My local ceramic coating snake oil operation

[DFB]

I can’t post links so just go on YouTube and search for How Is Diamond Ceramic Paint Protection Applied? That’s what my local Honda dealership where I bought my car uses.

After I did my coating I got an oil change there and told them not to wash my car which is exactly what they did and then they dried it off with the same dirty towels from the previous 50 cars. They put some lovely scratches on my car and the coating had not fully cured. They offered to compensate me by applying their lovely “ceramic” coating.

So, they are applying spray and rinse sealant that is sold at considerable expense to the customer as a "ceramic coating"?

[Optimus Grime]

I was at a training with a group of detailers last weekend. One of them does coatings for a local dealership. He charges the same that he would a customer that comes into his shop but the dealership charges the buyer 3x what the dealership paid. I don’t know which scenario is worse; charging for what is essentially a spray on sealant or charging an exorbitant price (sometimes up to 6K) for a professionally done 5 year coating. A wise man once told me that every third word out of a car salesman’s mouth is a lie and it has yet to be disproven.

[Eric7810]

Unreal…


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[Eric7810]

Thanks for suggesting that YouTube search.. now I know what to show my customers when trying to explain the scam..

Dealer near me charges $1,500 for the service featured in that video…


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[Optimus Grime]

So, they are applying spray and rinse sealant that is sold at considerable expense to the customer as a "ceramic coating"?

Pretty much. I don't remember the exact cost but the last time I went in for an oil change I went into the show room to kill time and every car had it as an add on for $1,000+. You can also search for Diamond Ceramic ECP on YouTube and see all of their videos about it.

[Coatingsarecrack]

I was at a training with a group of detailers last weekend. One of them does coatings for a local dealership. He charges the same that he would a customer that comes into his shop but the dealership charges the buyer 3x what the dealership paid. I don’t know which scenario is worse; charging for what is essentially a spray on sealant or charging an exorbitant price (sometimes up to 6K) for a professionally done 5 year coating. A wise man once told me that every third word out of a car salesman’s mouth is a lie and it has yet to be disproven.

I was a car salesman and I can tell you that every third word out of my mouth wasn’t a lie…. Not even close. I can also say a majority of the people I worked with were genuinely good people just supporting their family like all of us.

Yes there a few that were bad humans but you will find that in all walks of life

Also people blame the salesman but Salesmen don’t make the deal the manager does. The going back and forth… not their choice

The overcharging you are talking about add ons? Has nothing to do with the salesman. The finance manager is the one selling that.



The car buying process is flawed but it’s usually not the sales guy your dealing with fault.

Most of them are on the buyers side because if you don’t buy they don’t make money.

Ju

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[Game]

I was a car salesman and I can tell you that every third word out of my mouth wasn’t a lie…. Not even close. I can also say a majority of the people I worked with were genuinely good people just supporting their family like all of us.

Yes there a few that were bad humans but you will find that in all walks of life

Also people blame the salesman but Salesmen don’t make the deal the manager does. The going back and forth… not their choice

The overcharging you are talking about add ons? Has nothing to do with the salesman. The finance manager is the one selling that.



The car buying process is flawed but it’s usually not the sales guy your dealing with fault.

Most of them are on the buyers side because if you don’t buy they don’t make money.

Ju

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As someone that works at a dealer, I can attest this is all true. Most sales guys hate pitching these products but that’s where the dealer makes its money.

[John U]

For fans of the movie Fargo. You’ll all remember “TruCoat”. William H Macy was always pushing.

Fargo (1996) - TruCoat Scene (2/12) | Movieclips - YouTube

[Optimus Grime]

It's not just dealerships. A guy in my neighborhood tried to apply Adam's spray coating and completely botched the job. He scratched his hood and his car was basically one giant high spot. He was going to come to me to have his coating redone but last week as I was going to get dinner for my kids I saw someone coating his car in his garage. No problem. His money and his car so he can do whatever he wants with it. I asked what coating he had applied and he didn't know. I told him to ask the detailer just so that I could show him which products he should use to maintain his coating. He inquired but the detailer wouldn't tell him. Red Flag #1. I was trying to give him general tips on what to get just to be a good neighbor and help him out and he explained that he went with that detailer over me because he was applying 7 year coatings for $600. Red flag #2. If something is too good to be true then it probably is. I tried to tell him indirectly that there's a 99% chance he didn't get a 7 year coating but he couldn't take a hint. I don't think this detailer is necessarily a bad person but when people overpromise and under deliver it gives ceramic coatings a bad name. In a year there are going to be a posse of people in my neighborhood wondering why their coatings are "dead".

[Eric7810]

That is such a vivid picture of what goes on.

Offering ceramic coating forced me to become a salesman. The profits are there but it often requires a one on one consultation on their property.

So many over-promised benefits and people who spray ‘ceramic’ products on and call it a coating. The customers who commit to my service though always see the difference in the end.

I describe it to folks this way often times…

What the dealer offered you is a chef boyardee pizza for the price of a Vitale’s (top notch local pizza joint here). I’m offering you the real deal.

I bring the product I use with me and explain the benefit, even leave them with the product name and challenge them to look it up online for reviews to see for themselves. Often times I don’t have to though, and I can book fairly quickly with a house visit.


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