Whilst the choice of film for a given window, car or building is important and can influence the final outcome – the reality is that the film only accounts for 15-20% of the quality of the final finished window. The rest of the 80-85% is determined by the quality of the installation and the experience of the installer.
So, how do you choose a window tinter that will not leave you regretting your decision to tint your car ?
Word of Mouth – Friends, Neighbors and/or Business Colleagues are always a good source – people rarely recommend someone bad – especially if they will have to answer to that recommendation. But if you don’t know anyone who is able to recommend a tint shop, below is a check list that you could use to help.
Online resources such as Google provide a quick and easy list of companies which you can add to with Yellow Pages or other hard copy directories – then comes the hard bit – how do you decide whether they are any good ? Most local companies know what their competitors charge – so after the fifth phone call getting the same price – how do you work out which is the best company ?
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Questions to ask your Car Window Tinter
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1. How long has the company been in business ? Have they always sold the same products ?
Have they always traded under the same name and same ownership? With so little barriers
to start up – and go bust - many shops go out of business each year and just change their
name and move down the street to avoid having to do any redo work.
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2. How long has the installer who is going to be doing the actual tinting for your job been
in the window tinting business AND been tinting? ... A minimum of five to seven years of
experience is a must, or pass on them. Make sure the big company experience is not replaced
with a junior tinter once they have got your booking.
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3. Do they have a physical workshop and location where they do the car tinting ? If they are a
mobile tinter or talk about doing the job on your drive – you would be wise to keep looking! You
wouldn't paint a black car in the driveway of your home and expect not to get dust, dirt and other
airborne materials stuck to it - so why do you think you can get a dust-free window tinting job in
the same place? Two days after the initial installation, when all of the moisture dries up from the
water – the ‘short cut’ will be all too obvious.
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4. Is all the work done inside of their shop in a dust free area - or outside in the parking lot? If
the window tint is applied anywhere but in a dust free shop – keep looking.
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5. Is their shop a dust-free, air conditioned, well-lighted, clean and neat shop? If it isn't, keep looking.
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6. Go out and take a look at the actual workmanship at their shop – confirm the statements that have been
made about the tinter, workshop and film.
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7. Do they have all the films they carry displayed on physical display panels or on a vehicle you can view? Can you see what you are buying –
or are you just taking their word for it?
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8. What manufacturer’s window film do they carry? Is your window tint shop willing to let you know the name of the
manufacturer? Is it a recognized quality brand? Do they use high performance metalised (reflective) film ? or cheaper substitutes?
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9. Does the tint shop do all the back windows in one piece of film with no seams, splices, darts, relief line cuts?
If they don't do it in one piece – keep looking.
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10. Does all the film on the side doors go to the top edge of the glass and also go to the side edges of each piece
of glass? If they cut within the edge so that edges are visible when the job is finished – keep looking.
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11. Do they remove all of the door panels to perform the installation, or do they just pull the inside door rubber
back and down with a plastic tool to cut time? A favourite short cut for mobile tinters – as taking panels and rubbers
off on a drive – with the British weather and the time it takes - is something that can only really be done in a workshop.
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12. Do they remove the parcel shelf from the back window? Or if not possible do they remove the rear window to tint? This is a very important
item if you want a neat and clean, dust-free job.
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13. Do they remove the rear speakers from the back window area before they tint the rear window, or do they leave them in
and let the water hit the inside of the speaker? (Most speakers don’t like water!!)
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14. Will they tint your front two windows and windscreen with an illegal film colour if you want them to? If they say yes to this,
then be aware of the following. None of the window tinting film manufacturers give any warranty on illegally tinted windows....and of course its
YOU who will have to pay any fine should you be stopped by the police.
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15. Does the fitter use the manufacturer recommended cleaning and application solutions? (some just use household washing agents!)
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16. What type of warranty do they give? Is it in writing? Is there a film manufacturer's full written warranty? How long is it valid?
Are there any restrictions listed on the invoice? You must read the written warranty in full. Only choose a manufacturer's full lifetime
written warranty on labour AND materials, including removal of the old defective film.
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17. Are they a current member of the EWFA (European Window Film Association)?
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"...I had my wife's Suzuki tinted by Shropshire tints as they were the only company who convinced me they would really do a good job -
and they did!"
