Am I being offered Supaguard ?

[smokeycat]

Hello

Have just ordered a Qashqai Acenta with magnetic red metallic paint. Received a call from my dealers today offering a paintwork and fabric protection - here is a copy from part of an e-mail sent to me shortly after I said I wanted time to think about it. Has anyone had this done, and if so is it worth it and will I never have to wax the car for years to come ? Note the price !

Further to our recent telephone conversation here is a summary of the protection available for your Nissan Qashqai.

Cost is £354 including VAT .

The following is included:

Exterior Protection - The whole idea behind paint sealant is to protect your vehicle's paintwork from the harsh environment that surrounds it - Ultra Violet rays from the sun, atmospheric fallout, acid rain, road salt and other contributors. The advanced polymer sealant is professionally applied to your vehicle. Using the most up to date technology it creates an invisible and durable high-gloss barrier that helps strengthen and protect modern day water and solvent based paint finishes from the worst that the elements can do. There is no need to wax or polish and it is easier to remove bird mess and tree sap.

Interior Protection - InteriorGard coats each fibre with a resin based formula which won't wash out. This professionally applied product prevents spills of coffee, tea, milk, soft drinks, juices, water and other similar liquids from permanently staining your fabrics and carpets. Dirt can be either vacuumed or wiped off. The invisible barrier helps reduce friction between the fibres prolonging their life. This allows the fabrics and carpets to retain their natural texture and appearance. InteriorGard complies fully to COSSH and ISO 9001 regulations.
VinylGard - This creates an anti-static finish on vinyl and plastic surfaces, keeping them flexible while protecting and maintaining their appearance. This professionally applied finish bonds to your car’s vinyl and plastic surfaces and forms a tough protective barrier. The coating prevents the sun’s Ultra Violet rays from penetrating the vinyl, so there’s no fading or cracking and the matt finish reduces reflections from the dashboard on the windscreen.

Alloy Wheel Protection - Helps to protect from brake dust, road salt etc.
After Care Kit - Includes shampoo, glass cleaner, alloy wheel protection, scuff remover, bird lime neutraliser spray and micro fibre sponge.
Key Finder - It's the moment everyone dreads. You can't find your keys you can't access your car, perhaps even you are unable get into your house. Because the finder receives a reward, 90% of keys lost while attached to a KeyFinder fob are reunited with their owner. The Key benefits within your KeyFinder membership are
24 hour, 365 days a year emergency helpline. No key owner details are given to the finder or any third party, guaranteeing maximum confidentiality and security.

Emergency Kit - Includes fire extinguisher, first aid kit, torch and 5 high visibility capes.
£200 Part Exchange Voucher (no expiry date) - For use next time you change your car.

Thanks for reading all this !

[garyshingler]

Hi smokeycat. I wasn't offered supaguard when I bought my qq which I picked up last week but I did opt for it when I bought a Hyundai I10 for my better half last November. Initially I flatly refused which resulted in a pretty swift reduction of about 50% to about £150. I must have been having an off day because I eventually agreed despite being sceptical. It was clear that something had been applied to the interior because that nice new car smell had been replaced by a strong whiff of chemical. As regards the exterior who can tell after 6 months but the rain does still bead beautifully and does have that just waxed look about it. I do like the shampoo that came with kit and also the bird lime remover foam which is excellent (available on Amazon).
I plan to keep the I10 for years (!) so £150 in the hope it will keep its shine is something I'm prepared to take a chance on. The qq will more than likely be replaced in 3 yrs. If you go for it, then you maybe able to negotiate a hefty discount.

[Gel]

Buy the Auto Glym kit off E bay; put in some elbow grease!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Autoglym-Life ... SwboVXOZjG

[smokeycat]

gary, thanks for your detailed reply, and after reading it I will tell the dealers Rep (salesman?) I'm not interested and see if I'm offered a hefty discount which I feel I will still refuse as I'm looking forward to that 'new car smell' ! Thanks for the info regarding the shampoo and especially the bird lime remover as I seem to park my car on a bird flight path !

Gel, thanks for the info, might well be the way to go. Have had a quick look at their products which seem to be well regarded.

[SimonF]

Hi

With products like Supaguard the key is in the preparation and application. If you have any marks on the paintwork before you start then they will also be sealed in. Ideally, even on a new car, you would want to have a single stage machine polish first before applying a long term sealant. Remember a new car will have picked up contaminants on the paint from just standing about in compounds and will have been washed, possibly badly, a couple of times too.

There are many products, including Supaguard, that can be bought online for a fraction of the cost of the dealer 'offer'. Unless you are going to take care of the paintwork by washing it yourself and not taking it to the local handwash then don't bother. The chemicals those guys will use will strip coatings in a couple of washes.

Another option is to contact a local detailing specialist. They should be able to quote you for a new car protection detail. Chances are it will come in at a similar price to the dealer offer but will be a much better job.

Cheers

Simon

[smokeycat]

Thanks Simon for your wise words. I think not having any input into doing the 'protecting' would worry me a bit. Interesting remark about the chemicals that some hand car-washes might be using, hadn't given that any thought.

[gloucester]

When I bought my car secondhand earlier this year the invoice price as presented was about £1500 more than I'd expected. They had added lots of extras roughly set out as: "Permashire Paintwork Protection", "Autotrust Cosmetic Repair Insurance", "Gap Insurance", "Tyre Insurance" (all these were £300-400), and a "Delivery and Administration Charge" - the first time I've been charged for "delivery" on a second-hand car!

I declined the first four without questioning them - though had to go through a long interrogation as to why I didn't want those benefits. It seemed like the £199 Delivery Charge was compulsory but I argued my case - it comprises:

Your used car delivery package for £199 including VAT includes all the following:

24 months standard care warranty***
£30 worth of fuel
MOT for life card*
Wessex car mats**
Accident management cover
Friends and family discount booklet worth over £500
No fee for credit card payments up to £500
Drive away 7 day insurance cover
Up to 15% off accessories

The warranty was worthless since the car's own warranty was already going to last over two years, I wouldn't need an MoT for over two years, I pointed out the car already had floor mats (which it turned out were removed before delivery!), why would I need "accident management cover", I don't have "friends and family" who could benefit, I wouldn't need to pay for anything with a credit card, I would be swapping my insurance (they actuallt granted this anyway), and I intended to get accessories on the internet, probably at cheaper prices than even 15% off at the dealer's probable list price offering. Clearly if the car had been out of warranty or just about to go out, £199 is a very good deal, but they accepted that the charge was not really relevant for my circumstances and agreed to waive it.

[smokeycat]

Hi gloucester

Wow, and I thought I was being leaned on! Don't think I would like to shop there.

[karthic180]

I got offfered it when i ordered my new QQ for my dealer. the salesman even had the demo card to show how the water just sits there and floats off the paper. I got it as i had it on my old Toyota and it is worth for me especially since the Tenka has leather seats