I Purchased my F56 on July 21.
Took it in to a shop for window tinting on the 26th.
Originally was told tint takes 1 Hour - 1:30.
Got there at 2:30, Appointment was at 3:00. Waited til 4, to ask how long do i have to wait. Was told it will be done by end of the day at 6.

Waited til 5:30, recp lady asked if i wanted to pay so when everything is ready i can just take the car and go.

So after i paid, 15 mintues later, their workers come and said. Your tint is finish, however we had a little accident. Just come on back and i will show u.

Went back to check it out, they originally said some sort of "STAND" fell on my hood and fender. I insist asking what stand, then they said it was a engine stand that was next to my car and it got tripped over somehow.

They said their manager/owner will call me on Tuesday 7/29/2014, since they r closed sunday and monday.

I got an estimate typed out already, roughly $1,500.
Any suggestions and opinions are welcome as i have no experience in dealing with matter such as this.

Below link is the pictures and damges documented.

PS: Tint on driver side was peeling off already, the same day, by the time i got home.
Installer jammed a screwdriver like tool between my window and weather stripping seal, damaging and creasing the interior weather seal.

http://s1205.photobucket.com/user/Mr...98646021208111

 

My window tinter will allow you to watch him do the work.

 

I took it to a High Performance Shop Studio where they service all high end exotic cars.
I was sitting in the waiting area, waited for 3 hours.

Not going to release the shops information as of yet, because im giving them the chacne to actually fix this right.
However im bringing it to a shop that i KNOW of, instead of having them deciding where they want to take it to.

 

Damn. Sorry for your troubles.

Obviously deal with the manager in a calm and reasonable way. Yes they broke your baby, and it sucks, but accidents can happen - hopefully they feel bad and want to make you "whole" again (a legal term).

Send him the gallery of photos and mention to him that you're 'disappointed' that they damaged the interior and that you'd like to have the cost that the dealer would charge to replace the parts they damaged, along with having them redoing the tint they made some mistakes on. Say they screwed up in the nicest possible way. It's an important step to give them the opportunity to fix the problem. They probably have a warranty on their work anyway.

This is the most important part: From this point on (and make sure to backtrack to the start of the event) document everything either by email "Thanks for speaking with me on the phone earlier regarding..." "as mentioned on the phone you said that..." or by long hand (email is better because of time stamping).
This way, if you have to proceed to court (which can take years) you have the first stage completed (documenting the action & timeline).

If the rest of the work seems okay, mention it as satisfactory - do not praise it: "It looks like the tinting job was done okay, however there's this one area..."

It may be hard, but come at this problem as calmly as possible and treat it as an honest mistake. It's nothing personal, and if the owner is a good guy (and knows an ounce of customer service) he will tuck tail and pay you out. The bigger problem will be how much.

Also be very careful on what you post publicly. You may want to proceed via PM's with people who wish to help.

 

That is appalling. I had some stripes installed on my 2 week old MCS. The scratched the paint and cut the vinyl on the car (cut lines all over the clear coat). They were saying I was too fussy! That I would not notice these minor marks in a few weeks!
These shops are only as good as the people they hire and the amount of sleep or partying the installer has done the day before.
I was not going to go after the shop that did the damage to my car because it would be a complete repaint to fix it and then it would not be as good as the original. I let it go.
Hopefully your shop will repair the damage and give you a full refund.

 

Hey Jamez, I know what u mean.
I am a hot head but im trying to hold my anger down as much as possible already.

That is the reason why i did not mention the name of the shop as of yet.

However what if they refuse to let me decide where i want to take my car to get fixed, then what would i do?

 

They shouldn't try and penny pinch on a body repair. Shops carry insurance for mistakes they make that cause damages. I had some shop leave out the rear end differential plug during service so it seized up on a highway. They paid a different shop to replace it and the tow fee.

 

I've had window tiny installed on my last 3 cars and every time there was an issue.
First car they kept screwing up the back window, lots of bubbles and dirt. I think they did it three times and it was still horrible.

Second car they damaged the weatherstripping and of course denied it. They purchased a new part for me but wouldn't pay for labor to install it and the part was damaged in shipping. They also refused to help with a damage claim with the shipper.

Third car just has dirt everywhere under it even after two attempts.

I don't even think I'll bother with the mini since every shop that installs tint is owned and staffed by potheads around here.

 

I feel your pain. My MA recommended that I get my windows tinted before I took delivery on my new Mini. It was done at the dealership by a third party company they use. The tint company damaged my one of my stationary windows and the window had to be replaced. The replacement window had to be installed twice due to a poor install. Of course the dealership waited for me to catch the mistake on the install. So as of right now the window was tinted three different times during which the headliner was damaged and stained from the tint company. I have had my car six weeks and I am still waiting on the headliner to be replaced in my brand new Mini. So you are not alone in this and the only saving grace is the fact that this was allowed to happen at the dealership so they are having to dealing with it.

 

@fenderpicks
If in fact this is a high end studio shop as you stated, and they do exotics and luxury autos.....
Why in hell was a engine lift any where near your car getting auto window tint?
And on a side note, I would NEVER pay in advance of any work being done and me seeing it!
As for holding out this places name, and for them kaki g it right with YOU, what about the next guy?
If they made a mistake, it should be out there so others can make an informed decision.
THEN, if they make it right and fix everything, they can get credit for stepping up after making a terrible mistake.
No one, absolutely no one wants a damaged in anyway NEW car!

Grab a 2 x4 and strap it to your back for support and demand what makes YOU happy!
It's in their best interest to fix and get others to know that they stand behind their work AND mistakes.

GL

 

@fenderpicks,

A good shop will make it right without hassle. If they choose to handle it themselves rather than through insurance you should see a faster resolution. Did you get anything in writing before you left the shop? Here in Arizona window tint is crucial and I luckily have a great shop that I refer everyone to. Go to car shows and find out who did their tint, those guys are most particular with every aspect of their cars and don't be afraid to spend a little more.

 

Fenderpicks, I'm sorry about what happened. I've been reading this thread and thought I should chime in. You deserve to be compensated for the damage and all the time and trouble this has caused you, and I hope you get that.

My $0.02 is that these days, online reviews seem to be taking off. Yelp!, Google, BBB, and other sites are frequented a lot more than one might think (The number of people who use the reviews is far higher than those who contribute). Sharing your experience would be invaluable to others who may be considering taking their business there.

I've noticed time and time again, that business proprietors actually respond to poor reviews trying to accommodate or explain themselves.

At the same time, posting a poor review before giving the business a chance to properly make up for their mistake might not be in your best interest (however unfair, it is the way of things if someone there catches wind of it).

Please do keep us posted here and good luck!

 

You asked: then what should you do...

You have a few choices:

• You can go to a lawyer and start a small claims suit. It will likely cost thousands of dollars - of which you may never recover the lawyer fees.
• You can take your losses and move on (g34343greg why would anyone go back to a place if they give you bad service?)

But keep in mind that publicly flaming a company before a resolution, can only hurt in court decisions if lawsuits are initiated. It verges on libel.

Unless you've gone down all avenues and you need the interwebs to help fight back with a large media battle (at which point - I'm down for that). There has been some sucess with this method, but it can also hurt you if you need a legal battle later. The shop should be aware that this method is now available to consumers and should be very concerned about its' effectiveness and impact on business.

PM'ing the OP and asking off-line for the offending company to be sure you don't get hosed is the safer method for the OP.

 

Yes defintely understand where you all are coming from.
I am a ANGRY person, i have been keeping my cool so far. Spoke with the owner of the shop an hour ago about this. He told me he is getting a quote from a shop he have relations with, someone that they trust to deal with Ferraris and Lambo repair.

I calmly stated that i have a place of my own in mind, and i'd like to have my repair done with them. He told me he just need an estimate of how much it would cost, so he have an idea.

I send him the link to my photobucket, and i faxed him the Quote i have as well.

So i am waiting to hear back from him, hopefully today. So i can get my repair going ASAP


TBH, i much prefer a brand new hood and fender, however the shop i know and trust. The owner himself told me the damage is not that severe, it is better to reuse the Origianl parts. He said the bondo that is required to fill the small dent is such a small amount. The bondo will hold up without any problems down the line.

 

No one has mentioned that you can work this through your insurance. You can take your car where you want (BMW certified) and they will fix the car. You will have to pay your deductible and the fault will not be assigned to you. It will be a claim in the system though. Your ins co. will recover the cost of the repairs from the shop's insurance carrier or they will sue them to recover the cost. This way, you can move on, get your car in the shop and get it fixed and not have to deal with anyone except your ins. co.

 

The shop certainly has insurance. They can't be in business working on high end cars without insurance. Of course the shop should fix it but it is not like they are going to be losing a lot of money.

Not sure what you paid for the tint, it probably wasn't cheap tint. Considering his insurance is probably going to pay for the repair, ask the owner to refund you the cost of the tint for damaging your new car and all the time and effort it is taking to repair it. It is not a big loss to him but it is a value to you. Even if you hired a lawyer, the shop has offered to make it right, what is the lawyer going to do for you but charge you money?

It's a real shame that your new car was damaged. I'd be pissed too. But it doesn't seem like they are trying to shaft you. They are trying to make it right. If they fix your car and to make it right by doing the tint for free than maybe you will feel okay about it.

 

Hey Rocketman, I am also from Houston TX!!

The shop agreed to pay for the repair bill at the shop of my own.
However they are trying to refuse to fix my weather stripping damage by saying that it was necessary to use a plastic pry tool for the tint.

Also i tried pulling off their tint today, but it left quite a lot of stuff on my window.

 

I'd love to get a PM to know what shop you used. We're getting ours tinted too. I've used two shops in town. I don't think there is any place that is perfect.

A steam gun is the best way to get tint removed. If you just try to pull if off it will leave adhesive behind.

 

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. Hopefully your MINI will be fixed to your complete satisfaction. Also hope that you get the tint done to your complete satisfaction.

 

Hey guys, i just notice that my MCS under the hood.
From factory, they had to realign my hood. Becasue the bolts paint are scraped up.
Can somoene take a quick look at theirs and let me know if it is a common issue?

 

Good to hear that a progress is being made...

But I just want to comment that Bubba wrote exactly what I wanted to say: