"Little" upset here---any advice?

You don't say if you told the dealer specifically about the scratch in the paint. If you did, does it sound like they're going to take responsibility for it?

You should have NO air bubbles (much less scratches), even in an opera window nobody looks out of.

Does your dealer use mobile tint installers? (That is, people who travel to the dealership to do jobs, rather than in their own shops.) Not a good idea. Main problem: DRYING TIME, as you found out.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Erik @ May 31 2006, 11:03 PM) [snapback]263903[/snapback]</div>

I had a Lexus into the dealer for an oil change and when I picked it up noticed a small dent in the top of a front fender next to the hood. There was still a fragment of loose paint in the depression, which nailed it as far as I was concerned. I refused to take delivery of the car until the dent was fixed. They weren't overjoyed, but they wound up repainting the whole front end of the car, including the hood -- for free of course. If you are 100% certain Toyota put the scratch there, by all means stick to your guns and insist they make the scratch go away. How they do it is their business, but when they are through the car should look like it did when you took it in. I can't say whether or not you will succeed, but your position might be a little stronger if you noticed the scratch before taking delivery. After my experience I always inspect a car before I pick it up from a shop.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Erik @ Jun 1 2006, 01:03 AM) [snapback]263903[/snapback]</div>

Do your own work on your car. That's my advice.

1. You care about your car, so you won't be scratching it up.
2. It cost a whole lot less.
3. You never have to argue with the installer when you do the job yourself. If it sucks, just kick the installer in the a$$ and move on.

I stand by my theory that the tint installer is not installing tint because he loves it. He didn't quit his job as CTO of a mid sized company to go into the window tinting he loves. Same with the oil changes and these other things... Some guy got out of high school and couldn't or didn't go to school. Now he's installing tint.

Usually this will draw out some flames telling me how someone they know is a master toyota tech, super well educated and all that jazz.. I'm sure there are some of those at the dealership. Do you think that is the guy who installed your tint and scratched your car?

Me either.... In fact, if I was a tint installer, I'd hate that job and probably be thinking about other things as I was lumping around scratching up your car...

Work on your car unless you can't. If you can't do the job yourself, hope for the best at some service shop and then live with this crap after you get it back.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Erik @ Jun 1 2006, 02:03 AM) [snapback]263903[/snapback]</div>

There should be NO bubbles in a professional tint job - not a single one. I can sympathize, I have had my share of incompetent service in the past and I would also be royally p*ssed if I were in your shoes.

I think you have a pretty strong case for the scratch being done by the tint installer, considering the car is all of 6 days old and the shoddy tint job quality means this guy either didn't know what he was doing or just didn't care.

I would definitely stick to you guns and insist that they re-tint any windows with bubbles and fix that scratch however best to make it look like it was when you brought it in. All at their cost, of course.

Good luck!


- Kevin

PS - if they give you a hard time, you may want to drop their name here to warn others to avoid them... word of mouth is the one mighty tool we as consumers have against these businesses!

 

As far as the tint job, you should be able to have them fix the bubbles/shoddy work. It's obvious it happened there, not outside of the service area.

The scratch on the rear door is a different story. If you had found it prior to leaving the service area, then I would say you have a good case. But, you left, found it later in the day and now want the service department to take the blame. It's basically your word against theirs.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

I know this doesn't help now, but the dealer scratched the paint off my door handle while my Prius was in for service. My car was only 1 month old. I immediately brought it to the service reps attention and he said its only minor. I told him, when he takes over my car payments then it becomes minor. Well they fixed the scratch.

 

On the subject of the tint bubbles...from what I understand it is natural. I had it on mine. It cleared up in a week or so.

 

Glad to hear they owned up to it. I was going to suggest remaining calm and focused. The hardest thing for any service writer or salesperson to deal with is a customer who is so irate they won't listen.

Most scratches like your's should buff out fine. Also, the tint I had done last year had some tiny bubbles (smaller than an M&M) and they cleared up on their own.

That said, the greasy fingerprints on the MFD, the watery residue from the tint work and the scratch are all things that should have been cleaned up before you got the car. Tint guys just tint.....they don't detail.

 

Good to hear everything worked out for you. If you had any scratches on the car then they would have pointed it out before they took the car so it is good they fixed it. He is right about the bubbles. I had it with my tint as well. They went away after 1 week.

I got a buddy so anal about finger prints on the MFD he keeps one of those clicker pencil-like erasers in his car to use on the MFD. And heaven help those that move his A/C vents.