TAP Plastics — Local services in Lynnwood

I was at this location today. I've had some time to process what happened to me, and it shouldn't have happened the way it did. I'm disappointed with the service I received.

For my project, I need 8 panels of acrylic of varying sizes. I am still determining the exact final dimensions (only have approximations) since my project is a work in progress. So I wanted to buy full sheets and cut them myself. When I entered the dimensions of the whole sheet on the website, it told me to go to the physical location.

So, I emailed an inquiry for the total price of the sheet. I received a quote. The quote only tells the cost of the sheet and doesn't say that they'll only make one cut maximum. I only found this out when I arrived at the shop. There's no way the sheet fits in my car with just one cut. With two cuts, it does fit in my car, but the cost of the sheet doubles because they switch from per-sheet to per-sqft pricing if you need more than one cut. In other words, an extra cut basically doubles my price. The lady at the desk who informed me of the 1 cut policy wouldn't help me with one extra cut (I'm not asking for cutting 8 panels with precision, just 2 rough cuts so that the sheets fit in my car - they don't even have to be perfectly square, just reasonably so).

So, I run my panels through the cut-list software again, assuming I can fit 4ft wide sheets if I lay them slant instead of flat. I paid for the sheet and got the 1 cut of the desired dimension. I took the sheet to my car, and to my horror, it won't fit in. It's 1 inch too big. I need help. So I returned the sheets and asked if I could leave them there until I figured out what to do next. I considered renting a truck. They're OK with that.

Now there's another lady at the desk who tells me they'd be happy to make another cut to fit it in the car - they can cut it EXACTLY half, but not to any arbitrary measurement. It's too late for that - because one of the 8 panels won't fit if you can only cut it in half. If they had told me earlier, they'd be OK with 1 precise cut and 1 half cut - I could've actually made that work for me.

In summary:

1. I should've been informed about the 1-cut policy by email - not after I measured my car, made a cut list, and drove 30 minutes to their location. The quote doesn't mention the 1 cut policy anywhere.
2. They're willing to help, depending on who you ask. The first lady wasn't; the second lady was. Albeit, the help needed to be more timely. There was no way to recover the situation with 1 additional half-cut.
3. IMHO, the 1-cut policy could be changed to make it more helpful for retail customers. For a 4x8 ft sheet - 1-cut needs a truck or a large van. Period. Only some have one. You can argue about this; if you disagree with this opinion, do (1) and inform the customer upfront.
4. I would be happy to pay a per cut price. In a previous correspondence I was quoted $20 for making a 4 inch hole. That is totally reasonable. I would have paid $20 for an additional straight cut, if offered. Doubling the price of the sheet doesn’t make any sense.

The best part of the day was Mr. F - another customer who offered to help and dropped off my sheets in his truck. If you're reading this, Mr. F,...

I had a few pieces cut here over the years of some PVC sheets & some smaller 1/4" & 1/16" hard plastic parts. I needed specific measurements that I couldn't find online or was more cost effective to order locally. I work with measurements down to 1/4mm (.25mm) & this is not something they do at TAP Plastics. They provide a rough cut of the size you ask for which I'm sure is fine for most customers. Just something to keep that in mind if you plan to pay them for the labor to cut a part for you; there will still be a small amount of sanding needed if you need precise work. I have never went back to have them make adjustments or gave them a chance to fix anything. If they created an issue about that, I wouldn't be giving 4 stars but the prices are fair & staff is friendly. They have always been quick to get the work done.

They meet a large market demand with their business model the way it is. Cutting parts for every customer down to the 1/4mm would likely increase expenses to much for them with their current business model. Adding different labor rates for the different precision work needed in different industries could help take on a larger market share if & when they would have the equity needed to invest in the...

I went here to customize a portable AC door kit. This is a long story, but tldr, the staff here are super friendly and went beyond their jobs to makes it right.

I asked them to customize a portable AC door kit for Midea DUO AC with a special hose setup. Unfortunately, the template they used for the Midea DUO Hose was too tight for the side clips to squeeze the hose in. I forced to put the hose in, but to remove it from the kit, I broke one of the clips.

I sent them a email, they respond quickly. Then I turn the AC door kit back in. They fixed it on the spot. Hilary and Joseph was super helpful, they toke my hose and the sheet, fixed it on the spot. And even helped me searching for solutions for the broken clip!

Other than the hole did not fit the hose well, the product is very accurate to the measurement, which, can exactly fit into the rails of my sliding door, and the notch, which, exactly fitting the lock...