Please help advise if I'm being stupid.(bad tint job)

[Black2010]

I got my windows tinted a couple weeks ago. I took it in for warrantee work today and am being told that what I'm seeing is normal and is not something covered under warrantee. The only thing they would fix was the scratch in the tint from the installer in my driver’s side window. I argued that this is not normal with the shop manager and he told me he's been doing this 20+ years and you will always have this in tint. I told him that I understand that for a $100 cheap job but I paid $350 for the top level tint at what was supposed to be a quality shop (they bragged about doing exotics and corvettes all the time). When I asked the shop manager why I wasn't advised that I would have what looks to be lent in my tint when I was placing my order he told me, "It's just common sense to know you will have debree in a tint job on a car this old."

One - Is this really common sense? I'd never had a problem on my 4 other cars so never thought about it being an issue. 2 of my other cars are older (85 Corvette and 02 mustang). My car is an 04 cobra with 17K miles on it.

Here are some pics of what I'm seeing. It's hard to focus on them with a camera as I'm not good with camera's.

Be honest (I can take being wrong if I am). Am I being stupid for arguing this? I told them I was going to speak to my attorney before talking again. I figured, I have an attorney on retainer so why not use them since we couldn't settle this ourselves. The owner called and wants to look at the car Friday.

Shop is Elite Window Tint in Round Rock Texas.

Top of convertable window. This shows some of the spots and the cut line at the top of the window (also normal for what I was told).

More of the spots.

Passenger quarter window -

Bottom of driver quarter window -

side of Driver quarter window -

 

[Black2010]

Be honest as If I'm just being to anal I'd like to know before I stick my foot in my mouth. I just seems like bad prep work which I told the shop manager whom quickly blamed it on the car being old.

I should specify the windows are clean on the outside. What is seen is in the tint, not the outside of the window.

 

[Darko]

If its in all the windows then it might just be like that. When I first had my windows tinted it looked a little funky. But after a couple weeks it settled down and looks great. I am however not to thrilled about how my back window tint came out with the top window (small dots). Tint guy said that's how itll come out on those windows.

In all honesty, if your not happy then have them redo it. If their warranty states that for any reason/mess ups they will redo the tint then I'd have them redo it. Id give it another week or so since it was just done and see if it goes away. If not make then redo it and watch. Just my .02

 

[nol300]

That is horrible tint I work for a dealer and it should not look like that. Assuming how long has it been they always initially have bubbles but go away. Mine is a 2004 that just got tinted in Oct. and it is perfect except of course back window where the little black dots on the factory window are not much you can do there.

350 for window tint is crazy for the top stuff what a bunch of bull there feeding 3m tint for my Cobra 150.00. My tint guy charges 175.00 for a 4 door and warranties his stuff for life the material is minimal to me looks like they did not properly scrape the windows clean enough first.

 

[01cobravortech]

That's just plain sloppy work. I've had tint all around before. You have to go to a shop that specializes in that sort of thing. The dealers really are abject failures at so many things.

 

[Blown_By_You]

I can't ****ing believe you paid $350 for that shit!! Those spots are DIRT. the specs of dirt or lint lift the tint off the glass making the light spots. There is a tolerance of specs per foot, but yours is ridiculous. I wouldnt give up until its retinted.

PS. That would be $185 max here and there would be no dirt

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[Blown_By_You]

The specs on the front window are from the felt guide. He didn't use enough water before he applied the tint. In any decent shop, they would have started over.. period.
And only OLD cars like pre 90s are a bitch to tint because of the seals on the windows, or lack of actually. The only thing you can't get away from is the tint not completely adhering on the dot matrix on the top of the back window. Sanding it first helps, but that stuff is a bitch

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[05satinGT]

I don't know where you live but here in CT I got my entire car tinted for $140 four days ago and it came out immaculate. No dots and not one imperfection. You paid $350? No offense you got hosed. I'd have him redo that because tint should not look like that.

 

[RichM1983]

I would go and get a refund and tell them to remove it and go elsewhere. I WOULD NOT accept that at all!

 

[Instigator99]

Yeah that isn't how it's supposed to be. That is a definite lack of prep work for sure. Take it back and complain, but if the manager is even giving you flack, then I'm not sure what course of action to take. Tell them if they don't do right you'll share your story on every local forum, and at every meet you attend.


-Eric

 

[Black2010]

Couple of items to clear for everyone:
- The tint was installed 3-4 weeks ago now. I took it back a week after they put it on and they told me to give it 3 weeks so I did.
- This is a specialty tint shop (no dealer). Thought I was doing good by going there.

I knew $350 was high but they were supposed to be top quality and I didn't want to risk a bad job thus why I stayed away from some of the other shops. So much that did. I'm one that will spend more to get things done right up front. I was quoted $200-$250 at several other locations with the tint I got.

I've been pushing back on them but at this point they refused to redo it as that is what I requested. They said it's normal.

I appreciate the feedback. I went to another shop and they said it was a crap job too but I was affraid they were just trying to bad mouth and being that I don't want to put my foot in my mouth I wanted a subjective oppinion.

Anyone know what the tolerence is supposed to be for tint? I counted over 20 spots in my drivers side rear quarter.

Here is my delema - The owner called me and was debating with me about it and flat out told me "with your bad additutde, I don't think we will ever make you happy". I told him all I want is it done right. I never raised my voice or cursed even... My concern now is with these guys is I don't know if I would trust them with my car to do the repair as apparently I've pissed them off now....

 

[fast ford brian]

Chalk it up to a learning experience and take it somewhere else. People like that do not even have the words "customer service" in there vocabulary so getting them to provide some will be impossible.

 

[RichM1983]

I would be furious. I would park out front of their business with a sign that says "Poor quality." They wouldn't touch my car again. I would demand a refund and then go elsewhere.

 

[akeohan]

Sounds just like my current tint dilemma, I am going on the third tint job this Saturday because the last two were crap just like yours. I didn't pay $350, more like $250 but I was still promised a good quality job, thankfully the place I had it done at has redone it every time under warranty but still its a pain in the a$$! This last time I found a different guy who explained that most jobs come back due to lack of prep time. From your pictures they didn't take any time at all on prep, just wiped the windows off with paper towels and slapped the tint on. They should have vacuumed out the car and the edges, wiped things down with microfiber clothes and used gloves. They should redo there work for free and do a better job for $350 IMHO. Sorry your in this mess, I know how that feels:bash:

 

[08mojo]

That is normal IF the job was done outside. If you did not make the car available for the job to be done indoors, then you might be stuck. However, it does not sound like this is the case. IF you job was done indoors, you got poor quality work.

 

[Black2010]

That is normal IF the job was done outside. If you did not make the car available for the job to be done indoors, then you might be stuck. However, it does not sound like this is the case. IF you job was done indoors, you got poor quality work.

Work was done indoors. I took it to the shop and they pulled it into their shop bay. They leave the doors open though so that may be where the dirt comes from.

The only thing I asked was that they didn't lower the top as you aren't supposed to raise the top with the windows up as it can damage the windows (my 02 busted a window for this). They told me it's not an issue and did it anyways. Low and behold the windows were not in the weather channels and were under stress. Neith popped lose so I let it be.

 

[08mojo]

Work was done indoors. I took it to the shop and they pulled it into their shop bay. They leave the doors open though so that may be where the dirt comes from.

The only thing I asked was that they didn't lower the top as you aren't supposed to raise the top with the windows up as it can damage the windows (my 02 busted a windor for this). They told me it's not an issue and did it anyways. Low and behold the widnows were not in the weather channels and were under stress. Neith popped lose so I let it be.

Yeah...any reputable shop knows to close the shop doors to keep flying dirt/debris down to a minimum. It is very clear to me they did a poor job on your windows. There is no need for them to work with the top up or down. I have had plenty of cars with full framed doors (window frame, whatever you want to call it) and the window tint was done just fine--no need to put the top down. Hopefully you paid with a credit card, because I would threaten to dispute the charge if the shop was not willing to fix their poor install.

 

[younggun04]

Well I used to tint car windows for a living and that is NOT a good job. Bad prep on their part looks like they never used a tac cloth before applying the film. I have gotten 69 camaro windows cleaner than that and if anyone has tinted an old car you know how much of a bitch they are. You will see a few spots in a good job and they will be so small. Sometimes it is just unavoidable but we are talking a FEW spots here and there not clusters like in your window. looks like the job was done in a dusty bay which would be almost impossible to get clean. Our tint shop was spotless and vented. We would NEVER let a car go like that. Sometimes you would suck some dust from one of the edges and the film was DONE unless you were good at pulling the film back and cleaning it but that was one last thing you can do before cutting a new piece. They were lazy plain and simple.

 

[04yfzkid]

That's pretty horrible man, sucks to hear. Like someone else said, mine is kind of crappy at the top of my rear window. I've had dozens of cars tinted and always go to the "lower" budget tint shops. Usually they cheaper places do a ridiculous amount of cars and are booked for a couple days out. Hope everything comes out, but dispute that with the CC company if you can!

 

[White608]

yeah that's shitty work


Just got mine done, best film they had and lifetime warranty (long as I own it) $254