[dtronics]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

The weather strip is just caught under the channel piece. Those easily come off and you could pull the weather strip that's folded under (or just use a plastic pry tool and it should come up). Again, this kind of thing should have never been left in the first place though. It really sucks that people like yourself pay good money, and in return you get crappy workmanship.

OP, the arrow points to the piece of the weather strip that should run the length of the roof. The circle shows where the weather strip starts to be tucked or possibly is even damaged. Do you have more pictures of that? I think he might’ve ripped it.

[Gberg2119]

Originally Posted by dtronics

I have XPEL Gloss on the non-painted and carbon fiber surfaces with XPEL Stealth on the painted surfaces. I have my car fully covered.

Those pics are under harsh light using an Astro Pneumatic light. My installer removed my vents during the install so the film is tucked behind, there are some shadows reflecting but the film is tucked. I replaced my vents with the M Performance CF vents during the PPF. There are a bunch of threads on how to remove the side vents, it's very easy with a pry tool. There are 3 white clips per side.

My car was done with a combination of hand cutting and the computer/plotter. I think part of the issue might be the product in addition to installer rushing. You definitely shouldn't be having issues like this after a few months. Hope that helps a bit.

That looks way better. I should've circled it but you can see mine peeling up a bit from the corner. It's not bad now but it was way worse the first go around. It was peeling from multiple places.

Originally Posted by Burrcold

The weather strip is just caught under the channel piece. Those easily come off and you could pull the weather strip that's folded under (or just use a plastic pry tool and it should come up). Again, this kind of thing should have never been left in the first place though. It really sucks that people like yourself pay good money, and in return you get crappy workmanship.

Originally Posted by dtronics

OP, the arrow points to the piece of the weather strip that should run the length of the roof. The circle shows where the weather strip starts to be tucked or possibly is even damaged. Do you have more pictures of that? I think he might’ve ripped it.

I don't but I checked the other side and I didn't see any of it tucked in.

I messaged the film manufacturer to see if there's another installer in my area that can get it right. I doubt it but he's already tried multiple times to fix issues

[dtronics]

Originally Posted by Gberg2119

That looks way better. I should've circled it but you can see mine peeling up a bit from the corner. It's not bad now but it was way worse the first go around. It was peeling from multiple places.







I don't but I checked the other side and I didn't see any of it tucked in.

I messaged the film manufacturer to see if there's another installer in my area that can get it right. I doubt it but he's already tried multiple times to fix issues

I missed the part where you already noticed the weather strip was tucked in, my bad. The installer shouldn't have returned the car to you like that.

I do see the corner coming up on the roof. I'll bet that he will trim that corner. It looks like he left it a bit too long to hold that corner. This guy charged you a premium price so you should've gotten work that matches.

And just so you have your bases covered with this installer... I looked at the product suppliers website and they say you can use a pressure washer... "Use a pH neutral shampoo for best results. We recommend using a lambswool mitt for a gentler clean, always ensure that a grit guard or twin bucket method is used to avoid contaminating the mitt. If using a pressure washer, ensure lance is at least a metre away from the surface of the film and avoid directing jet towards edges to prevent lifting. Use a normal moisture absorbent cloth to dry the film the same as you would the rest of the vehicle".

https://covrgard.com/after-care/

[Gberg2119]

Originally Posted by dtronics

I missed the part where you already noticed the weather strip was tucked in, my bad. The installer shouldn't have returned the car to you like that.

I do see the corner coming up on the roof. I'll bet that he will trim that corner. It looks like he left it a bit too long to hold that corner. This guy charged you a premium price so you should've gotten work that matches.

And just so you have your bases covered with this installer... I looked at the product suppliers website and they say you can use a pressure washer... "Use a pH neutral shampoo for best results. We recommend using a lambswool mitt for a gentler clean, always ensure that a grit guard or twin bucket method is used to avoid contaminating the mitt. If using a pressure washer, ensure lance is at least a metre away from the surface of the film and avoid directing jet towards edges to prevent lifting. Use a normal moisture absorbent cloth to dry the film the same as you would the rest of the vehicle".

https://covrgard.com/after-care/

Xpel and STEK say similar things as well.

Hopefully Covrgard responds with something useful.

[dtronics]

Originally Posted by Gberg2119

Xpel and STEK say similar things as well.

Hopefully Covrgard responds with something useful.

Good luck man! Keep up posted. I feel invested in this now.. haha.

[Gberg2119]

Originally Posted by dtronics

Good luck man! Keep up posted. I feel invested in this now.. haha.

Haha. Definitely. Dropping it off tuesday morning.

[Gberg2119]

Originally Posted by dtronics

Good luck man! Keep up posted. I feel invested in this now.. haha.

Welp. Dropping it off Thursday morning now. Fenders will be redone and the film will be tucked behind the fender badges. He will also be fixing the weather stripping on the roof and the bubbles in both b pillars.

When I spoke to the covrgard rep, he said they don't remove the fender badges due to risk of breakage and then I'd be on the hook for new badges. But correct me if I'm wrong, they are the professional detailers and they don't trust themselves to remove some badging? Let alone this badge which is just 3 clips? It just seems odd to me but it is what it is.

He also said the bubbles are from a pressure washer. Because there's not much surface area on that little pillar it's easier to lift. Again, my pressure washer is a karcher k1700 with the obsessed garage recommended orifice sizes on the tips. It's not that powerful but I'll just have to be careful around those pillars.

[ipilcher]

Originally Posted by Gberg2119

He also said the bubbles are from a pressure washer.

I'm not a PPF expert, but this doesn't make any sense. How is a pressure washer going to create bubbles?

Using a pressure washer too aggressively can cause edges to lift/peel, but that's not what's happening here.

[SwankPeRFection]

Originally Posted by ipilcher

I'm not a PPF expert, but this doesn't make any sense. How is a pressure washer going to create bubbles?

Using a pressure washer too aggressively can cause edges to lift/peel, but that's not what's happening here.

You don’t have to be a PPF expert to know his installer is full of shit and also NOT a PPF expert either. 😉

[Gberg2119]

Originally Posted by SwankPeRFection

You don’t have to be a PPF expert to know his installer is full of shit and also NOT a PPF expert either. 😉

I guess so.

[TDWP]

Originally Posted by Gberg2119

Welp. Dropping it off Thursday morning now. Fenders will be redone and the film will be tucked behind the fender badges. He will also be fixing the weather stripping on the roof and the bubbles in both b pillars.

When I spoke to the covrgard rep, he said they don't remove the fender badges due to risk of breakage and then I'd be on the hook for new badges. But correct me if I'm wrong, they are the professional detailers and they don't trust themselves to remove some badging? Let alone this badge which is just 3 clips? It just seems odd to me but it is what it is.

He also said the bubbles are from a pressure washer. Because there's not much surface area on that little pillar it's easier to lift. Again, my pressure washer is a karcher k1700 with the obsessed garage recommended orifice sizes on the tips. It's not that powerful but I'll just have to be careful around those pillars.

Man... hoping the best for you. At a certain point I would just check legal options (I hate recommending this) if this doesn't come back how you want it because our DFW PPF shops perform near pristine work compared to the pictures of what you posted earlier.

[Gberg2119]

Originally Posted by TDWP

Man... hoping the best for you. At a certain point I would just check legal options (I hate recommending this) if this doesn't come back how you want it because our DFW PPF shops perform near pristine work compared to the pictures of what you posted earlier.

If you can believe it it was actually worse before. Shortly after I got it back from the first go around I noticed these bubbles in the roof along with the peeling edges I mentioned in other posts. Didn’t snap a pic of the peeling but it was bad. And this was also during the winter so I hadn’t washed it which means they couldn’t blame my pressure washer.

Then once the roof was fully redone I got it back with the dirt specks underneath and the weather stripping messed up which I noticed the other day.

Legal is probably overboard. If it comes back terrible again I’ll probably just deal with it or find another shop to redo the work.

[SwankPeRFection]

So you’re OK with paying this guy money to do what he SHOULDN’T be doing as his job because he sucks at it. Look, if the dude said $500 and I’ll do it, fine, but if you paid thousands, fuck him. This is why people like this are still in business… because nowadays people seem to enjoy getting screwed and accepting substandard work for what they pay.

[Gberg2119]

Originally Posted by SwankPeRFection

So you’re OK with paying this guy money to do what he SHOULDN’T be doing as his job because he sucks at it. Look, if the dude said $500 and I’ll do it, fine, but if you paid thousands, fuck him. This is why people like this are still in business… because nowadays people seem to enjoy getting screwed and accepting substandard work for what they pay.

What else am I supposed to do? The film rep was of no help since it's easier to push the blame onto the consumer. And the installer will redo the panels.

I tried looking for another installer but the film rep wants this guy to fix it.

[SwankPeRFection]

Go over the film rep’s head to the actual company and discuss with them how disappointed you are in both their installer choice and how the rep is handling the whole issue. Unless you got a partial refund for you trouble, simply “redoing” the work isn’t always in the favor of the customer because you’re out your vehicle and time each single time this guy has to redo a panel, not to mention how trustworthy the product will be over time for all the money you spent on it. Maybe it’s a shit product or maybe it’s just a bad installer, but BOTH of those points are dependent upon one another to have a successful and long lifetime of the film. I guess what I’m saying is that mishaps with a new install can happen, but this isn’t your first redo of a panel and you’ve also mentioned debris under some other one, so clearly this installer sucks ass at his job. In my opinion you should have gotten a partial refund or even a complete one since it sounds like very few panels if any don’t have imperfections due to poor quality install. If PPF isn’t laid down perfectly and installed properly, it could lead to issues with your paint finish later on. Trapped debris will press into your paint over time as you wash it and trapped moisture in some areas under it will also lead to issues. It’s a poor job now followed by problems down the road. Sometimes it’s better to get a refund, part ways and do it again with a reputable installer. Like I said, I doubt this cost you the same as a cheap tint job, so you have every right to be demanding. This isn’t one panel and it gets fixed and it’s fine. This is multiple trips and multiple discoveries of issues with the install. How many mistakes can one make before they get fired for poor results?

[Gberg2119]

Originally Posted by SwankPeRFection

Go over the film rep’s head to the actual company and discuss with them how disappointed you are in both their installer choice and how the rep is handling the whole issue. Unless you got a partial refund for you trouble, simply “redoing” the work isn’t always in the favor of the customer because you’re out your vehicle and time each single time this guy has to redo a panel, not to mention how trustworthy the product will be over time for all the money you spent on it. Maybe it’s a shit product or maybe it’s just a bad installer, but BOTH of those points are dependent upon one another to have a successful and long lifetime of the film. I guess what I’m saying is that mishaps with a new install can happen, but this isn’t your first redo of a panel and you’ve also mentioned debris under some other one, so clearly this installer sucks ass at his job. In my opinion you should have gotten a partial refund or even a complete one since it sounds like very few panels if any don’t have imperfections due to poor quality install. If PPF isn’t laid down perfectly and installed properly, it could lead to issues with your paint finish later on. Trapped debris will press into your paint over time as you wash it and trapped moisture in some areas under it will also lead to issues. It’s a poor job now followed by problems down the road. Sometimes it’s better to get a refund, part ways and do it again with a reputable installer. Like I said, I doubt this cost you the same as a cheap tint job, so you have every right to be demanding. This isn’t one panel and it gets fixed and [...]

I hear you. I tried contacting the film company directly and they had their US rep contact me who backed up the installer on everything.

I took a look at the passenger side when I pulled it out of the garage this morning and it’s even worse than the driver side. This is his last shot before I start asking for partial refund and I try taking it someplace else.

[SwankPeRFection]

I’m going to go out on a limb and also say the film is just shit… most notably, the adhesive they use is trash.

[Luc@Speed&Tech]

Originally Posted by Gberg2119

I hear you. I tried contacting the film company directly and they had their US rep contact me who backed up the installer on everything.

I took a look at the passenger side when I pulled it out of the garage this morning and it’s even worse than the driver side. This is his last shot before I start asking for partial refund and I try taking it someplace else.

Is your installer able to remove the side vents and wrap underneath? We try to pull all necessary parts when wrapping to prevent issues like that from happening.

[Gberg2119]

Originally Posted by Luc@Speed&Tech

Is your installer able to remove the side vents and wrap underneath? We try to pull all necessary parts when wrapping to prevent issues like that from happening.

Yep. He's redoing both fenders today and pulling the badges. When I first picked the car up from him I pointed this out too. He didn't pull the bmw emblem either but there's no buildup around there. At least not yet.

When you pull parts, does the customer have to request it?

[SwankPeRFection]

God I’m hoping he doesn’t mess up any of your clips or mount points/parts he’s pulling off.

[Luc@Speed&Tech]

Originally Posted by Gberg2119

Yep. He's redoing both fenders today and pulling the badges. When I first picked the car up from him I pointed this out too. He didn't pull the bmw emblem either but there's no buildup around there. At least not yet.

When you pull parts, does the customer have to request it?

No, we typically pull whatever is necessary to prevent issues like that unless the customer specifies that they don't want anything taken apart. We always strive to do things the right way the first time so the customer receives a great experience/end-product and we don't waste film, time, or money redoing panels. It's a win-win situation for us and the customer.

[Gberg2119]

Originally Posted by SwankPeRFection

God I’m hoping he doesn’t mess up any of your clips or mount points/parts he’s pulling off.

If he does then I'm pushing for a refund that’s for sure.

Originally Posted by Luc@Speed&Tech

No, we typically pull whatever is necessary to prevent issues like that unless the customer specifies that they don't want anything taken apart. We always strive to do things the right way the first time so the customer receives a great experience/end-product and we don't waste film, time, or money redoing panels. It's a win-win situation for us and the customer.

Mind blown. What a novel concept.

The film rep tried to tell me most of this is normal. Of course every install doesn’t go smoothly and there may be some minor things to fix here and there but this seems ridiculous.