Old Pirate
AMG Classic Car Detailing
I got a bridge to sell you, call me.....
dealerships offering lifetime protection
- Thread starter old_gonzo
- Start date
imported_detailchick
New member
So I called mercedez dealership to see what their deal was and what they were using and they told me teflon.
Both places were pretty clueless about the products they were using .
This person told me teflon was a wax , I then told him honestly I was a detailer and that teflon wasnt actaully a wax. He then said well it goes on like a wax.
I asked how they could offer a life time warranty and he said they did .
I then asked if it had to be reapplied and he said he "thought"it needed to reapplied yearly
I dont think teflon is actually a bad product but it just does not do the things they claim it does or last nearly as long.
ive had a few customers with it and when Ive washed their cars they was absolutely nothing on the paint at all after 6 months or so .
I hate to see people get ripped off and tell people to go back to the dealer and get it reapplied for free .
I know it hurts my business but I think the people should not be ripped off like that
Both places were pretty clueless about the products they were using .
This person told me teflon was a wax , I then told him honestly I was a detailer and that teflon wasnt actaully a wax. He then said well it goes on like a wax.
I asked how they could offer a life time warranty and he said they did .
I then asked if it had to be reapplied and he said he "thought"it needed to reapplied yearly
I dont think teflon is actually a bad product but it just does not do the things they claim it does or last nearly as long.
ive had a few customers with it and when Ive washed their cars they was absolutely nothing on the paint at all after 6 months or so .
I hate to see people get ripped off and tell people to go back to the dealer and get it reapplied for free .
I know it hurts my business but I think the people should not be ripped off like that
imported_Stokdgs
New member
Detail Chick -
Sorry to hear that one of your customers took the "bait"...
I remember years ago when I lived in California, the big "Sealants" were Ming, and Tidy Car, both franchises, that sold a sealant that was supposed to be "lifetime".
Tidy Car included a bottle of their "sealant" that you had to re-apply every year to keep the "protection" at a high level.
While they were good about cleaning up the paint and making it clear before applying their sealants, as soon as you started swirling up your paint with the usual techniques, carwashes, improper washing techinques/materials, you soon would have a swirled up finish, that might still be protected but looked like crap all over again- protected or not.
So, you went back to have them clean up the paint and re-seal the paint again - talk about a captive audience...
Teflon cannot be applied to anything without alot of heat - way more than paint can stand, so anything that has to do with a teflon coating is really misleading if you assume its going to stick on the paint.
Yet another example of a quick-fix for no work, and being that this is a pretty awesome detailer forum, we all know, intimately, that this is just not possible.
Dan F
Sorry to hear that one of your customers took the "bait"...
I remember years ago when I lived in California, the big "Sealants" were Ming, and Tidy Car, both franchises, that sold a sealant that was supposed to be "lifetime".
Tidy Car included a bottle of their "sealant" that you had to re-apply every year to keep the "protection" at a high level.
While they were good about cleaning up the paint and making it clear before applying their sealants, as soon as you started swirling up your paint with the usual techniques, carwashes, improper washing techinques/materials, you soon would have a swirled up finish, that might still be protected but looked like crap all over again- protected or not.
So, you went back to have them clean up the paint and re-seal the paint again - talk about a captive audience...
Teflon cannot be applied to anything without alot of heat - way more than paint can stand, so anything that has to do with a teflon coating is really misleading if you assume its going to stick on the paint.
Yet another example of a quick-fix for no work, and being that this is a pretty awesome detailer forum, we all know, intimately, that this is just not possible.
Dan F
imported_detailchick
New member
So i guess we could say our waxes and sealants are lifetime too as long as you repply them every so often and give the customer a bottle to do them selves:-? :rofl:
imported_Flash Gordon
New member
Pretty much ^ :judge:
Next time you do this customers car be sure and explain to them what you have found out about this miracle product X_X
imported_Automania
New member
Sealants or something very close to today?s sealants have been around from the 1930's. I collect automotive paraphernalia and one advertisement in my collection promotes PERMANIZING at official centers.
The ad FOR PERMANAZING reads:
The Beautiful Finish and Delicate Color of This Car Protected Against mud, Dirt, Snow, Ice and Rain
You can't compare PERMANIZE with any other automobile finish on the market. It is not a wax-not a polish-not a cleaner. It is a scientifically prepared finish that makes your old car look lik new-and protects the finish of your new car against fading and discoloration.
PERMANIZE RESTORES and ADS to the original beauty of the finish of your car--and in addition preserve and protect it. It is not unlike a thin veneer of glass, covering the entire finish of your car, and no matter how dirty a PERMANIZED car becomes an ordinary washing will remove all foreign matter and restore the original lustre.
PERMANIZE is applied to your car only by experts and official Permanizing Stations. Each station has a certificate of franchise for permanizing and all permanized cars are guaranteed.
SOUNDS AWFULLY FAMILIAR TO TODAY'S SEALANTS ! AS THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN...
It is quite common to see dealers offering a lifetime warranty on protective sealants today (fine print 6 month re-application) which encourages owners to come into the dealership frequently ?a more pro-active approach to car care and a profit making center for them.
If you have been in the industry long enough and have worked on many automobiles not just one or two or a dozen but thousands ? you know that vehicles protected with some type of paint sealant have a better finish over the life of the vehicle than those vehicles without anything.
We in our industry are too focused on the negative and spend way too much time on bashing the dealers instead of looking at the positive benefits that have been created by them offering paint protection to consumers.
Dealers have been successful in a deeper penetration of the market by successfully selling millions of consumers paint protection and more importantly they have established that consumers are willing and have been paying up to $1000.00 for this type of protection.
The question we should be asking is how can we also tap into this lucrative market and provide a better (not cheaper) service to these same consumers. How can we turn those customers into our customers? We could start by asking sealant manufacturers who we support to provide us with more educational literature designed for the consumer market which better explains how sealants work and why they are today?s best protection for your automobile..no hype .. just straight forward pros and cons about the product..and we should be knowledgeable about its application, benefits and efficacy. We could market the service in the same price range and perhaps offer 4 times a year re-application or once a month washing ? customer pays for paint correction or paint problems.
To turn dealer customers into my customers one of the things I have done is to purchase every type of warranty sealant available to me in my market place. When customers tell me they have a lifetime or five year warranty I educate them on maintaining warranty with re-application ...ask to see the warranty or product and show them that I have it available.. or even check the trunk?
This gesture creates consumer confidence and a sense that you too are as good or better than the dealer..you are in the know... I maintain, fix their problems and re-apply warranty sealant ensuring their warranty remains in place. Which customer is interested in hearing you tell him he has made a poor decision of purchasing a worthless protection from the dealer... or that he is not smart or has been ripped off. Spend time in reinforcing why the idea was a good one (because paint protection is good) and more time educating them on why protectants cannot work by themselves.. they will need to have frequent and regular maintenance and that is where detailers come in... reinforce the idea for the next purchase they should purchase from you because you have a superior products, knowledge and are better able to apply and market the benefits of surface preparation. After all did you not maintain his vehicle keeping it looking new for many years?
Remember the prize? a large base of consumers who are willing to pay for the benefit of having their paint surface protected well with superior protectants. A large consumer base already schooled on the benefits of paint protection?(albeit not as well as we would like) Now it is up to detailers to do their thing!! proper surface preparation, great customer service and experience, re-educate them on the benefits on pro-active car care- washing frequently, maintenance frequently and delivery of the final product a stunning brilliant protected vehicle! ( I have a 21 one year old vehicle that has always been protected with sealants from day one parked on display every day where I walk people over to see what a properly maintained vehicle can look like after 21 years and over 100000 miles... stunning!
I hope this can be another way of viewing things and gaining a percent of that industry....one car at a time...
The ad FOR PERMANAZING reads:
The Beautiful Finish and Delicate Color of This Car Protected Against mud, Dirt, Snow, Ice and Rain
You can't compare PERMANIZE with any other automobile finish on the market. It is not a wax-not a polish-not a cleaner. It is a scientifically prepared finish that makes your old car look lik new-and protects the finish of your new car against fading and discoloration.
PERMANIZE RESTORES and ADS to the original beauty of the finish of your car--and in addition preserve and protect it. It is not unlike a thin veneer of glass, covering the entire finish of your car, and no matter how dirty a PERMANIZED car becomes an ordinary washing will remove all foreign matter and restore the original lustre.
PERMANIZE is applied to your car only by experts and official Permanizing Stations. Each station has a certificate of franchise for permanizing and all permanized cars are guaranteed.
SOUNDS AWFULLY FAMILIAR TO TODAY'S SEALANTS ! AS THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN...
It is quite common to see dealers offering a lifetime warranty on protective sealants today (fine print 6 month re-application) which encourages owners to come into the dealership frequently ?a more pro-active approach to car care and a profit making center for them.
If you have been in the industry long enough and have worked on many automobiles not just one or two or a dozen but thousands ? you know that vehicles protected with some type of paint sealant have a better finish over the life of the vehicle than those vehicles without anything.
We in our industry are too focused on the negative and spend way too much time on bashing the dealers instead of looking at the positive benefits that have been created by them offering paint protection to consumers.
Dealers have been successful in a deeper penetration of the market by successfully selling millions of consumers paint protection and more importantly they have established that consumers are willing and have been paying up to $1000.00 for this type of protection.
The question we should be asking is how can we also tap into this lucrative market and provide a better (not cheaper) service to these same consumers. How can we turn those customers into our customers? We could start by asking sealant manufacturers who we support to provide us with more educational literature designed for the consumer market which better explains how sealants work and why they are today?s best protection for your automobile..no hype .. just straight forward pros and cons about the product..and we should be knowledgeable about its application, benefits and efficacy. We could market the service in the same price range and perhaps offer 4 times a year re-application or once a month washing ? customer pays for paint correction or paint problems.
To turn dealer customers into my customers one of the things I have done is to purchase every type of warranty sealant available to me in my market place. When customers tell me they have a lifetime or five year warranty I educate them on maintaining warranty with re-application ...ask to see the warranty or product and show them that I have it available.. or even check the trunk?
This gesture creates consumer confidence and a sense that you too are as good or better than the dealer..you are in the know... I maintain, fix their problems and re-apply warranty sealant ensuring their warranty remains in place. Which customer is interested in hearing you tell him he has made a poor decision of purchasing a worthless protection from the dealer... or that he is not smart or has been ripped off. Spend time in reinforcing why the idea was a good one (because paint protection is good) and more time educating them on why protectants cannot work by themselves.. they will need to have frequent and regular maintenance and that is where detailers come in... reinforce the idea for the next purchase they should purchase from you because you have a superior products, knowledge and are better able to apply and market the benefits of surface preparation. After all did you not maintain his vehicle keeping it looking new for many years?
Remember the prize? a large base of consumers who are willing to pay for the benefit of having their paint surface protected well with superior protectants. A large consumer base already schooled on the benefits of paint protection?(albeit not as well as we would like) Now it is up to detailers to do their thing!! proper surface preparation, great customer service and experience, re-educate them on the benefits on pro-active car care- washing frequently, maintenance frequently and delivery of the final product a stunning brilliant protected vehicle! ( I have a 21 one year old vehicle that has always been protected with sealants from day one parked on display every day where I walk people over to see what a properly maintained vehicle can look like after 21 years and over 100000 miles... stunning!
I hope this can be another way of viewing things and gaining a percent of that industry....one car at a time...
overtimedetail
New member
My Audi dealership sells this BS. i jus do wrenching and detailing on the side. I think its $600 for exterior, interior and wheels. Ill get pictures tomorrow maybe....
Oh yeah, my family members were suckered into this (even, ahem, myself at one time). Balise Honda uses Dupont R2000, they have to apply it or else it won't be covered if there is ever any damage and will "sneak" you a bottle of the cleaner like it's a huge favor. Really, you want to give me a tiny bottle of cleaner paste after I just spent over $20,000? Thanks buddy! Anyways, they use that, their Toyota dealership uses Simonize (AHHHHHHH) and in the end the cars I've seen have hard water spots all over the pace and never bead. Lifetime warranty my ass, the only way to do anything right in life is to use elbow grease and proven methods. There is nothing simple about a method, that's why it's called that.
Seems like you folks have covered everything I would've said about this "ripoff" product. As previously mentioned, the dealer is banking (literally) on you coming back to "maintain" this lifetime paint protection and I'm sure a large percentage of customers do not. Easy money $$$!
I think a large percentage of the customer base is aware of this product's reputation as a "ripoff". There are still those who opt for it on their new purchase thinking it's more than what they could do on their own and they like the idea of the dealer being responsible for the "lifetime" paint protection.
I think a large percentage of the customer base is aware of this product's reputation as a "ripoff". There are still those who opt for it on their new purchase thinking it's more than what they could do on their own and they like the idea of the dealer being responsible for the "lifetime" paint protection.
Old Pirate
AMG Classic Car Detailing
I agreed with what Puckman said!
imported_detailchick
New member
hes already livid with this dealership I really dont want to upset him further but I will ease him into the reality of it over time. Some bird droppings have etched into his hood and Ive already had to buff out some bumper scratches on his bumper .........we are going to be in this nightmare together it looks like :biggrin:
imported_detailchick
New member
To the admin/Jack........sorry about posting a link earlier I didnt realize we werent suposed to do that . I knew but it slipped my mind because in no way was I endorsing that product . I was just trying to find out about it.Sorry again :smile:
No blood, no foul DC. I'm sure the admins understand.
I will say that I like that policy here at TID and how it's amicably enforced. There have been countless policy "breaches" over the time I've been on TID and they are quickly and politely addressed. I do understand that, at times, posters sometimes forget it or simply overlook it innocently most of the time. It helps keep this board beyond reproach and why this is my "home"!
I will say that I like that policy here at TID and how it's amicably enforced. There have been countless policy "breaches" over the time I've been on TID and they are quickly and politely addressed. I do understand that, at times, posters sometimes forget it or simply overlook it innocently most of the time. It helps keep this board beyond reproach and why this is my "home"!
imported_detailchick
New member
Puckman actually nobody even said anything to me . I went back to the link I posted and it had been changed so thats the only way I knew and then I read the posting rules:-B again and said"woops". :redface:
So please someone say something to me if im doing anything wrong like that I would appreciate it!
I understand the rules , without them it would be full of sellers trying to market their products and little real conversations taking place.Im glad too this is policed:iagree:
So please someone say something to me if im doing anything wrong like that I would appreciate it!
I understand the rules , without them it would be full of sellers trying to market their products and little real conversations taking place.Im glad too this is policed:iagree:
imported_detailchick
New member
im trying to find the delete button ,I double posted 