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red carpet faded
we fitted a customers van 3 years and 1 month ago, it was a partial wrap
with a red carpet running along the van, he has complained that its faded
I am always vague with customers on long levity of print and state 2-3
years max but it will depend how good a summer we have I do know that
back then we only liquid laminated where as we now have a laminator I have
offered to replace the print part of the van at cost which I do not think is
unreasonable, just wondered what others have done in this situation. -
14 Replies
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Carol
you have in my mind been fair & reds especially printed reds are colours that fade first. Also bear in mind how the vehicle as been cared for, jet washing with chemical etc if its been polished. Obviously the liquid lam isn’t the best but it as done the job for 3 years. Hope it all works outKev
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Thank you kevin I think I am being fair to, unfortunately he’s not the most
pleasant of customers. I am meeting him at 8 O’clock in the morning.. not
my best time of day so he may meet his match lol I did point out that if he
had sold a red carpet and the customer complained 3 years later that it had
faded in front of a patio door would he feel obliged to change it FOC naturally
he ignored my comment! -
In all fairness, it’s general wear and tear, not ideal with liquid lam, but it’s still pretty good. Good luck.
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I think that you will find, that any lifespan offered by vinyl manufacturers, ie 3 year /
5-7 year, only applies to unprinted vinyl. Once printed, virtually none of them offer
any longer than 3 year lifespan. A possible exception is if you use the 3M matched
system, which includes using 3M vinyl, laminate and ink. So I think 3 years is acceptable. -
Well that went well… he’s going to sue me! I did’nt make him aware that
it may fade in 3 years, maybe I should counterclaim that the stair carpet
I bought from him 2 years ago is showing some wear on the treads !! shock
horror I thought it would last forever!! -
Carol, I wouldn’t take any notice of his threat’s. He’s just trying to bully you. On what grounds is he going to Sue and on what evidence. Did you sign a bit of paper saying the print would last forever??
Red is the worst colour for fading, they put more pigment in red inks when they are made for that reason but as others have said 3 years is about right anyway and no matter where he goes no one is honestly going to say better.
From what I have read I would say you have been very fair with the customer.
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Fear not, any claim will be seen as frivolous and unsubstantiated unless he can PROVE as the claimant that you supplied sub-standard goods that crucially have FAILED (not worn out, been damaged or misused).
For that he’d need to get expert testimony that all prints supplied will last more than three years, in all circumstances as it can be as easily argued that given the three year time period, and the fact that it did not suddenly ‘fail’ it is wear & tear since it was a gradual fading of the colours. ie. if was faded 3 months ago, 6 months ago or whenever – why wait until now?
Stand firm and don’t give into bullying tactics for a free job. IF it ever gets to court, remember the entire onus that it is defective rests in HIS court. There is enough testimony from industry experts here to say 3 years is a ‘reasonable’ life span for general printwork, especially on a vehicle.
Dave
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That’s pretty much what I think Dave, if it had faded in say
even 2 years I would have replaced foc, we have a good
reputation in this area which I strive to maintain. what hasn’t helped
is that he had another vehicle done by someone else that’s three months
older and that hasn’t faded as much as ours, but as I tried to explain
to him it could be that the driver parks in a shaded part of their yard.
and I was told by one his staff he has a carport. It can also make a
difference how often the vehicle is cleaned, thankfully we now have
a laminator. -
Hi Carol.
IMHO 3 years is pretty good if it was only covered with liq. lam.
Anyone who ever made a print and had in a window a few weeks KNOW that it fades.Sun and UV fades everything. yellow and red as worst colors
SUE! cant imagine him getting away with that. ROFL.
Good luck…
Jan -
quote Carol Davies:That’s pretty much what I think Dave, if it had faded in say
even 2 years I would have replaced foc, we have a good
reputation in this area which I strive to maintain. what hasn’t helped
is that he had another vehicle done by someone else that’s three months
older and that hasn’t faded as much as ours, but as I tried to explain
to him it could be that the driver parks in a shaded part of their yard.
and I was told by one his staff he has a carport. It can also make a
difference how often the vehicle is cleaned, thankfully we now have
a laminator.if he has another example that has lasted longer he may have a case.
especially if it was laminated.
but it depends on what he paid, if the product was fit for purpose the life expectancy, can be related to the cost.
I think because you have already offered to replace at cost then you have been more than fair.
I would now retract your offer of an at cost replacement, if he decides to sue, but keep evidence of the offer. and stipulate that if he takes you to court and looses. then he will also have to pay you your costs.
By saying thankfully you now have a laminator, you are expressing a bit of responsibility are you not ?Peter
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i have often wondered if liquid laminating actually does more harm then good…. i have no proof but before we had a laminator our liquid lam prints did fade, seen enough of them now to say that the laminated ones are better.
So ALL print fades, including carpets… end of case
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Have you asked your client how long he expected it to last? In all honesty, most people
wouldn’t expect it to last much longer than 2-3 years. We do work for the Rail Industry, and there are strict guidelines as to the expected life of the graphics, and I
can tell you that it is very tough to get any vinyl manufacturer to commit to ANY warranty over 3 years. In my opinion, you should call his bluff. -
quote Dave Rowland:i have no proof but before we had a laminator our liquid lam prints did fade
But was this applied with a proper liquid laminator, or using a roller with liquid laminate? I have been looking into a Drytac liquid laminator, to give customers a
more cost effective laminating option, and would be disappointed if they weren’t as good as claimed.I’m sure Shane has a liquid laminator, so his views would be more informative.
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a roller and liquid lam
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