How to know I'm getting what I paid for?

[HotSawce]

So today, I'm about to go get color stable installed. And then I thought to myself, tinting is something I feel like a shop could scam you with by installing a much cheaper one. People would probably have no idea. So that said, is there a way to identify color stable? I actually called the shop and asked and he told me that you can't fake color stable because it has the 3M logo on it. Is he telling the truth?

[Slick]

   I think you are overthinking this.  It's just tint.  If they say it's color stable, and give you a warranty...then you have nothing to worry about...even if they DO put on cheap crap...you have the warranty card! 

[blackoutauto]

Make sure u at least get a warranty card from 3M not just a typed out receipt from the shop, make sure the shop is reputable and most likely you will be fine. Few shops will scam you when they are reputable.

If you feel they are real sketchy then find another shop.

[highplains]

Both Slick and Blackoutauto are absolutely correct. The shop should give you a 3M Color Stable warranty card, they are specific to the Color Stable line. The shop is also correct in that Color Stable comes off the roll with 3M logos stamped on the film, if you're concerned you can ask them to not clean the stamp off until after youve seen the finished installation. The less expensive lines do not come with the stamp.

[WearTheFoxHat]

[blackoutauto]

7 minutes ago, highplains said:

Both Slick and Blackoutauto are absolutely correct. The shop should give you a 3M Color Stable warranty card, they are specific to the Color Stable line. The shop is also correct in that Color Stable comes off the roll with 3M logos stamped on the film, if you're concerned you can ask them to not clean the stamp off until after youve seen the finished installation. The less expensive lines do not come with the stamp.

 

 

 

I was thinking about making 3M stamps for all my jobs

 

 

JUST KIDDING 

[Roach]

Agreed with the rest.  It is just tint, but.. ask them to leave the 3M logo on the film. 

 

 

[DynamicATL]

52 minutes ago, HotSawce said:

So today, I'm about to go get color stable installed. And then I thought to myself, tinting is something I feel like a shop could scam you with by installing a much cheaper one. People would probably have no idea. So that said, is there a way to identify color stable? I actually called the shop and asked and he told me that you can't fake color stable because it has the 3M logo on it. Is he telling the truth?

 

Yes, 3M Color Stable and Crystalline does come with 3M logos.  However, there is Chinese counterfeit film that also has 3M logos.  We have see this first hand on a BMW that was tinted in the fake tint...still had the logos.  We also order Crystalline off Ebay to compare and it had the same logo.  The logos are not a match, the counterfeit looks like one.  I added photos below of what we pulled off the BMW compared to real Color Stable.  Color Stable will have a blue hue to it, no other 3M film has that coloring.  I would ask to see the logos after installation prior to them removing them.  The cheaper 3M window films do not have logos.  Also check the dealer locator on the 3M website to ensure they are a dealer.

 

 

 

[The ///Man]

If the shop has a good reputation, I doubt they would be pulling scams like that.  Like what was said before, check the dealer locator.  Honestly, the per car difference between a basic film and the CS film is probably not enough to risk a reputation on.

[no ma'am]

  most of us want you to feel the difference that a good film provides and won't play games like that.