Dealer Applied Paint Protectants

[swisstoni]

As someone who's had a passing interest in detailing over the years I can remember a time when these paint protection offerings from dealers were generally frowned upon as being not very good and a bit of a con.

I'm about to pick up a new vehicle and have been offered some kind of paint sealant system thrown in (I can't get much detail from the blurb and certainly no product names). It consists of an initial treatment in the dealership and some stuff to wash the car with at home. I assume I'd have to pay for more 'stuff' when it runs out.

So my question is: is there a downside to these apart from not being worth the money? Can I just stop using their 'stuff' and switch or would it have to be removed somehow?

[belleair302]

Don't waste your money.....it is much more cost effective and beneficial to wash your car frequently, using two buckets and a good shampoo....clay once or twice a year, polish one a year and wax every six weeks if possible. None of these dealer protectants work and you are better off looking after your own car.

[7even]

They're only as good as the person applying the products, that is if they do?
There's an easy 200% markup on these products, which tells a story.

[After_Shock]

If its a top up based product id guess its either Diamondbrite or possibly the Autoglym one.

Its better than nothing on the paint for obvious reasons, wouldn't worry about removing it later as with time it washes off like anything else.

[swisstoni]

Ok I've decided that if I get it done at all it will be done by a proper detailer or I will just DIY.

[After_Shock]

swisstoni said:

Ok I've decided that if I get it done at all it will be done by a proper detailer or I will just DIY.

If its being thrown in why not get it done? better than nothing on the paint!

[swisstoni]

As the information from the dealer was so sketchy I lost confidence in how this job was going to be done.
I'd rather they didn't touch it than mess it up - then the freebie wouldn't be such a bargain.

[B0DSKI]

It's not so much the quality of the protection it's the way in which the cars paintwork is prepared prior to its application.

Much much better off letting a professional Detailer do it for you.

[swisstoni]

Yes I think I'll tell the dealer to leave it alone when it comes in and then get KDS to look after it. Bit of a pain for me to get to and it means getting a train home and back but its better than getting free swirls.

[Pro Valets]

swisstoni said:

Yes I think I'll tell the dealer to leave it alone when it comes in and then get KDS to look after it. Bit of a pain for me to get to and it means getting a train home and back but its better than getting free swirls.

If the travelling is a pain, why not take a look at the PVD website. There is a simple postcode-based search where you can find an Approved Detailer close-by.

www.pro-valets.co.uk

Rich