Dealership paint protection, is it worth it?

by | Oct 3, 2020 | Paint Protection

Customer expectations are rising, so it’s no surprise that the detailing industry has seen an increase in businesses offering high-end services and a more personalised experience.

The increased level of care that people demand with their vehicle is a positive sign as any good detailer would testify.

As professional detailing remains popular amongst car enthusiasts, others are learning that treating a car like a baby can increase its lifespan and later help achieve a higher resell value.

When it comes to receiving delivery of a new car, it should be a day of excitement, sadly this isn’t always the case.

You wouldn’t trust an unqualified plumber to work on your house, and with some cars costing as much as an apartment, why is it that those who lack appropriate skills are being trusted to prepare your new car prior to delivery?

Swirls in paintwork are caused by inappropriate washing methods and all it can take is one bad wash. But who is responsible for these horrid defects? Is it the employer for lack of training, or is it that when workers are paid a low wage that the level of service declines? With high sales volumes many dealerships would simply be under considerable strain and may not have sufficient resources available to adequately prepare each vehicle they sell.

Whatever the reason, receiving delivery of a car that seemingly has been washed with a bag of rocks is inexcusable. Some dealerships effectively outsource their detailing by subletting wash bays, others add millage to vehicles by having work done offsite, this can cause quality control issues and may even negate responsibility.

The detailing industry is an unregulated one, so it’s difficult to expect that cowboy operators will simply ride off in the distance with sponge and bucket in hand.

3 tips when buying a new car

1. Either in direct sunlight or by using a pen torch (or the light on your smartphone), closely inspect the vehicles paintwork prior to delivery or before purchasing.

2.  Take a glance into the wash bay area as this may reveal to some degree the level of detailing that’s being done, for example, try to see if the same bucket of dirty suds is being used repeatedly.

3. Ask the dealership not to wash the car prior to delivery. Remember that even one bad wash can damage the paintwork!

The convenience of having paint protection done at the dealership may result in defects being “locked” into the paintwork as they only apply the coating without machine polish or correction.

WHY choose advanced detail?

Depending on the lighting it may be difficult to notice any apparent defects, or you could be fortunate that there aren’t any. Either way, considering that a ceramic coating cannot be washed off, there is an opportunity to have a professional detailer jewel and remove any imperfections in the paintwork prior to the application of the coating. Like polishing a stone, this can take a while but it’s this crucial preparation stage that should not be underestimated.

At Advanced Detail, we work on low volume to ensure high quality standards are met, we also believe that detailing is an art form which that has enriched our lives and hopefully can bring benefit to yours. Hearing from customers that their car looks better than new is humbling and is something that we hope to hear from you.   

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