The Tint Pros - Costa Mesa
2023-08-15T06:12:22.209Z
I attempted mediation with the owner for over a week before posting this review but to no avail. Let this serve as a warning to others to not expect the Llumar “pro” level installation from this company. Just go somewhere else so you don’t have to be accused of being the problem for their installers mistakes. The Llumar search function is not great on their website, but if you put a zip code for Brea or Pasadena, you can find other pro installers.
-Story: I had to get my windshield re-tinted with Air 80 due to a crack in my windshield and getting a new OEM windshield replacement. After the first install, an area the size of my hand in the middle of the window had lint bubbles. I called, they said bring it by, and the female manager agreed to reinstall. After the second install, I then noticed scratches in the film in 3 places from the tools they used during install.
I called and requested that the film be removed and a full refund so I can just go somewhere else because I did not have faith in their ability to install this correctly. I brought the car down, the guy looked at it, and stated, “I see it right here and there.” He attempted to have it removed right away, but they were too busy so we set up an appointment and I came back to have it removed (4x I had to drive there).
When it came time for the refund, the man behind the counter stated they would give me one. I requested to speak to the manager and she came up and stated they would not be honoring a refund because they, “wasted too many man hours on my car.” I stated the film was never installed correctly and she stated it was within reason. She then proceeded to tell me the lint from the first tint was my fault because lint behind my mirror and that the scratches on the second time wasn’t in line of sight and acceptable. I explained that I thought I was being pretty reasonable requesting a refund because they never installed the film correctly and blaming me for an area the size of my hand for lint bubbles and scratches from tooling is 100% an installer problem, not a customer problem. I thought it was pretty reasonable to just refund me and I would walk away and go to another pro installer and move on from this situation.
She then tried to say my window was scratched before I gave it to them, proceed to pull out their release form, slammed it on the table, and started pointing at it saying I signed a release saying scratches from windows already there are not their problem. I explained to her it was a brand new window and the scratches were never there after the first install and even the man behind the counter felt it and agreed it was the film and not the window.
I left and called the Huntington Beach store to try and speak to a higher level manager or the owner. I spoke to the manger who listened to me and said he felt I was being reasonable with my request and would send an email to the owner. He did offer to install it at the Huntington Beach shop as he was sent there from Costa Mesa to “clean it up”. I declined and he understood and said he would call me back, but nothing.
-Observations:
1. Costa Mesa leaves their tint booth garage door open and the rest of their building open during tinting (big center doors on the building). It is obvious the outside air and fans in their tint booth is no where near the “semi-sterile” environment required to tint.
2. “It is a big window” and it should be expected to have issues: If that is the case, and their installers are not trained enough to do it, they should not offer this service. The size of the window should still be free from installer created defects (outside of a little lint), especially from a “pro”.
3. If lint behind rear view mirror is a known problem or my car is too dirty, then tell me to clean it before or tell me to come back. I have never had this said to me as an issue.
4. When I left the first time, a Tesla brought their car back to have the rear window re-tinted. When I left the second time, a sedan came back because their driver window tint was coming off.
I attempted mediation with the owner for over a week before posting this review but to no avail. Let this serve as a warning to others to not expect t... More