[Zig613]

Originally Posted by KB_Racer

i'm sorry, but that is brutal. Honestly scares me away from doing any ppf (have never done it, but have been 'considering' a partial ppf for incoming M3).

There are numerous manufacturers of quality PPF but, IMO the selection of the installer is by far the most important aspect of getting PPF applied to the car. Do some homework in selecting an installer. Ask to see some of their work. Don’t solely base your installer on price. There are good installers out there but, it takes some time to find the right one. PPF is worth it when it is installed correctly.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by Zig613

There are numerous manufacturers of quality PPF but, IMO the selection of the installer is by far the most important aspect of getting PPF applied to the car. Do some homework in selecting an installer. Ask to see some of their work. Don’t solely base your installer on price. There are good installers out there but, it takes some time to find the right one. PPF is worth it when it is installed correctly.

I agree with you 100% and have posted the exact same advice countless times whenever this topic is discussed.

One should never make a decision based solely on price or online reviews. This is one decision where you have to get off your butt and visit the shops. Check out their work or you could land up having major issues with the installer!!!

[Phillies8008]

Yeah, as everyone is saying, this is terrible and I'd demand a refund. That being said, I'd recommend:

1) Join your local BMWCCA chapter.
2) Show up at a meeting.
3) Ask those guys who the best PPF installer in the area is. You'll usually get some great advice from people who've had it installed on multiple cars and are going to be very picky about the quality of work.
4) Be sure to tell the installer that BMWCCA members referred you. He'll definitely want to do as good a job as possible since word-of-mouth from those kind of customers is vital.

Failing that, maybe go to some Cars & Coffee events and ask around? This is more hit-or-miss, IMO. I wouldn't really trust Google reviews, etc. – those can be pretty easily gamed, and you also never know the reviewer's expectations of quality; some people are happy with the work that others would be horrified by.

[utlovad]

Hi everyone,

THank you for all your opinions it greatly helped me in my discussions with the shop!

I spoke to the owner and he admitted that it was wrong to put the new guy to work on my car.

He personally fixed eveything so the car is 97% now. The missing 3% is that fact that its not bulk work but pre-cuts. He did advertise and inform me that he only does pre-cuts and its on me that I didn't understand what that was before I decided to let him to the work.

I'll post some pictures after next wash!

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by utlovad

Hi everyone,

THank you for all your opinions it greatly helped me in my discussions with the shop!

I spoke to the owner and he admitted that it was wrong to put the new guy to work on my car.

He personally fixed eveything so the car is 97% now. The missing 3% is that fact that its not bulk work but pre-cuts. He did advertise and inform me that he only does pre-cuts and its on me that I didn't understand what that was before I decided to let him to the work.

I'll post some pictures after next wash!

I am glad that the owner stepped up and fixed this for you.

Avoid selecting shops that use precut kits and instead select a shop that does bulk type installation needs to be an important point we should list if we had a sticky thread on the do's and don't of PPF installations.

Also, I seem to recall reading that installers can add a 5% overage when they program their precuts in the computer which helps with the appearance of the edges looking ok when they trim them. Can someone please confirm this point?

[Zig613]

^^^ Yes, I was advised by my installer that the Xpel software does allow them to manipulate for extra material on pre cut panels to allow wrapping of edges.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by Zig613

^^^ Yes, I was advised by my installer that the Xpel software does allow them to manipulate for extra material on pre cut panels to allow wrapping of edges.

Thanks for confirming, I thought so.

[Westside Guy]

utlovad, if the PPF came from one of the better name brands that offer a warranty, make sure that you receive this from the owner of the shop if he is an authorized dealer.

Also read the fine print of the warranty for any restrictions or requirements like coming in annually for an inspection.

[utlovad]

its XPEL and the shop has long warranty both for the material but also application. The company is started by the guy I spoke to (owner) and he's been around for 5+ years, which was one of the reasons I chose him. No use choosing a new shop with warranties that goes bankrupt later.

I paid in full since I want to come back to him again if anything would come loose the coming years. He was also super apologetic for the quality the first time around.

We went over the whole car and he adjusted a lot of the pre-cuts where I said the margin/gaps were just too big. He then removed and reapplied. Took him 3 days to adjust everything and he provided a free loaner

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by utlovad

its XPEL and the shop has long warranty both for the material but also application. The company is started by the guy I spoke to (owner) and he's been around for 5+ years, which was one of the reasons I chose him. No use choosing a new shop with warranties that goes bankrupt later.

I paid in full since I want to come back to him again if anything would come loose the coming years. He was also super apologetic for the quality the first time around.

We went over the whole car and he adjusted a lot of the pre-cuts where I said the margin/gaps were just too big. He then removed and reapplied. Took him 3 days to adjust everything and he provided a free loaner

Double check the fine print in Xpel’s warranty. 😉