Terms and Conditions
General Terms and Conditions Terms of Payment, Legal Fees & Disputes:
Payment is due before vehicle is released back to customer, unless specific credit terms have been negotiated. 50% of the project will be due upon accepting quote and scheduling install.
We cannot accept responsibility for consequential damages or loss of any kind resulting from the sale, installation, or delivery of our wrap products. It is the Client’s responsibility to read our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document prior to contracting The Ruff Company to perform any vehicle wraps. All quotations are valid for 30 days.
Payment terms:
50% deposit with the order confirmation prior to printing, with the balance to be paid prior to collection of the vehicle. Once the work is performed and the Client takes possession of the vehicle, the Client must pay The Ruff Company the balance due for the vehicle wrap. The Client will be responsible for the payment of all work and designs performed by The Ruff Company on behalf of the Client. Any invoices not paid within 15 days of wrap completion are subject to a 1.5% per month fee, or part of month fee, added to the original invoice. Vehicles must be delivered to our location clean and free from grease and oil, and free from existing graphics AND WAX. A cleaning charge of $80.00 may be applied if vehicles are not in a satisfactory clean condition.
Vehicles Storage Fee:
Vehicle or trailers left over 30 days will be subject to a lien sale. All signs remain the property of The Ruff Company until paid for in full. Pending payment for goods supplied, the Client holds the goods as the property of The Ruff Company and the goods must be kept identified as belonging to The Ruff Company. In the event that the Client fails to make payment, the Client irrevocably authorizes The Ruff Company to remove the graphics supplied.
Delivery and Pickup:
While we would like you to arrange your own driver (using your preferred delivery method), we would be willing to either select our own delivery person or provide a dedicated delivery at the Client’s expense, plus overhead charge.
Returns:
If the Client has a concern with the job, the Client must contact The Ruff Company IN WRITING before proceeding with any charge backs or credit returns. The Ruff Company will be given 30 days opportunity to correct and resolve any disputes prior to any legal action or credit returns.
All banners and vehicle wraps are custom made projects that are not refundable.
If the Client has a concern with the job, the Client must contact The Ruff Company in writing before proceeding with any charge backs or credit returns or legal action. The Ruff Company will be given the opportunity to review the complaint and respond to the complaint.
After The Ruff Company has been given the chance to explain the concerns, the Client has the right to negotiate an agreement with The Ruff Company. If no agreement can be met, mediation is the first option prior to any Client claims.
As all jobs are custom products, The Ruff Company must be given the opportunity to reprint or reinstall any job, before the Client issues any credit card charge backs or returns.
In the event that the Client issues a credit card charge back, or alleges he/she does not authorize the credit card transaction, the credit card company will issue an inquiry. When the credit company investigates the claim, and if the credit card company’s decision is made in favor of The Ruff Company., the Client will be held liable for all legal fees, professional research, and discovery time associated with The Ruff Company having to file an Inquiry / Retrieval Request to the credit card company. If a credit card dispute is decided in favor of The Ruff Company and if The Ruff Company suffers any loss of credit card business associated with a Client’s charge back request, the Client will be liable for all legal fees and any credit card business The Ruff Company is not able to process during this period of the dispute resolution.
In the event that the Client fails to make payment in full on the job invoice, the Client irrevocably authorizes The Ruff Company to remove the graphics supplied.
As this is custom art work, once the job is printed, delivered, and/or installed, all contracts are final, and no monetary refunds can be issued.
Estimates and Taxes:
Estimates are good faith estimates based on job specification information provided and current material costs. Pricing and schedule are subject to change upon receipt of artwork and approval of estimate. Pricing is good for 10 days from the date of the quote and does not include packaging or shipping charges unless specified. Estimates are contingent upon strikes, accidents, fire, availability of materials and all other causes beyond our control. We require a 50% deposit upon approval of estimate/order and 50% upon delivery, based on agreed terms unless otherwise negotiated upfront. The client order is subject to applicable state and local taxes unless we have a Government Sales Tax Use and Exemption form completely filled out denoting that said corporation is exempt from sales tax. Appropriate taxes will be applied to outstanding invoices until we receive this document.
Job Cancellation and Errors:
If the Client cancels the order before its completion, the Client shall be responsible for the cost of any proofs, artwork, materials, and work done until cancellation notice is received in writing. In addition, The Ruff Company reserves the right to charge a 15% cancellation fee in addition to the actual charges to cover unbilled internal costs including but not limited to scheduling, client communications, and resources utilized. The Ruff Company will gladly re-image any job that has problems due to an error on the part of The Ruff Company This does not include software limitations or improper set-up of a job. The Ruff Company will not be held responsible for errors in work after final client sign-off or neglect of final sign-off. No claims will be honored after 24 hours of receipt of any completed and delivered work. Any verbal order will be accepted, but in the absence of any supportive documentation, The Ruff Company will not be responsible for any verbal mistakes. Everything must be in writing.
The Ruff Company will not accept responsibility for the inaccuracies in orders telephoned or faxed by the customer.
Limitation of Liability and Confidentiality:
The Ruff Company’s liability for materials submitted by Clients that are damaged, lost, or not returned to the Client is limited to the replacement of the unused material. Original artwork is left at the Client’s risk and is not subject to replacement. The Ruff Company will not assume liability for damaged or lost files; only the damaged or lost media will be replaced. The Ruff Company and the Client understand that during our business relationship, both parties may make known to the other, confidential information and business trade secrets. It is The Ruff Company policy to treat such information as confidential and we expect the Client to do the same.
Project Start Time, Substrates and Installation:
The start time of any project does not begin until ALL support files and items related to completion of the job are in house, the Client approves the artwork, and the Client is accepted for credit and billing terms. The Ruff Company will consult with the Client to determine the substrate and process that will best suit the needs and conditions set forth in the scope of the project. Ultimately, the Client accepts full responsibility for determining if said purchased item will perform to their requirements on the substrate(s) to which they are applied. The Ruff Company cannot control weather conditions which may result in delays with installation. As such, additional labor and/or travel costs may be incurred which are to be paid by Client. We reserve the right to determine the point at which weather conditions become too averse to continue work.
Trademarks and Copyrights:
Reproduction of copyrighted materials in any form without prior permission of the originator is illegal. It is the responsibility of the Client to obtain said permission. The Ruff Company is in no way responsible for obtaining permission and assumes that the Client has obtained permission before the work is submitted.
Design and Printing:
The design, name, mark, or other material in final form that is approved by the Client and selected for use will be the exclusive property of the Client upon final payment of all amounts due. All other design, names, marks, and other materials developed in the course of the project shall remain the property of The Ruff Company, as is customary in our industry. The Client’s ownership of legal rights in the final form of the selected item is exclusive to the extent provided by applicable national and international laws. Legal protection and appropriate registration of a design, name, mark, or other material developed by The Ruff Company is the responsibility of the Client. The Ruff Company will store artwork and a fee will be associated with any and all files that are stored to be used at a later date if kept over 1 year, upon the request of the Client.
All work undertaken is under the condition that a complete, high-resolution file is supplied, complete with a color proof, pantone references, and purchase order with the exact specification. Where artwork is supplied by the Client, it is the responsibility of the Client to ensure the artwork is in a “print ready” format. It is the responsibility of the Client’s designer to check the dimensions and layout of the actual vehicle(s).
When The Ruff Company receives original logos or art we will not modify the color or design, which could cause unacceptable errors. The Ruff Company will not be held responsible for any design layouts provided by the Client. All original art must come to The Ruff Company ready to print. There will be a design fee for any changes made to client-supplied art or layout. Design fee is $85.00 per hour. Where The Ruff Company provides the artwork, it is essential the Client fully checks the final proof with the actual vehicle to check for any variations (e.g. style of lights, positioning of number plates, number of doors, and other major or minor variations.)The accuracy of the templates provided has a margin of error of a few percentage points. It is recommended that designers design vehicle wraps with this in mind, avoiding the extreme edges of the wrap with vital information. Measurement of the vehicle is always recommended.
It is the responsibility of the Client to provide or purchase quality, high resolution pictures for large format printing. The Ruff Company will not be held responsible for low resolution images provided by the Client for printing.
Paint is a smooth liquid spray application, whereas a vinyl wrap is printed onto a vinyl material using a high resolution large format inkjet printer. An inkjet printer print head passes over the vinyl and will never print onto the vinyl with the same smooth characteristics of a smooth liquid sprayed paint job. Most car paints look completely smooth from 6 inches. An inkjet printed wrap viewed from 6 inches will show evidence that it has been printed using an ink jet printer. If viewed from the close proximity of 6 inches, banding may be seen. Banding describes the horizontal print passes that occur during the printing process. This is mostly apparent on solid colors with no effects or texture in the design. Since most wraps are designed to be viewed as a moving billboard for advertising purposes, this is not a major issue for most clients, and is considered an acceptable condition with vehicle wrap used for commercial advertising. Paint is also consistent in its color saturation. A car painted with a solid color will have smooth consistent color on the entire surface. When a car is wrapped with printed vinyl, the color may shift slightly between the 52 inch panels, and may shift slightly in certain areas when the installer has to heat the vinyl to make it conform to complex curves. This color shift on complex curves is mostly apparent when solid coverage colors are used in the wrap. Again, these conditions are typically accepted as a limitation of the vinyl wrapping process, and this is an acceptable condition for commercial vehicle advertising, where the advertising will be viewed on a moving vehicle from a standard view-able distance of 15 feet or more from the vehicle.
In the case where a third party design firm is involved on behalf of the Client, The Ruff Company will consult and advise the third party design firm as part of The Ruff Company work order agreement, free of charge, as long as The Ruff Company performs the printing and installation. The Client will be responsible for all The Ruff Company consultation fees if the Client decides to take the project elsewhere for printing and installation.
Since The Ruff Company designs the majority of our wraps, The Ruff Company uses the original large format design files for the purpose of printing and installing the large format wraps we produce in house. The Ruff Company typically does not design a large format wrap project for another wrap company to print and install. The Ruff Company reserves the right to keep all original photo shop and illustrator files created for Large Format printing. These files include all original layered JPG and PSD files. For a separate design fee, The Ruff Company will provide design and printing for business cards, flyers and brochures. Once The Ruff Company project is complete, the Client may choose to purchase the design files from The Ruff Company on a CD so they can use it on other print advertising.
Additional File Set-up/Design Charges and Color Matching:
If the Client’s files exceed the determined file set-up rate included in price of project, charges will be based on a rate of $85/hour with a $50 minimum and billed in 15 minute increments after the minimum is met. The Client will be notified of this charge prior to work being started and we require Client authorization before proceeding. If The Ruff Company is creating original artwork, design will be billed at a rate of $85/hour. Color matching charges are $85. Due to the nature of both screen and digital printing, we cannot match PMS colors exactly and give no guarantees to precise color matches. For the $85 charge, we will provide a press match swatch on the substrate chosen for the Client’s project, and once approved, print within 10% match to that swatch.
Use of Images and References to Completed Work:
The Ruff Company may, at its sole discretion, use images of completed work and/or refer to Client in The Ruff Company’ portfolio and any other marketing materials, including but not limited to press releases, brochures, flyers, signs, and vendor marketing materials promoting The Ruff Company and its services.
Additional Terms, Conditions and Warranty Disclaimer:
Installations: Graphics and alignment as applied to vehicles may not be precisely matched to the digital images (“proofs”) produced for Client’s review. Graphics applied to vehicles are intended to be viewed from a distance of at least 15 feet and The Ruff Company produces each vehicle graphic with the detail and quality appropriate for viewing from such distance. The Ruff Company only guarantees final prints designed and set-up by The Ruff Company for print. The Ruff Company voids warranty on express rush same day printing and lamination wherein installation schedule prohibits proper 24 hour print curing. The Ruff Company expressly disclaims all warranties regarding paint jobs on non-standard OEM cars and trucks. The Ruff Company expressly disclaims all warranties on buses, planes, trains, RVs, custom vehicles and vehicles with OEM paint that is more than 6 years old. If we are asked to cover existing vinyl decals, we cannot be liable for any damage caused to these decals during the installation or removal process.
Although we try to make the wrap look like a paint job, it is NOT paint. There may be extreme curves and bumps such as rivets and deep channel curves and moldings on the vehicle that the vinyl will not be able to conform to. In some small areas you will see evidence of the original color of the vehicle below the wrap. These may be small areas such as around door handles and the edges of the lights on the vehicles. A vehicle wrap is made by applying 52 inch vertical panels of vinyl. There will be 1 inch seams where the panels meet. On a complex design with many matching points, The Ruff Company cannot guarantee that the graphics will match 100% alignment due to extreme complex curves on the vehicle. A 5% margin is considered acceptable on large outdoor advertising projects.
Proofs are created on a flat surface and viewed at a relatively tiny size on computer screens and 8 inch printed paper. In cases of curves, handles, deep grooves, rubber moldings/trim, on-the-spot adjustments may be made by the installer to assure maximum readability or alignment. In many cases there are slight differences between the printed flat paper proof and the 3 dimensional curved vehicle wrap. Due to the fact that a two dimensional print is being applied to a three dimensional vehicle, and due to the minor variances in the accuracy of the templates, the positioning of a vehicle wrap can vary from the proof by several cms throughout the entire length of a vehicle wrap. This is normal and wraps need to be designed with this in mind.
It is not reasonable to expect an inkjet-printed vinyl wrap to cover and look exactly like paint, or to look exactly the same in all places. A piece of vinyl has limits and can only stretch so much before it changes color. In some cases, a relief cut has to be made in the vinyl that will reveal a small amount of the vehicle’s original paint color underneath. In some cases, the only option is to install a patch in order to conceal a vehicle’s original color. Areas under door handles, mirrors, behind gas caps, and inside door frames will not be wrapped. If we wrap extremely curved surfaces such as mirrors and bumpers, they may reveal the original paint color at the tight edges of the wrap. This is due to material limitations rather than install quality.If we are installing at the Client’s nominated location, suitable conditions must exist. Vehicles need to be indoors in a clean, dust-free temperature-controlled environment, with a power supply and good quality lighting, and with a minimum of 5 feet working space around the entire vehicle. If in the opinion of the senior installer on site, conditions are not suitable for the high quality install of the wrap / graphics, the vehicle will be required to go to one of our nominated install locations.
Wraps are self-adhesive vinyl that will only adhere well to catalyzed vehicle paint and glass. Poor surface paint or clear coats will not allow the vinyl adhesive to stick properly and the adhesive may fail. It is the responsibility of the vehicle owner to bring in a vehicle that is ready to be wrapped. Extreme curves and deep pockets may exceed the limits of how far the material can stretch. Again, this is not paint, it is a special pressure sensitive vinyl material. Vehicles are not at exact right angle curves, they maintain lines that are not 100% parallel to the ground. Due to this fact, the graphics that are 2D printed graphics will not be at the same exact angle of the vehicle lines once the wrap is installed onto the 3D vehicle surface.Due to the limitations and the sensitivity of the various substrates, it is impossible to reproduce all colors accurately. Therefore, in the absence of a representative from your company to select the appropriate color sample, reproduction will be at our discretion. When we wrap over existing vinyl strips or letters, the new wrap is thin enough on top that there will be evidence that there is old vinyl underneath the new vinyl. The Ruff Company cannot be held responsible for any damage void of vehicle warrantee or anything caused through the application of the vinyl products. The Ruff Company is not liable if during the installation of a wrap the clear coat of the car begins to peel off. Original painted vehicles will not have any problems with the clear coat peeling off.
The application process in many cases takes no longer than a day or two for full wraps, and within one day for partial. The installation process should not be rushed, therefore The Ruff Company reserves the right to take an additional day for issues such as transportation and weather conditions.It is illegal to cover the front driver side glass. In some cases the police may also stop you for covering the passenger side glass. Police need to be able to see into a vehicle. In some cases the Client may insist that the passenger side is wrapped in the design, and The Ruff Company will wrap it with the disclaimer stating that the Client is responsible for any issues regarding the coverage of the front windows.
The wrap material that is used for vehicle wraps does not stick very well to plastic or rubber parts, such as window trim, side plastic moldings, and plastic door handles. It is advised that these areas NOT be wrapped with adhesive vinyl. Initially the vinyl will stick, but over a short period of time such as a few months, the vinyl will fall off these areas.
In most cases of vinyl lifting, if it is a materials problem the lifting will present itself in the first few weeks after the initial installation. In most cases it is advised that the vehicle wrap be fixed so that the vinyl does not continue to peel back and become contaminated. It is not uncommon to see small areas of the wrap lifting soon after the installation is complete.Several factors can affect the vinyl’s adhesives ability to stick to the vehicle surface, including the following:– If the surface is not prepared properly before the wrap– Extreme temperatures (very hot or very cold)– Extreme humidity in the air during installation– Dust in the air during installation
The Ruff Company prefers to use our facility for installation. If the Client elects to have installation performed at a non-The Ruff Company location, The Ruff Company will not be held liable for any issues related to improper install conditions such as temperature or dust.
Full wraps DO NOT automatically include the roof wrap. The additional cost of labor and materials to wrap a roof can range from $150.00 for a small car, up to $400.00 for a cargo van roof wrap. Most clients do not wrap the roof of their vehicles. Printing takes time, and ink must be dry before prints can be laminated. Once prints are ready, installation will begin. This is not a task that can be rushed, as this type of work is all done by hand and the perfect placement of vinyl takes time. From the time that the design is completed and approved by our Client, a wrap can be printed and installed within 10 days. In some cases it can all be completed in 5 days, once the design is approved.
Vinyl Removal: All removals are quoted separately. Wrap removal can be very time-consuming and we charge by the square foot and by the hour for the labor. The Ruff Company cannot be held responsible for any paint damage or existing striping damage when we do a removal. Since we do not know the integrity of the existing paint job, or the condition of the painted clear coat, or the condition of any existing vinyl decals, we are not responsible. All removal Clients understand this to be accepted policy by contracting The Ruff Company to do a vinyl removal on any vehicle. The Ruff Company cannot be held liable if during the removal of the wrap, the clear coat is peeled back with the wrap. In some cases, if you have existing vinyl stripes under the wrap (such as an RV or a bus that have striping on the sides), we cannot be held liable if portions of the stripes get removed during the wrap removal. We only use industry standard glue removal products to remove any remaining glue once the vinyl has been lifted.Vehicle wraps should be replaced every 3 to 4 years. Most vinyl manufactures such as 3M and Avery recommend this to allow for clean removals. Leaving vinyl on a vehicle for too long is problematic. As soon as you see the vinyl beginning to crack, this is the sign that the wrap should be removed in that area and rewrapped if needed.
Horizontal surfaces such as the roof and front hoods receive extreme sun and heat damage. In many cases, the sun will bake the vinyl into the paint on these horizontal surfaces if the vinyl remains on the vehicle for more than 4 years. Most vehicle wrap vinyl materials are guaranteed to remove cleanly from vertical surfaces for up to 4 years when applied onto original car paint. Vinyl that is cracked on the roof or on the front hood indicates sun and heat exposure damage to the original vinyl, and the heat has baked the vinyl into the vehicle’s painted surface. If this is the case, paint damage may occur with the removal of the vinyl from that area. Vinyl that is cracked like this will only peel off in small pieces when removed. When the vinyl has expired its term of clean removability, paint damage may be unavoidable and The Ruff Company will not be held liable for any paint damage that results from expired vinyl with prolonged exposure to the sun and heat.
Often when there is striping on the vehicle prior to a new vehicle wrap, the old vinyl has been weakened from years of sun exposure. The old striping adhesive can become weak, and in some areas the striping will come up as the wrap is removed. The Ruff Company is not responsible if old stripes come off during the removal of a wrap. When we wrap over existing vinyl stripes or letters, the new wrap is thin enough on top that there will be evidence that there is old vinyl underneath the new vinyl. The Ruff Company will not be held responsible in any way if the Client is not happy because existing graphics could not be removed using conventional methods of removal.
The Ruff Company does not use any steel or metal knives during the removal process. We use plastics that will not damage the vehicle’s surface. The Ruff Company does NOT engage in unconventional methods of vinyl graphics removal because it may damage the surface of the Client’s vehicle. Unconventional methods include cutting or scraping of the vehicle surface or the use of harsh chemicals that may damage the vehicle’s painted surface.In some extreme cases when the wrap has been on the vehicle for more than 4 years, the wrap may no longer be removable and the vehicle may need to go to a body shop to be sanded and repainted. If the vehicle requires a body shop, The Ruff Company will refer the Client to a body shop and the Client shall be responsible for paying the body shop.
We cannot be responsible for damage to paintwork when the vinyl is removed, and would not advise application of a wrap on a re-sprayed surface, or poor quality/rusted paintwork. Please note, our experience shows that removal of vinyl designed for vehicle wraps from good quality factory original paintwork will not damage the paintwork. However, it is the duty and responsibility of the owner of the vehicle to ensure suitability of the existing surface before it is wrapped. In the event that The Ruff Company is asked to remove pre-installed vinyl which was installed by a company other than The Ruff Company, The Ruff Company will make every effort to remove the existing vinyl, but will not be held responsible for any damage that may occur to the surface of the painted vehicle after removal. This is due to the fact that not all pre-installed vinyl is designed to be removed. In many cases pre-existing vinyl is non-removable.
Additional Charges:
A $60 fee will be added to the invoice for all vehicles that have not been recently washed (i.e., the vehicle must be clean, not waxed). This fee includes the labor cost of washing your vehicle by our certified installers. To avoid this charge, please wash your vehicle before your installation specialist arrives on-site.
Warranty on Labor and Materials:
The Ruff Company offers a one-year warranty on the installation, one-year on the material applied to the windows, two years on the cast laminated adhesive vinyl applied to vertical surface areas, and one year for calendared economy vinyl. There is no warranty on horizontal direct sun exposure such as roofs and front hoods. Anything over 10 degree vertical to horizontal is considered horizontal. The wrap warranty will depend upon the customer’s care of the vehicle and the outdoor/geographic conditions. Vinyl that is cracking should be replaced immediately. We recommend hand washing only. Avoid high pressure power washing, and never use an ice scraper on window graphics. Also avoid harsh chemicals of any kind as they can deteriorate the laminate on the vinyl adhesive. Sweeping or brushing off the windows with a soft broom and the use of a rear defroster will not damage your window wrap. There are specially designed products to clean and polish vinyl graphics if needed. Please wait at least 3 weeks before washing your vehicle once applied.
Agreement:
This agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and will supersede all proposals or prior agreements, oral or written, and all other communications between the parties relating to the subject matter of this agreement. This agreement may not be varied other than in writing, executed by the duly authorized representatives of both parties. Conditions not specifically stated herein shall be governed by established trade customs. Terms inconsistent with those stated herein, which may appear on the Client’s formal order, will not be binding on The Ruff Company. The Client acknowledges that the Client has read, understands, and hereby agrees and accepts the prices, fees, charges, use of images, specification and conditions stated herein and authorizes The Ruff Company to perform all work as specified. The Client acknowledges that he/she has also been presented with, has read, and understands the color matching criteria and has selected the appropriate method for the design. The Client understands that The Ruff Company cannot guarantee the quality of any artwork that is not set up by The Ruff Company.
By accepting our proposal and estimate for work to be performed and activating the job order, the Client agrees to the terms stated above.