MastersTint1414

Yes, all of the above.

Thank you for your reply. I took my vehicle back. They did the front windows for me again. They said that that was the best they could do for the quarter windows. I’ll live with it.  I’m happy they agreed to do the front windows again though. 👍🏻

The two-stage install = roll the window down a couple of inches, install half the piece of film, roll up window, tuck the bottom and finish the rest of the install.  Standard old school install.  
The OP is having issues with the amount of space at the mirror part of the front doors.  Door panel is pretty high and that upright side of the window is very short, making it difficult to install in two steps.  Pulling the panel and doing like an unframed glass is easiest but those panels are pita to deal with.  
 
 
I just did one the other day.  You have to slightly roll down the window just enough to work with it and not worry much about the short side until after you get it rolled up.  Once you have it tucked and stuck well enough at the bottom, you can bump it back down and finish pushing out water and making sure it's stuck properly.  The bottom sweeps are not so tough that it will mess it up if you have it cut properly and do a decent push out when you tuck it.  It is tricky but it can be done.  It's not as hard as Lexus IS front doors.   
 
Good luck  

Just finished a 1950 Chevrolet truck.  rear 1/4 windows were tough.  I pulled one because of the way the seal looked and tinted it 7 times without success.  I tinted the one I left in place in 1 attempt.  I replaced the the window I pulled and and got it in the second attempt.   I probably would have quit earlier if I had not done these windows before.  Sometimes it is smarter to say "no".  I guess I am just too hard headed for my own good sometimes.

Not a hard car, but falls in the category of kid car/commuter. Get it detailed and bring it empty. No cups or trash in the doors/console etc. leave a clean micro fiber towel in your driver door pocket that’s noticeable. It’s way easier to produce clean work on a clean vehicle. This will also make it look like you care about your car. Which might help your installer care more. Nothing worse than working on a trashed car with dog hair floating around inside lol! 

best to ask the installer himself, if its a standard basic film then its most likely llumar ATC

Your best bet would be to find out who does their tinting and then talk to them directly. 

Hard to tell how bad it is from a zoomed in picture.  Doesn't look that bad although it is a defect. 
 
It is rather difficult(not impossible) to get that huge piece of film installed across the rear glass and it be spotless.  Dust, debris, carpet fibers etc, all these things are in play when trying to get a statically charged piece of film in there correctly.  That being said, it really depends on the size and location of that defect, and how much it bothers you.  It is probably not going to get any worse over time and on the next install there could be a different issue than this one.  The 100% perfect tint job is rare. There is going to be a speck or two here or there especially if you are looking really close. 
 
1 = step back a couple of feet from the vehicle.  Is it still very noticeable? 
2 = is it in your vision from inside the car?  Does it bother you while driving?  
If yes to these, then it might be worth redoing.  
If no, then you are probably going to okay with an acceptable install for a long time.  
 
All in all, it really depends on how bad the spot is and how bad it bothers you. 
If the shop will work with you on redoing it if it bothers you that bad, all the better for you.
 
Good luck.    

@Bham It was good to get to stop for a visit today. Told you I would try to make it more frequent .  I wish I had read your post above before I stopped by. I would have told you in person what I will type to you now.
In life I have learned that for every one or two good decisions you make there is bound to be a bad one. Not hiring you back in the 90's was a terrible decision on my part and an oversight that I should not have allowed to happen. I wasn't willing to give you a chance, didn't think you had the drive for it, and I let other folks influence my decisions when I should have at least given you an opportunity. You have proved me wrong many times...you have certainly been driven and you have achieved my achievements...your own shop. That one mistake of mine not only was very obviously my loss, but it also alienated us from each other and put a strain on our friendship maybe even still today. In front of all of these good, professional folks here on this forum, Jason,  I want you to know I am very sorry. I hope others here can learn from my mistake and always be willing to take a chance on others. I am very proud of you for what you have achieved. 
 
Charley 

don't sweat it its just tint.  at the end of the day service goes a long way.  anything from lumar, xpel, 3m and global should meet your needs. they are all good films that will last for years! but to answer your original question xpel and global might be made by the same manufacturer but are NOT THE SAME FILM. 

I would definitely like to chime into this before the Installer bashing goes to far, seeing as though I am the installer in question!
 
When customers contact installers with absolutely no idea on a product It is their job to educate as much as possible. This is usually appreciated as it is a big unknown area and a lot of trades do not put enough effort into, they are in it just to get your money (as you so put it).
 
This is a perfect example of words being taken out of context by the customer focusing on the word 'major' and not understanding on what an installer of a particular product considers to be major. This was elaborated on but clearly not enough. I 100% standby that not every install can be completely flawless/perfect. Im sure if trained installers looked those that claim there's are they will find minute flaws in some of their installs. Sure these are flaws that 99% of customers will never notice and are hard to see but if you happen to get that customer that does go looking and notice it, then its better to set expectations before. Cars come in that are 'brand new' in the customers eyes that can have defects, rock chips they never noticed that may result in a slight air bubble, the odd spec of dust etc.  Yes also slightly cautious over potential Opticoat issues recesses, stretched areas etc but due to many forums claiming they have not had an issue we were more than happy to set this out from the start and continue if wanted. Straight from Xpels FAQ page
"Can/should Opticoat or cQuartz be applied to the car before the film is installed?"
We do NOT recommend applying sealants such as Opticoat or cQuartz to the parts of the car that will be covered with film. The low surface energy of paint sealant products such as these will cause adhesion problems both during installation and over the life of the product. In addition, it is worth noting that there is really no benefit to applying sealant to the paint before the film anyway, since the film will provide far more environmental protection to the paint than a sealant ever could.
 
As mentioned, its about ensuring there is nothing visually displeasing, of course fingerprints, silvering etc are unacceptable. Every installer knows that you don't last long in this (and many other) business doing bad installs and I certain wouldn't offer a service that I lose money on from not being able to install properly.  We have never had an issue with an unhappy customer and they appreciate us being upfront about PPF not being completely invisible. This is impressed on you during the XPEL certification to not sell the PPF as a completely invisible and indestructible product. They in fact mentioned they shoot for 95% perfect installs, does this mean they 5% is a dirty big line or air bubbles everywhere. No, it means they are realistic that not every install can be 100% and you could waste a lot of money chasing that 100% unnecessarily.
 
I advised the customer that they definitely need to check out an install and happy for them to come by this Friday to check out a full frontal we are doing, as seeing the product that they have never seen and discussing in person is invaluable to emails. Unfortunately that time didn't work out which was fine but still would have thought a lot better then taking to a forum.
 
I would also like to add that I had already checked DAP and there were no kits for an Audi S1, was 99% sure this meant we were not going to do it but was always happy to confirm. I took time to provide advice knowing this rather then saying, sorry, no kit available, see you later. Was only too happy to try assist knowing it will help our towns only other installer (who we have good rapport with that uses Hexis Bodyfence). Was also asked if I wrap edges, took the time to educate about what is wrap able and what isnt
 
Apologies if the word 'major' was taken out of context, would have been happy to clarify more or as mentioned show you if you were concerned but yes I did as DynamicApearance mentioned sense pickiness, more through a lack of exposure to the product and from you reading forums but I was only too happy to assist with all that as there is nothing wrong with pickiness.
Removal and coatings over films were not even discussed, so I don't need contacting/educating over that thanks Jeff.
 
Day 1 back off holiday, hopefully this doesn't set the tone for the rest of the year.
 
Good luck with your install.

Agree. If a customer wants and paid for the highest quality film, they are right to expect the highest quality install which the installer should be rewarded for.
 
If you have a trouble free installer, that alone is worth rewarding or you'll soon find that there is a new shop in your neighborhood, which will leave you picking through the dustbin of bad habits and unreliable techs  for the next 18months.
Less margin = less headache = less resentment = greater stability, imho.

The fact that ive never heard of northern, would be reason enough for me.

Welcome to the forum. I split your question of into its own thread.
 
From an installer viewpoint, a % of the price is a % of the price. Plus ceramic is usually more difficult to install, so why not pay him/her that few bucks more? 
 
From an owner viewpoint, you want to keep your costs as low as possible, and that upsell is some nice gravy.
 
If you are happy with your installer (and that's rare) it might be in your interest to cut him/her in on the upgrade IMHO.

I emailed the tinter some pictures of it and said I was concerned. He offered to redo it without hesitation. Hopefully third time is the charm!  I am going to buy him lunch as a token of appreciation for not jerking me around and standing behind his work. I do appreciate that so it’s the least I can do.
 
Thanks for all the replies!

I'd try to get some experience by being a helper in a tint shop.

While you're correct in that there is no perfect tint job, if you're not striving for perfection in every install you are doing yourself and your customers a severe disservice. 

Nothing like this would leave my shop.  Perfect? No.  Can you find more than a few specs on anything worth tinting? Absolutely not.  You would have to be nose printing 99% of my work to find anything.
 
This tint job could be done better by any beginner that has any skill level!
 
I'll rephrase and say that if you think this is acceptable then you need to quit!

If you think that is acceptable then I pity your clients!  The amount of contamination is ridiculous. It isn't just a few specs and isn't something that needs to dry out!

I agree that sucks....

That's excessive contamination and not acceptable in my opinion. 

There remains to a large degree, a great deal of confusion about automotive film laws and which films are compatible with which cars, in which states and under which circumstances.
If these are issues you are already very familiar with, bear with me. Based upon the continuous flow of questions we get at EWF about this issue, I am creating this post to help make things a little clearer for all of those who are still a little confused by it.
Not a week goes by when we don’t get a call from a dealer(s) asking why their customer got a ticket when they put 35% film on a car and “the law says 35%”.
First: There are two types of laws:
Film Laws: Laws that regulate only the applied film
Net Laws: Laws that regulate the net transmission of glass+film (most common)
You are responsible for knowing what type of law your state has on the books. If you need an up-to-date listing state laws, there is a terrific website called Tintdude that has a list. I suggest you visit that site some day.
Second: There are variables
You are aiming at a moving target, so you have to adjust accordingly. Here are some of the variables you need to take into account:
VLT range of the glass 70% - 84% (generally)
VLT variance on your film +/- 3% per industry guidelines
VLT precision on your meter +/- 3% some meters are worse than this
State Law Tolerances +/- 3% (This will vary from state to state)
Some brief Do’s and Don’t’s:
Do own a meter
Do perform a “test shot” (more on that below)
Do discuss the law with your clients
Do ask your film supplier about all the available VLT’s they offer
Do know about the law enforcement situation – Is it part of annual inspection?
Do strive to become an expert on this topic – your customers are depending on you
Do keep your meter battery fresh and learn how to self calibrate it (if possible).
Do keep a variety of shades on hand so your customer has a choice.
Do NOT put a piece of film into a net (glass+film) meter and rely upon that reading
Do NOT guess. Instead, measure
Do NOT guarantee your customer a legal reading unless you are certain it’s legal
Do NOT hesitate to ask your supplier if you have questions.
How to perform a “test shot”:
To do this, all you need is a meter and a small piece of film (4 inches X 4 inches perhaps). Install the small piece of film onto the window and meter it. Do this before you proceed with the actual installation. Show the reading to the customer and discuss the applicable state law (including any allowable variances). Once you both agree that the VLT range is within your requirements and expectations proceed with the job.
Meter Math:
Get out your calculator. Here we go:
Example #1: What is the expected net range for an applied 42% film?
As discussed above, the VLT range on the glass itself is generally 70%-84%
0.42 X 70 = 29.4%
0.42 X 84 = 35.3%
From this example, we can see that a 42% can meter anywhere between 35.3% and 29.4%. Now factor in the additional variables due to VLT tolerances, meter tolerances, etc and the results can vary by an additional 3%-4%. If you do business in a 35% net law state, take note.
You can adapt this example to suit any film you are considering. Just substitute the 42% (0.42) for another value.
Example #2: What film should I use if my net law requires 35%?
For this example, we will do basically the same calculation (backward).
0.35 / 70 = 50.0%
0.35 / 84 = 41.6%
We can see that if the customer has dark factory tint (70%) then 50% film would be required to hit the 35% net target. If the customer has lighter glass (closer to 84%) then a 42% film can probably be used. The calculation will work both ways. Don’t forget to factor in the other variables and perform the test shot.
I hope this post is helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at howard@buytint.com
-Howard

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Its been 16 ish years . Pretty sure they are over it....???

You're correct, maybe he's thinking charger.