OK, I hate LIneX....

[thrashingcows]

I have tried to take the high road on this, but clearly they are not interested in customer service or warranting their product.

Here's my story....

I purchased a Line-X spray in bed liner from,

Trademaster Automotive LTD
44467 Yale Rd West
Chilliwack, BC, V2R 4H2
1-877-878-5869

I purchased this spray in bed liner on Sept 11/2012, for my 1984 Dodge ram pick up.  Within a year of having the liner sprayed on the tailgate began to peal.  I brought the truck in earlier this year to have them look at the pealing tailgate.  They said that they could "Glue" it back down....not the response I was looking for!

But recently I had noticed that there were several areas inside the box where the liner appeared to be lifting.  So a few weeks ago now, I started to pick at the liner and it started to pull up easily.  I was not very happy about this because I was wondering how many other sections had started to lift, allowing water to infiltrate under the liner, and allow rust to start.

So a day or two later I decided that I should try and get the liner out of the box.  I assumed that this was going to be a big job, since they claim that the liner's adhesion, and durability is almost indestructible.  Well it took me, and my friend, under 10 minutes to pull the liner out of the box.  We used nothing more then our finger tips to start the edges pealing away.

I contact the franchisee with pictures and a statement of what had happened, through their website.  I received a call a couple days later, but was not around to answer the call.  I called back and the owner (?) Wayne was not available to speak with.   We played phone tag for a week or two, but it seemed like I would not get a call back, unless I called first.  I decided to test my theory, so over the last 10 days or so I decided not call them at all....I have not received a single call from TradeMasters.

About 2 weeks ago I called Corporate Line-X and left a messages describing my situation.  Hoping that they would get involved and help settle this issue.  I have not heard back from them.  I called again last week, and again no communication.

So I have filed a complaint with the BBB, and on the corporate website I entered a "testimonial" about my situation.  We'll see what comes of all this over the next several weeks.

I am posting this on every on-line forum I frequent, with the hopes that the negative publicity will bring these parties out of the wood work to negotiate a fair settlement for this obvious faulty product.

[thrashingcows]

Now the pics that go along with this issue.....

First area I picked at...



Then a few days later.  This was just a few seconds worth of picking.



Took less than 2 minutes to strip this one side....





And the rest took only a few more minutes between myself and my friend.





Pictures are wroth a thousand words aren't they...
 

[Brent B3B]

A warmer time of year, It sure would be fun to get a "parade permit" and sit on the sidewalk outside the business with all those pieces and a sign.... Bet Wayne would talk to you then. Good luck

[RobertKB]

Something not done right. Enough to put me off Line-X. I don't like any business that does not return a call whether they feel they are in the right or not. If nothing else, they should phone and say we cannot and will not do anything. At least then you know where you stand and can go from there.

 

Hope things work out for you.

Edited November 13, 2014 by RobertKB

[Plymouthy Adams]

I bet if anything at all comes out of this if and when communication starts..they are not responsible for mis-use of their product.  That adequate and proper preparation was not taken prior to spraying their product..weather, temp and humidity may enter into the big picture as an argument.....big big ole disclaimer right on the can if it is labeled like any other spray product..

 

the biggest piece of the puzzle for me as I read this is, that you carried it in for them to look at and was told they could glue it...who is they and why can't you just simply take your prictures, the  failed remains of the product back to those same 'they'

[Dan Hiebert]

Improper surface prep, as in it looks like they didn't prep it at all.  I'll bet Line-X will chalk it up to a vendor issue that they're not responsible for.  A shame, as I've had Line-X in my 2001 Dodge Ram since it was new, with nary a problem.

[Don Coatney]

The company avoiding communication is to me a major issue. But I must ask what surface preparation did you do prior to installing?

[Brent B3B]

The company avoiding communication is to me a major issue. But I must ask what surface preparation did you do prior to installing?

interesting thought on prep work, i have had many LineX bed liners installed on our fleet vehicles at work and we never had to do any prep work. That is the responsibility of the company to warrantee their product. (and they always have) 

in my opinion this is 100% on the company and not fault of the customer

[Plymouthy Adams]

....the whole first entry is contradicting to say the least..man states he bought the kit.....then states that within a year of having it sprayed..(owner, owner and friend do the work or was this or contracted to a shop, inquiring minds want to know)  prep work is a must on any over coat of any kind for adhesion no matter the product being used...to my knowledge there is no straight out of a can/bottle snake oil remedy for the recommended elbow-grease that is applied beforehand..I feel for the pain of the owner...but if contracted out the end user shop has responsibility for proper application...even if the owner bought and carried said product...accepting the job/product was their call..I do not think there is going to be any liability back to the maker of the product by the truck owner if said product was applied by a contracted facility...as professionals it will be their responsibility to get reimbursed by the product's maker as they prove they followed all directions to the letter...the sole recourse the owner has I think at this time rest with the sprayer and how much he may or may not want to go to bat for inferior product back to the product's manufacturer..

 

just for giggles I read their blurb on their website on application...high pressure and high temperature spraying...and key work proper preparation was noted in the blurb..

 

I do hope this is not infringing as I quote from their website..so I also will; post the link ... 

 

http://www.linex.com/pages/2010/bedliners/lifetime_warranty.php

 

Unlike other spray-on or drop-in bedliners, a LINE-X® treatment is professionally applied at high pressure and high temperatures, bonding instantly and permanently to your truck.

 

 

 

 

 

NATIONWIDE LIFETIME WARRANTY 

 

Every LINE-X Spray-On Truck Bedliner comes standard with a Nationwide Lifetime Warranty that's valid at any of our 400+ LINE-X locations. A LINE-X Spray-On Truck Bedliner is guaranteed not to crack, bubble, or flake for as long as you own your truck. So, no matter how tough the daily wear and tear you put your bedliner through, LINE-X has you covered.

In the unlikely event that the LINE-X Spray-On Truck Bedliner does crack, bubble or flake, simply take the vehicle, Warranty Certificate and original receipt to the LINE-X Franchise that applied the bedliner for a full repair at no cost to you. If you are a considerable distance away from the original Franchise, you can visit any LINE-X location across the country.

"At LINE-X we believe in protecting our customers with both our products and our service. When customers buy a LINE-X bedliner, they know it's fully backed by the LINE-X Corporation and their local LINE-X franchise."
- Kevin Heronimus, LINE-X CEO

 

 

Edited November 13, 2014 by Plymouthy Adams

[Ulu]

I personally would sand the whole bed before spraying this stuff. I think it may have peeled because it was applied over old chalking paint.

[thrashingcows]

The company avoiding communication is to me a major issue. But I must ask what surface preparation did you do prior to installing?

 

I scrubbed the entire bed of my truck with SOS pads and degreaser the night before.  I used a stiff bristle brush with the degreaser to clean the bed surfaces.  I thought I did everything I could to help.

[thrashingcows]

....the whole first entry is contradicting to say the least..man states he bought the kit.....then states that within a year of having it sprayed..(owner, owner and friend do the work or was this or contracted to a shop, inquiring minds want to know)  prep work is a must on any over coat of any kind for adhesion no matter the product being used...to my knowledge there is no straight out of a can/bottle snake oil remedy for the recommended elbow-grease that is applied beforehand..I feel for the pain of the owner...but if contracted out the end user shop has responsibility for proper application...even if the owner bought and carried said product...accepting the job/product was their call..I do not think there is going to be any liability back to the maker of the product by the truck owner if said product was applied by a contracted facility...as professionals it will be their responsibility to get reimbursed by the product's maker as they prove they followed all directions to the letter...the sole recourse the owner has I think at this time rest with the sprayer and how much he may or may not want to go to bat for inferior product back to the product's manufacturer..

 

just for giggles I read their blurb on their website on application...high pressure and high temperature spraying...and key work proper preparation was noted in the blurb..

 

I do hope this is not infringing as I quote from their website..so I also will; post the link ... 

 

http://www.linex.com/pages/2010/bedliners/lifetime_warranty.php

 

Unlike other spray-on or drop-in bedliners, a LINE-X® treatment is professionally applied at high pressure and high temperatures, bonding instantly and permanently to your truck.

 

 

 

 

 

NATIONWIDE LIFETIME WARRANTY 

 

Every LINE-X Spray-On Truck Bedliner comes standard with a Nationwide Lifetime Warranty that's valid at any of our 400+ LINE-X locations. A LINE-X Spray-On Truck Bedliner is guaranteed not to crack, bubble, or flake for as long as you own your truck. So, no matter how tough the daily wear and tear you put your bedliner through, LINE-X has you covered.

In the unlikely event that the LINE-X Spray-On Truck Bedliner does crack, bubble or flake, simply take the vehicle, Warranty Certificate and original receipt to the LINE-X Franchise that applied the bedliner for a full repair at no cost to you. If you are a considerable distance away from the original Franchise, you can visit any LINE-X location across the country.

"At LINE-X we believe in protecting our customers with both our products and our service. When customers buy a LINE-X bedliner, they know it's fully backed by the LINE-X Corporation and their local LINE-X franchise."

- Kevin Heronimus, LINE-X CEO

 

 

 

I thought my original post was fairly clear? 

 

I did not do this myself.  I went to a certified LineX shop and had them look at my truck first, before we even agreed to get the bed sprayed.  They inspected my truck and said it would be fine to spray the liner in the bed of my truck.  I cleaned the bed of my truck, as I stated in my response to Don Coatney.  Delivered the truck to them at the agreed upon date and time, and about 2 hours later the liner was done.

 

Less then a year after Trademasters sprayed the lineX product into the bed and tailgate, the tailgate began to peel.  The rest of the story is as I have posted it.

[thrashingcows]

Wednesday I filed a complaint with the BBB, and I also put a negative "testimonial" on the corporate LineX page. Guess who contacted me yesterday through E-mail....Canadian Regional Manager for LineX.

We'll see where this goes....Guess I got their attention finally!

[Don Coatney]

thrashingcows, on 14 Nov 2014 - 3:01 PM, said:

I thought my original post was fairly clear? 

 

I did not do this myself.  I went to a certified LineX shop and had them look at my truck first, before we even agreed to get the bed sprayed.  They inspected my truck and said it would be fine to spray the liner in the bed of my truck.  I cleaned the bed of my truck, as I stated in my response to Don Coatney.  Delivered the truck to them at the agreed upon date and time, and about 2 hours later the liner was done.

 

Less then a year after Trademasters sprayed the lineX product into the bed and tailgate, the tailgate began to peel.  The rest of the story is as I have posted it.

Sounds like you have an issue both with lineX and the certified shop that did the application.

[wayfarer]

Years ago I was a Speedliner dealer and yes, surface prep is the key. Standard prep was to sand the entire surface with 80grit then hit it with a wire brush.

However, the surface prep is up to the installing dealer, the customer should not be involved as that would be a conflict in the warranty so what ever the customer did the dealer really needs to 're-do'.

 

And only 2 hours for the complete job?? We took nearly that long just to prep the beds...

Edited November 14, 2014 by wayfarer

[T120]

Brian,I hope a resolution with Line X works out to your satisfaction. Nowadays customers seem to be all too willing to accept excuses for poor products and poor service...

[thrashingcows]

Well with family visiting and stuff....I missed a message from Wayne, the owner of Trademasters, and LineX franchisee, yesterday.  

I'm assuming He is all bent out of shape because I went above his head and filed a negative Testimonial on the corporate site.  He says he will do absolutely NOTHING for me.  He also basically said since I did not like his "solution" of gluing back down the liner, then I got what I deserved!

All I can say is WOW.  Talk about an extremely unprofessional individual.

I have sent another e-mail to the Corporate regional manager about this.  We'll see what they say.

[wayfarer]

...absolutely amazing.....

 

I'd be tempted to sit at the curb with the truck and pile-o-crap for visitors to see.

[thrashingcows]

Here is the voice mail message from Wayne, owner of Trademasters, and LineX franchisee.  Left for me on Thursday Nov 13/2014.

Please listen to his response to me about my issue, and "testimonial" I left on the Corporate LineX page.  Which is the only thing that seemed to get their attention!

http://vid697.photobucket.com/albums/vv340/thrashingcows/84%20Crewcab/November%202014/VID-20141114-00004_zps2ufm8vco.mp4
 

[bamfordsgarage]

I like the suggestions of Brent B3B and Wayfarer.

 

If it were me I would first go talk to the manager again and explain — calmly and politely — that I firmly believe this is a warrantable situation and I expect them to live up to the terms of their warranty or refund my money. If they refuse I would apologize in advance for being difficult, but I was determined to get satisfaction.

 

And then the next day...

 

Put the peelings in the truck bed and a sign in the back window "Two-Year Old Line-X" with an arrow pointing at the pile. 

 

Park in front of Trademaster and hang around until the manager sees things your way. Abbotsford weather is not too cold next week — I would put a lawn chair in the back, and settle in with a good book and a hot coffee. I would cheerfully say hello to every customer that drove up to the store and suggest they double-check ahead of time to see if this sort of peeling would be covered under their warranty.

 

A photo of the sign, the pile, and you in the truck bed in front of the store might be of interest at head office.

 

I would suggest you only take 1/3 or 1/2 of the peelings along in case they scoop them out of the box to get rid of the evidence.

[Ulu]

That phone recording was pretty amazing. I don't know what this originally cost to have done, but I know it wouldn't be worth my time to picket some small business. I'd feel I was throwing good money after bad.

 

Here's the thing that keeps coming to my mind.

 

When ever you paint something over any old paint you take a chance that it will fall off because over time paint sucks up contaminants and you don't know what they might be. Truck beds are the worst, because all kinds of junk gets spilled in them, and the paint in them never gets waxed to protect it from the elements.

 

If I was spraying bedliners in used trucks for a living, I couldn't possibly warrant my work unless I was stripping the metal bare. I've met several painters who feel the same.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Ulu, on 16 Nov 2014 - 12:36 PM, said:

That phone recording was pretty amazing. I don't know what this originally cost to have done, but I know it wouldn't be worth my time to picket some small business. I'd feel I was throwing good money after bad.   And that very end they are depending on you having that attitude as they stick it to you at every turn..they figure they put you off a time or to you will quit and go home....NEVER..let them get away with that...they depend on that very part of the 'good guy' attitude not to be confrontational...and if you give in..then I have nothing but contempt for those that do....and you got just what you deserve for being spineless...sorry if this sounds harsh..but it is a cruel world...

 

 

Here's the thing that keeps coming to my mind.

 

When ever you paint something over any old paint you take a chance that it will fall off because over time paint sucks up contaminants and you don't know what they might be. Truck beds are the worst, because all kinds of junk gets spilled in them, and the paint in them never gets waxed to protect it from the elements.  That is why it is paramount t6hat you or whoever contracts the job follow the instruction on mix application and preparation.....wham blam only gets you into trouble...gee folks do you really think all is snake oil....the instruction are not on the car are just to fill up the space...

 

If I was spraying bedliners in used trucks for a living, I couldn't possibly warrant my work unless I was stripping the metal bare. I've met several painters who feel the same.  Ant to that end you may be wise...HOWEVER...as stated..they said they could do the job..they took the man's money and the job is a flop...he has a right to a fair settlement on the poor quality of product and workmanship..

 

 

[Ulu]

I don't doubt the OP has a claim on the installer and perhaps the manufacturer too. I hope he gets a good resolution.

 

And while I wouldn't bother to picket some small business, that doesn't mean I wouldn't do anything. (I might actually hire someone to picket them. You can do that here, but I don't know your local laws.) 

 

I'd certainly file against them in small claims court & I'd spread their miserable story around the internet.

 

Being a professional computer bum sometimes comes in handy when you want to find things out about other people, and I'd make sure they felt some pressure.  Also I know a local code enforcement officer that could probably scare up something. There are ways...

 

But every effort would depend on how much I'd spent, how much my time was worth, what I might recover, and also how much fun it might be to cause trouble for some doofus.

 

See, the "fun" part can make some efforts worthwhile that mere economics might otherwise not support.

[thrashingcows]

Thanks for the responses, and advice guys...I appreciate it!  I will have to dig out the original receipt, but I believe I paid over $600 for them to spray in the liner. 

 

Now onto today's news...

 

Well I finally got a response from the Corporate Regional Manager.  Remember, I sent a few e-mails wondering, and asking why, I have not had any communication in a few days....

This is his Response....

I have been taking the proper time to research both sides to this situation, and was unaware of any required time line. In the end I do not see any resolution, as stated by yourself, you do not want ANY spray in box liner. It is unfortunate that you and the franchise cannot find common ground, and I  believe that the actions taken have accelerated this situation to a point of non resolution. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do.

I'll wait to see what happens with the complaint I filed through the Better Business Bureau.  After that I will decided in what direction I will take this issue.  I will not be letting this die...no way, no how!
 

[48Dodger]

If they spray it....its their responsibilty for any lifting. Glueing sounds stupid. I've sprayed dozens of old trucks with cheap stuff wothout lifting, prepping much like you did. 

Seems they had a bad mix going on your truck that day. As far as the phone message.....he drug his feet responsing, so the corporate complaint you made is in effect, his fault. 

 

I believe you want your money back, right? I think they owe that and more.

 

48D

Edited November 20, 2014 by 48dodger