The trouble began on Friday, July 3, 2009 at approximately 10am when I dropped off my new Acura TSX for a PRE-PAID front windshield tint job that was estimated to take 1-1/2 hours. When I returned at approximately 4pm to pick-up my car, I was told that the job on my car had not yet started. The young man at the counter claimed that the material to do the job had to be special ordered, and that FedEx had delivered it "just now." Why I was not called with an update about this situation illustrates horrendous customer service, but I like to give people the benefit of a doubt. I was told the job could be done "very quickly," so I decided to wait for my car, and was given an estimated time of about one hour. Mysteriously, when Yancey entered the lobby moments later, he apologized but also confessed that no one really knew whose Acura was parked outside or what job it was for. This was troubling, but again, I like to give people a chance to correct their mistakes.
Much to my delight, about one hour and 15 minutes later, Yancey brought my car around to the front of the store. Upon approaching the vehicle, Yancey tells me he ran into a problem when applying the tint, and two seams were trapped near the center of the windshield. Moreover, it was late in the day and he said he would be unable to re-do the job at that time (it was nearly 5:30pm). I was disappointed, but again, wanted to give Yancey a chance to make things right. He also offered me a quick car wash, which I thought was a nice gesture (it had rained a few days earlier and there were spots on my otherwise clean car -- this is an important note that will be referenced later).
When the car was finished, I immediately noticed a large scratch on the driver's side door pillar. Thinking at first it was dirt, I realized upon further inspection that it was, in fact, a deep scratch that exposed the paint all the way down to the metal body of the car. Worse yet, the scratch was in a wavy pattern, beginning on the inside of the frame, then curving up and across the outside panel. Having only owned this car for fewer than 6 months, I know every inch of it and take excellent care of it. I also am the ONLY driver and, as we all do, I get in and out of the car through the driver-side door many times every single day. A scratch of this size and severity was new to my car that day, and of this I have no doubt.
I quickly returned to the Tintworks counter and asked to see Yancey. We met at my car, where I pointed out the damage that was not there when I dropped the car off that morning. He seemed very surprised and was quick to point out that he, himself, had done the job and does not remember seeing or, worse, causing the scratch. I asked him to show me how the tint is applied and, without hesitation, he hopped on to the door sill of the car, motioning with both hands on the inside and outside of the windshield the typical actions involved. I immediately pointed out the problem - he was wearing a navy blue tool apron, and clipped to the front of the center pocket were two metal tools. When Yancey crouched around the pillar of the driver's side door, the tools on his belt matched-up perfectly to where the scratch on the door was located. Yancy's only explanation is that it might have happened accidentally, and he rushed away to find Jose, his "body
guy" to take a look at it. Unfortunately, Jose had left for the day, so Yancey suggested that when I brought back the car to have the botched windshield tint replaced, Jose could take a look at it and attempt a fix. At this point, I was extremely wary, but once again, felt that Yancey had my best interest (and ultimate satisfaction) in mind.
The following Saturday (July 11, 2009) at 9am, I returned to Tintworks/Washworks for what I thought would be an easy fix. Despite being quoted 1-1/2 hours yet again, my car was not ready until about 11:30am. When it was done, Yancey was happy to report that the new windshield tint was complete. However, his body guy Jose was unable to improve the scratch; he was afraid that over-buffing it would take off additional paint, causing further damage to my vehicle. This was, once again, disappointing, but what happened next really defies all logic. Rather than take the steps necessary to make-good on the problem, Yancey began questioning his part in the whole thing. His most famous rationale is that he's been doing tint jobs since 1996, as if that makes him incapable of making a mistake (which is ironic, considering my entire purpose of the second visit was to fix a tint job that HE messed up). His next point was that my car was "filthy" so I
probably didn't notice the scratch before. As you might guess, I do not take my TSX off-roading or mudding. Plus, damage on the exterior panel is minor compared to the deeper damage as the scratch progresses under the door pillar itself. Suddenly, Yancey had changed his tune from wanting to fix the problem to putting it back on the customer. That's never a good move.
We stood silent for a bit, then he finally offered "Do you want to get a quote or something?" as if, perhaps, I'd just go away and stop bothering him. I said yes, and he offered "We'll work something out," which meant to me he'd paid for the damage since he caused it (knowingly or not). My hope was that the estimate would be low enough and he'd do the right thing. Unfortunately, bad turned into worse.
Because my car has a "pearl" finish, it turns out that the entire panel needs to be repainted, from the seam at the hood to the seam at the back bumper. Estimated cost: $460. Additionally, the pearl finish requires a day of rest between applications, requiring 2-1/2 days at the body shop (meaning I will need a rental car, as well). Estimated cost: $150.
Meanwhile, the second-attempt front windshield tint settled mostly well, except for a giant seam (much bigger than the ones from the first attempt) that runs the entire height of the windshield, top to bottom, just left of the driver's view. How could someone that's been doing tint since 1996 install 2 jobs poorly back-to-back? And, why would someone with this much experience first try to fix damage to a car, then claim it wasn't his doing one week later?
So, on Saturday, June 18, 2009 at about 9am I returned for a THIRD time to Tintworks/Washworks. I first pointed out to Yancey that the second tint job was also botched. He explained that sometimes, at the end of a roll of tint, this happens. He suggested that maybe third time's a charm. Are you kidding me? I also discussed with him the estimate for the damage, to which he said the estimate wasn't "that bad." However, he went right down the same path of excuses: (1) doing tint since '96, (2) doesn't remember seeing or causing the scratch, (3) the car was dirty, etc. Yancey is insistent that I share responsibility, although I am 100% certain that the damage to my car took place on July 3, 2009 while my car was in his possession. I reminded him that my car had been ignored all day, followed by a RUSHED tint job that not only was wrong, but it also produced the damage. Yancey's "final offer" was $300, which is unacceptable.
At this point, I need to put an end to whatever compromise Yancey feels is appropriate. For starters, I expect $610 to cover the cost of the paint repair and a rental car. Additionally, I am in no way entrusting my luxury sedan to Tintworks yet again to have a 3rd try at getting the windshield tint right. It's obvious they do not have the experience to do this job, nor the necessary customer service to solve any additional problems that may arise. As such, I also expect a refund of the $150 front windshield tint. I will have it removed by another tint company (since it is defected from being installed improperly). In my opinion, $760 is a small price to pay to guard your company's integrity and avoid any litigation (and more cost).
Adrian
Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.