If you are comparing places to tint your car, home or business, you may start seeing more shops carrying the Blackout Tinting name. In two social announcements supplied for this report, the company announced a franchise program and said it had signed a new exclusive dealer agreement with film supplier XPEL.

In simple terms, Blackout says it wants its company-owned stores and franchised stores to use XPEL products. For customers, that could mean a more familiar product lineup from one Blackout location to another. But choosing a good window tint installation still takes more than recognizing the name on the film box.

What happened?

Blackout Tinting started in Pennsylvania in 2011. It now lists five locations in Pennsylvania and Florida and offers car window tinting, paint protection film, ceramic coatings and window film for buildings.

In a Facebook announcement displaying September 22, the business said it would offer full franchises to owners in new markets. In a separate Facebook post from Las Vegas supplied for this report, founder Josh Poponick said Blackout had signed a new exclusive dealer agreement with XPEL covering corporate and franchise locations.

Blackout and XPEL were already working together before this announcement. The company's site describes its long-standing relationship with XPEL, and XPEL lists Blackout as an installer. The change is Blackout's announced plan to make that supplier relationship part of its growing location network.

Does that mean all Blackout shops will sell the same window tint?

Not necessarily. The announcement does not publish a list of required films or say every location will offer every XPEL product. XPEL has different types of film for different jobs. A tint that is a good fit for a car is not automatically the right choice for a living room window or a storefront.

For a car, ask about the exact film, how dark it will look, how much heat and glare it is designed to reduce, and whether the finished tint will comply with your state's rules. Do not assume a film is legal just because the installer is part of a larger chain.

For a house or office, start with the problem you want to solve. That might be afternoon heat, screen glare, daytime privacy or fading. A darker film may not be the most useful answer. Existing glass and window conditions can also affect which products are suitable.

Is a franchise shop better than an independent installer?

A franchise may have shared training, product standards and customer-service processes. An independent shop may have equally strong experience and a proven local reputation. The structure of the business is less important than the actual work being quoted and who will stand behind it.

Before booking, ask any tint shop these questions:

  • Which exact film will be installed, and on which windows?
  • Who is doing the installation, and how experienced is that person with this type of glass?
  • What is included in the written estimate, including removal of old film if needed?
  • Whose warranty applies to the film, whose warranty covers the installation, and whom should you call if something goes wrong?
  • Can the shop show you real examples and explain the difference between the film choices?

An XPEL dealer agreement may help Blackout organize its product offering. It does not replace these questions, and it does not promise that any particular result will be identical at every location.

The takeaway

Blackout's announcement is news about how one tinting business plans to grow. For someone shopping for window tint, the useful question remains the same: Which film and installer are right for this specific job?

Read our guide to choosing a tint shop, how to compare car tint quotes and window film ratings explained for help before you book.

Sources: Blackout Tinting September 22 announcement and Josh Poponick Facebook post (screenshots supplied); Blackout Tinting; XPEL installer listing.

The announcements were supplied as screenshots; the September 22 label does not show a year, the signing post uses a relative timestamp, and exact post dates and contract terms were not independently verified.