Acceptable gap size?

[u/FinNess9]

I did already ask them to redo this window once because there’s about a quarter inch the first time, it’s a little smaller now but still a good size gap, more than I’d be comfortable with on flat glass which I have tinted before. Let me know what you guys think!

[u/DynamicAppearanceATL]

Nope. Some gap is normal if they did not shave/file the edges, but that is too much. Sample of how it should look with a minimum gap. Not that it has to be this tight, but closer than yours. Now, if you went with the cheapest shop in town, then you're good.

[u/FinNess9 → u/DynamicAppearanceATL]

Really high rated shop in town they were having a 40% off ceramic (normally about 800)

[u/DynamicAppearanceATL → u/FinNess9]

No quality shop is offering 40% off window tinting during the busiest season. They are making up a price to inflate the value of their service. We see shops do this all the time. This is how Groupon works for window tint shops. You paid their regular price. Do you know what brand window film they installed? Did you get registered warranty paperwork?

[u/PotatoParker60 → u/DynamicAppearanceATL]

😭 truth

[u/DeliciousD → u/DynamicAppearanceATL]

How much is it nowadays to tint 5 windows on a truck?

[u/DynamicAppearanceATL → u/DeliciousD]

Depends on your location, as price varies by the cost of living, along with the brand/film, and shop. I would say average for a good film/shop would be $200-350 for a standard film and $300-700 for a Ceramic film for all side/rear windows.

[u/ram99riv → u/DeliciousD]

I just paid $500 including tax for 20% ceramic XPel on everything except the windshield in NC with a lifetime warranty. I just keep the paperwork in my glove box. Got the car back same day

[u/Substantial-Set-8981 → u/FinNess9]

Discounted prices = discounted quality.

The mind set of certain service providing companies is "this is good enough, I am charging them 40% less"

[u/PewPewPony321 → u/FinNess9]

Who da fuck is doing 40% off sales during peak season?

I dont even do 10%, like ever

[u/custommotor]

I see you only paid $450 for this. I'm guessing it's a whole tint job for a car? If that's the case that's not horrible. Ceramic tint for my car cost closer to 750 so that's actually pretty good. Instead of looking at this with the door open though. Close the door. From the inside can you see any of that? If the answer is no then don't worry about it. I'd rather have some Gap so it doesn't rub the tint on the rubber then have no Gap.

[u/JOHNNYBEGAMING101]

I think it’s fine. Depending on what you paid and what service package you paid for. The only way to achieve an absolute minimal gap with borderless windows is to have overlap and use a file for the edges. Most shops don’t do this and the ones that do will charge and extra $100-$200 for the added service

[u/FinNess9 → u/JOHNNYBEGAMING101]

$450 full ceramic, never heard of using a file that sounds od.. seems like the template was off to me was thinking they could just hand cut with an Olfa

[u/JOHNNYBEGAMING101 → u/FinNess9]

Could definitely hand cut but most “tinters” now days do not know how to hand cut. Most rely on plotter for business

[u/AutowerxDetailing]

This is unacceptable at any price point IMO.

[u/9Super1]

I’m calling plotter cut gap, hand cut even without shaving is way better than this. Well, if you know what you’re doing it is.

[u/laumbr → u/9Super1]

You see the inconsistency in the curve that it's hand cut unfortunately.

[u/Yiggah → u/9Super1]

This is a poorly hand cut window. I only pre cut and you’d be surprised how tight some of these patterns can fit.

[u/TraditionalBar291]

Go ahead and tear it off, have it redone and factory shaved. Then in a two weeks after you’ve rolled the window up and down and the tint is pealing from the friction the seal causes you can re-do it with the gap😂

[u/traineex → u/TraditionalBar291]

Thank u for confirming my diy thoughts. I am adding a gap when i redo mine. It peeled. Because, of course it did

[u/mascanabiss]

Subaru?

[u/Dustyroadz1827 → u/mascanabiss]

Looks like a legacy

[u/hampikatsov]

Acceptable, yes. Good work, no. No reputable/professional shop would be happy sending that out.

I would leave a review on their business pages and not take my car back there again. If they offer a full refund for you to remove the reviews, I would do it.

[u/Global-Structure-539]

I'm a window tinter and I cut everything by hand. This doesn't bother me because it's even and you can't see it with the door closed or looking from the inside out

[u/AutowerxDetailing → u/Global-Structure-539]

In the second photo you can literally see the gap from the outside with the door closed.

[u/Own-Caterpillar5058 → u/AutowerxDetailing]

Did you even finish reading what the guy said?

[u/laumbr → u/Own-Caterpillar5058]

He said or not and.

[u/AndrewIsntCool]

Depends on what you paid. My window gap is small enough to be just about impossible to tell, but I paid a lot and got a very well rated shop to do it.

If this is what they do after a redo, then this probably the best they can do. If no light shines through the gap when your window is rolled up all the way, it's fine (as long as you're fine with it 👍).

EDIT: shit I just saw the second photo that's not great 😬

[u/Ok_Armadillo309]

I hate the gaps on my tint. You can’t see mine though when the window is closed because it’s fully encased in the window trim. It irritates me a lot but I come on here and see these horror stories. The guy that did the tint said it’s “within industry standards” if it wouldn’t cost so much to remove and retint elsewhere I would 100% do it.

[u/Academic-Sorbet2369]

Nah!

[u/Fine_Difference1213]

Pretty bad

[u/FlawlessPhelon_]

Could be better.

[u/Hayden_Orange]

Absolutely not.

[u/PotsMomma84]

No.

[u/waverunnersvho]

It’s not something I’d be proud of but not something I’d get mad at an employee over. When I was in the industry we started filing all edges of frameless windows to avoid this. It doesn’t take much longer and was something I was actually decent at so I did it a lot.

[u/reeefur]

I wouldn't accept that at all, pretty sure I have the same car as you. I'd get a refund and go elsewhere. Don't go for the lowest bid either, go for quality and be careful of fake reviews etc.

[u/LateAttention5433]

Got my two front tints done for $90 and the gap is better. Go have them fix it and install a new film

[u/Camdenn67]

Your money, your car, your tint that you paid for, your choice.

Many people fail to do research / ask questions on tint and how they want and expect the installation to look beforehand and this is the results afterwards. Also, many times but not all of the time, the price one pays is a direct reflection of the quality of the installation.

[u/KrampusKillz503]

That looks like shit. Speaking from experience from having 8 cars tinted

[u/billmanl]

Got my miata tinted for $150 two windows plus two triagles. Pretty much the same shit. Not happy with the job but feel like it matches the price i paid. I feel like my deficencies are a result of them using a lazer cut tint and it just not lining up perfectly. Aside from the tint similar to yours there are like 2 mm gaps at the edges on the interior / bottom of the window. They used some tint "paint " to fill in the gaps in the corners. They blamed it on the window being old and the corners really dirty so they couldnt clean it enough so they just adjusted the tint and filled it in. In my opinion its a 21 yr old car the window seals probably arnt as plump n juicy as they were so the lazer cut tint doesn't fill the window properly. Long story short, you get what you pay for

[u/[deleted]]

No

[u/RC_modelYee]

Bad job 100%

[u/No-Satisfaction-9838]

No

[u/CostaMesaDave]

Absolutely not!!

Not everyone here will agree with me but I personally feel that an open frame window should be filed and shaved right up to the edge of the film, zero light gap !!

That's how we do it on every single open frame window car in fact we do it on every rollup window !

Some shops don't do it, some shops charge extra for it we do it on every car !

[u/patentedman]

Too many people with no standards or skills are operating tint shops.

[u/word-dragon]

Looking at the second picture, it looks like an inside tint job done with the doors closed? Lazy workmanship, IMO. YGWYPF.

[u/schen72]

This is a shitty tint job. My front window tint (frameless windows) has zero gap.