WARRANTY
Tint Supplier stands by our products, and we are proud to offer warranties for our valued customers. We recommend that you learn more about the warranties of the products you choose, as this can help you understand some of the features and limitations of these warranties. Ideally, you should familiarize yourself with the specific warranty of the product before you go ahead and purchase it.
As outlined in the description of each product, our films come with varying degrees of coverage when it comes to warranties. Many of our most affordable options come with 2-year warranties. These reflect the fact that these products are not designed to last for a considerable length of time, although you can expect strong performance and reliability during that two-year period.
Many of our mid-range window films come with a 5-year warranty. This reflects the dependable, long-lasting nature of these products, although you should note that these films are still not designed to last a lifetime.
If you’d like to purchase window films that are truly guaranteed to last forever, consider our high-range, “supreme” window films. These products may be slightly more expensive than our affordable and mid-range options, but they come with a warranty that ensures the highest performance possible over an extremely extended period of time. If you’re looking for total peace of mind, we recommend choosing from our very best window films that come with lifetime warranties.
It’s always a good idea to inform your customers of these warranties whenever possible. By communicating with your customers about the warranties of our window film, you can help them understand how long their tinted automobiles or residential windows will remain operational. You might also consider carrying multiple “levels” of window film, thereby giving your customers the freedom to choose a more affordable option, a high-level film solution, or something in between.
Using Your Film Properly
If you use your film improperly, your warranty may no longer be valid. It’s important to choose the right film for the job for this reason. In addition to invalidating your warranty, choosing an incorrect type of film for the job at hand can result in lowered performance and inadequate results.
One of the most common mistakes new (and experienced) tinters make is using automotive film on residential or commercial windows. This should never happen, because the thermal properties of automotive films are completely different compared to those of architectural films. This not only invalidates the warranty, but it can also damage windows, cause cracks, and even shatter glass in extreme situations.
Two of the most common issues that may result from this mistake are:
- Thermal Stress Fractures (TSF)
- Insulated Glass Unit Seal Failures (IGU)
You should know that regardless of what type of film you used or how you installed the film, your warranty will never cover these issues. This is because these issues are almost always the result of improper installation – either by choosing the wrong film or some other mistake that could have been averted.
Along with incorrect film choice, TSF and IGU can be related to:
- Glass with pre-existing cracks or flaws
- Excessive tightness of frames and fittings
- Rapid changes in temperature
- Environmental conditions
- Using too dark or too light of a shade
The science behind these issues is relatively straightforward. Automotive films and architectural films have different thermal expansion properties. This means that these films will react to heat differently. When you put automotive film on glass, it expands at a faster rate than the glass itself. This in turn causes stress on the glass, leading to cracks, damages, and even “exploding” windows. Thermal expansion issues are especially common when you use incorrect film on single-pane windows. Sometimes, these issues may cause very small cracks and fissures that are almost impossible to spot. These imperfections can lead to moisture permeation, causing discoloration, problems with interior temperature, and all kinds of issues.
Warranty Coverage for Architectural Film
If you use the correct architectural film and install it properly, your warranty provides excellent coverage for a range of potential issues, including:
- The cost of replacement film
- The cost of re-installation labor
- Defective film
- Inadequate adhesion
- Unforeseen demetalization
However, these issues are only covered within the warranty period. When your warranty period expires, these issues will no longer be covered. In certain situations, you may apply for additional TSF and IGU coverage. This option applies to certain mid-range and high-range films.
Warranty Coverage for Automotive Films
If you use your automotive film correctly, your warranty will cover a wide range of potential issues. Although each product might have a slightly different warranty, here are some of the issues that may be covered:
- Inadequate adhesion
- Peeling defects
- Bubbles
- Blisters
- Delamination issues
- Unforeseen demetalization
- Fading to Purple (HP, NR Quick-Dry Plus, and QDP Ceramic)
If any of these issues occur within the warranty period and your film has adequate coverage, we will reimburse you for the following:
- The cost of removing the defective film
- The cost of replacing the defective film
With that being said, your warranty becomes void under the following circumstances:
- Improper installation
- Poor installation
- Non-compliance with IWFA-accepted installation standards
- Improper maintenance of windows/film over the warranty period
- Cleaning abuse
- Glass breakage
- Using automotive film for non-automotive purposes
- Any improper use of the film in any way whatsoever
The Importance of Understanding Local Laws
As a professional window tinter, it is your responsibility to be aware of the local laws and regulations in your area. Take the time to learn about the laws that specifically pertain to automotive tinting. Many states, provinces, and territories have strict regulations when it comes to where and how you can tint cars. Certain shades might be illegal. Certain windows may not be tinted at all. You might also be limited to how much of the windshield you can tint, as many states have strict laws on the AS-1 line area.
It is important to understand these laws because as soon as you violate them, your window film warranty becomes void. Even if you installed the film in a professional, proper manner, you cannot take advantage of your warranty if any laws were violated in any way whatsoever.
If you’d like to learn more about the specific details of our warranty policies, be sure to reach out at your earliest convenience. We can also help you go through all the necessary steps if you’d like to file a claim for defective window film.