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AG Bondi: Hurricane Window Film Is A Scam
July 8, 2013
Attorney General Pam Bondi said people need to be cautious of companies that claim window films provide protection from hurricane-force winds. Bondi’s office has entered eight settlement agreements to resolve allegations against companies that sell window film, noting that the Florida Building Commission has not approved the material as a form of hurricane protection.
“What’s happening now is we have scam companies selling people window film. Making people think it’s safe to stay in their homes during a storm, Bondi said Tuesday. “I don’t want our Floridians, especially our seniors, to purchase this junk and have a false sense of security.”
Bondi added that her agency continues to investigate a number of businesses that are offering the window covering as a storm protection and said consumers should check on the companies with the Better Business Bureau before completing any deals.
Comments
6 Responses to “AG Bondi: Hurricane Window Film Is A Scam”
Thank you Lyman! I feed my family by honestly installing window film to well educated customers, and this kind of ignorance from our politicians is unacceptable.
I have been in the window film business for 40 years, and it saddens me to see our products referred to as a “scam.” To call it that infers that all window film dealers are shysters of some kind and that simply is not true. Nor is it correct to call the material “junk” or say “it doesn’t work!” The fact that this industry (like virtually every other) has a few bad apples who are selling this as “hurricane proof” or “bullet proof” or any other “proof” doesn’t take away from the validity of what the product DOES do, and it performs EXACTLY up to the level that it is advertised to do by the manufacturer. Security films – when properly installed, with proper “edge attachments” and specified products – meet many testing requirements – ANSI Z97, for example; and CPSC 1201 – in fact, the government uses these products to mitigate the fragmentation associated with bomb blasts! Does that sound like a product that doesn’t work? Or maybe it is just being sold as something that is isn’t by an unscrupulous contractor. Everybody knows that shingles work; but if you get a bad roofing job, do you blame the shingles or the roofer?
There are myriad examples of security film retaining lethal glass fragments and keeping window panes in the window where they belong – even in hurricane strength winds. That may not always be the case, but I can attest to this – applying it to a window gives you a heck of a lot better protection than doing nothing! And if that is all you can afford, than at least an improved level of protection gives you a chance of coming home to a house that may be habitable.
Everyone owes it to themselves and their family to conduct “due diligence.” I will say that probably 50% of the people who approach us for “storm protection” do so because they are interested in one thing – saving money! Very rarely have I had anybody even ask me if the product works!
I am not disagreeing with those who say that film shouldn’t be sold as hurricane protection. But to say that the product doesn’t work is just as wrong-headed and ignorant as those who say it is every bit as good as shutters, and that is a disservice to both sides of the argument.
Thank you AG Bondi! I have been thru several hurricanes, and if I had to bet my life on it, I would still say that window films do not work.. I have tried tape, plywood, and all sorts of things, but if you are directly in the path you will still replace windows.. I agree with the AG that before putting out hard earned money, one should carefully research the protection plan and the contractor..
I’m glad to see how pro-active Ms. Bondi is with these types of schemes! It’s great to know someone seems to have the best interests of the pubic at heart! I’ll vote for her again!
This window film scam has been going on for awhile. The people who get taken advantage of with this are the ones who don’t do their research on this information. Window film is normally sold to cut down on sun coming through windows and it adds very minor insulation to windows. It is not safe to assume it will help with hurricane/wind damage. It is not designed for this purpose.
I purchased aluminum panels, which included installation of the mounting hardware. The panels are corrugated for strength and the whole effort was reasonably priced.