airborneassault
New Member
Good afternoon and Happy Wednesday everybody!
I have a dilemma right now that I'm a bit frazzled about. I was contacted about doing a contract install for a company out of state, no worries we do these pretty regularly for a few different companies but this one is new. Company is a "certified" Scotchal print facility so like a dummy I assumed I'd be getting at least some decent 3M materials...wrong. 24' box truck with rivets every 2' or so and 4" vertically and I'm provided a calendared Mactac product with 8509 laminate. The advertising campaign is only meant to last 1 year so I understand there's some need for a short term vinyl but with the rivets as tightly spaced as they are and the fact both of these materials are bottom of the barrel calendared products I have my serious reservations.
Anyhow I installed one of the trucks last weekend (before I knew it was 8509...I actually assumed it was Arlon with a cast laminate) and got an even better surprise, of the 6 panels per side 2 were printed on 180cv3 while the other 4 were the aforementioned Mactac & 8509. Of course with nobody to get in touch with over the weekend I was stuck so I finished the install to the best of my ability and had a call & email in to the printer on Monday. That is when I was informed the material was Mactac, they in fact made a mistake with the 180 and have resent replacement panels and they reassured me the customer was aware the rivets would basically look like crap on toast but just for a little added confidence they suggested I use primer 94 to help it stay down around the rivets.
Am I wrong in contemplating turning down the 2nd truck? I feel my reputation is the one that will be at stake not the out of state printer who has collected their money and is down the road on the next job. To complicate things even more the retail customer contacted a design firm who then sought out the printer who found me for the installation, as far as the retail customer is concerned it's just me and the design firm, they have no knowledge of the out of state printer so I'm afraid since it is well known in my community I design/print/install in house they will assume I printed these trucks and basically spec'd just material. Any thoughts?
I have a dilemma right now that I'm a bit frazzled about. I was contacted about doing a contract install for a company out of state, no worries we do these pretty regularly for a few different companies but this one is new. Company is a "certified" Scotchal print facility so like a dummy I assumed I'd be getting at least some decent 3M materials...wrong. 24' box truck with rivets every 2' or so and 4" vertically and I'm provided a calendared Mactac product with 8509 laminate. The advertising campaign is only meant to last 1 year so I understand there's some need for a short term vinyl but with the rivets as tightly spaced as they are and the fact both of these materials are bottom of the barrel calendared products I have my serious reservations.
Anyhow I installed one of the trucks last weekend (before I knew it was 8509...I actually assumed it was Arlon with a cast laminate) and got an even better surprise, of the 6 panels per side 2 were printed on 180cv3 while the other 4 were the aforementioned Mactac & 8509. Of course with nobody to get in touch with over the weekend I was stuck so I finished the install to the best of my ability and had a call & email in to the printer on Monday. That is when I was informed the material was Mactac, they in fact made a mistake with the 180 and have resent replacement panels and they reassured me the customer was aware the rivets would basically look like crap on toast but just for a little added confidence they suggested I use primer 94 to help it stay down around the rivets.
Am I wrong in contemplating turning down the 2nd truck? I feel my reputation is the one that will be at stake not the out of state printer who has collected their money and is down the road on the next job. To complicate things even more the retail customer contacted a design firm who then sought out the printer who found me for the installation, as far as the retail customer is concerned it's just me and the design firm, they have no knowledge of the out of state printer so I'm afraid since it is well known in my community I design/print/install in house they will assume I printed these trucks and basically spec'd just material. Any thoughts?
