condition and a cabin air filter which was dirty. I declined to have the cabin air filter changed because I know how to do it myself. I paid 29.95 for the service and was on my way.
        Immediately after leaving the store I noticed a crack forming in the lower right hand corner of my front windshield. The crack began to spread as I drove away and I returned to the store to inform the manager of the problem. I spoke with the owner Ramel Diaz and explained to him that the crack was not there when I brought my truck in. I also pointed out that the crack was forming in the exact location of where the cabin air filter was removed.  Ramel proceeded to tell me there was no possible way he could have created the crack because he didn't use any tools to remove the cover or the cabin air filter.

            I asked Ramel to show me how he accessed the cover with no tools because I have a very hard time removing the pins when I do the work myself. He proceeded to show me that he pulled the 3 pins by hand and pushed the cover back to access the filter. It was at this point that I pointed out that there are 4 pins needed to be removed to completely remove the cover. The way Ramel demonstrated was a short cut and left one pin in position. This would cause him to have to push the cover back to access the filter instead of removing the cover. Coincidentally, if  the cover is pushed back it puts pressure on the bottom edge of the windshield (exactly where my crack formed). I pointed this out to Ramel but he continued to deny that it was possible because the cover is plastic and in his opinion unable to cause that kind of damage.
 
I did not give Jiffy Lube permission to remove filters from my car. The Signature Oil Change Service is advertised to perform several services including inspecting engine air filters, however the cabin air filter is not part of the engine system and should have never been touched or removed in the first place.
 
            In addition to the Signature Oil Change Service which I paid 29.95 for I now had to pay $203.30 to replace my front windshield. Ramel Diaz, the owner, would not take any responsibly for the damage or even acknowledge there was the slightest possibly he could have accidentally damaged the window by the way he pushed the plastic cover back putting pressure on the weakest part of the windshield. Nor did he find it coincidental that the crack formed in the exact location where he worked.

            I made a police report about the incident and was going to take Ramel to small claims court but it honestly isn't worth my time and inconvenience to file the claim and go to court over $200. Perhaps that's what Ramel and Jiffy Lube figured as well and took a chance. I find it unbelievably sad and disappointing that such a big would turn its back on one of its customers and make an enemy over such a small amount of money. Furthermore, I would suspect that Jiffy Lube carries insurance for accidental damage caused by its workers.