Here is a recipe for disaster!
Imagine this: You are looking at replacing your faded, rotten carpet, which only took 3 years to go bad. The carpet retailer recommends you have your windows tinted, and if you use this particular dealer, you will get a 10-year fade protection warranty. Would you take it?
Say you do. Now after 6 years, you notice the colour of the carpet has changed in some parts. Hey, no problem, you have a warranty, right? Sure.
You now call the window tinting dealer and make your claim. He turns up, looks at the carpet. Yes there is a change in colour, but it is in an area, which is excluded from the warranty. Say what? Well, the warranty excludes areas around opening windows, doors etc. And anyway, it is not this noticeable.
Your heckles go up; sounds like somebody trying to wriggle out of a warranty. So you go over the warranty conditions with a fine tooth comb:
- warranty is pro-rata (this means you only get 50% after 5 years or 10% after 9 years)
- excludes areas around doors or opening windows
- void, if subjected to mistreatment, flooded or unduly wet
- it does not specify anything about "noticeable change" in the conditions
You have paid $5'000 for the carpet, another $1500 for the window tinting. The carpet has faded, the warranty is being challenged, so you go to see the carpet retailer who has sold you the carpet and recommended this particular deal. "Sorry, nothing to do with us!" Sole responsibility of the window tinter.
Next stop, the window film manufacturer's agent: " Sorry, we do not warrant products other than the ones we make. We do not support this kind of warranty, because we have no control over the quality of the materials the film is protecting." Window films do make a significant difference to fading, but rates of fading do vary so much, it is dangerous to make this sort of claim.
Next stop, see the window film association, they are sure to help: "Sorry, this business is not a member of the association. We do not support this kind of claim with any window films."
So inevitably, you end up in the small claims court. You may even win, but unfortunately, the business owner is unable to pay any damages awarded to you, because he is financially unable to do so.
Who has a bad name, should it hit the news? The carpet retailing chain, the entire window film industry and the of course the dealer who started it all.
Who is happy? Nobody!
Lesson: Have your windows tinted with a good quality window film, it does make a big difference, but do not believe that fading will not occur over time.Far fetched? No, happening today.
Call us for some sincere advice.
Ph 0800 846 892
Proud Member of Master Tinters NZ
1 comment:
Thank you for your comment.
The message here was primarily to highlight the sort of "clever" marketing strategies, which have the potential to hurt a lot of people. Small claims courts are the ideal platform to deal with "rogue" traders. Unfortunately, when a company, or in this case an individual, are financially crippled, a ruling in your favour will still leave you out of pocket.
I repeat: Window tinting is a very effective way to reduce fading. In many cases the protection lasts well beyond 15-20 years. As every material, including carpet, has different rates of fading, a warranty such as the one promoted, is unsustainable and irresponsible. Buyer beware!
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