- Report: #976782
Complaint Review: The Solar Shop - Tampa Florida
Reported By:
aSadCustomer -
Tampa, Florida, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
The Solar Shop
4113 Gunn Highway, Tampa, 33618 Florida, United States of America
Phone:
813-541-7722
Web:
www.facebook.com/thesolarshop
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
The Solar Shop Liars, cheat and thieves that knowingly break the law for which YOU will suffer Tampa, Florida
After sending the below to Groupon within 30 minutes we were credited to our account all THREE Groupons we had purchased, including the one actually used.
I have worked in retail for nearly 20 years, half of those as a Store Manager, so I know how important good customer service is and how important it is to treat everyone with respect. I also know that one bad customer experience can have a very large negative effect on a business. I pride myself in being an honest person but I guess it is foolish of me to think that other businesses abide by the same values that I do.
I visited The Solar Shop, located at 4113 Gunn Highway, Tampa, FL 33618, on November 27th, 2012 to get my windows tinted and it was the WORST experience I have ever had.
I informed Steve, the Assistant Manager, that we were moving to Hawaii (not the actual state) their law stated that the tint has to have at least 25% visual light transmission.
Because my husband is an avid, hands-on auto enthusiast, I wanted him to talk to Steve so that he could be very clear as to what we wanted. This was especially important because my husband was already in Hawaii and had to personally pull the tint off his front windows in order to pass state inspection. That means he already had first-hand experience with this situation.
He even told Steve this exact same thing so that he could understand the importance of doing this right to prevent us from wasting additional time and money having the same thing done to my car. He said he understood and showed me two shades saying that they both had 25% light transmission and I shouldnt have any problems on passing inspection in Hawaii. I asked him if he could write on the receipt that what he was installing was 25% and he said he would write that on the warranty.
But when I looked at the warranty I saw that he only wrote HP 20 so I asked him to write 25% like he agreed on and he said he did, pointing to the HP 20 that he had written. I again asked him what the number meant and he said it was the name given to the types of film and that the number had nothing to do with the light transmission. My husband (unbeknownst to me at the time) had also asked about the 20 in HP20 and Steve had also told him that number did not mean it had 20% light transmission, just that it was just a number to identify the film.
As I was driving home I felt uneasy about the situation so I e-mailed him and asked him to write a letter on company letterhead stating that the tint he put on my car has 25% visual light transmission and complies with Hawaii State Law. Below are our e-mail conversations where you can clearly see my frustration and his response to the problem he created.
I am writing this to save others from going through the same grief that I just went through. If this prevents just one other person from being lied to and cheated by this company then my time, effort, and money will not have been a total waste.
Initial E-mail:
To: TheSolarShop
Subject: Window tint
Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2012 5:19 pm
Steve,
I was just in your store to get my windows tinted on my car. Since I'm moving to Hawaii could you please write a letter on company letterhead stating that the tint you put on my car has 25% visual light transmission and complies with Hawaii State Law. If you can scan a signed copy of that letter and e-mail it to me that'll be great.
His response:
From: thesolarshop
Subject: Re: Window tint
Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2012 5:25 pm
HI, IM SORRY BUT ALL WE CAN DO IS WRITE ON THE WARRANTY HP20% AND RECEIPT SO SORRY. HOLD ON TO THE PAPER WORK OK THANX
STEVE- ASST.MGR. MIKE -OWNER PARTNER
My response:
To: thesolarshop
Subject: Re: Window tint (Groupon #)
Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2012 6:37 pm
Steve, I went over this with you at least 3-5 times that I am moving to Hawaii and that the tint you put on my car needs to have 25% visual light transmission to comply with Hawaii State law. I even called my husband and had him talk to you regarding this matter & he even reiterated about the same number of times how important it was that the tint allows 25% visual light transmission. I asked you to write this down on the receipt & you said you would but when I looked at it after all was said & done, you had just written HP 20.
You assured us that the tint would pass Hawaii inspection but I am concerned about this matter because what you told me and what the manufacturer's website is saying are 2 different things. I went to 3M's website and looked up HP 20 & they say that it allows 22% visual light transmission. Here is the link to that website - http://rays3mwindowtinting.com/automotive_high_performance_film.html and this is what it says:
'3M FX-HP Window Film HP 20 This dark metallized film is designed primarily for the automotive market where a lower visible light transmission film is desirable and allowed by state law. HP-20 allows 22% of visible light through the glass. It rejects heat, reduces glare and retards interior fading.'
I understand that if I had given you this information after the fact then it would have been my responsibility but as I mentioned the 25% visual light transmission multiple times in the beginning, during the process, and at the end we will have no choice but to hold you financially responsible for the removal and reapplication of the tint by someone in Hawaii if we are made to remove it in order to pass inspection.
The predicament you have put me in is extremely frustrating because this is the very thing that my husband & I were working so hard to prevent. We talked to you and got your assurance multiple times that you would comply with our extremely reasonable request. What it comes down to is that you didn't have time to do it right & more than likely we're the ones who are going to have to do it again. In other words, this was all preventable if you had just done exactly what you said you would do.
I would also like to state that my husband has a Groupon for tinting from your company as well but after this experience he will probably be asking Groupon for a refund.
His response:
From: thesolarshop
Subject: Re: Window tint (Groupon #)
Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2012 9:17 pm
Ok a lot of info:) but all we have is 30% 20% I understand your frustration but I can only write what you have which I explained it to you when you checked out I understand if he gets a refund from groupon for his ok . Ohh the owner did say if you wish I can remove the front two windows for free ok:) have a good night thanks for understanding. Steve
Sent from my iPod
From: thesolarshop
Subject: Re: Window tint (Groupon #)
Date: Tue, Nov 27, 2012 9:29 pm
Oh by the way I did do what we agreed on which was 20% and a legal strip on front glass so please don't say what you typed earlier I made sure I took care of you and you left with a smile which is what matters thank you :)
Sent from my iPod
My response:
To: thesolarshop
Subject: Re: Window tint (Groupon #)
Date: Wed, Nov 28, 2012 5:30 pm
'but all we have is 30% 20%' Well, that's interesting considering you assured me that what you were installing was 25% light transmission. So now what you're telling me is that YOU LIED TO ME JUST TO GET AN ADDITIONAL $40 OUT OF ME. Both my husband and I even asked you what the 20 was & you said it was the name given to the types of film & that the number had nothing to do with the light transmission.
If Hawaii law states that the tint should have 25% light transmission which I relayed to you and I know that because my husband already had to pull his tint off to pass inspection (see attached picture), why would I have you install an illegal tint shade knowing that I will have waste additional time AND money to remove it if I want my car to pass inspection??? I don't think you understand my frustration. Like I said before THIS WAS A TOTALLY PREVENTABLE PROBLEM IF YOU HAD TOLD ME THE TRUTH INSTEAD OF LYING TO ME SO YOU COULD STEER ME FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF UPSELLING AND CHEATING ME OUT OF AN ADDITIONAL $40.
So besides causing me an additional loss of time and money you have the AUDACITY to tell me that the owner said you can remove the front 2 window tints for free??? YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO REMOVE THE TINT IF YOU HAD DONE THE JOB RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, the way I asked you to, the way that YOU AGREED ON! When I first talked to you I told you I had to get the tinting done yesterday because I'm leaving town today, so please explain to me how you expect me to come to your store so that you can remove the tint when I'm not even in the city.
What about the amount I already paid you to do this job? You want to remove the tint for free & keep the money I paid you to install it in the first place? I DON'T THINK SO.
'by the way I did do what we agreed on which was 20% and a legal strip on front glass so please don't say what you typed earlier I made sure I took care of you and you left with a smile which is what matters thank you.' If you think I'm going to keep quiet about this incident, think again. We NEVER agreed on 20%. To reiterate my point as I did yesterday, WHY WOULD I AGREE ON AN ILLEGAL SHADE KNOWING FULL WELL THAT IT WOULD BE A WASTE OF MYTIME AND MONEY SINCE I WOULD BE MADE TO REMOVE IT??? Not to mention the fact that in Florida, 28% light transmission is the law on the front windows so you knowingly did something that's illegal in TWO STATES!!!
What it amounts to is that you are trying to cover your a** & I'm not going to let you. I will be letting as many people know about this incident including the fact that your business is the kind that is willing to make a few bucks no matter what the cost, i.e. even if it means CHEATING your customers.
His response:
From: Maricela
Subject: Re: Window tint (Groupon #)
Date: Wed, Nov 28, 2012 7:57 pm
Wow, Please stop with this emailing you got exactly what we agreed on ok like I said I can remove the two front for FREE thank you for understanding:)
Sent from my iPhone
From: Maricela
Subject: Re: Window tint (Groupon #)
Date: Wed, Nov 28, 2012 8:12 pm
Look I apologize if you miss understood but we both agreed on 20% so that's what I installed. You are are vey nice lady and I consider myself a nice guy do I really want to help you please let's remove the front two windows so you can be happy :) ok thank you for understanding that it was not my fault I just installed what you gave me the green light too and remember you paid 15$for the strip which is legal anywhere in u.s ok thank you and I'm glad I can help
Sent from my iPhone
I have worked in retail for nearly 20 years, half of those as a Store Manager, so I know how important good customer service is and how important it is to treat everyone with respect. I also know that one bad customer experience can have a very large negative effect on a business. I pride myself in being an honest person but I guess it is foolish of me to think that other businesses abide by the same values that I do.
I visited The Solar Shop, located at 4113 Gunn Highway, Tampa, FL 33618, on November 27th, 2012 to get my windows tinted and it was the WORST experience I have ever had.
I informed Steve, the Assistant Manager, that we were moving to Hawaii (not the actual state) their law stated that the tint has to have at least 25% visual light transmission.
Because my husband is an avid, hands-on auto enthusiast, I wanted him to talk to Steve so that he could be very clear as to what we wanted. This was especially important because my husband was already in Hawaii and had to personally pull the tint off his front windows in order to pass state inspection. That means he already had first-hand experience with this situation.
He even told Steve this exact same thing so that he could understand the importance of doing this right to prevent us from wasting additional time and money having the same thing done to my car. He said he understood and showed me two shades saying that they both had 25% light transmission and I shouldnt have any problems on passing inspection in Hawaii. I asked him if he could write on the receipt that what he was installing was 25% and he said he would write that on the warranty.
But when I looked at the warranty I saw that he only wrote HP 20 so I asked him to write 25% like he agreed on and he said he did, pointing to the HP 20 that he had written. I again asked him what the number meant and he said it was the name given to the types of film and that the number had nothing to do with the light transmission. My husband (unbeknownst to me at the time) had also asked about the 20 in HP20 and Steve had also told him that number did not mean it had 20% light transmission, just that it was just a number to identify the film.
As I was driving home I felt uneasy about the situation so I e-mailed him and asked him to write a letter on company letterhead stating that the tint he put on my car has 25% visual light transmission and complies with Hawaii State Law. Below are our e-mail conversations where you can clearly see my frustration and his response to the problem he created.
I am writing this to save others from going through the same grief that I just went through. If this prevents just one other person from being lied to and cheated by this company then my time, effort, and money will not have been a total waste.
Initial E-mail:
To: TheSolarShop
Steve,
I was just in your store to get my windows tinted on my car. Since I'm moving to Hawaii could you please write a letter on company letterhead stating that the tint you put on my car has 25% visual light transmission and complies with Hawaii State Law. If you can scan a signed copy of that letter and e-mail it to me that'll be great.
His response:
From: thesolarshop
HI, IM SORRY BUT ALL WE CAN DO IS WRITE ON THE WARRANTY HP20% AND RECEIPT SO SORRY. HOLD ON TO THE PAPER WORK OK THANX
STEVE- ASST.MGR. MIKE -OWNER PARTNER
My response:
To: thesolarshop
Steve, I went over this with you at least 3-5 times that I am moving to Hawaii and that the tint you put on my car needs to have 25% visual light transmission to comply with Hawaii State law. I even called my husband and had him talk to you regarding this matter & he even reiterated about the same number of times how important it was that the tint allows 25% visual light transmission. I asked you to write this down on the receipt & you said you would but when I looked at it after all was said & done, you had just written HP 20.
You assured us that the tint would pass Hawaii inspection but I am concerned about this matter because what you told me and what the manufacturer's website is saying are 2 different things. I went to 3M's website and looked up HP 20 & they say that it allows 22% visual light transmission. Here is the link to that website - http://rays3mwindowtinting.com/automotive_high_performance_film.html and this is what it says:
'3M FX-HP Window Film HP 20 This dark metallized film is designed primarily for the automotive market where a lower visible light transmission film is desirable and allowed by state law. HP-20 allows 22% of visible light through the glass. It rejects heat, reduces glare and retards interior fading.'
I understand that if I had given you this information after the fact then it would have been my responsibility but as I mentioned the 25% visual light transmission multiple times in the beginning, during the process, and at the end we will have no choice but to hold you financially responsible for the removal and reapplication of the tint by someone in Hawaii if we are made to remove it in order to pass inspection.
The predicament you have put me in is extremely frustrating because this is the very thing that my husband & I were working so hard to prevent. We talked to you and got your assurance multiple times that you would comply with our extremely reasonable request. What it comes down to is that you didn't have time to do it right & more than likely we're the ones who are going to have to do it again. In other words, this was all preventable if you had just done exactly what you said you would do.
I would also like to state that my husband has a Groupon for tinting from your company as well but after this experience he will probably be asking Groupon for a refund.
His response:
From: thesolarshop
Ok a lot of info:) but all we have is 30% 20% I understand your frustration but I can only write what you have which I explained it to you when you checked out I understand if he gets a refund from groupon for his ok . Ohh the owner did say if you wish I can remove the front two windows for free ok:) have a good night thanks for understanding. Steve
Sent from my iPod
From: thesolarshop
Oh by the way I did do what we agreed on which was 20% and a legal strip on front glass so please don't say what you typed earlier I made sure I took care of you and you left with a smile which is what matters thank you :)
Sent from my iPod
My response:
To: thesolarshop
'but all we have is 30% 20%' Well, that's interesting considering you assured me that what you were installing was 25% light transmission. So now what you're telling me is that YOU LIED TO ME JUST TO GET AN ADDITIONAL $40 OUT OF ME. Both my husband and I even asked you what the 20 was & you said it was the name given to the types of film & that the number had nothing to do with the light transmission.
If Hawaii law states that the tint should have 25% light transmission which I relayed to you and I know that because my husband already had to pull his tint off to pass inspection (see attached picture), why would I have you install an illegal tint shade knowing that I will have waste additional time AND money to remove it if I want my car to pass inspection??? I don't think you understand my frustration. Like I said before THIS WAS A TOTALLY PREVENTABLE PROBLEM IF YOU HAD TOLD ME THE TRUTH INSTEAD OF LYING TO ME SO YOU COULD STEER ME FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF UPSELLING AND CHEATING ME OUT OF AN ADDITIONAL $40.
So besides causing me an additional loss of time and money you have the AUDACITY to tell me that the owner said you can remove the front 2 window tints for free??? YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO REMOVE THE TINT IF YOU HAD DONE THE JOB RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, the way I asked you to, the way that YOU AGREED ON! When I first talked to you I told you I had to get the tinting done yesterday because I'm leaving town today, so please explain to me how you expect me to come to your store so that you can remove the tint when I'm not even in the city.
What about the amount I already paid you to do this job? You want to remove the tint for free & keep the money I paid you to install it in the first place? I DON'T THINK SO.
'by the way I did do what we agreed on which was 20% and a legal strip on front glass so please don't say what you typed earlier I made sure I took care of you and you left with a smile which is what matters thank you.' If you think I'm going to keep quiet about this incident, think again. We NEVER agreed on 20%. To reiterate my point as I did yesterday, WHY WOULD I AGREE ON AN ILLEGAL SHADE KNOWING FULL WELL THAT IT WOULD BE A WASTE OF MYTIME AND MONEY SINCE I WOULD BE MADE TO REMOVE IT??? Not to mention the fact that in Florida, 28% light transmission is the law on the front windows so you knowingly did something that's illegal in TWO STATES!!!
What it amounts to is that you are trying to cover your a** & I'm not going to let you. I will be letting as many people know about this incident including the fact that your business is the kind that is willing to make a few bucks no matter what the cost, i.e. even if it means CHEATING your customers.
His response:
From: Maricela
Wow, Please stop with this emailing you got exactly what we agreed on ok like I said I can remove the two front for FREE thank you for understanding:)
Sent from my iPhone
From: Maricela
Look I apologize if you miss understood but we both agreed on 20% so that's what I installed. You are are vey nice lady and I consider myself a nice guy do I really want to help you please let's remove the front two windows so you can be happy :) ok thank you for understanding that it was not my fault I just installed what you gave me the green light too and remember you paid 15$for the strip which is legal anywhere in u.s ok thank you and I'm glad I can help
Sent from my iPhone
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Janek
Cape Town,Alabama,
the-solar-shop.com has no connection to thesolarshop.com
#2General Comment
Sun, April 27, 2014
I have just come across this complaint against thesolarshop.com.
I need to point out in the strongest terms possible that the-solar-shop.com is in no way connected or associated with the above company. We are a legitimate online business with the highest ethical standards and would appreciate a rider comment on this post to this effect.
Thank you.
Regards,
Janek
SUCKA!
Somewhere,Florida,
USA
Groupon Customers
#3General Comment
Sun, December 02, 2012
Groupon customers are the whiniest batch of consumers ever. They only buy everything discounted and cheap, because that's how they value everything...cheap. They fail to read the fine print, then fabricate insane stories against the merchant of the Groupon. I lived on Oahu for a few years and seriously doubt your 5% difference, if this is even the truth, would have failed a safety inspection or had you pulled over.
Quit your whining. If you actually placed any sort of value into anything, you might be a little bit happier. Not everyone is as cheap as you are. Don't expect the world for nothing.
Ignorant can be educated.
Crazy can be medicated.
There's no cure for stupid.
