BMW Dealer's Paint Protection Claims

[SCVette]

This is my first posting, so if I accidentally violate any rules of the road, please be patient.

Last week, when we took delivery of my wife's new BMW 525, I was surprised by the dealer's strong sales pitch for paint, carpet and leather protection. I don't recall hearing a similar pitch within the last 10 to 15 years. It was a rather convincing story, using impressive samples of treated and untreated materials. The cost was $500. Based on prior experience with older programs, such as Rusty Jones, I politely declined.

Now that a few days' time has passed, I am having second thoughts. Are these products really "new" and "substantially different" from those offered by Meguiar and others selling to the retail market as my dealer claimed during his sales pitch? If so, perhaps I should go back and try to negotiate a better price.

Are there comparable protection products that I should purchase at a more reasonable price to provide protection for the new car's paint, carpet and leather? Specific suggestions would be helpful. I would like to provide similar protection for my car, a 2005 C6 Corvette.

Your expert advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Mike Phillips]

Hi SCVette,

Seeing that this is your first post here... Welcome to Meguiar's Online!


This questions comes up once in a while as it's only natural to be curious about new products and to be hopeful for something extraordinary to come down the pike, for the most part the old saying,

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't"

Paint Sealant, applied at the dealership for extraordinary prices are typically big money generators for the dealership because whatever the wax is, or paint sealant, or whatever they want to call it, it's something being poured out of a bottle and applied by usually a detailer or shop boy and it's no more special than anything you can purchase and apply and sometimes worse.

Look at what they claim and then look at what it cost, usually the great the claim, the higher the price. People laying down huge chunks of money for their new vehicle are very focused at that moment in time in protecting their investments and often are talked into these paint and fabric protection products/plans.

If there truly were a product that was available to a dealership to apply to create some incredible force field around your paint, or leather seat, etc. then the paint companies and car manufactures could and would incorporate them into their products at the time of manufacture to offer a better product than the competition.

You will be money ahead to take that money and invest it in the best products and tools from a reputable company and learn how to properly maintain your new car yourself, or find a quality detail shop known for professional and honest work and set your car up on a maintenance program.

Simple things like taking ownership of the car washing process so you can control the quality of the car wash soap, the quality of the car wash mitt or brush and the care and attention in the way the car is actually washed will go a long way to keeping your new car looking good than hoping in a new miracle product.

[GearHead_1]

I'm sure there are many opinions on this subject but mine is pretty simple. There is no wax or sealant that's protection is good a year out, let alone 3-5 like some claim. Save your money buy a PC and and a few quality products to go along with it. Enjoy the time you spend keeping your finish up and you'll be money ahead down the road. Guess that bout' says it all.

[the other pc]

Re: BMW Dealer's Paint Protection Claims

Hi SCVette and

Congrats on the new ride.

Originally posted by SCVette
...I was surprised by the dealer's strong sales pitch for paint, carpet and leather protection...

Don't be. There's a huge markup on it.

Rest assured that you can do better yourself for a fraction of the cost.


PC.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: BMW Dealer's Paint Protection Claims

Originally posted by SCVette
Are there comparable protection products that I should purchase at a more reasonable price to provide protection for the new car's paint, carpet and leather? Specific suggestions would be helpful. I would like to provide similar protection for my car, a 2005 C6 Corvette.

Your expert advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

For carpet and fabric, most people turn to a product called Scotchgard. Meguiar's doesn't offer anything in that category.

For everything else we can help you...

Leather

http://meguiars.com/estore/product_list.cfm?listData=meg-auto-4-2

Vinyl

http://meguiars.com/estore/product_list.cfm?listData=meg-auto-4-1

Car Wash

http://meguiars.com/estore/product_list.cfm?listData=meg-auto-1-1

Car Wax

http://meguiars.com/estore/product_list.cfm?listData=meg-auto-1-4

Maintain

http://meguiars.com/estore/product_list.cfm?listData=meg-auto-1-5

Accessories

http://meguiars.com/estore/product_list.cfm?listData=meg-auto-8-1

http://meguiars.com/estore/product_list.cfm?listData=meg-auto-8-2

http://meguiars.com/estore/product_list.cfm?listData=meg-auto-8-3

If you want specific recommendation for products out of each category, we can do that too...

[Mosca]

My opinion isn't needed here, but I do F&I for a living.

The chemical itself isn't what's being sold; the warranty is. If you think about it, if the dealership did nothing, or sprayed the car with milk and then hosed it off, and then guaranteed that the paint wouldn't fade, that would be the same thing.

What happens is, as soon as the customers walk out of the door they forget they have a warranty, and there are never any claims.

EVER.

That's what the game is, there. The company is counting on never seeing you again. As far as the value of the guarantee, consider what it might be without considering the chemicals involved. They are irrelevant.

I won't offer the chemicals in my office; I can't.


Tom

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks for chiming in with your behinds the scenes insight Tom.

[RamAirV1]

This is an excellent thread. A dealership body shop manager swore me to secrecy when he admitted that those dealer-applied sealants are nothing special at all. I already knew that, but at least he was honest.

I won't even get started on Ziebardt(sp)! It is amazing the people that believe that stuff has supernatural powers.

RamAirV1

[showtime]

Before I went on my own, the stealership I worked for threatened my job if I didn't stop saying it didn't work. Right before I left, I refused to even do install it anymore, saying the undercoating caused headaches. It's sick to see how many people get ripped off on this. I'm glad that Meguiar's hasn't gone down this route, even though they easily could.

Mike, I sell Xpel and paint sealants are a very big competator. Is there some technical information I could use to educate people on these paint sealants? I'd like to include it in my presentations. It's easy to just tell them they don't work, but seeing how technical you are in your writing, it would make a much more convincing arguement.

[JeffM]

they cant deliver a vehicle, most times ,without swirls, how are they going to protect the paint for years and years lol.

Its damaged before it hits the road !

Lets see a warranty for swirled paint !!!!!!!!!

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by showtime
Mike, I sell Xpel and paint sealants are a very big competitor. Is there some technical information I could use to educate people on these paint sealants? I'd like to include it in my presentations. It's easy to just tell them they don't work, but seeing how technical you are in your writing, it would make a much more convincing argument.

I've been meaning to write something on all the products hyped to be layerable, as in each time a coat is applied their is an increase in thickness of the product on the surface. This kind of fits in with that as the way some companies hype their paint sealants to fool the uneducated into thinking they are getting an invisible force field installed onto their car.

I'll work on something and then place it in the Hot Topics forum.

[Fr0zen]

Did the same thing to me, all they did was ask for the paint sealent and interior protection. Every chance they got they would look at the paint and say WOW! your paint is bad so many water spots its time to get the paint sealent..

[rusty bumper]

I must have missed this thread somehow, but it makes for good reading.

I beginning to wonder if I wasted my money on a fabric protection warranty when I bought 3 pcs. of Lazy Boy furniture.

I think next time I'll just buy the furniture period, and leave out the extras.

BTW, welcome to the forum SCVette!