Lexus Dealer Sealant ? Scam or Deal?

B

bigbluedog

New member
My Mom is buying a new RX330 and the dealership wants her to buy their interior and exterior package, it includes some type of sealant that they say she will never need to wax her car and that if the paint gets ruined by bird s**t, water etching, etc. they will fix or repaint for free Forever. Also they would treat the leather and carpet with some type of scotchguard that they will warranty against alot of spills but not everything. Whole package $700.
I think there full of it but I need to know what you guys think.

Thanks,

Rob
 
Its a line of crap. I have heard from a very reliable source that most Lexus dealerships are just using Klasse. I don't know that I would pay $700 for a sealant that you can buy for $20. Even if they aren't using Klasse, there isn't anything that they can put on your car that will protect you forever from bird shit and waterspots. If you negelct your car, then you are going to pay for it. Think about it.... Clear coat is pretty strong stuff and even that can't protect your paint from oxidation and bird crap. Dealerships sell this kind of crap to people because most people don't know any better. They weigh the cost of getting their car detailed regularly against this $700 markup on the vehicle and they think they are getting a good deal. Nothing is a substitue for proper and frequent car care.

Sorry for the rant. I have just dealt with too many people who were screwed by dealerships on these types of packages. Those people are salesmen and not detailers. They get a fatter percentage on the sale of the sealant package than they do on the car itself. Tell her to skip it and take the car to a detailer who specializes in this kind of thing. Dealerships don't know anything about detailing. Especially the salesmen.
 
Since mom probably doesn't have the eye that most of us here have, the sealant would probably look fine (not knowing what sealant it is..). But what you're really paying for is the warranty.. And I bet it requires a yearly maintenance to keep the warranty valid, so it wouldn't be just $700, but $700 + yearly costs. And the warranty probably has some clause about a bird bomb that's on the paint for over 24 hours voiding the warranty, clauses against this, that, and the other.

IMHO, not worth it.

Looks like you run your own detailing business... make mom happy and take care of her new car for her :)
 
Last edited:
Yes, I second that it is a scam.


You would be MUCH better off buying the products your self and doing it that way (with the help of Detail City :) )
or finding a good shop or mobile detailer that could maintain it.
 
$700 can buy LOT of detailing equipment and supplies! Your call, but I would not spend my money on a dealer installed "super sealant".

I do not know about Lexus dealerships, but I do know that many domestic dealerships just use a two stage cleaner/sealant you can buy for $30 on the net. After seeing what some dealerships have done to new cars with a buffer, I get my cars off the lot ASAP; they would have to pay me to let them touch the paintwork!

Just my 2 cents ...
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys that was my opinion to. I'm not new to detailing but definitely new to the business of detailing. I've only had my business license 2 weeks and my calendar is already starting to book up, especially since I only work this part time. Detail City is the best. I have learned more in a month about the practical part of this business than I could have learned in a year going to college.
 
If ya live near mom, then ya got another testbed for products you wanna try out in your business. Good luck :)
 
Been there . . .

treestand said:
Yes, I second that it is a scam.


You would be MUCH better off buying the products your self and doing it that way (with the help of Detail City :) ) . . .
Click to expand...

Geez, that's how I got here six months ago, and while I have probably spent over the $600 quoted by my Honda dealer, I've gained so much more!!!

Thanks DC!!
 
What gets my coat is you go and buy a 40,000 dollar car and they still are not happy they have to SCAM you out of another $700.They try and get every last penny.
 
Its the same thing as the Toyoguard package...just $100 more since it is a Lexus. The sealant and interior protection are pretty worthless; the VIN etching is nice, but you can get than done for well under $100. Typically you can ask them to remove it or to order a vehicle without it and the dealer will remove it from the price of the vehicle. My Solara came with the Toyoguard and I got the dealer to remove all but $100 of the cost...that is probably what the package is worth.

One other note, if you read the warranty it has a lot of outs...you have to use their sealant cleaner every 3 months, and have the sealant reapplied by the dealer at additional cost to you every year.
 
Can you imagine if real detailers like us tried to charge $700 for paint and fabric protection. We probably would be charged with fraud. I think people are dumb and go for the scam because it just gets worked into the overall deal. In a sense, new car customers finance this BS with the rest of their car. New car dealerships legally robb millions of people a year in my opinion.
 
haha...just 'coz you can pay buck$$ for a Lex, the salesman prolly thinks he can squeez more buck$$ from you. The salesman would prolly also try the same from a Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Ferarri, Aston-Martin buyer.

If your mom stays nearby to you, you could offer her a $700 lifetime package that would take out bird-poop. Lexus' paintwork is fabulous to begin with, not to mention the beautiful leather seats.
 
There's no shortage of people willing to shell out that much for pretty much nothing. We sell on average 2-3/week. Honestly, the people who buy this stuff won't know what you're talking about if you try to educate them.
 
New Vehicle Delivery

Trust me on this one....

Your new vehicle would go to that new division they have:

The Swirl Mark and Scratch Application Department (SMSAD) :rolleyes:

Save the money, don't have them "Prep" it, just wash is fine. Otherwise you will pick up the vehicle full of swirls! They did it to my SC430! Thanks Lexus!

Then, when you get it home, wash it, clay it and apply your OWN sealant.

Pocket $650.00 :lol

Regards,
Deanski
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top