1. How long has the company been in business under the same name and same ownership? Do they have
a city business license that they can show you that states the date they went into business in your area?
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. This is a very common problem in the industry.
2. How long has the installer [who] is going to be doing the actual tinting workmanship/labor on your vehicle
been in the business? ... A minimum of five to seven years of experience is a must, or pass on them.
3. Do they have a physical shop and location [where] they do the work ... [so] you can come down and look at
their workmanship? If they are a mobile tinter, pass on them as well. You wouldn't paint a black car in the
driveway of your home, so why do you think you can get a dust-free job in the same place? Two days after
the initial installation, when all of the moisture dries up from the water, you will have a dirt, dust, hair
[infested], creased tint job.
4. What type of warranty do they give? Is it in writing? Is it a manufacturer's full written warranty? For how
long? What DOESN'T it cover and what are the RESTRICTIONS listed on the invoice? Some tint shops put a
sticker on the outside of your windows. If you remove their sticker, you void the entire warranty. ... You must
read their written warranty in full. Only choose a manufacturer's full lifetime written warranty on LABOR [and]
MATERIALS, including removal of the old defective film, and make sure you get the warranty card that the
manufacturer gives them with all the information written down on it (manufacturer's name, the film roll
numbers, type of film being used, the ... Color and type of film being installed, where on the vehicle and the
full retail price you paid).
5. Is all the work done inside of their shop or outside in the parking lot? If they do it outside, pass on them.
6. What manufacturers of window film do they carry? Do they carry a complete line of films, including a high-
performance bronze-colored film? If they don't carry bronze, pass on them. There are ... 95-plus films to
choose from, so go for the choices.
7. Are they a current member of the IWFA (International Window Film Association) since 1992? If they are,
then this is a good point, as they had to sign [an] ethical standards agreement to join the IWFA.
8. Will they tint your front two roll-down windows with [an illegally] dark ... Film if you want them to? If they say
yes to this, then I would pass on them as well. None of the window tinting film manufacturers give any
warranty on illegally tinted windows.... [Note: What is legal varies by state. For more information, see
Window Tint.] These companies are doomed to go out of business in time, as soon as the IWFA finds out
about them and notifies the film manufacturer of their illegal operation. Plus, ... Federal Motor Vehicle
(FMVSS) fines are $1,000 per vehicle [for the installer] if they are caught, [which] will put a major hurt on
them financially and could also put them out of business....
9. Then go out and take a look at the actual workmanship at their shop.
10. Do they 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, then pass on them.
11. 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 it doesn't, pass on them.
12. Is their shop a dust-free, air conditioned, well-lighted, clean and neat shop? If it isn't, pass on them.
13. Do they have all the films they carry displayed on physical display panels?
14. Do they remove all of the door panels [to perform the installation], or do they just jam the inside door
rubber down with a plastic tool to cut time?
15. Do they remove the ... Package tray from the back window? This is a very important item if you want a
neat and clean, dust-free job.
16. 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 speakers and thus possibly ruin them down the road?
17. Can they eliminate the 'white area' at the top of the dot matrix area of the back window, or after the film
dries will the dot matrix look like the film has not stuck properly to [this] area? Good shops know how to deal
with this problem."
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