Window Tint Problem- need advice

[Mckenzie]

Well I had my new accord tinted a few weeks ago at a local shop who will remain nameless here until the matter is resolved.

I had all 5 windows tinted. When I get the car back, the entire top of the back window is pretty much unstuck around the dot matrix bubbles at the top with white bubbles everywhere. There is also water spots / stains all over the back seat / panels (which I spent 20 mins scrubbing out of my new seats) and the one side window has scratches in the tint.

I took it back and had them look at it and they said they would redo the back window.

So today I spend a bunch of time arranging rides, fighting traffic, etc. to get down there and drop it off for the day. I come back to get it this afternoon and low and behold, there are still bubbles all over the top of the window and also spots around all the frosted lines....it pretty much looks like garbage from a few feet away. I brought this to their attention again and they said that was the best they could do and that air was entering from the defrost lines.

Their offer was to put a piece of vinyl across the top rear window to cover up the dot matrix (where I would lose a good 8" of my rear window permanently) and to refund me $50.


My issues are the following.

1- If a shop cannot do the work they were contracted for, should I have to settle for 2nd rate looking work? Is this a valid reason to complain or is it so common with every honda that they all look like this (no I am guessing)

2- Does anyone know of this being a problem that IS fixable / addressable if done properly? If so, especially if you know someone with an 08 accord with a good looking rear window tint, please let me know.

3- What do you think is fair compensation or a fair resolution to this?

Any comments here would be appreciated as i have to figure out something here- I dont want to pay a dime for this job and I am really pissed because this is the 3rd car I have brought there, not to mention the countless people I have referred for good work.

Thanks in advance.

[SkittleFreak]

Get them to keep fixing it for free till they get it right or get a refund and go elsewhere

[s2k_boi]

If your talking about the top portion of the rear window. (kinda looks bumpy / bubbles) then I don't think there is many options.

I used to have a accord with the same problems and the black strip wasn't actually that bad. (as I had this option).. I know it's a shitty deal; however the design of the glass allowed for very little option... but also for some if was really noticable and not so bad for some.

The only options was to leave it like that, get the black strip or the 3rd option (if I remember correctly) was to get someone to sand that portion of the glass down and re-apply the tint (that portion is actually bumps in the inner portion of the window....

[TomcoPDR]

Originally posted by s2k_boi
If your talking about the top portion of the rear window. (kinda looks bumpy / bubbles) then I don't think there is many options.

I used to have a accord with the same problems and the black strip wasn't actually that bad. (as I had this option).. I know it's a shitty deal; however the design of the glass allowed for very little option... but also for some if was really noticable and not so bad for some.

The only options was to leave it like that, get the black strip or the 3rd option (if I remember correctly) was to get someone to sand that portion of the glass down and re-apply the tint (that portion is actually bumps in the inner portion of the window....

:werd: this is a tough one... sounds like a reasonable flaw/situation, and they did re-do the work (do YOU feel or think they made an effort in making things right???)

Post some pics and get some opinions, could really be just the design of the window looking like that.

[Sran69]

get tha tint done frum tha inside of tha window... i got my 07 accord done taht way an it lookz amazing

[gpomp]

Originally posted by Sran69
get tha tint done frum tha inside of tha window... i got my 07 accord done taht way an it lookz amazing wat

[Spoons]

Originally posted by gpomp
wat

huh?!

But seriously, I have heard horror stories on the back windows of new accords being a bitch to tint.

[03ozwhip]

there is NOTHING you can do about the bumps in the back window. i was in tinting for 3 years and i know all about this. we used to sand them down as best we can to have it less clear on there, but there is NOTHING you can do about it. about the seats, thats BS that shouldnt happen i would get them to pay for that.

[Orbie]

Originally posted by 03ozwhip
there is NOTHING you can do about the bumps in the back window. i was in tinting for 3 years and i know all about this. we used to sand them down as best we can to have it less clear on there, but there is NOTHING you can do about it. about the seats, thats BS that shouldnt happen i would get them to pay for that.

Yep, my experience with my 6th Gen Accord matches exactly what everyone is saying here. It was impossible to get all the bubbles out of the top of the rear window when tinting, my Accord had this as well. It was definitely something with the design, I've had two other cars now with integrated read antenna's with no problems tinting, it must be those little dots they have there. I figured the 7th and 8th gens would have fixed this issue but I guess not. I remember the term "tinting disease" thrown around alot on the 6th gen forums.

They should offer to redo the side window with the scratches though, and the water on the seats should give you some sort of discount.

[redblack]

is it possible to scrap that matrix stuff off with a razor blade before applying the tint?

[cyrusli]

Originally posted by redblack
is it possible to scrap that matrix stuff off with a razor blade before applying the tint?

no, usually it'll scratch the glass itself and the tint won't look nice after that anyway. even if there are bubbles, it shouldn't peel.

As for the 8" cover, the rear window should be big enough, not like you will purposely look out through the dot matrix area anyway. Just do it, or live with the bubbles imo. If it peels, get them to fix it till it doesn't. Bubbles, leave it. Once winter comes along and you use your defrost and with the condensation, it'll bubble up near the dot matrix anyway even IF (to the extreme) they remove all the bubbles from the dot matrix. IMO.

[Cy2k1]

The matrix is suppose to be on the glass. A shop should back up their work no matter what, especially if its on their fault. I know when we tint cars at our shop we make sure the tint looks good, doesn't lift, have too many or minimal dust nibs, or scratches on the tint. If that doesn't pass the test, we rip it off and redo it again regardless of how many tries it takes.

If a customer is willing to pay good money for a tint they should get what they pay for and not a half-ass job or else you shouldn't be paying $300+ for 5 window tints. If there is minor bubbles in the tint you can push them down afterwards or there are other methods to remove them without lifting the tint. But this should be at the will of the shop to take measures to do this. Also, if it lifts at the seams or corners, you'd be fucked with the tint since the glue is already contaminated and either you would have to cut out the ruined part and hope it doesn't end up short or else have to redo it.

Go back, get the damn shop to redo the work, or ask for a refund and go to a different shop. It's your right as a customer to be satisfied with a service and not a half-ass job. If neither conditions are met, post up the shop's name and we'll make sure this won't happen again.

[Mckenzie]

Thanks for all of the replies- I still think its stupid to have to live with it or not be told about it.


Originally posted by Cy2k1
The matrix is suppose to be on the glass. A shop should back up their work no matter what, especially if its on their fault. I know when we tint cars at our shop we make sure the tint looks good, doesn't lift, have too many or minimal dust nibs, or scratches on the tint. If that doesn't pass the test, we rip it off and redo it again regardless of how many tries it takes.

If a customer is willing to pay good money for a tint they should get what they pay for and not a half-ass job or else you shouldn't be paying $300+ for 5 window tints. If there is minor bubbles in the tint you can push them down afterwards or there are other methods to remove them without lifting the tint. But this should be at the will of the shop to take measures to do this. Also, if it lifts at the seams or corners, you'd be fucked with the tint since the glue is already contaminated and either you would have to cut out the ruined part and hope it doesn't end up short or else have to redo it.

Go back, get the damn shop to redo the work, or ask for a refund and go to a different shop. It's your right as a customer to be satisfied with a service and not a half-ass job. If neither conditions are met, post up the shop's name and we'll make sure this won't happen again.

:werd: Thank you....this is exactly how I feel. I just dont know how good it is for them to keep ripping apart my rear deck, scraping tint off, etc.

I will have to think about it and get them to rectify it as I am definitely not happy with the job.

[Bowen]

Get them to try this http://www.tintdude.com/dot-matrix.html

the glue option

[TaiChino]

I used to tint windows, (ps its a shitty job). The dot problem is unavoidable, it will look patchy on some windows regardless. Nuno at Shadow told me that. He is arguably the best tinter in the city IMO. As for the defrost lines, that is shoddy work, and as for their excuse? Air getting in? If they had squeegied it properly from the get-go, air could not get in since they have squeezed out all the water creating a 'seal' thats the technical term. Seal. So by that rationale, there should be bubbles on every rear window. Fucking idiots.

[03ozwhip]

Originally posted by Cy2k1
The matrix is suppose to be on the glass. A shop should back up their work no matter what, especially if its on their fault. I know when we tint cars at our shop we make sure the tint looks good, doesn't lift, have too many or minimal dust nibs, or scratches on the tint. If that doesn't pass the test, we rip it off and redo it again regardless of how many tries it takes.

If a customer is willing to pay good money for a tint they should get what they pay for and not a half-ass job or else you shouldn't be paying $300+ for 5 window tints. If there is minor bubbles in the tint you can push them down afterwards or there are other methods to remove them without lifting the tint. But this should be at the will of the shop to take measures to do this. Also, if it lifts at the seams or corners, you'd be fucked with the tint since the glue is already contaminated and either you would have to cut out the ruined part and hope it doesn't end up short or else have to redo it.

Go back, get the damn shop to redo the work, or ask for a refund and go to a different shop. It's your right as a customer to be satisfied with a service and not a half-ass job. If neither conditions are met, post up the shop's name and we'll make sure this won't happen again.

thats all good and true, but there are still gonna be clear spots on the matrix, i dont care how good of a job you do or who you are, its not gonna be perfect, as for the rest, that sucks and i would definitely take it back.

[TACO.VIDAL]

If the shop knows theres going to be problems they should tell the customer before they take the job that the results will not be perfect. The customer can make a decision if they want to go ahead and get less than perfect results or not go ahead at all or find another opinion.