Frequently Asked Questions

ACCESSORIES

Q. Can we order LLumar T-shirts?

A. Of course you can, and as in the case with all our promotional items, we provide them at purchase price. We also have golf shirts, sweatshirts and jackets available. (A complete listing of promotional materials can be found in the Accessories area of our Online Catalog.) In addition, every Spring we make a one-time purchase of a promotional T-shirt. These shirts are ordered in large quantities based upon our customers' confirmed purchase orders at a very special price and are only available during this promotion. This price is usually no more than ½ of our regular cost. Please watch our newsletter and website for this special every Spring.

CERTIFICATION

Q. How do I get to be Gold Badge certified?

A. The Gold Badge Program is a self-study course that is administered by Gila

Distributing on behalf of CPFilms. The materials are bought from the International Window Film Association (IWFA) and provided to any LLumar Flat Glass customer for the purchase price. As it covers the complete range of proper film selection and installation techniques, a Gold Badge graduate should be quite knowledgeable in all aspects of flat glass application. The broad expertise required to pass this test is the reason why it is a basic requirement for many advanced film warranties. If you have any further questions, please contact one of our Customer Service Representatives.

CO-OP

Q. Is my advertising co-op automatic each quarter?

A. In order to receive advertising co-op credits, it is necessary for you to submit a copy of bills or invoices indicating the monies you have paid on a

Quarterly basis. CPFilms only authorizes the co-op credit according to the co-op schedule for those funds you actually have paid out during that quarter. In order to keep this current, it is necessary to do this on a quarterly basis and all co-op funds that are not applied for within 30 days after the end of a given quarter, are no longer available.

Q. If my advertising cost is the same each month, can I send in just one phone bill showing the cost?

A. As indicated in the question above, co-op funds do need to be applied for quarterly. To reduce your paperwork burden, you will find that almost all advertising companies, especially the yellow pages, will be  more than happy to prepare copies of your paid invoices on a quarterly basis. They are quite aware that you might not be advertising with them to the extent that you are without these co-op funds and will do everything possible to assist you in qualifying for them.

FILM

Q. Why shouldn’t I use automotive films on flat glass applications? Some other film companies don’t care.

A. There are several differences between automotive and flat glass films, beginning with the adhesive. Pressure sensitive (sticky) adhesives will eventually go bad. This is a fact for all manufacturers of all films. Although there have been tremendous improvements in PS adhesives over the years, they still will not stand up to years and years of constant sun exposure that most flat glass endures. Most film manufacturers have not had the ability to make special “dry” adhesives for their flat glass films and have had no choice but to make auto and flat glass films the same. Solar absorption, dyed layers, reflectivity, warranties and other factors can also be different for auto and flat glass films. Please check with us for the proper film for the job.

Q. We would be more interested in your new products if you offered sample short rolls. Is this a possibility?

A.  While we understand that everybody likes to get something for nothing, our films do have more value than that. When we introduce a film, we have already done extensive market research and know that the film works well and that the vast majority of dealers and consumers like the product, therefore we do not see the need to give away film to find out if the product will go. We are so sure of this that WE GUARANTEE YOU WILL LIKE OUR FILM. Yes, we guarantee it! You just buy a roll and use enough for one or two applications. If you don't like it, just send the balance of the roll back to us and we will give you back all of your money, including freight. Ask your sales person for more details.

Q. What is the shortest or smallest amount of film I can purchase?

A. We are pleased to be able to offer most all of our LLumar Flat Glass Films, including Security Films, in 25-foot increments. In our Automotive Film lines we can do the same in our 60" width products. We do this to enable you to purchase closer to the exact amount of film that you might need on a particular job. There is a slight additional charge that covers the cost of a new box, core, end caps, and other supplies needed to provide this service.

Q. Do you sell "mirror film"? What about fade film?

A. "Mirror film” by definition is a highly reflective film, like our

R20 or R35 that we sell for flat glass use, but is illegal in almost every state in the country for automotive use. The same holds true with most of the various types of "Fade" film available. While we probably could "skirt" the edge of some laws and get away with selling products like these, we have made the decision that we do not want to impose the headaches or potential legal liabilities of these products on ourselves or our dealers. Additionally, most of these products tend to be of an inferior quality and, in spite of written warranties, tend not to perform well over an extended period of time. We don't want to sell films that might go bad in a few years and we don't think you do either.

Q. Is Platinum Plus 35% legal?

A. Yes, Platinum Plus 35% is legal in all states where a 35% film is legal.

Its advanced technology construction gives it an appearance of more reflection that it actually produces in some instances. This is merely an optical illusion and it more than passes the reflectance requirements of films in any of the southeastern states.

INSTALLATION

Q. Sometimes I get little specks in the adhesive after I apply it, but I did not see any before I pulled the liner. I know the window was very clean and there is no dust in the shop. Are the specks in the film?

A. No, almost never. This is fairly common question and the answer is almost always in the water. Tiny particles of sand and grit are found in almost every water system and you need to install a good filter remove them or use bottled water. If you live in an area with heavily treated or hard water, you may need an advanced filtering system to remove excess chlorine or other chemicals that could be harmful to adhesives. But wait, that is just the beginning. Contamination builds up rapidly inside spray bottles from mounting solution residue. You need to thoroughly clean and dry sprayers frequently to eliminate this.

Q. Sometimes I tint one window in a house or store and the films behaves differently from the other windows I have done. The windows all look the same and are the same type so I know that the difference must be the film. What gives?

A. Just because glass looks the same does not mean it is. When float glass is made, one side of the molten glass is “floated” on a bed of molten tin, therefore the name “float glass”. When the glass comes off this bed of molten tin, minute particles of tin and tin oxide are deposited to one side and stay in the glass, even through the cleaning process. You cannot see these particles and the glass appears the same on both sides; it takes a special meter to tell the difference. Therefore most glass installers are not aware that the “tin side” should be uniformly be placed on one surface and the “air side” on the other. It usually does not matter which side is in or out, but they should all be the same. The result is exactly what you described, the windows look the same, but the film applies differently.  Sometimes you will be able to notice a slight difference in appearance from the outside if you look at a building with lots of windows. They might even look like you have installed slightly different colors of film, but the real difference is in the original installation of the glass - it just did not show up until film was applied to one side.

If you will be installing a large float glass job, you might want to check out which way the glass is facing and put that information in your bid sheets. Not only will you be saving yourself from potential problems if windows look different after film installation, you will also make yourself look much more knowledgeable and professional than your competitors.

Q. Is there going to be an automotive certification like the flat glass certification soon?

A. Yes, the IWFA is working on a certification similar to the Solar Specialist program that they have at this time. We hope that they will announce their progress within the next few months. CPFilms does provide automotive training courses at the factory and several other locations many times a year. Just let us know what your specific needs are.

Q. What type of solution should I use to install film?

A. Automotive and other pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) films, like Security

Film, need a “slippery” solution to make them easy to apply. It is extremely important that there are no ingredients in the solution that would lessen the life of the adhesive, causing what is commonly known as adhesive failure. This is the reason that film manufacturers no longer recommend dishwashing liquids to be used to apply these films. CPFilms has developed the ultimate application concentrate called Film-On. This inexpensive solution, which requires just a few drops per spray bottle, has no contaminants or adhesive harming chemicals in it and has proven to be excellent for PSA applications. A quart should last for many months on average. In the case of CDF Flat Glass Films, which have a "water activated" dry adhesive, we recommend X-100. This solution is specifically designed to accelerate the bonding process for CDF adhesives. NOTE: Do not use X-100 with N series bronze film or spectrally selective films as it is slightly acidic and might cause demetallization around the exposed edges. In these cases, use Film-On solution as you would with PSA films.

PRICE / PAYMENTS

Q. Why are your films more expensive than others? They look and feel about the same.

A. Quality materials and longevity are not always easily detected by just looking at a film. One of the main cost differences is in UV absorbers. LLumar impregnates at least one layer of the film fully with top-of-the-line UV absorbers, and then adds more protection in additional layers of polyester and even in the adhesives themselves. Cheap films usually only have an absorber of some kind in the adhesive, not in other layers, providing minimal and short term UV protection.

Q. How do I get on terms to pay by company check?

A. Gila Distributing's bank is happy to take checks from all accounts that meet their basic requirements. These are:

1) Completion of our Check Approval & Personal Guaranty Form and having it signed by an authorized signator.

2) The checking account must have an average balance that will exceed the normal orders and not have any returned checks for at least the prior six-month period.

3) Of course, the checks must be in the name of the person and/or business that the check approval form was for and the account must be at least six months old.

Most customers prefer to pay with MasterCard or Visa as this allows them a flexible payment schedule and they can earn other benefits, such as frequent

flyer miles or discounts, with their credit card companies.

SHIPPING

Q. The other day I called in an order and then called back a little later to add something on to the order but was told that the order was processed and gone to UPS. What does all this mean?

A. That means that we were being really efficient and fast that day and had already pulled your order and processed it into the UPS or FEDex shipping system before you called back. Once an order has been entered into the shipping system, we cannot get it back. If an order is already been entered, all we can do is start a new order. We do our best to get every order out as fast as we can so it gets to you as soon as possible. Both UPS and FEDex come several times a day – at non-scheduled intervals – and their last pick-ups are around 4:30 EST.

Q. Sometimes I can call in an order about 4:30 Eastern Standard Time and you can ship it, other times I am told you can’t. I want to know why.

A. There could be many reasons. First is the fact that UPS may have already come and gone before your order could be filled. They show up sometime after 4:00 EST and start the loading process. When they have filled their truck – or trucks- with the orders that are ready, then they leave. Sometimes we can get the driver to wait a few minutes if we almost have an order ready, but not always. If your order is for partial rolls or slits, the problem is much more severe. It can take up to 10 minutes to make a partial roll of film, plus the time it takes to pull the rest of the order, invoice, and process it into the UPS system. Imagine what happens if we get five or ten orders like this at the same time. It becomes physically impossible to ship all, if any of them. This is why we ask you to order by 3:00 PM, EST whenever possible. We want to ship you order, but there is not always time to do it if you call when the truck is getting ready to leave.

Q. How come UPS takes different amounts of time to get orders to me? FEDex does the same. I want you to guarantee when it will get here.

A. There are a lot of factors involved in getting your order when you want it.  One of them is what time of day your order from us as it is always better to get it picked up earlier than later. Other factors depend upon how much traffic is going through the Atlanta hub and your local hub those days. We all know how the holidays slow everything down a few days and with the recent terrorist activities in the US, things might get even slower. If you have an e-mail address, let us know and we will have UPS e-mail you shipping information on your order and you can keep an eye on it during the trip. We also provide a link to UPS tracking in our Members Only Area. The only way that delivery can be guaranteed is to order, and pay for, next day or second day delivery. Even then, delivery times can vary depending upon your location.

TINT TEK

Q. What do the film manufacturers think they are trying to do with these new “film cutting” computers? Put us trained tinters out of business?

A. Not at all, in fact just the opposite. Think as these computers and plotters as the latest tool you have at your disposal to do your job better, faster, and easier. They not only relieve you of the time and drudgery of hand cutting most of your automotive patterns, they allow you do cut hundreds of French Pane windows in just hours, create and cut custom designs for store fronts in just minutes. Just think: you can repeat the design instantly if ever needed, produce logo’s in film for doors and windows, and even cut-to-size many residential and commercial window patterns. The fact is that the film business, like most others in the world, is changing very rapidly. The companies who desire to be successful in the long run are embracing technology and learning how to make it work for them in increasing output, creativity, and profits. All you have to do is look how the sign industry changed with the introduction of computers and plotters. The same type of changes are already happening in the film industry and those who embrace the future will be the most successful in years to come.

WARRANTIES

Q. Other companies have warranties that are as good as yours. Why are yours any different?

A. Warranties are only as good as the company that backs them. CPFilms is one of the few American-owned and operated film manufacturers, and one of the few with excellent financial credentials. Any company can make up a warranty, what counts is how that warranty will be treated if there is ever a claim - or worse yet - many claims. Some manufacturers don’t even warranty the products themselves,  they just leave that detail up to the distributor. What assurance is that? Be sure you know who you are dealing with and what their financial position is before you make any representations to your consumer that could come back on you.

Q. How much will I be reimbursed for an automotive warranty? How about if only some of the windows need to be redone?

A. As our LLumar Warranty states, you will be credited up to 100% of the original installation invoice. This is why a copy of the original warranty and installation invoice are required to be presented. If just some of the windows need to be redone, you are credited at the rate of 30% for each side window and for 50% for just the rear window up to the maximum of the 100% of the original invoice.

Should you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact

Gila by e-mail or by phone: 800-558-6271 or 770-345-7252.