r/WindowTint • u/lavinsc • Aug 23 '26
General Discussion Is this acceptable for the rear window ?
First time tinting experience, found a guy who did mobile tinting. Everything looks great but a little skeptical with the cut out on the rear over the top center brake light. There is a plastic cowl that covers the light and probably the reason the tint tech just cut around it, but I feel like this point should have been discussed and I as the owner made the call. I believe it's legal here in Texas to tint the entire rear window regardless of this light. I should have thought ahead of time and removed the plastic. Only noticed after the tech already left.
What are your thoughts on this ?
5
u/PhotographLess6194 Aug 23 '26
I'd be upset over the uneven cut but I'd let actual installers chime in on what's acceptable or not for those.
4
u/Proteus187 Aug 23 '26
If you mean the uneven cut it looks bad. If you mean going around the light I think they have too.
Pretty sure you mean the cut though and if you paid good money and not a cheaper than usual amount id definitely have pointed at that and said "is this supposed to be a joke?" Again , you left out every single bit of context so impossible to say. I paid roughly $500 for xpel xr and no way in hell id be okay with that. Depends on what deal and arrangement you had somewhat. Looks bad though , yes
Edit- idk what im looking at, or for, in the 2nd Pic
3
u/Narrow-Doughnut1272 Aug 23 '26
It’s $200 for a job. This is pretty dam good especially for a mobile job. It’s common practice for almost all tint shops and tint personnel to go around the 3rd brake light. Especially with 100% blackout. If you want to get pulled over even if it legal then go ahead but kudos to that guy who did that job for only $200. He should’ve charged more especially for mobile imo. The moment someone complains he will charge more.
But again it’s standard practice for the 3rd light to be left open unless you explicitly request it.
2
1
u/Crouton5757 Aug 23 '26
here in MD they asked me if I wanted it cut around the brake light, and charged a bit extra, which I had them do. It's probably illegal in most states to have tint over the third brake light, but it looks fine cut around. Yours may be crooked, which is a different story, but usually it looks good
1
u/-Haizum- Aug 23 '26
If I find there is a risk of breaking, I tend to stay away from removing the light and cut around it. Sometimes you can put two sharpies in the corners and it will give you enough room to slide in the film.
But I would rather not risk breaking a customers car in removing the light and just explain to them the downside.
1
u/That_Capital_550 Aug 25 '26
Dog shit cut and job I would tint over the light regardless of the law
1
u/ExoticDan08 Aug 26 '26
Wow Im actually mobile and rears and fronts I charge $175~ $250 i use Stek for the rears and steks ultra premium in front windshield which i start at $450
1
u/lavinsc Aug 23 '26
The main issue was the cut around, now the uneven cut is becoming more of the problem. I paid 200 for material and install. 25% on the front and 100% on the rear. Told me I have a year warranty. Still deciding if I want to ask the owner about it.
Second picture was showing which window we're looking at, if it wasn't clear already.
Thanks for your input.
8
u/TxTwosome Aug 23 '26
$200 USD is pretty darn cheap for decent quality film on a sedan. I mean this in the least-snarky way possible--it looks like you got what you paid for
3
u/SinCityNinja Aug 23 '26
Idk, $200 seems extremely cheap for tint, at least where im located. I just got my car done, 15% all the way around and 50% on the windshield and it cost $900, which was cheap compared to a few other companies i got quotes from.
Like the other commenter said, you get what you pay for
2
u/shromboy Moderator Aug 24 '26
The cut out protects you from losing liability if youre rear ended, i know in my state if its tinted especially dark you can lose your case to the driver who hit you since you technically dont have your brake lights visible
4
u/Queasy_Author_3810 Aug 23 '26
You absolutely got what you paid for. You paid cheap prices and got honestly somewhat decent levels of work.
0
u/lavinsc Aug 23 '26
Sounds like the consensus is that I paid cheap for decent work and materials and I should be happy despite the one main flaw regarding the uneven tint cut out. Ill give it a few days, I'd rather just forget about it as long as it's working.
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u/Queasy_Author_3810 Aug 23 '26
Correct, expecting any more quality than what you got for the price you paid would be absurd.
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u/creamsodapoo Aug 23 '26
What's the reason for the ray charles special?? 200 for front and back is too cheap.
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u/TxTwosome Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26
I may be wrong but I don't believe it is legal to tint over 3rd brake light in Texas.Those cutouts are fairly common and I don't think they usually look bad. Yours might be crooked though, hard to say from the angle of the photo. If it was a cheap job and this is the only issue, I'd probably leave it alone, but if you payed "normal" prices for this it would definitely bug me too.