Speyrod

1 July I placed a $185.00 ordeer with InvisibleMask. to this date, I still have seen NOTHING! I was sent an email Thursday saying I should receive my order in 2 or 3 days. The shipping email had a link directing me to Google to track the order, but the link only led me to a page to sign up for Google shopping. today, I received a customer satisfaction email with a survey and a synopsis of this affair:

Your order has shipped!
Jul 16
Full shipment - InvisibleMask has shipped your order.

Jul 16
Seller contacted - You sent InvisibleMask an email with the subject: What is the status of my order?
Message: "829689219769533 Is the order number. When I try to check on the status, all I get is garbage from Google. My account was charge the $186.68 1 Jul 08, but I have seen NOTHING!! WTF is going on?? "Personal info""
Jul 1
$186.68 charge - Your credit card (VISA xxx-xxxx) was charged for $186.68. "GOOGLE *InvisibleMask" will appear on your credit card statement.
Jul 1
Order received - InvisibleMask received your order.
Jul 1
Order placed - Your order was placed with InvisibleMask. A confirmation email was sent to you by Google.

I have questions:

1. Is this typical with this company?
2. Will I ever see my merchandise?
3. Will I EVER order anything else from them?

Icemark

Three weeks is hardly anything to worry about on something that is custom cut for your car.

I think you are acting very immature and impatient by posting a whine post in this with not even a month gone by (and in reality only 12 working days have gone by, and depending on where they are it might take over a week from the east just for shipping).

and you probably should have posted this in the good guy/bad guy section of the board (https://www.rx8club.com/good-guy-bad-guy-74/) if you are going to be impatient.

Speyrod

Impatient, perhaps. Immature? I disagree. Orvis, a clothing and fly fishing company with impeccable customer service NEVER charges an account until the product is shipped. Same with Griot's Garage. That was my first complaint. Secondly, the tracking link InvisibleMask provided for the shipment gave me a Google page to sign up for Google shopping. No help there. Finally, I work 12 hour night shifts, so I have little time to hang out on forums and therefore did not know there was a forum section for problems and complaints.

And I am wondering if it is just a "coincidence" that my order was shipped the same day InvisibleMask received my inquiry?

Speyrod

Since i was lightly toasted for my attitude towards InvisibleMask, I feel it only fair to report the package was delivered today 21 Jul 08, 20 days or thereabouts after they charged my credit card. Package looked OK, but still working 12 hour night shifts, so I couldn't check it out.

Icemark

still 20 days is nothing for a custom part. That is only around 12 working days this month for manufacturing and shipping.

Maybe you have too high of expectations for a small business. Sure if they had money like Orvis or Griots (both of which charge 3 times what the product is worth) they can hold off charging. But small businesses work with much tighter books, and don't have the flexibility to wait three weeks to charge you when the item ships and often make the part as needed, rather than stocking 50 CF fishing poles.

All that said, I think you just were impatient. If you ran into what seemed like it took too long, you should have contacted them and asked, instead of slamming them here. And again frankly less than than month... well I already stated me opinion... so anyway you got your product.

I guess they need to put on their site that it may take up to 10-15 working days to get the product between shipping and manufacturing. Maybe that would have helped you.

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

damn... $186?

hahah you got ripped off. i paid $25+$15s/h for my clearbra and it got here in 4 days.

and you cant even tell its there. have fun putting yours on, it took me 3 hours and im pretty handy.

Icemark

3M clear is a much much better quality, than the Ebay special.

But I have used both, and would probably agree with you. If I had to pay retail, I would buy the ebay clear and deal with it being a little small and having to pull it off every couple of years and replace it.

Speyrod

Oh Boy!

I guess what upset me was that they shipped the same day I managed to send an email asking where the shipment was via Google's customer satisfaction survey. I think they had an Aw S..t moment. The survey showed up after several days of fruitless attempts to use the shipment tracking link. Which would have done me no good because they hadn't shipped it yet. Sometimes irony tends to REALLY irritate me.

OK It took forever to get here. I probably paid way too much, but everyone says it's great stuff. I have 4 days off, so let's see how it works.

WooHoo

Great. Keep us posted as to how it is to put on. Post pics. If I can see it, I don't want it!

Speyrod

At the moment, i would be too embarrassed to post any kind of picture of the front end of what currently sits on my RX8 in my carport.

First. It is not the products fault nor Invisivblemask's fault. It is MY fault. I had water spots on the front of the car from the sprinkler system at work WTF do they put in that water?? They would not wash off, so I used a mild polish. I guess I failed to rinse the area Well enough and some of the polish residue made it to the adhesive.

Also, I think you really need at least three, maybe four hands to put this thing on the front end of an RX8 with all the compound curves. I have bubbles galore and some wrinkles.

So, I have thrown myself on my sword and asked Invisiblemask what their policy is in this situation. I also have a beid on a system from ebay as a backup. Tmorrow, we take another crack at this before I rip it all off, pick my nose and go post a "Things I wished I had bought..professional installation of Invisiblemask: thread. I'm ususalluy pretty good at things like this, but I guess gift wrapping footballs isn"t one of them

jzief128

iTrader: (1)

I had a similar experience to you. I got a 3m film kit for my MX-5 and tried installing it myself. I am a very hands-on guy, and I've done some fine detail work in my day. But man, I could not get that the film on smoothly for the life of me. I finally gave up and will have a professional do it instead.

jones75254

iTrader: (2)

^^Yeah this seems to be one of those things (like tint) that no matter how handy you are if you dont have a good amount of experience then ur better off just letting the pros do it.

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

not true at all. you just need to be patient, use LOTS of water-5% baby shampoo. squegee (i used a flat spatula) the water out, and in places where its curved, use a hair dryer to heat the plastic so that it molds to the shape of the car. it took me 3 hours to do the entire front of my car. its not 100% perfect, but i'd say its about 98%.

Icemark

Gotta agree with kersh4w there. It is very much a patience thing.

Very clean surface, a little baby shampoo or dish soap mixed with the water. Spray water on the surface, on the clear films adhesive side and the clear films top surface.

Start in the middle, work your way out on one side, then the other.

Use a hair dryer or heat gun on a medium setting (just enough to make it stretchy) on any tight corners that it doesn't want to lay down on.

Use a teflon window film squeegee (found at any home depot or lowes for under $5) to push out the bubbles, and peal it back up, wet it down and try again if it just is not laying down nice.

Speyrod

Hokay! it's looking a tad better. There are still bubbles, a wrinkle or two and some discoloration in the middle.

I was informed that I was the "winner" of an EBay bid for this product or something of the sort. Since the EBay product is MUCH cheaper than the InvisiMask, I guess I can take a second, third or fourth swing at this...OH!, did I mention I have a black car?

The brochure that came with my Invisimask kit mentioned that they consider refunds of a used kit on a case by case basis, so I sent them an email detailing my sad story. I can't blame them, and didn't expect much. But, the silence has been deafening.

I was thinking of using a hair dryer, but I couldn't recall any mention of using one in the instuctions except to remove the film .

My problems came with a breeze coming up after I started.. The soap solution drying too quickly. Also, if anyone is thinking of trying this, I would try the cheap seat on Ebay first. Find a supply of insulin needles from you local junky. Also, InvisiMask sends a DVD with instructions. Watch it more than once.

Well, at least I no longer have to have a bag over my head to drive the thing. But, if you look close, you can see the problems. So far, seven hours and about 50 bubble and four wrinkles left, and it will still never be "perfect."

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

use water and 5% baby shampoo in a spray bottle.

if it dries, then spray more on the area. as icemark said, spray it on both sides of the mask and spray it on the surface of the car. use LOADS. you really CANT USE TOO MUCH. water is cheap and 5% baby shampoo is cheap too.

i washed my car before i did mine. but i did mine out on the street with cars go by. i should have done it in a garage. then it would have been 100% perfect.

jzief128

iTrader: (1)

All I said was that it is difficult to get perfect and that it didn't work for ME. What is "not true at all" about that? I followed all the instructions and did everything as prescribed. I was able to get it 98% perfect as well, but I view that as a pretty bad job (at least for my satisfaction). Also, I didn't have an indoor place to do it and a little dust spec here and there getting under the film really bothered me.

Interesting fact as well, even though the MX-5 has a very simple front bumper, it has a whole bunch of compound creases that make putting on a clear bra incredibly difficult...even for professionals.

Speyrod

Overall, I figure I have spent over 7 hours working on this, and I have maybe 4 creases and an hour's worth of bubbles left. I'd say 90 - 95%?? The replacement may not be of the same quality, but I guess with what I've learned I might be able to do better the second time around. I can't lift it off and try again because I had to slit it in a couple of tight places to get it to lay flat. sure wish I had seen the hair dryer suggestion earlier. Wonder why they don't mention it in all the instrucitons they send? Product support for Invisiblemask is great...up to the point where you totally screw up putting it on. Then, they disappear.

OK observations:

Quality of product and supplies A

Ease of installation D

Customer service B-

Personal experience satisfaction D

Looks like MY report cards.