How to really piss off a customer.

[selfbp]

So I took my 2 week old S to the local Window Tint/ audio shop today. Always heard good reviews, I’ve had good experiences with them. So I show up, want my windows tinted all around except the front windshield. He takes the car around, works on it for 4 hours, tells me it’s done, I sit in the car and leave. I noticed although when I first approached that there was a scratch on the back window, but being familiar with how they tint I figure it’s just a bit of film that was left on the window when they were cutting the sheet of film to size.

Get home and inspect it in my own privacy... it’s a big DEEP scratch. Like 4 if them, and a very light one tht goes the circumference of the entire glass. I’m furious. I’m beyond words.

I went back and told him there was a rather big problem, and he acted like it was just normal procedure to have these kinds of things happen. Well I call BS and that’s absolutely shitty. He said he’d give his contact at a glass company a call and see if they could take a look.

So I stopped by there and they rubbed some glass compound on it- which did nothing at all. They looked at me with a concerned look and said “Yeah I really don’t think that’s coming out.. you can pick at it with your nail...”

So I got a cup of their compound and tried it with my buffer at my house... no luck.

I have no clue what to do. I’m so pissed.

On one hand I could demand the glass be replaced... then comes the issue of more people screwing around with the car, and more opportunity for random careless damage.

On the other I could keep working at it with the compound and just try to get my 180$ back and pay for it like that.


I don’t know.. someone please advise me I’m about to explode.

 

[azred]

Option 1: Don't worry about it and just live with the scratch. Option 2: Ask yourself, Self, why am I asking a bunch of strangers for advice when it's obvious what an adult needs to do?

 

[KarenRei]

They've giving you that compound (and the runaround) in hopes that you'll decide that's good enough and give up on trying to get them to pay to replace the window.

It's your choice on how you want to react to that.

 

[selfbp]

Option 1: Don't worry about it and just live with the scratch. Option 2: Ask yourself, Self, why am I asking a bunch of strangers for advice when it's obvious what an adult needs to do?

Just asking some opinions on a pretty awful situation. Obviously I’ve never had an issue like this. Usually everything goes smoothly. No need to be harsh about it buddy?

 

[Knightowl]

So I took my 2 week old S to the local Window Tint/ audio shop today. Always heard good reviews, I’ve had good experiences with them. So I show up, want my windows tinted all around except the front windshield. He takes the car around, works on it for 4 hours, tells me it’s done, I sit in the car and leave. I noticed although when I first approached that there was a scratch on the back window, but being familiar with how they tint I figure it’s just a bit of film that was left on the window when they were cutting the sheet of film to size.

Get home and inspect it in my own privacy... it’s a big DEEP scratch. Like 4 if them, and a very light one tht goes the circumference of the entire glass. I’m furious. I’m beyond words.

I went back and told him there was a rather big problem, and he acted like it was just normal procedure to have these kinds of things happen. Well I call BS and that’s absolutely shitty. He said he’d give his contact at a glass company a call and see if they could take a look.

So I stopped by there and they rubbed some glass compound on it- which did nothing at all. They looked at me with a concerned look and said “Yeah I really don’t think that’s coming out.. you can pick at it with your nail...”

So I got a cup of their compound and tried it with my buffer at my house... no luck.

I have no clue what to do. I’m so pissed.

On one hand I could demand the glass be replaced... then comes the issue of more people screwing around with the car, and more opportunity for random careless damage.

On the other I could keep working at it with the compound and just try to get my 180$ back and pay for it like that.


I don’t know.. someone please advise me I’m about to explode.

When I had my car tinted the shop was very professional and I got to watch the whole time, they lined up the sheets and cut before putting on the glass, they told me they do this specificly to avoid the situation that happend to you. If that had happend to me I would make them pay for tesla to replace the glass.

 

[James*]

Just asking some opinions on a pretty awful situation. Obviously I’ve never had an issue like this. Usually everything goes smoothly. No need to be harsh about it buddy?

They damaged your property when they were performing work. As @KarenRei said, they are doing the compound thing to avoid having to do the thing they should be doing: paying for a replacement window. I think you should get a quote from Tesla on window replacement, and provide the tint shop with a copy of said quote and demand they pay for it. I think I've read before that the service center will replace the window, you might have to pay out of pocket and collect the money from the tint shop (or their insurance). YMMV as I've never done this, only read about it on the forums here.

 

[gabeincal]

They damaged your property when they were performing work.

^ That. Ask for reimbursement, pay Tesla to replace window, find another tint shop to replace tint, claim back the price of the tinting on that window, hope the final work matches.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

I know it's too late now but $180 seems way too cheap for a good window tint job. I paid more than that 20 years ago to tint my old CR-V. Tinting my Model S last year with a quality tint cost somewhere around $700.

 

[selfbp]

I know it's too late now but $180 seems way too cheap for a good window tint job. I paid more than that 20 years ago to tint my old CR-V. Tinting my Model S last year with a quality tint cost somewhere around $700.

I know it does sound like a low price but they do immaculate work.. I thought... they’ve done my Ram and Camaro without issue. Few friends’ stereo systems. They’re a good business in general but yes they messed up on this one.


And I don’t mind compounding it out to be honest but yes I would rather have a new window... it’s a 2 hr drive to the Tesla Certified body shop, then I gotta hope they don’t have any reason to keep it overnight, as well as do that complicated procedure on a near perfect car.
I guess I’m just paranoid because the vehicle is so new. I wouldn’t have had an issue letting someone do my other cars but this Tesla stuff here in TN is fresh so there’s not any experienced shops I can trust with it...

Anyway, I had contacted Tesla this morning and the Cert. body shop is working on getting me a quote and I’ll go from there... fingers crossed the replacement goes as planned and the tint shop doesn’t try to pull anything.

 

[Magomboman]

You paid a business to do a profeasional job yet they damaged your property. Depending on your location, the cost will vary like everything else. Hold them accountable and hopefully they learn to be more careful (professional) when working on customers autos. Hope for the best and prepare for life's sinewaves...

 

[Naonak]

My local place that I've done probably 15 or 20 cars at over the years charges about that for their work. They do fantastic work and always handle any issues that might come up without any argument or anything. I've been very happy with them and directed friends and family there as well; they have never complained about anything either.

$180 is about right for a basic tint job with average quality tint. The cost obviously goes up if you want special stuff or some of the high class tint like the ceramic stuff or other more unusual material. Although, admittedly, the Tesla might be a bit more than a "normal" car due to so much window space, but I've not been charged more for my 2 Teslas than I have for any other vehicle.

 

[mdevp]

Wait, I had a Lexus a few years back, had a small crack and insurance had a guy come over filled it some epoxy resin and boom, good as new, I couldn't tell even up close. If they can fix this, can't they fix a glass scratch even easier?

 

[u00mem9]

Option 1: Don't worry about it and just live with the scratch. Option 2: Ask yourself, Self, why am I asking a bunch of strangers for advice when it's obvious what an adult needs to do?

While this tone was a bit harsh, the message is correct. You know what to do, you just don't want to do it because conflict is hard. So, you can stand up for yourself, or you can sit down and shut the...well you know the rest.

Everyone has a different tolerance for conflict, scratches, and being manipulated. You have to find your own. The spectrum on this forum is complete.

 

[SMAlset]

If you go the replacement route and they balk at window cost and don't pay, then there's small claims I suppose. In which case get damage evaluations in writing from your sources in case you end up needing them. The whole thing sucks I know it. And particularly tough being this car and being so new. Good luck.